Speaking on his Podcast, Gary Neville has been discussing Rob Holding’s red card against Tottenham and Heung-Min Son.
The centre-half lasted just over half an hour in the north London derby before seeing red on Thursday evening, and, somewhat understandably, fingers have been pointed at Holding for his ill discipline.
However, rather than joining in one the Holding pile-on, Neville actually expressed sympathy for the defender after his red card, stating that it’s almost impossible to keep your head when you’re coming up against a player as talented as Heung-Min Son.
What’s been said?
Neville spoke about Son getting in Holding’s head.
“It was absolute madness from Holding, but I put that down to Son. When you’re playing against a world-class player, you can get yourself into that state of ‘I have to do this, I have to mark him’. You probably watch too many videos, you think you know him well, but the worst thing is that if you play against a player quicker than you who can also beat you with the ball either way,” Neville said.
“Son can do it, he’s absolutely outstanding, and I think that’s gotten into Holding’s head, I have some sympathy for him, just sometimes you’re playing against a great player and it gets the better of you.”
Recipe for disaster
A second-string centre-half playing against the most in-form attacker in the country in the biggest north London derby in 20 years, this game was a recipe for disaster for Rob Holding.
The centre-back was always going to be in for a tough time against Son at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and sadly, he just didn’t cope with the pressure applied by the South Korean.
Son got in his head, not by playing mind games or being dirty, but just by being an absolutely fantastic footballer.
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