'Stop it': Gary Neville delivers scathing take on 'nonsense' Chelsea huddles | OneFootball

Referee Paul Tierney was caught in the middle of huddle in bizarre scenes ahead of Newcastle defeat

Gary Neville has delivered a scathing assessment of Chelsea’s new pre-match huddle routine after the bizarre scenes witnessed ahead of Saturday’s defeat by Newcastle.

The incident remained a key talking point after a 1-0 loss sealed by Anthony Gordon’s first-half goal that dealt a blow to Chelsea’s hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League this term, with their Champions League chances also hanging by a thread with a 5-2 deficit to holders Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16.

Blues boss Liam Rosenior was angry afterwards, insisting that he would speak to refereeing body Professional Game Match Official Limited (PGMOL) and saying: “We were told that in the rulebook you can be where you want and it's about timing.”

He also criticised Tierney, whom he said wanted to talk about the huddle first during a pre-match meeting with Rosenior’s assistant, referencing the incident where Chelsea were denied a spot-kick against Newcastle for a challenge by Nick Woltemade on Cole Palmer as he said: “If Paul had focused more on his job, which was to make the right decision, we'd have a penalty today.”

Neville was withering in his general thoughts on such “gimmicky” pre-match huddles, calling them “nonsense”, “just for show”, “almost cultish” and “ridiculous”, insisting they would not “con” fans and questioning if they had any impact on the players as he urged Chelsea to stop.

Referee Paul Tierney found himself in the middle of Chelsea’s pre-match huddle in bizarre scenes

Chelsea FC via Getty Images

“I thought it was extremely odd, really weird,” Neville said on the latest episode of his podcast on Sky Sports. “I've never been a fan of huddles.

“If you've prepared for seven months of a season, four days before a game, weeks before for a football match, and then you have to do a huddle 10 seconds before the start of a match to talk to each other, to motivate each other, you've done something wrong in the build-up as far as I'm concerned.

“No words can help you, in my opinion. I never did a huddle here [at Old Trafford] in 20 years and we were actually against it, because no words should be able to help you five, 10, 15 seconds, 30 seconds before a football match.

“You've done all your preparation and you've eaten well, you’ve stretched well, you’ve slept well. You've read your set-pieces, you've analysed opponents and you know how to nullify them, you know how to create opportunities if you’re an attacking player, you've seen and visualised the game in your mind.

“Then you're in the changing room for 10 minutes before the match... you've said everything, so what more can be said in a huddle out on the pitch?

“It's just for show, absolutely it's just for show. It's almost cultish, it is just for show. For the fans, to say, ‘look at us, we're together’. Fans won't be conned by that by the way, they'll just judge you on your performances.

“It wouldn't intimidate a good team. It didn't intimidate Newcastle, who are a good side even though they are not having the best of seasons.

“It's weird to do it in the centre of the pitch. It's almost like, ‘what's the most gimmicky thing that will make everyone believe we’ve got an amazing spirit?’

“It's not conning anybody. I'm not being abrupt and blunt and ruthless here with my words for any other reason. I think it’s a nonsense. The whole thing is a nonsense. Stop doing it, let players go in their positions.”

Neville added: “I just don't get it at all.”

On Tierney standing in the middle of the huddle, Neville said: “Two things. One, he should have said, ‘let me get out of here’. 100 percent, Paul Tierney should have not stayed in the middle of that huddle.

“And secondly, the players of Chelsea should have let him out, said, ‘ref, can you just leave us’. It was just absolutely bizarre. It’s just bizarre this, we probably shouldn’t be talking about it and I’m probably giving it too many minutes on my podcast but it actually really frustrated me.

“Then to go and lose 1-0 off the back of it. Honestly, I can't think of anything more ridiculous. I think they should stop it straight away. Now it will become a thing, I would stop it straight away. Nip it in the bud.

“I don't get it and I'd be interested to know if the Chelsea players actually buy into it. I don’t get it at all.”