Fans debate over Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher’s MNF season awards for 2022/23

Fans took to debate over Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher’s picks for the annual MNF season awards, made after Newcastle v Leicester.

Yep, it’s that time of the year again, the two pundits wrap up the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season by holding their awards on Monday Night Football.

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher spent their final MNF appearance of the year going through the Premier League’s end-of-term awards.

Manchester City have already been crowned Premier League champions, with Pep Guardiola’s team winning 12 consecutive matches to beat Arsenal and lift the trophy. However, City players did not receive all of the Sky Sports pundits’ awards.

The ex-Manchester United and Liverpool defenders were asked to choose their favourite games and managers, and also select the best players in a range of categories. The punditry pair did not always agree on everything. And it’s always going to be tough to please fans with their picks.

So without further ado, this is what that went with, along with their explanations…

Carragher’s best player: Erling Haaland

Carragher: “It is like Messi and Ronaldo isn’t it in terms of that goal-a-game? I think before Haaland, City had maybe the best striker in Premier League history in Sergio Aguero in terms of his minutes per goal anyway. So how does Haaland score that many more than Aguero with a similar team, same manager? That just shows he is a freak.”

Neville’s best player: Erling Haaland

Neville: “It is the first time that the Premier League has signed a player who is going to be the best in the world or is already at that level. They go to Real Madrid, they go to Barcelona, in recent years they have gone to Paris Saint-Germain. They do not go to the Premier League. We have grown the best player in the world.

“For instance, Cristiano Ronaldo came as a young kid and developed. I felt this player was a phenomenon. We knew he was special and what he has done is out of this world.”

Carragher’s best young player: Bukayo Saka

Carragher: “I love him. I think he has been fantastic. Odegaard has been Arsenal’s best player, I just did not pick Odegaard because he is too old – 24 seems too old to be the young player.”

Neville’s best young player: Martin Odegaard

Neville: “I was surprised and shocked when I found out Odegaard is Arsenal’s captain. Where has that come from? But he has been Arsenal’s best player. Even in this difficult period, I think Odegaard has been outstanding. His quality on the ball. The best young player.”

Carragher’s best manager: Eddie Howe

Carragher: “It was either Eddie Howe or Pep Guardiola and I think we all feel Pep Guardiola could go on to win the treble. How could you go against him if he does that. The only reason I went for Eddie Howe was that I just cannot believe what has happened from last season to this season with Newcastle in terms of where they were when Eddie Howe came in. I actually felt there was more chance of doing a treble than Newcastle being in the Champions League so that is why I went for Eddie Howe.”

Neville’s best manager: Pep Guardiola

Neville: “I was going to go for Mikel Arteta a few weeks ago. Gary O’Neil has done an unbelievable job at Bournemouth. Roy Hodgson coming in at Crystal Palace. So many managers have exceeded what we thought they would do. But there are only three teams in the history of football who have got to a Champions League final, an FA Cup final and won the title. Forget the fact that they might not win it yet. Liverpool in 1977 was stopped. But the fact that he has got to those finals is quite a unique event.”

Carragher’s best signing: Morgan Gibbs-White

Carragher: “I was debating over two players. I was going for Manuel Akanji. But I think the fact that he is playing for Man City means I have gone for Morgan Gibbs-White. I would not say he has single-handedly kept Nottingham Forest in the league but every time I watch him… it was a big price tag and he has justified that. He must be really close to the next England squad.”

Neville’s best signing: Casemiro

Neville: “I could not think of a player who has had a bigger impact on their team. I look at United’s season, they are in the top four, they won the Carabao Cup and they are in the FA Cup final. I genuinely don’t think they would be anywhere near top four or doing what they are doing in those competitions without Casemiro. He makes them 30 per cent better.

“I have doubts about the five-year deal and the expense of it, but in terms of the jump in performance when he is playing to when he is not playing, it is enormous. He has brought experience to the dressing room and I think he has done a good job.”

Carragher’s biggest surprise: Lisandro Martinez

Carragher: “Any centre-half coming to the Premier League who is under six foot, you are thinking they are going to have a problem but he hasn’t. Every player has weaknesses, but the best players hide their weaknesses. How can you overcome that? I wasn’t the biggest centre-half and I was worried I was going to get bullied. I thought he was smaller than me.

“But when you are talking about the role of Casemiro, I think there is a massive drop off when Lisandro Martinez is not in the Manchester United team. Defensively but also his ability on the ball in terms of playing out from the back. He is a warrior, he is a leader, and when you think of that spine, he and Casemiro have made a big difference. So I apologise to Lisandro Martinez. Manchester United fans please stop tweeting me!”

Neville’s biggest surprise: Brighton 1-5 Everton

Neville: “Seeing them go to Brighton and rip them to shreds shocked the living daylights out of me, I did not think they were capable of a performance like that. Brighton had just beaten Manchester United. That victory is more than likely going to keep them in the Premier League.”

Carragher’s favourite game: Liverpool 7-0 Man Utd

Carragher: “I don’t think it was the game, it was the selfie in the commentary box I took with him! It has been a poor season for Liverpool but that game will still be being talked about in 10 or 20 years, there is no doubt about it. You beat your rivals, 7-0, it is laughable, isn’t it.”

Neville’s favourite game: World Cup final

Neville: “We have had a very unique season where the World Cup final was sandwiched between two halves of the season. That World Cup final was probably the best game that I have ever seen live. It was absolutely unbelievable, that game.”

Carragher’s team of the season

Carra’s XI: Alisson, Trippier, Dias, Botman, Zinchenko, Odegaard, Rodri, De Bruyne, Salah, Kane, Haaland.

“Haaland is a freak but Harry Kane, what he has done this season, playing in one of the worst teams he has played in, to get that number of goals, I think is out of this world.”

Neville’s team of the season

Nev’s XI: Pope, Trippier, Saliba, Dias, Estupinan, Odegaard, Rodri, De Bruyne, Saka, Haaland, Martinelli.

“I think this season, Saka and Martinelli have absolutely lit up this league, I think they have been spectacular, I think they have been electric. Some of the best play I have seen all season has been from them two.”

As mentioned, fans debate over Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher’s MNF season awards for 2022/23…

@ArsenalAnoop: Jamie carragher has zero United players in his best eleven but thinks United will be challenging city for the title next season and not Arsenal.

@HNoble40: Not one United player for a team that’s probably going to finish 3rd in the league.. madness 😅

@CraigR7: Dias is such a safe pick, he’s not been anywhere near as good as he normally is and was left out for large chunks midway through the season, akanji has been far better

@camlfc22: Glad to see one of them actually payed attention this season (Jamie)

@Mufc9912: Think both @Carra23 and @GNev2 haven’t watched @ManUtd this season

@__reecer__: No other player could score 28 league goals for a mid table team and not be included in most team of the seasons 😂😂

@MHGooner95: No Stones is a disgrace btw, he gets overlooked way too much. He’s been Citys top 3 players this season.

@UtdKingSam: Both awful selections tbh

@J4TM4N99: Literally proves Jamie doesn’t know ball

@lfckaran: alisson becker has been far superior than pope, we would be in relegation if not for him. Salah got better stats than saka and saka been missing since february

@_evanlc: Proof that Carragher has scouse bias and Neville doesn’t want to be accused of United bias

@EmmaHam41: United are top 4 atm. To not include ONE player from the team is a joke.

@NickT121287: Bloody hell, are you praising Arsenal players? @GNev2 😂 I even agree with left back, @Carra23 said Zinchenko had strong October-Feb. He was injured pretty much all of October and we had amoger a month break for the world cup 😂 salah has been good but not for the whole season

@DavidsonWest3: Zinchenko over Ake 💀💀

@dpkbell82: Ok, I’m biased, but I think maybe Rashford and possibly Martinez should get a look in here.

@MrTwoFooted: Neville’s team is, predictably, shite. Carragher’s is better but still has one huge omission and a bizarre inclusion.

@JoshuaJackYCFC: Gary Neville is right this time, how Kane can be over Haaland this season is beyond belief.

@Jinn1118: @Carra23 team is much better than yours..i find like 4 i dont agree here..but hey this is your team so i got no say

@parm_b: Most people think Team of the season award is “Who’s currently been on good form Team”. It should be based on how players have performed throughout the entire season. Sadly people have short memories and pick who’s been in form for a few months near the end.

@AdamSUBotin: How there’s any moaning about Alisson in Carra’s team, I’ll never know… if anyone actually watched Liverpool this year, Alisson has almost single handedly saved our season in net.

@TheNinedust: Allison should be there surely. The most consistent GK in premier league this season.

@Corballyred:
Neville side is a wind up.
Saka scored 14 goals and had 11 assists this season.
Salah scored 30 goals and had 15 assists this season.
And having Pope in there ahead of Alisson is a joke, Alisson was absolutely phenomenal this season.