Phil Neville has admitted his performance in Everton’s 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat against Wigan Athletic was emphatically below-par, the Daily Mail has reported.
The former Manchester United player started the match in central midfield but was substituted at half-time, having contributed to Wigan scoring three goals in little more than three minutes to reach the cup semi-finals for the first time in their history.
Neville was particularly at fault for the second goal, scored by boyhood Evertonian Callum McManaman, who latched on to a wayward Neville pass to slot past Jan Mucha.
“It was more than a disappointment, it was a disastrous weekend for us,” Neville said. “A disastrous performance, and there is no getting away from it.
“I was embarrassed with my own performance. It wasn’t good enough as a captain. We have to take our medicine and take the criticism.”
Everton were booed off at half-time by the Goodison Park crowd, while Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini, substituted in the second-half, was also met with jeers as he departed the field.
Neville continued: “Sometimes you can be unlucky, but there was no luck. We were well beaten. Now it’s time to get a reaction. That’s what the supporters want, and the manager. At the moment, our short-term aim is to beat Manchester City (at Goodison on Saturday) and show a reaction we didn’t against Wigan. This team has character and I fancy us to bounce back.”
The Toffees also dropped a place in the Premier League over the weekend despite not playing in the league programme, falling behind Liverpool after the Reds moved to sixth with a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
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