Why Gary Neville's anti-Liverpool outburst cements his and Phil's status as football's Chuckle Brothers

By Simon Mullock

Published 10:39 27/11/09

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In certain parts of Manchester, Gary and Phil Neville are known as the Chuckle Brothers.

And anyone doubting the comedy value of the respective captains of Manchester United and Everton should just take a look at the rib-tickling one-liners they have come out with in the past week alone.

First of all there was Phil. “Joining (Manchester) City is not something that will ever happen,” he said.

No kidding, Sherlock. Can you just imagine Mark Hughes sitting down with Sheikh Mansour for a chin-wag about the best way to spend the next £100million tranche of the City owner’s fortune?

Sheikh Mansour: “I have been hearing great things about a fellow called Phil Neville. What do you think, Mark?”

Mark Hughes: “I put Phil at the top of my wish-list the moment I discovered you were worth half-a-billion pounds, sir. But apparently he doesn’t like the fact that we serve blue ketchup at Eastlands.”

Sheikh Mansour: “Shame. Perhaps we can get Eddie Large to do the half-time entertainment. I’ve heard he’s a City fan.”

Next up on the open mic was Gary, as usual cracking gags about Scousers .

“We (United) are where we are because we deserve to be there and it’s the same with Liverpool,” said Neville as he compared the misery on Merseyside to the mirth in Manchester at the end of another Champions League matchday.

This is the player who had to be told by United assistant manager Mike Phelan to stop berating the match officials as he warmed up as a substitute at Anfield last month.

Liverpool won that game 2-0 – and even Sir Alex Ferguson admitted they deserved to - but that didn’t stop Red Nev blaming referee Martin Atkinson.

If Liverpool beat Fiorentina and United lose in Wolfsburg, both teams will finish the group stages with 10 points – but one club is off to the last 16 and the other to the UEFA Cup.

Funny that.