Gary Neville's David Coote hot take is SO WRONG, we've taken it to pieces

Gary Neville has finally got round to having his say on the David Coote affair.

In case you missed it, the 42-year-old Premier League referee has been suspended pending a full investigation from PGMOL over the contents of a video in which he allegedly disclosed biases against both Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp.

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Neville usually has plenty to say about everything concerning Liverpool and he’s usually wrong. This time however, he may have outdone himself.

On the “It’s Called Soccer” show for the Overlap US alongside FIFA referee Christina Unkel and host Rebecca Lowe, Neville disagreed with Unkel’s assessment that Coote should never referee again in the Premier League if found guilty.

Instead he was content to wave away her expert opinion and launch a bizarre and impassioned plea on behalf of Coote that took in everything from minimisation to selective omission.

It really was a masterclass in poor argument.

Anyway, I have tried several times to muster a response to what I’ve seen but the only way I feel I can do it justice is to literally go through it line by line telling Neville how and why he is wrong.

Neville 'doesn't see anything' in Coote's words

“If we look at the words that David Coote said, obviously it's going to bring great disappointment to the refereeing community.”

That’s an understatement. Does it bring great disappointment to the refereeing community because it’s been said, Gary, or he’s been caught saying it?

“He's called Jurgen Klopp the C-word which is obviously a very aggressive word but I didn't see anything within his words that told me that he had influenced decisions in the wrong way, that he was looking to do Liverpool over, do another club over.”

Gary, his impartiality has been compromised. Fatally so. The C-word is indeed a very aggressive word, it’s sexually violent. But he also used the adjective ‘German’, which makes it xenophobic. Did you forget or omit that part?

“It was very sloppy. It's something that he should obviously never have done. It's something that I'm sure he'll regret, not just today but for the rest of his life.”

‘Sloppy’? Could you have minimised it any more?

This is not 'cancellation'

“But when I look at that from not just an employment perspective but from a point of view of almost cancelling him - because the minute that you cancel him as a Premier League referee you're effectively cancelling him from the game - because I'm not sure any other organisation is then going to look at him and say: ‘Okay come over here and work for us mate’.”

There are consequences to our words and actions. Especially in the professional sphere. And you know as well as I do, ‘cancel’ is a loaded term. There is a difference between facing professional consequences and being ‘cancelled’. Coote isn’t going to be ‘cancelled’ for using unsavoury language. He is facing professional reprimand based on the evidence of the video. PGMOL sees fit to take action. Gary, you don’t?

“Unfortunately, we live now in a world whereby when you get cancelled from one organisation, that impact and that sort of ripple effect goes on to another.”

This is not our fault Gary. Plus, it’s called having a reputation. Most, if not all, referees work hard to protect theirs.

“I actually think the worst words in the video were said by the guy sat next to him, when he said: ‘I hate Scousers’. Because that demonstrates a hatred towards a group of people, of which obviously are Liverpool and Everton.”

Are you trying to deflect from what Coote said? It kind of seems like you are. Where do you stand on German c***, Gary? You’ve not said. And you’re dragging Everton into this to make it a ‘Scouse’ thing, not a Liverpool Football Club thing.

It wasn't a stitch-up either

“David Coote didn't say those words himself. It was said by the guy next to him so he's been stitched up.”

An easy way to avoid getting stitched up, in this situation, is to not be filmed revealing personal distastes towards the people and teams to whom you owe your impartiality and indeed your living. And maybe conduct a friend assessment.

“He's been very sloppy. It's a mess and I can see why the refereeing community and Christina [Unkel] get to that conclusion.”

For the record, the conclusion from Christina Unkel - a FIFA trained referee and a lawyer - is that Coote shouldn’t officiate in the Premier League again if found guilty after the PGMOL investigation. That is the level of mansplaining here. You’re arguing against, perhaps, the foremost authority on this stuff IN THE WORLD.

“You're deemed to serve a higher purpose like a judge like a policeman or woman.”

You’ve correctly identified the higher standard referees need to live by, and have spent a significant portion of this video excusing a breach of those standards.

No, Gary, we HAVEN'T all been there

“You almost have to live by a higher bar but I honestly feel that he's got, can I say p*ssed up? He's got bladdered, he's got drunk and he's basically let his mate film him, which is stupid but that's what happens.”

That’s what you’re going for here? He was p*ssed, let him off? Also, this isn't something that just HAPPENED. This is something that he DID. You do realise one of the highest-profile referees in the world has just revealed his prejudices towards a club and its people on camera, don’t you?

“We’ve all been there, where we've probably had too many drinks and we've done something maybe in our years where we would have probably not wish we'd done it.”

We’ve all been there? I’m sorry, did you say we’ve all been there? After a few drinks we’re all off calling people ‘German c***s?’ This is classic ‘whataboutery’. You’re confusing a tipsy office-party faux pas with egregious professional misconduct. And I think you know you are. But I don’t know why.

“The idea that he loses his job for that, I understand what you're saying. It could become untenable. It could become impossible when he goes into Premier League grounds and it might be difficult for him to referee Liverpool again but I'd hope that they can get through it.”

Thank you for acknowledging his position becomes untenable. Wishing they ‘get through it’ however undermines how authority is supposed to function. When bias is revealed, how do you suggest we can restore the impartiality required to referee Premier League matches?

Are you seriously calling this 'name-calling'?

“If there had been any suggestion whatsoever that this referee was making a decision against Liverpool or making a decision against another club, I would be saying no he's got to go straight away, he's no chance.”

Gary, every decision is a potential decision against Liverpool. Doesn’t even matter if they are playing or not. Don’t you understand that Liverpool don’t have to be involved in the match in order to ‘make a decision against Liverpool’? Do you believe proven match-fixing is the only bar for dismissal?

“But I just feel that he's called a manager a word because he's got a bad relationship with him and they've had a bit of a to-do together, a bit of an argument together. That's what I feel is happening.”

Name-calling? You think this is about name-calling? Again, what do you think of Liverpool? ‘S***’. What do you think of Klopp? ‘C***’. On camera from a referee who is supposed to express IMPARTIALITY.

“We know that certain referees don't referee at Anfield or Old Trafford or at St. James' Park because of their allegiance.”

Does anyone want to sit Gary Neville down and explain to him the difference between DECLARING pre-existing biases and discovering hidden ones?

Neville doesn't feel like this is 'the sack'

“For David Coote to be removed from Liverpool games I think would be a would be a good step.”

Every game is potentially a Liverpool game, Gary, no matter who is involved. As long as Liverpool are in the Premier League, Coote can’t referee in it. If he’s found guilty, of course.

“If you call someone a name I feel like it's a warning. It's a second warning, it's a final warning. I don't feel like it's it's an axe, it's a sack. I feel like taking him off Liverpool games and give him a final warning is probably something that should happen.”

Why? You were right earlier when you intimated referees need to be held to a higher standard. Well guess what, THIS is the higher standard you’re talking about.

'Everything he's worked for'

“But I don't feel he should lose his career and lose everything he's worked for all his life for it. I don't feel he's crossed that line.”

This sounds like an appeal to emotion, Gary. You’re smarter than that. Why are you focussing on the CONSEQUENCES of misconduct rather than the misconduct itself?

And I don’t doubt referees work hard to get to where they are. If Coote ‘loses everything’ then he’s only got himself and his mates to blame.

“I feel it would have been crossed if he'd said: ‘Look I am not going to give Liverpool another decision again’. That's it, he's done and he's out of there. But he actually just doesn't like the character of a certain guy at Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp. He actually said he liked James Milner, who was also a Liverpool player.”

The high bar, we’ve been through. The minimisation, we’ve been through. The xenophobic language, we’ve been through. The Milner stuff? You’re getting dangerously close to ‘some of my best friends are… ‘ territory here.

“I don't believe David Coote, to be fair, is anti-Liverpool in games. I don't believe he gives bad decisions against them because he wants to.”

You can believe what you like Gary. Maybe sit this one out and listen to the experts like Christina Unkel.

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