"Sir Alex Ferguson would never" - Gary Neville blasts Pep Guardiola for Erling Haaland reaction during Manchester City's 3-0 win over Burnley

Manchester United icon Gary Neville has criticized Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola for his treatment of Erling Haaland against Burnley on Friday, August 11.

The Cityzens kicked off the 2023-24 Premier League campaign against the Clarets on Friday. The Norwegian forward, who won the Golden Boot last season, started this season in style.

He bagged a brace for Guardiola's side in the first half, putting them 2-0 up at the break. Despite what seemed to be a stellar performance from the former Borussia Dortmund star, Guardiola was furious with the striker. He was seen screaming at Haaland in an astonishing rant on the way to the tunnel at Turf Moor.

Neville has lambasted the Manchester City manager for his actions. He claimed that legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who was known to be strict during his career, would never act in such a manner in public.

The Englishman said on Sky Sports (as quoted by talkSPORT):

"There’ll be some people who’ll love the intensity of that and say that that’s why he’s the best manager on the planet. Then there’ll be others who will say that you shouldn’t do that in a public forum, grabbing his arm in front of the cameras."

He added:

"I played for one of the most intense managers in the history of the game - but he’d never have done that on the pitch in such a way."

Manchester City went on to secure a 3-0 victory against Burnley after Rodri got his name on the scoresheet in the 75th minute.

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"There’s no problem at all", "It's a pleasure" - Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland open up about half-time clash in Manchester City vs Burnley

Guardiola and Haaland have played down their seemingly enraged clash at half-time. The Spanish boss insists that it was merely a moment of miscommunication with his player.

The former Barcelona manager said after the match (via The Mirror):

“There’s no problem at all. It was about a connection with the players. He wanted the ball in behind him and that ball hasn't to be in behind. Sometimes you have to be patient to find the right moment."

He added:

"He was not frustrated, I am not frustrated. In football it happens. Don't be dramatic. He scored two goals and he’s happy. He was tremendous in the second-half. We know how good he is in front of goal.”

Haaland had a similar response to the incident, stating that it is a pleasure to work under such a manager. The Manchester City striker said:

“It's a pleasure working with Pep - there’s no better for working with a young player."

Haaland was exceptional during the 2022-23 campaign for Manchester City, his debut season for the club. The Norwegian forward became the Premier League's top goal-scorer, breaking the all-time record of goals scored in a single season.

He scored 36 goals in 35 league fixtures for the Cityzens and managed to rack up an impressive 52 goals across all competitions.