Gary Neville is yet to taste a La Liga victory in nine matches as coach of Valencia since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo in December but club legend Gaizka Mendieta does not believe the embattled coach will be sacked but insisted the players should shoulder some of the blame.
Valencia lost 1-0 at Real Betis to drop to within four points of the La Liga relegation zone on Sunday as Neville’s winless streak in the league extended to nine matches.
There have been calls for Neville to tender his resignation and those demands grew louder at the end of the week that also saw Valencia crushed 7-0 by Barcelona in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
Despite Valencia’s obvious concerns, Mendieta – a two-time Champions League runner-up with the club – thinks Neville will keep his job for at least another week.
“As I said before the game, I don’t think he’ll be sacked,” the 41-year-old told Sky Sports.
“The president and chairman still believe in Gary and because of the short time he’s been at the club, he should stay and not be changed again. But the sporting director and the fans won’t be thinking the same.
“It’s not only the results, but it’s the way the team is playing. It’s not only Gary who’s to blame here, I think it’s the players as well.
“When you see the way they play, they look like a team who are not prepared to compete at the level that they should. It’s more than just Gary here, there are a lot of things to look at for the club.”
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