Neville: Easier job for LVG

Phil Neville accepts responsibility for his part in Manchester United’s "disaster" last season but has suggested the club’s new boss Louis van Gaal has an easier job on his hands than predecessor David Moyes.

Neville, the former United full-back, was on the Red Devils’ coaching staff last term as they struggled under Moyes before finishing the campaign seventh in the Premier League — a year after being crowned champions in Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge.

Neville said: “I’ve had sleepless nights thinking about what happened last year.

“There is part of me that thinks it was an impossible job to follow Sir Alex Ferguson.

“I think Louis van Gaal has an easier task now, following the man that followed Sir Alex Ferguson.

“It was a really difficult job for David Moyes and I think rather than blame him, there has to be collective responsibility taken throughout the whole club.

“Last year was a complete failure, and a disaster from my point of view.

“But David Moyes is an outstanding manager and will go on to be one for another club — it just didn’t work out last season.”

Meanwhile, Luis Suarez must wait until next week to discover if his appeal against his four-month ban for biting an opponent has been successful after he gave a statement to the Court of Arbitration for Sport yesterday.

The Uruguay and Barcelona striker’s lawyers travelled to the CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland to state their case.

The legal team were hopeful of CAS halving the ban to two months, meaning the former Liverpool striker would be available to play from August 25, and for him to be allowed to train with Barcelona while he is suspended.

They were expected to argue that as the biting incident took place while Suarez was playing for Uruguay in the World Cup then the ban should be limited to international football.

Following the hearing, CAS issued a statement which read: “The player was present and gave a statement to the Panel of CAS arbitrators: Mr Bernhard Welten, Switzerland (President), Professor Luigi Fumagalli, Italy, and Dr Marco Balmelli, Switzerland.

“At the end of the hearing, the panel informed the parties that it will issue its decision as soon as possible, probably before the end of next week.”