Terrace Talk: Droning Pip Neville throws up tempting David de Gea conspiracy theory

United fans tends to look after their old lags. Any ex-player who didn’t blot his copybook whilst at Old Trafford can usually count on Reds to back him up in his future ventures, or at least give him the benefit of the doubt.

Little ‘Pip’ Neville, however, sorely tries the patience of even the best of us. Let us leave aside the way he shamelessly jumped aboard the lucrative Class Of ‘92 branding bandwagon, despite not actually having been in that famous youth team.

His aggravatingly banal and droning TV punditry is a byword for all that is wrong about the meejah Old Boys Network, and his frequent soundbite howlers have become semi-legendary.

But every stopped clock has its moment, and Pip squeaked a tempting conspiracy theory last night that David de Gea’s omission at Sunderland might have been more to do with him becoming unsettled than unfit.

I’ve no idea whether this is true or not — but it was a pleasant surprise to hear such an establishment lapdog come out with it so baldly, and boldly. Not least as it has been a week for fuming over pundits and ex-pros, who had all lined up to tell Mourinho his job when it comes to handling Luke Shaw.

Well, so much for experts and their insider knowledge, yet again: Shaw’s inspired reaction to José’s canny kicks up his pizza-padded posterior appeared to demonstrate that Mourinho sometimes knows what he’s doing. And that the likes of Phil Thompson ought to keep their noses out of other clubs’ business.

Not for the first time this season, an early red card and subsequently dishevelled opposition has meant that ‘lessons learned’ may not be of much use to us — barring the obvious one that Luke Shaw’s performance taught us.

Perhaps another is that almost bursting a blood vessel before kick-off because you’ve seen Fellaini’s wearing the captain’s armband may be over-reacting a tad. The skipper “did a job”, as they say these days, although that doesn’t stop most of us wishing he will soon be on the dole.

A match like yesterday’s is just what the doctor ordered when you’ve got a week ahead like ours. Three good goals to settle what was becoming a case of the yips; no need to overexert ourselves in order to get the result; and players who really needed an individual confidence boost duly getting one (Shaw, Rashford, Mikhi).

Incidentally, the league table now clearly highlights what I suggested last week: that top four is eminently achievable if they maintain their focus and commitment, rather than get too distracted by Europe. Win the game in hand and we’re just a point behind City — with the derby yet to come, offering us the prize of a Mancunian leapfrogging.

I’ve almost convinced myself here, until I’ve reminded myself what’s coming at the weekend when we stagger back from our spring jolly to boozy Brussels. The Chelsea match is clearly the biggest obstacle we face between now and the summer, and anything but a draw is likely to have a psychological impact.

There’ll be all sorts of media nonsense about Mourinho and ‘revenge’ in the run-up, which one trusts José will exploit only in order to ease the pressure on the players. If that’s alright with Phil Thompson and his motley cohort of Witchfinder-Generals, of course.