Gary Neville apologises for on-air commentary during Manchester derby

"I was boring on there as well. That was drab as well."

Neither side wanted to take risks or the game by the scruff of the neck, and seemed pleased with the result at full time.

In the commentary box, the atmosphere on the pitch was echoed, with the normally highly enthused Gary Neville coming off as fed up.

The former Man United defender even went as far as to apologise in the Sky Sports punditry studio.

He said: “I don’t think there was one player who walked off that pitch disappointed about drawing 0-0, from either side. They all walked off sort of thinking, ‘We’re okay here, got away without making a mistake’. It was that type of game.

“It was a real disappointment. I apologise for my co-commentary actually, I think I let it get to me. I was boring on there as well. That was drab as well.”

Neville also lamented the current state of some sides and the micro-management within squads.

He added: "I get what he (Amorim) is saying about it being that stage of the season, United and City are in a difficult moment.

“But this robotic nature of [players] not leaving positions and being micro-managed within an inch of their lives, of not having any freedom to take a risk and try to win a football match, is becoming an illness in the game. It’s a disease in the game.

“You think of Pep Guardiola over the years and that’s what his teams do.

"We’re seeing poor imitations of that across the board now."