England supporters in Riga delivered a defiant and hostile message to Gary Neville and Thomas Tuchel on Tuesday night, turning their backs on the former Manchester United defender whilst launching sarcastic chants at the national team manager during the World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
The 2,500 travelling fans made their displeasure abundantly clear from the opening whistle at the Daugava Stadium, with offensive chants branding Neville a “w***er” echoing around the Baltic venue. The vitriol appeared to be a direct response to the pundit’s controversial LinkedIn post earlier this month.
In the post, Neville had criticised what he termed “angry, middle-aged white men” and revealed he had removed a Union Jack flag from one of his property development sites. “The Union Jack flag being used in a negative fashion is not right,” the former England defender had written, sparking fury amongst sections of the fanbase who accused him of virtue signalling.
But the travelling support didn’t stop at Neville. They reserved equally pointed barbs for manager Thomas Tuchel, who had publicly blasted Wembley’s atmosphere as “silent” and “sad” following last week’s comfortable 3-0 victory over Wales.
From the first minutes in Latvia’s capital, sarcastic chants aimed at the German boss rang out, with supporters determined to prove they hadn’t forgotten his scathing assessment of their vocal backing. The songs continued relentlessly even after Anthony Gordon gave England the lead, as fans kept up their provocative response throughout the match.
“Are we loud enough for you?” and “Thomas Tuchel, we’ll sing when we want” were among the barbed chants that filled the evening air. In a moment of self-aware irony, the away section even broke into a deliberately mocking rendition of “Our support is f****ing s**t!”, clearly taking aim at Tuchel’s criticism of their commitment.
At one stage, supporters encouraged the manager to join in their vocal displays, chanting “Thomas, give us a song!” in what appeared to be good-natured banter laced with underlying frustration rather than outright hostility.
Tuchel’s original complaints had come after England’s dominant performance at Wembley, where Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Bukayo Saka all found the net within the opening 20 minutes against Wales. Despite the emphatic result in front of 70,000 home supporters, the German tactician was left seething about the lacklustre atmosphere.
“The stadium was silent. We never got any energy back from the fans,” Tuchel had said after the match. He was particularly frustrated that Welsh supporters could be heard more clearly than the home crowd, adding pointedly that it was “a bit sad” when opposition fans drowned out England’s backing.
“If you just hear Wales fans, it’s a bit sad. The team deserved big support,” the manager said, clearly unimpressed by what he witnessed from the stands.
The Wembley atmosphere had indeed been flat, with thousands of supporters leaving early due to Underground delays. Those who remained resorted to Mexican waves and launching paper aeroplanes during the second half, highlighting the disconnect between the team’s performance and the crowd’s energy.
The hostile reception in Riga suggests a growing rift between England’s traditional fanbase and both the media establishment represented by Neville and the German manager who has struggled to connect with supporters since taking charge.
Neville’s comments about the Union Jack and “angry, middle-aged white men” struck a nerve with many England fans who see themselves as passionate patriots rather than the caricature the pundit painted. His decision to remove the flag from his development site was viewed by critics as pandering to progressive sensibilities whilst alienating the core support.
Meanwhile, Tuchel’s public criticism of Wembley’s atmosphere has backfired spectacularly, with fans now seemingly determined to prove they can be vocal when they choose, but will not be lectured by a manager who has been in the job for mere months.
The incident highlights the increasingly fractious relationship between England’s travelling support and the footballing establishment. Whilst the team continues to perform on the pitch, questions remain about whether Tuchel and figures like Neville understand the supporters who follow the Three Lions home and away.
The clash of cultures between traditional English football fandom and the more corporate, politically conscious direction of the modern game shows no signs of easing. As England’s World Cup qualifying campaign continues, the hostile reception in Riga serves as a stark warning that fans will not simply accept criticism lying down.
Whether Tuchel will adjust his approach to supporters, or whether Neville will reconsider his public statements about England fans, remains to be seen. What is certain is that the 2,500 who made the journey to Latvia have made their feelings abundantly clear.
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