Barcelona, Feb 4 (IANS): Valencia manager Gary Neville has admitted that he is enduring his worst time in football after a 0-7 thrashing by FC Barcelona in a La Liga match at the Nou Camp here.
The former Manchester United star's fledgling managerial career has run into trouble in its maiden season with Valencia struggling with poor results. The latest debacle in the away fixture against Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Wednesday night means Neville has led Valencia in eight Spanish league games without recording a win.
"I am not going to sleep well tonight. This is one of the worst experiences I've ever gone through in football. This was one of my most painful nights in football," Neville told the media after the match.
Star striker Luis Suarez scored four goals and world player of the year Lionel Messi clinched a hat-trick as Barcelona showcased an awesome display of firepower in front of their home crowd. The win saw the Catalan giants climb to sole lead on the league table with 51 points from 21 matches, three more than second placed Atletico Madrid, who have played 22 games.
Valencia meanwhile, languish at the 12th spot with 25 points from 22 matches. They are just five points clear of the relegation zone.
Neville, who was appointed Valencia manager last December, admitted that his team's performance was far from satisfactory, but reiterated his decision not to step down midway through the season, preferring instead to focus on the next league game against Real Betis on Sunday.
"The scoreline is unacceptable. I have not enjoyed tonight. I won't sleep well tonight. I didn't like what I saw. The fans didn't deserve that tonight. The people I feel most sorry for are the Valencia supporters. We have to recover incredibly quickly," the former England fullback said.
"We were playing against three of the best players in the world and we gave them three-on-twos I don't know how many times. It was unacceptable and we have to recover very quickly. We need to win a league game. I wish the match against Betis could start in 10 minutes.
"Positivity has been immovable in my life. I last had doubts as a player 18 years ago and from that moment on I developed coping mechanisms to deal with situations like this. I'm fine. Be clear, we have to deliver on Sunday," he added.