Despairing at the end of a dire goalless Manchester derby, Gary Neville railed against not only the poor performances of the two teams but the state of Premier League football in general.
"This robotic nature of not leaving our positions, being micro-managed within an inch of our lives, not having any freedom to take a risk to go and try and win a football match is becoming an illness in the game," lamented Neville. "It's becoming a disease in the game."
His comments wiggled a finger in a wound which has been festering for some fans of top-flight football this season - the idea that the Premier League has become boring.