Full version of the ManchesterWorld Q&A.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 So, Michael, starting with Manchester United and just an open Champions League question,
00:05 what are their aims for the Champions League?
00:08 You know, could they possibly go on to actually win the competition?
00:13 Well, I don't think any side really started competition with the aims of,
00:17 'Oh, let's just get through the group stages or let's just get through the quarterfinals'.
00:20 I think obviously the Champions League is such a long competition that a lot of
00:24 the country has changed over the course of a season. I remember the year that United,
00:30 Jose Mourinho, Saktan Oligun and Solskjaer came in and they were drawn against PSG.
00:35 And when Jose Mourinho was manager, it took about three, four months for that fixture to actually be played.
00:39 And by that time, Solskjaer had come in, United were a completely different side,
00:42 and actually they ultimately beat PSG over those two legs that year.
00:46 So, look, it's a long season. The way United are playing right now,
00:49 it looks like they are a million miles off competing with the best sides in Europe.
00:53 But who knows, if they can get a few players back from injury,
00:57 if they can get a bit of form up and if they can just get back to similar to the way
01:02 they were playing in the autumn and winter of last year,
01:05 I mean, that will certainly be something the ten-hack will be looking to do.
01:08 I think realistically that they don't have the quality to challenge
01:15 for the very best Premier League sides,
01:19 sorry, the very best Champions League sides. I don't see them going beyond perhaps a quarter-final stage.
01:25 I think when they come up against one of Europe's elite sides over two legs,
01:29 they're going to struggle to beat them.
01:30 But yeah, I fully expect them to get through the group stages.
01:36 Perhaps, I suspect, the last 16 of quarter-finals is as far as United will go this year in the competition.
01:43 And just on United's injury situation, you mentioned a few players out there.
01:47 What's the latest you can tell us because they are dropping like flies since the start of the season?
01:53 I mean, it's just incredible the number of injuries,
01:57 the number of other issues that are going on, some of which are much more serious, obviously, than player injuries.
02:02 But just to give a quick run through, I mean, I've had to write it down.
02:04 There are so many at the moment for United.
02:06 And, you know, we're recording this a couple of hours before the Bayern Munich game.
02:09 Twelve players are missing for United for that Bayern Munich game.
02:12 I mean, it's absolutely incredible.
02:13 So, Verranne and Mount, both in training yesterday for United, but didn't quite make the squad.
02:19 So I suspect they're going to be back soon, potentially even this weekend.
02:22 Kobe Miano, soft in armour, but training by themselves at the moment, not quite ready for first team action.
02:29 I suspect they're only a couple of weeks away.
02:31 Harry Maguire was the latest one, the ninth injured player confirmed for this game.
02:37 He picked up a minor knock and couldn't make the trip to Germany.
02:41 But he was training on Tuesday.
02:42 So again, doesn't look like too serious a one.
02:44 And between those five, you know, those five, you hope they're kind of coming back in the next couple of weeks anyway.
02:49 But you do have longer term issues.
02:52 Arman Basaka, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Molassi.
02:55 I mean, that's three full backs straight off the bat.
02:57 I mean, serious issues for Thiem Hague.
02:59 And you've got Ahmad as well, who's out with them.
03:02 Certainly not closing in the return anyway.
03:05 So, I mean, that's nine injured players.
03:07 You've then got Jadon Sancho.
03:09 We're not going to go into all that, but we know the reasons he's not playing.
03:13 Likewise, Anthony, obviously a much more kind of serious allegations involving him.
03:18 And he at the moment is on a kind of a leave of absence.
03:20 So that's two wingers as well, which is seriously impacting Thiem Hague.
03:24 The lack of a right-sided option meant that he switched to a diamond at the weekend.
03:28 So, you know, these are having huge impacts on Thiem Hague's squad.
03:31 And then the final one not available for the Bayern game is Donny van der Beek,
03:35 who is not named in Manchester United's Champions League squad.
03:38 I mean, you talk about how his career has stagnated in the last couple of years.
03:42 I don't think anything says more than that,
03:44 that he can't even get named in the Champions League squad.
03:47 He is in the Premier League squad, so he can't play in Premier League games.
03:49 But, you know, Thiem Hague doesn't fancy him, doesn't want to play him.
03:53 He couldn't even secure a deadline day move away.
03:55 So, look, there are serious issues for United.
03:58 I think that, you know, particularly in defence,
04:01 you know, the Arsenal game where they ended with Diego Dalot at left-back,
04:05 Johnny Evans and Harry Maguire at centre-back, fourth and fifth choice centre-back playing.
04:09 There are huge issues there.
04:11 I mentioned the switch to the diamond at the weekend.
04:13 I mean, Thiem Hague's having to rip up his entire tactical plan and, you know,
04:16 try and re-implement a new system with two, three days before the Brighton game.
04:22 It worked pretty disastrously in the end.
04:25 And, look, I think Thiem Hague's made issues and mistakes in the first couple of weeks of the season,
04:30 but I think he deserves certainly a bit of slack considering just the sheer number of injuries he is dealing with.
04:38 And just as opposed to the final thing to say for me, that we repeatedly hear Premier League managers
04:42 and even players talking about the demands of the number of games in the last couple of years
04:47 that have been impacted by COVID, by the World Cup,
04:51 that just seemed to be, you know, 101 matches over the last couple of seasons.
04:54 Are we seeing the impacts of that now with Manchester United with currently nine injured players at the moment?
04:59 Perhaps. I think only really the players and physios know the true impact of that,
05:04 but it is a bit of a concern in my eyes for United at the moment.
05:08 And on to the Premier League. Burnley away up next.
05:10 Obviously, you know, this could be a good time for Thiem Hague to have to rip up those tactics
05:16 and go there and just try and get three points because they have started very, very poorly Burnley.
05:22 Yeah, I mean, I watched the game against Forrest on Monday night
05:25 because Forrest and Burnley between them played the two Manchester clubs actually on this weekend.
05:30 So it was on a mini scout mission, I suppose.
05:32 But Burnley had moments in the game, had little spells in the game.
05:38 The left winger, whose name's completely eluded me, apologies.
05:41 I thought he played really well.
05:46 They, you know, they're not going to roll over. I'll put it like that.
05:49 But there's nothing there that would particularly concern me.
05:52 I think, I mean, you said it's a good time to play Burnley and I fully understand that way of thinking
05:57 and I can see the logic behind it.
05:59 I also think that for United at the moment, it is just a terrible time to play a side of the bottom of the league
06:04 because if they go and win, no one will say anything.
06:06 They're expected to go and win. And if they don't win against Burnley,
06:09 or even if they don't play well, the question Thiem Hague is going to face,
06:12 he's going to be really under the spotlight.
06:15 And, you know, United need three points,
06:19 but they need a good performance because United have played, what is it, five games now this season.
06:24 At best, you would say none of the five performances have been good.
06:27 I think you could arguably say all five performances have been poor.
06:30 So he needs to, he needs to just get into these players and get them performing again.
06:34 We are recording this, as I say, a couple of hours before the Champions League game.
06:37 So, you know, we're not totally sure how, you know, obviously how that will impact going into the Burnley game.
06:42 But, you know, I'd be amazed if they go to the Allianz and get something personally.
06:46 And he just needs a good performance and three points to reset, calm, you know,
06:51 the vultures that are swooping overhead.
06:55 You know, I include myself in this next point, in, you know, the media spotlight under him.
07:00 You know, sadly, he has made errors and mistakes, I think, in the first couple of weeks.
07:03 And it's no surprise that there are questions being asked of certain things he's done.
07:07 So, yeah, there's a lot going on and it is a really important game for United this weekend.
07:14 On to Manchester City, Michael. Obviously, the Champions League kicking off.
07:18 They had a slight scare in that first half, but they managed to get the win in their first group game.
07:23 Just looking ahead, surely they're looking at this and they want to go and do what they did last season.
07:30 Yeah, and look, you would be a brave man to bet against them, I think.
07:34 They are, look, they are the best team in Europe.
07:35 They are the best team in the world. I don't think anyone doubts that.
07:38 I just think that over a Champions League group season, the best team doesn't always necessarily win,
07:46 given how knockout football works.
07:49 I think that, I mean, what's really interesting is Pep Guardiola is clearly, clearly thinking about this second Champions League.
07:54 I mean, that's the way his mind works. He's just got through the first one.
07:57 He's already thinking about the second one.
07:59 You know, even making those comments last night in the press conference about,
08:02 "Oh, Nottingham Forest have won two, we've only won one."
08:05 And, you know, and talking about, you know, basically he said something along the lines of in his press conference the other day that,
08:12 you know, lots of teams have won one Champions League,
08:14 but not many teams have won multiple Champions League European cups.
08:17 And just kind of getting this mindset into the players, I thought it was quite interesting as well,
08:21 that he did say though that in his eyes, it would be easier to win the second one than the first one.
08:26 Again, it's just all how he motivates his players.
08:29 And it's just so difficult, I think, to keep these, you know, Gary Neville and I know we've spoken about it a lot,
08:38 that United after they won the treble, the standards dropped massively.
08:42 It was so difficult to keep that going and certain players eased off.
08:46 It's just, you know, Guardiola has assembled a fantastic group of players there who, you know,
08:51 have won four out of five Premier League titles.
08:53 That comes from that easing off, but, you know, it is only natural that the motivation will drop a little bit.
08:57 So, yeah, listen, I think they're going to be in the latter stages once again.
09:02 I think they'll be amazed if they don't make it to at least the semi-final stage again this season.
09:08 I just think that a couple of questions are how they keep implementing the new players,
09:12 how, I mean, at the moment, they're not quite firing on all cylinders, which is fine.
09:16 City do tend to start slower and get better as the season goes on.
09:20 But it's just kind of, I suppose you'll want to see slightly improved performances as the season goes on
09:26 and maybe implement, fully get these new signings, although I think the new signings have started way out,
09:30 just fully get them playing a little bit as they did last season.
09:33 But, yeah, I think they could.
09:36 I think they've got every chance of winning the second Champions League this season.
09:40 Injury issues have struck City as well as United, obviously.
09:45 You know, big names coming out of the side, Greenwich Stones, for example.
09:48 What's the latest you can tell us?
09:49 Because these are huge impacts and Pep Guardiola knows it as well.
09:54 Yeah, I mean, Pep Guardiola said in his press conference last night after the Red Star game,
09:58 "We are in trouble," which is quite a big thing to say, really.
10:02 I think that, well, I mean, they had four players out for the game midweek.
10:06 Kevin Abruyna, who's a long-term one, Jon Stones, Kovacic and Jack Grealish.
10:10 I think Kovacic, by the sounds of things, will be back for the weekend against Forest,
10:15 I mean, based on what Pep Guardiola and Kyle Walker have said.
10:18 But then you've also had Bernardo Silva, who picked up a problem last night.
10:21 And Guardiola was very vague on what he said, but also said that he was quite vague and quite,
10:29 I suppose, you know, definitive in what he said, that he will be out for a couple of games.
10:33 But then he was very vague about what exactly the problem was, said he hadn't spoken to him.
10:36 Kyle Walker said he seemed fine after the game.
10:38 So who knows exactly what's happening with that one?
10:41 But yeah, it's just a concern that they've got five players out at the moment.
10:46 They have a really limited squad.
10:48 Last night, they named a bench of eight players, five of which came on.
10:53 And it meant by the end, he only had one outfield substitute who wasn't used,
10:56 which, I mean, is really concerning.
10:59 And they had two goalkeepers on the bench of those eight.
11:01 And one of the substitutes, well, I mean, a couple of substitutes are Calvin Phillips, who he doesn't fancy.
11:07 You've got Oscar Bob, who is a youth team player.
11:09 You've got Rico Lewis, who I think is a fantastic player, but still only, I think, 19 or 20.
11:15 You know, it's a concern just with the number of players that the Guardiola has.
11:19 And I mean, we spoke about it earlier, the impact of the last couple of years on players physically.
11:24 And yeah, I do think it's a concern for City, just the number of injuries at the moment.
11:29 I think what they've got right now is they can deal with it,
11:32 especially because Stone's Greelish Copperton, I think, will be back in the next couple of weeks.
11:36 But if they pick up a few more and if they pick up a few long-term injuries,
11:39 that will be a massive concern for Guardiola.
11:42 And it is something that, you know, we'll have to keep an eye on.
11:45 And perhaps I wouldn't be surprised if City are forced into the market in January, just the way things are going.
11:51 And I'm next for City, Forrest at home.
11:54 Do you think this could be a game where people get the triple captain on foot for Erling Haaland?
12:00 I don't know, actually. I mean, Forrest, again, I touched on it, I watched the game on Monday night.
12:04 Didn't think they were brilliant. But actually played really well at Old Trafford earlier this year,
12:09 or a couple of weeks ago, won at Stamford Bridge.
12:12 So I wouldn't take them too lightly. I don't think they're a great side.
12:16 I don't think they'll be top half of the Premier League this season.
12:18 I think they'll be in that kind of in-between bit where they won't be in the absolute grips of relegation fight.
12:25 It won't be mid-table, you know, kind of 13th, 14th, and they're in that position.
12:31 But yeah, listen, it's a game City should win. I mean, I think for City,
12:34 it's just a case that at the moment, if they can just keep picking up three points,
12:37 especially ahead of the Arsenal game, because they've got Wolves coming up, I think.
12:42 And yeah, I'm struggling with too many games, trying to remember off the top of my head at the moment.
12:45 But if they can go into that Arsenal game, the last game before the upcoming international break,
12:49 have them won every single match, I think they'll be in a fantastic position.
12:51 And even gives them a slight little bit of wiggle room, if they were to draw there,
12:54 it's not the end of the issue, or not the biggest issue.
12:57 But yeah, listen, I fully expect City to win.
13:00 They had, they found Forrest relatively straightforward to play against last season, I would say.
13:06 I mean, certainly at the Etihad, I think it was 6-0, wasn't it, off the top of my head?
13:10 Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick, as he does tend to do.
13:12 So yeah, maybe it is a triple-cup week, and I won't be triple-cupping them personally.
13:15 But yeah, I think without being pushovers, I think it'd be a relatively comfortable one for City.