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Liverpool Crossover - Part 2, Electric Boogaloo
16 Plays16 hours ago
Sam and Tom join Louie and Jesse as they discuss all things Manchester United and Liverpool in our visit to the Daily Liverpool Podcast! This is part 2 of 2 of a bumper crossover, so we hope you enjoy!
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome to the Daily Manchester United.
Crossover Episode with Liverpool Podcast
00:00:04
Speaker
Today it's part two of the crossover we had with the Daily Liverpool podcast, also part of the Global Sports Podcast Network.
Bruno's Captaincy Debate
00:00:13
Speaker
And you thought the captaincy about Bruno, or the talk about it, was heated?
Liverpool Management Issues
00:00:19
Speaker
Now we go into managerial talk about the Liverpool side. Ooh, scary times.
00:00:25
Speaker
I won't admit to them that I'm jealous they got Klopp if you
Subscription Encouragement
00:00:28
Speaker
don't. But if you do enjoy this, make sure you do subscribe and follow us on and all the platforms here at the Daily Manchester United and of course over at the Daily Liverpool if you somehow support both sides.
Part Two: Focus on Manchester United
00:00:39
Speaker
If you do, how are you here?
00:00:40
Speaker
Anyway, for us Red Devils, here's part two of what happened yesterday. in a special recording with a crossover with the Liverpool
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00:00:48
Speaker
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Speaker
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Liverpool's Recent Struggles and Upcoming Derby
00:02:00
Speaker
Who was that guy reading out that advert? He sounds super professional. He sounds rubbish, doesn't he? um yeah Okay, anyway, let's talk more about Sunday because um we've spent a lot of this time talking about United's problems.
00:02:14
Speaker
But I think it's fair to say with three losses in a row in all comps for Liverpool, this is not the time...
Player Performance Concerns
00:02:20
Speaker
ah for us to be having a big derby come around after an international break. Because, Jesse, we spoke about this numerous times before the international break. If you're on a slot, what do you say to the managers?
00:02:31
Speaker
Sorry, what do you say to the players and all of this? But... I mean, we mentioned McAllister, for example. We haven't seen the same McAllister this season. We've had these new players that have come in. Wurz has struggled. Isak hasn't got a goal yet in the Premier League. I know it's early, but you know.
Game Significance for Both Teams
00:02:47
Speaker
um So this is the time that if something is to change for Man United, it's the time for them to be playing against us and for them to really make a statement in playing us as well.
00:02:59
Speaker
Yeah, look, I think this, I said at the um at the beginning, I think this is a massive game for both teams for different reasons. I think, you know, we've we've spoken about Manchester United. I think this is, it is a great opportunity. It really is. I know that United fans are ah thinking, oh you know, thinking really negatively.
00:03:17
Speaker
But I can tell you right now, those players, um Ruben Amrum, will be believing that they can get a result at Anfield. One, because it's a derby, anything can happen.
00:03:27
Speaker
And he'll be looking to last season saying, look, this is how close we came. That was a team that won the league. And we came to Anfield and we nearly won the game. We should have won the game, right? So he will be believing that they can get a result at Anfield.
00:03:42
Speaker
And for Liverpool, this is a fantastic opportunity to get a massive win.
Liverpool's Midfield Challenges
00:03:49
Speaker
at Anfield. And when I say Massel, I'm not talking about scoreline. You know, beating Manchester United, it doesn't matter where the teams are in the league. It's just, you know, the the place will just erupt.
00:04:00
Speaker
And I think the the boost that it will give to the club, to the team, to the manager, it's almost like a fresh start now. We've come back from an international break. It's like a restart. And it can go one of the two ways, right? If United turn up and they play anything like they did last season, there could be they could be an upset.
00:04:19
Speaker
You know, there could be ah a United win or a draw. And then that kind of, you know, it's two Premier League defeats in a row and then another one or ah or a draw.
00:04:32
Speaker
and And all of a sudden, you know, things aren't looking that great. But if if we can beat Manchester United... Then all of a sudden, you know, we've we've had two losses, but we're we're still at least second in the league and got a win against United.
00:04:48
Speaker
And now let's just go again. i mean, with regards to this Liverpool team, I think it's a lot of our issues are with our midfield balance. And I've said this before. I mean, you're seeing either McAllister or Gravenberg in midfield becoming incredibly exposed and having to do a lot of the work themselves.
Integration of New Players
00:05:10
Speaker
I'm just hoping Arna Slott has gone away in this international break and had a had a look at how we played and see how can we make this more balanced and how more like last season. And I think a lot of that is just to do with having the two pivots again, because it worked so well last season. And I don't really know why we stopped doing it. I don't know if it's to give more support to Viet going forward.
00:05:33
Speaker
um But it's just it's just a weird transition from last season where it seems like we've become one block of defence, one block of attack, and then just McAllister or Gravenberg completely alone in the middle.
00:05:49
Speaker
um Why do you think he has done this, Jesse? Do you think it's to try and help Witt settle? Yeah. I don't just think it's Vietz. I think Vietz gets so you know a lot of attention because of his price tag, et cetera.
00:06:05
Speaker
But I think you've you've got to remember that, so you know, we've we've brought in a lot of new players. We've got two new fullbacks. We've got a new midfielder. We've got almost ah an entirely new forward line.
00:06:16
Speaker
And it's just going to take time for these players to to gel. And... he's he's in this kind of weird position because last season he had a really settled team because we had a a relatively small squad and it was, he was pretty much playing the same team every week.
00:06:37
Speaker
The benefit of that was that we got a fantastic start and we managed to win the Premier League. But, Once we got to February, March, that team did run out of legs. It ran out of gas.
00:06:49
Speaker
Absolutely. And we couldn't compete in the Champions League. um We got beat by Newcastle in in the League Cup final. And since then, yeah, we got over the line. We won the Premier League. But we didn't play that well in the second half of the season.
00:07:03
Speaker
And so now you've got the situation where he's got a bigger squad, but that now the challenge is, is that you're not going to be playing the same team week in, week out.
00:07:14
Speaker
And you've got new players now who have got to come in and they've got to gel. So... That midfield position, I think you're right, Louis. It was so settled last season. McAllister, Gravenberg, Sir Bosley, those were the three tried and tested.
Premier League Competitiveness
00:07:29
Speaker
And you know they they played pretty much every game. But that we simply will not be able to play those players every single game. If we've got any realistic ambition of, one, retaining the Premier League and then going further in the Champions League trying to win the Champions League, we have to mix it up.
00:07:46
Speaker
And the balance for Arnie Slott is what games do you choose to to mix it up? Because there just are no easy games in the Premier League anymore.
00:07:57
Speaker
You know, they you look at the the teams like Crystal Palace, look at Brentford, Brighton, you know, it look at Sunderland have come up, you know. the The Premier League is so, so competitive now.
00:08:08
Speaker
And it completely flies in the fla ah face of ah lot of the criticism last season when won the Premier League. Oh, this is not a very strong Premier League because just because of Manchester City. Yeah, but it's not just Manchester City now.
00:08:20
Speaker
You know, I think there's a much more of a level playing field across the whole of the Premier
Liverpool's Fullbacks Issues
00:08:25
Speaker
League. And so Slott's biggest challenge now is trying to get a balance in that team, trying to bed players in, get some rhythm and consistently and not lose games at the same time. And that's really difficult to do.
00:08:42
Speaker
Well, the reason I mentioned Wirtz is just because he's such a different number 10 to Soboslai, who did come under a lot of flack last season. And now he's looking like a far better option than Wirtz based on his positioning in the final third. Wirtz doesn't get the ball as much. When he does, I mean, he we've we've seen his ball control. It's terrific. His first touch.
00:09:04
Speaker
um but he just doesn't really... He's not as physical as Sobosla. Sobosla is not afraid to get stuck in. Witt maybe is just better with the ball at his feet in tight areas, but when it comes to the physical side of football, he hasn't got that as much. Not yet, he's 22. I know he's 22, but Sobosla is not that much older than him.
00:09:27
Speaker
And it's also the fact that Now he's having to get some more support in that final third from a McAllister or a Gravenberg just outside of the box in those little pockets. So that's why I mentioned him.
00:09:39
Speaker
But then we got the other issue of our fullbacks. I mean, Milos Kerkhez has had a very strange start to the season. And I just love to see Robertson play a bit more because whenever Robertson has come off the bench, we've looked more positive.
00:09:53
Speaker
And he's been helping out Gakpo, who at times has been a bit isolated on the left-hand side.
Transition Period for Liverpool
00:09:59
Speaker
Yeah. And I think you also see um how much we miss Luis Diaz down that left as well.
00:10:06
Speaker
Not just in terms of his attacking but ability, but the guy's intensity in terms of tracking back and almost acting as another fallback.
00:10:18
Speaker
was just, you know, it was just phenomenal. Again, he was he was another kind of Sobber's-like kind of player in in terms of his engine and his work rate. And that is something that that we've missed this season. And again, there's that balance issue.
00:10:31
Speaker
Kerkis has come in. He's a very young player. And, um you know, it's going to take him time to adjust to the pressure of playing at Liverpool.
00:10:42
Speaker
When he was at Bournemouth, He was outstanding, absolutely fantastic. But the spotlight wasn't on him. If he had a bad game or if you if he got a booking or, you know, missed time tackle, it was like, OK, you know, move on.
00:10:54
Speaker
It's it's no nothing to see here. but I just don't think that's an excuse when you're playing in the Premier League. No, it's not an excuse. I think it's a reason that you've you've got to give plays. You can't, you know, Andy Robertson, it took him six months just to even get into the team.
00:11:10
Speaker
Jurgen Klopp didn't pick him. for about three or four months um when he signed him. Kerkhez has been thrown straight in. You know, you can say that's a good decision or not.
00:11:21
Speaker
I personally would have started with Robertson robertson and then kind of ease Kerkhez in. But look, we are where we are now. I think that he's a ah very, very good player. But I just think, again, he's a young player. It's not an excuse. It's just a fact.
00:11:35
Speaker
that young players do make mistakes. And he is one of those players that's going to make mistakes. One of the things that he's he's got is that he's quite rash in the tackle. You know, he's he's picked up a string of kind of first half bookings, which immediately then puts him under pressure. And then Arnie Slott thinks, you know, we can't afford to go and ah to down to 10 men. So he gets hooked and Robertson comes on.
00:11:58
Speaker
So there there are issues in the team, but I just ah just don't think that those issues are as big. Bearing in mind that we're second in the Premier League, one point behind Arsenal.
00:12:11
Speaker
This is not a crisis. you know I think most teams... would would be quite happy to have that kind of crisis.
Balancing Expectations vs. Reality
00:12:18
Speaker
um And look, and look you know Sam's smiling. Look, um Sam, I remember you know back in the day when Manchester United were flying and this would happen to them. They'd have a couple of bad results and it's like, oh, what's happened to Manchester United? They're slipping. Their standards are slipping. No, it's not.
00:12:34
Speaker
They're just human beings. And sometimes these things take a bit of time. I think that they're going iron out and... But, you know, Sunday's game is going to be a big, big test for whoever plays in those fullback positions.
00:12:47
Speaker
If it's Kerkes, he's, you know, and if Ahmad's running at him, he he can't afford to get an early booking because, no you know, Ahmad is a good player. and And, you know, when his tail is up, you know, he's, he can, and he showed last season that he had a great game at Anfield.
00:13:04
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, what I would say is on your full backs I mean, I don't like them at all and in that system, to be honest. If anything, I think they would actually be there would benefit from a United system. i Yeah, I agree. Full backs going up and down and and less ah defensive you can't have them responsibility. so Yeah, you can swap if you want. and But yeah, no, in terms of what you guys have said, I think one of...
00:13:30
Speaker
your biggest problems and and just to piggyback off a couple of things you said there, in terms of Kerkers being young, Wurtz being young, Eketike, Izak, I think somehow, and and look, you guys had to buy in the summer, don't me wrong, you had to fill out a few positions, squad depth and and so on, but I think somehow you've let yourself slip into ah ah sort of a transition that some of these players almost need one season to sort of get used to the team and used to playing the system.
00:14:01
Speaker
And it's almost like you can't have that season of transition when you're pushing for the
Comparison of Playing Styles
00:14:06
Speaker
league. I mean, you just won the league last year. You can't be in a transition. There's expectation on you to win the league again. And if you've got four or five players who are in that transition getting used to the system, ah it's not I think that's one of your biggest problems. I think another problem as well is Slott sort of last year got rid of that yo-yo basketball high intensity wow well still high intensity but less so than than under Klopp I would say he got rid of that mentality and he was more rigid and more structured and and more would sort of maybe a less entertaining game but you'd win one ni or 2-0 and solid performance whereas
00:14:48
Speaker
This season, you've sort of slipped back into that Klopp-style mentality where it's back and forward. It's sort of, you know, it's entertaining for the neutral. But if I was a Liverpool fan, I'd go, actually, I think I prefer a bit less entertainment. But last season, we we just sort of win win games out. and And look, you won a ah league under Klopp as well doing that. and And you can you can definitely still win the league doing that as well. i feel like, I mean, you have the players to do so.
00:15:18
Speaker
But I do feel like, yeah, you've slipped back into that mentality, which ultimately you're going to lose more games playing that style of football. I mean, you just will.
00:15:29
Speaker
But yeah, it's I think those two things, really, you're in a bit of a transition with with some of the players you've brought in. And also the style of players has changed. So I think that they're two things really.
00:15:41
Speaker
But what will say on Arnie's slot is, I mean, unbelievable coach. Unbelievable. To win your league and and in the first season, I mean, it's so unbelievable what he's done to The way he deals with press as well, I absolutely love as well.
00:15:54
Speaker
Yeah. and Great man. But yeah, I did have to laugh, Louis, when you mentioned about your your midfield problems. I think you've got problems, pal. Yeah. In comparison to last season, I'll just leave it at that.
Impact of New Player Acquisitions
00:16:10
Speaker
But Sam, you you made you made a good point about the um the signings because I remember, obviously, like you know we were on lots of different kind of club, WhatsApp groups and chats.
00:16:20
Speaker
And I remember when we signed Vietz, it was like, oh, yeah, fantastic. And then we signed Frimpong. We were like, we've got a fullback. Fantastic. And then we signed Kerkhez. And I'm like, oh, bloody hell, we're really going for it, this summer transfer.
00:16:35
Speaker
And then we signed another player, another player. And I remember saying, you know what, it it this this makes great headlines, you know, and it's there's a huge positivity in signing new players.
00:16:46
Speaker
But I remember distinctly saying, I'm a bit concerned that we've kind of tipped over the the kind of um edge of maybe signing too many players in in one go. um and And yeah, you just, yeah you what you said about the transition just reminded me of that. And I think it is a fair point, but I think,
00:17:08
Speaker
I think the club know what they're doing. It's a strategy. It's not scattergun. It's not, let's just buy a whole bunch of players. They're buying players now for the next four or five years
Strategic Player Purchases
00:17:18
Speaker
now. a Settled team in the way that we had the previous five seasons.
00:17:22
Speaker
And and look you look, you boys aren't going to like what I'm about to say. if If this was y United and we had bought Verts for 120, Izak for a hundred and near 120 again, and Ekotike for how however much, granted, Izak actually being very good. But Izak and Verts, for example, if that was United and they've started the way they've started, oh my God, the stick they would be getting right now.
00:17:52
Speaker
But for whatever reason, it's... And look, don't get me wrong. This stick hasn't been bad. it's just He's just not absolutely taken off. like You're spending that amount of money. you You've got to see results straight away. I'm sorry.
00:18:06
Speaker
and so ah I'll tell you what the reason is because you you know you you said if it was Manchester United but for some reason Liverpool are doing it. I'll tell you the reason. It's very simple. is that we're we're We're doing it from a base of being champions.
00:18:17
Speaker
yeah Yeah. That's the only reason. And so, so if, if Manchester United go out and blow 80 million pounds on someone like Anthony, then Manchester United have got, I've got to go and start challenging or at least get into the champions league at state, you know, there's this kind of upward progression.
00:18:35
Speaker
But Liverpool, to do that, we're doing it from a base of success.
Consequences of Failing Key Titles
00:18:40
Speaker
And so there is always that to fall back on. There there isn't that kind of, oh, well, look, they they're just blowing money away again, like they did last season or the season before.
00:18:51
Speaker
And they're just going further, further down. So I think the context is different. And... the the The irony is here is Liverpool, Manchester United. I think one of the reasons why Liverpool and United are such great rivals and there's such an intensity is that they very often mirror each other.
00:19:10
Speaker
You know, their history, you know, people always go on about, oh, you know, you didn't win the you know the league for 30 years, but they don't they don't forget or they or they don't bring up the fact that when Manchester United won that Premier League title, that was the first one in 26 years.
00:19:26
Speaker
Right. So that both clubs have had these, these moments where they're just barren years for, for a long time. And Liverpool were doing this. They were splurging money on all sorts of players in the nineties and the early two thousands, trying to catch up because you can't get the elite players.
00:19:44
Speaker
And so you've got to get the secondary players and and you've got to play over the odds for those secondary players. And so you're you're you're swimming and against the tide. And so id hear what you're saying, Sam, but I think the reason why is it's it's just the context is different.
00:19:59
Speaker
Yeah. ah Obviously context does does matter. and And that's probably what definitely is why there's sort of that but leeway there with that. But yeah, what What happens if you don't win the league? And if you don't win what you're expected to win?
Liverpool's Financial Strategy
00:20:15
Speaker
Then we need to start asking serious questions. Because, the yeah, you can say, oh, yeah, it's because we win things and blah, blah, blah. But even United, um ah but i know over a long period of time, but on singular players, haven't spent the money like you have on Virts and Izak and Wurz. in one summer as well.
00:20:37
Speaker
So for you to be questioning, oh, we're going into a derby, not great, it's fun, blah, blah, blah. If you said that at the at the the start of the season with the players you bought, you would be you'd be saying, oh you're crazy. That's never going to happen. So, yeah, I do hear your point and it's a fair point.
00:20:56
Speaker
But give it give it a couple weeks or all months' time. And if nothing's improved, I want to be here in the... You can come back. I'll tell you something. If we don't win the league and we don't win the Champions League, there's there's not going to be there's there's going to be no um hounding of Arnie Slott. He's going to be under no pressure.
00:21:13
Speaker
He's going to get a new contract. But the the the pressure comes is if we don't win the league and we end up fifth... okay But if we're challenging this season, and if we're challenging in the Champions League, then that that means that we're on the right track. Because we this is a whole set of players now. And and in terms of the money, ah know people don't like net spend, but that's the reality. okay is Our net spend, if you look at the Premier League table, our net spend is lower than Aston Villa.
00:21:43
Speaker
right So with that the club is run phenomenally well, phenomenally well. And so I think, yeah, we've we've splurged money. People forget that we bought in about 250 million pounds as well.
00:21:56
Speaker
So that the net spend was was very healthy.
Mo Salah's Performance Critique
00:21:59
Speaker
And we're not going to do this now in January. We're not going to spend 300, 400 million pounds. next summer. So, you know, we've we've set ourselves up now for the next four or five years.
00:22:09
Speaker
And I don't think the expect or I don't think the the demand on slot is if you don't win the Premier League, you're out. It's like we've got to be competitive. We've got to be up there. We've got to be competitive.
00:22:21
Speaker
And yes, we're aiming to win. But I don't think there is this kind of... This feeling that if we don't win the Premier League because of the money that we've spent, it's going to be it's it's going to be a failure.
00:22:32
Speaker
doesn't i I do want to say, i think one of the reasons we haven't been doing as well this season is not because of the players we brought in. i think one of the biggest names that have been getting away with it is Mo Salah.
00:22:47
Speaker
Because he's only got one goal from open play all season in the Premier League. And his performance against Chelsea, when Wurtz did that insane flick where he did a 360 spin and flicked it onto Salah at full speed of the game during a counter-attack, and then he just scuffs it.
00:23:04
Speaker
is i like You can say what you want about his history, but this season I can't defend. I'm just looking at Sam's face because he's like, he he he must be, he remember I wish we could have cut thought balloons.
00:23:15
Speaker
you listen Listen to these lot. They're moaning about Mo Salah. Yeah, that is exactly what I'm thinking. It's exactly what you were thinking. I don't care, though. I don't care. He's only got one goal for play.
00:23:28
Speaker
It is quite refreshing to to hear a Liverpool fan actually speak to Basley-Bosalla for once. I mean, you never normally hear It's annoying to me that everyone's putting on this.
00:23:40
Speaker
Everyone's focusing on Vits. Salah's only got one goal from open play, and and it was a meaningless goal at the end of a match, like in the 95th minute when we were already winning. Granted, it was a good goal, but still.
00:23:52
Speaker
But Salah, I just... That Chelsea game has really annoyed me and it's really upset me because Wirtz did this insane flick onto him and put him wide open in like hardly any pressure and he just
Tactical Changes Affecting Mo Salah
00:24:06
Speaker
scuffs it wide.
00:24:06
Speaker
He had a couple of incidents where he came in off the right-hand side and just sliced it aimlessly wide of the goal as well. He did that a few times or he did a bad pass and...
00:24:19
Speaker
it all All of the talk has been about Wirtz and Isak. But Salah has been... and And by the way, Wirtz didn't even start against Chelsea. He came on as a sub and kind kind of improved our counter-attacks in a way.
00:24:31
Speaker
But Jesse, are you not thinking the same as me? Because i mean your reaction was very contradictory to my thinking. I'm not thinking that at all. I think, again, you've got to put it into context that...
00:24:44
Speaker
You've got Salah, and i'm I'm not saying that, oh, you know, he's performed every season, so, you know, cut him some slack. you know it Be that as it may, but I think there's a tactical reason there, and that is you've had Trent Alexander-Arnold who's been on that side for the last you know five, six seasons, and we've had a style of play.
00:25:02
Speaker
And we've never had, in that period, fullbacks who have been overlapping Mo Salah or under underlapping. you know And so that there is this kind of tactical shift that Salah has to kind of work out, you know and Slott's got to work out primarily.
00:25:22
Speaker
um And so I don't see this as a huge criticism of him.
Man United's Strategy at Anfield
00:25:28
Speaker
the end of the day, he's a human being. I think that if he's not scoring after two or three you know two three games, then yeah, absolutely, you might see a downturn in performances. But I still see ah still see that he's been playing a massive role. But...
00:25:44
Speaker
ah Tom, I wanted to ask you quickly in terms of like um Sunday's game, how what what do you think United have have've got to do? Because I honestly think that you know the the start the first 20 minutes are crucial.
00:25:58
Speaker
I think if United start well and they start solid, then they're in the game. But what do you think they've got to do to to get a positive result at Anfield, which is either a draw or a win?
00:26:09
Speaker
Well, it's just cycling into the game to the beginning with, I would say, with that back line. Because if you United start by playing 11 players behind the ball, I think that could be what will get them through the first 20 minutes.
00:26:23
Speaker
They don't need to dominate the ball. In most occasions, United don't dominate the ball anyway, because they're the kind of counter-attacking team that's gradually trying to sort of play more creatively in the middle of the park.
00:26:35
Speaker
But they're... Focus should be more on the wings, but I've never been that confident on the wings at the moment because of the lack of quality with the balls going in from the United. It feels to me like we have to go through the middle of the park in order to get a decent chance on goal.
00:26:51
Speaker
But it's it's like you've just mentioned that I think it's more about just keeping the discipline, staying tight. I think that's going to be like a man-to-man thing, just staying tight.
00:27:01
Speaker
Don't allow... those in the midfield, to have all the time in the world with the ball they've got. Close them down. and mean, you don't need to close them down all the time. There are times where you need to back off because each United player has only got so much stamina to get through the whole match.
00:27:17
Speaker
But if United can just keep Liverpool honest, keep Salah honest, and ah actually expose the weaknesses.
Potential Lineup Changes for Liverpool
00:27:23
Speaker
We spoke about wing-backs and full-backs. I think if you expose...
00:27:31
Speaker
the wingbacks, because if you remember last season, Alexander-Arnold was exposed, really. You know, he did not have a good game in the corresponding fixture last season. I think if United can maybe expose that on the wings again, then that would be fantastic. And then that way, Liverpool have got a problem.
00:27:48
Speaker
United needs to create as much problems as possible so that Liverpool aren't going to have the day of days, really, where they could end up threshing them like 4-0 or 7-0 or whatever.
00:27:59
Speaker
I think if we can get a good game out of it, I think the performance will matter a lot, just as maybe as it would do if it was against Arsenal on the opening weekend of the season.
00:28:10
Speaker
But there's no doubt that we need to get something out of it. And I'm confident that all of a sudden on the day, I'm thinking like a nil-nil drawl. Even if it's like the most boring of football that both teams are going to end up playing, in I'll happily take it.
00:28:24
Speaker
And I think just one more point I want to make about Sunday as well is the fact that Liverpool could be without Ibrahima Canate because he withdrew from the France squad due to a thigh injury which leads me to believe jesse that we might see ah joe gomez return to the back line unless we play gravenberg or endo or so you know so those those two are a doubt as well endo's definitely not uh fit he's yeah that's right yeah he's withdrawn from the japan squad and gravenberg which is for me the big worry
00:29:00
Speaker
he was um He didn't come out for the second half of their game against Finland, I think it was Netherlands, and he was complaining of a tight hamstring. And so, you know, he's he's a doubt, I would say, and so is Canate.
00:29:14
Speaker
But you know what? I don't really have any issues with Joe Gomez coming in at centre-back next to Van Dijk.
Match Outcome Predictions
00:29:21
Speaker
That's the title winning centre-back pairing. I've got no issues with that.
00:29:25
Speaker
um But for me, the big the bigger worry is if... Gravenberg doesn't play. um But I think it almost then forces Slott's hand that you've got Sir Bosley and McAllister and Witts as the midfield if Gravenberg... Curtis Jones could come in as a holding midfielder. Yeah, that's a good shout as well because he's had a good start to the season. so and And it's a Liverpool-Man United game and I think you need to scouse her in the and the team.
00:29:52
Speaker
You have to pick up a couple of yellow cards, maybe a red card we're winning 4-0. That would be good. Look, lads, and I know like we're we're doing the whole thing that, oh, United could do something, Liverpool not on the greatest form.
00:30:04
Speaker
Come on, lads. United right now, we are rubbish. We are absolutely rubbish. So if we if you turn up just half as good as you normally are, we will lose. And I'm not... Look, we might not get battered as I think we we probably will. It might be a 2-1 or whatever,
00:30:26
Speaker
We're going to lose. Last year... Give us a score prediction then.
Final Thoughts and Thanks
00:30:30
Speaker
My score prediction, if you're putting me on the spot, I'd go 3-0 Liverpool. Oh my word! i Look, um and I know I said this and we all United fans said this last season at Anfield and a bloody miracle happened, but lightning doesn't strike twice. So unfortunately, I just don't don't see a single chance for us.
00:30:53
Speaker
ah Okay, Tom? I'm going to be ambitious to say 0-0. 0-0. I don't think it will be 0-0. I think it will be it's more likely to be a 2-2 if it's a draw, in my opinion.
00:31:05
Speaker
But I'm going to 3-2 to Liverpool. I'm seeing a high scorer. and Jesse, your prediction?
00:31:17
Speaker
i' I'm going to say more hope than in conviction, but um I think we're we're going to come back really determined after the international break, and I think we're going to win 2-0. We're better because I'm going to be at the game. so Are you going to be there? Yeah.
00:31:31
Speaker
My words. The You'll Never Walk Alone will be huge when you're when you're there, I can imagine. Anyway, let's wrap it up. um Thank you very much, Tom and Sam, from the Manchester United podcast ah for joining us ahead of what will be an exciting fixture. Jesse, of course, always good ah to speak with you again. And um enjoy the match. We'll see you again for the next episode.
00:32:01
Speaker
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