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Daily Manchester United - Episode 170 - Half-time Interviews are the New Garlic Bread
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Niall is joined by Tom to discuss the Arsenal game and half time interviews?!
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Transcript
Introduction and Welcome
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the daily Manchester United podcast. I'm your host for this evening Niall Hannigan and I'm delighted to be joined by Tom Cairns. Tom, how are you this evening?
Manchester United vs. Arsenal Analysis
00:00:20
Tom Cairns
Not too bad thank you, Noel, and hello to everyone. I'm sure they've managed to digest over the last 24 hours after that game against Arsenal. What was a strong performance that turned out to be not the result that we wanted, but there was plenty of positives we could take from this one.
00:00:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:00:34
Tom Cairns
But there are a few other bits which we didn't quite go over and after Sunday's game, which we've got a chance to this evening.
Premier League Excitement
00:00:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely. And similar to to yesterday, we are filming this or recording and this just a couple of minutes after Monday Night Football. So round it out the first first weekend of the the Premier League season. You happy it's back, Tom?
Controversial Leeds vs. Everton Penalty Discussion
00:00:55
Tom Cairns
I'm happy it's back and there's a whole lot more to come ah this weekend coming up.
00:00:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely.
00:00:59
Tom Cairns
And I only just saw the result and saw the the penalty that Leeds got, which proved to be a controversial one because of a handball which some may argue that the defender's arm was by his side. But I'd need to go into that a little bit more, um a look at it in a better angle, because know there'll be some people trying to put it into different contexts to how it should normally be.
Manchester United's Season Outlook
00:01:21
Tom Cairns
But yeah, that rounds out at the fact that two promoter clubs have picked up wins in the opening weekend of games. You know, suddenly getting the better of West Ham convincingly. And Leeds, through a bit of luck, got by Everton.
00:01:34
Tom Cairns
And I think the home form is going to be what determines whether Leeds stay up or not. But, you know, in relation to us, with there is a long way to go. And I am confident we're going to have a ah better season than we had of last. It's just whether we can maintain um the players we've got in our squad.
00:01:52
Tom Cairns
Injuries being very, very minimal. And if we have a minimal amount of injuries, which is very rare that we do nowadays in this era of the Premier League, if we have that, I think we could end up at least qualify for Europe.
00:02:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
yes and and that's the goal and and I think a lot of us predicted between that seventh and eighth spot and and maybe pushing towards Europa League Conference League positions so that would be the ideal scenario I suppose for us this season and like we mentioned in yesterday's episode Tom took a lot of positives from the game and Even though we didn't get away with the three points or even a point from the game, I felt that there was so much so much improvement in what we saw last year. So yeah, really, really positive signs to come.
Referee Decisions and VAR Critique
00:02:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I suppose we didn't really touch too much on a couple of incidents are kind of coming out today around, um, ref watch and some of the VAR decisions. The first one, yeah I'm going to say we, but I, I was probably a bit critical of buying there yesterday more than you, but, uh, definitely don't think, um, he did themselves any favors there, but,
00:02:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's been a couple of things from Mark Clattenburg that's come out today saying that the referees probably should have intervened upon you know further looking at the the video where Mason Mount may have been fouled in the area and also the the impact on Bayeindeer as well.
00:03:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you have any symphony symphony sympathy, third time lucky, for Bayeindeer at all there or do you think he just needs to be better? Hmm.
00:03:23
Tom Cairns
He just needs to be better than what he is, Bayern Deer, which for the person that likes to put faith in players, I think he can be better. But you only get so many chances before you realise you are not the material of what Manchester United are.
00:03:36
Tom Cairns
If Bayern Deer can't deal with that, he had a similar issue in the League Cup quarterfinal against Tottenham last season, where the ball basically went in directly from the corner and Bayern Deer just wasn't positioned correctly to deal with it and he completely misjudged it.
00:03:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
Goalkeeper Dilemma: Bayon Deer vs. Tom Heaton
00:03:55
Tom Cairns
I do think Tom Heaton will get the nod, providing that Inanna is not fit in time for the game against Fulham. But United need to experiment. If they know that Bayern D is making these mistakes, allowing someone else to give it a go, like Tom Heaton, wouldn't be a bad idea.
00:04:11
Tom Cairns
and if there was a time in the season to do it, this is the time to make that kind of switch. Amram's going be under pressure. We all know that. The only way that's going get him out of jail is how the attacking...
00:04:25
Tom Cairns
phase on the pitch, that is what's going to save him. Because we're not going to be very good at keeping clean sheets, so we've got to make sure we put these chances away, which we weren't able to do so against Arsenal.
00:04:37
Tom Cairns
There is a shout-out with a penalty, which I think, was it Saliba on Mount, or was it Amma that he collided?
00:04:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Saliba on Kunja.
00:04:45
Tom Cairns
and That was it.
00:04:48
Tom Cairns
People are making comparisons on that one compared to the handball that was given in tonight's game against between Leeds and Everton. I thought it was a pen, but I think the reason why they didn't give it was because of Cunha leaning into Saliba, which I don't think was the case at all.
00:05:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:05:03
Tom Cairns
I think Cunha earned the right to appeal it, but the referee said no. I'm surprised they didn't even go to VAR, if I'm honest with you.
00:05:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. It's an interesting one. um You know, going back to that Bayon Deer incident, I don't know if you saw Ruben Amarin's press conference or a clip from it um when the question was kind of put to him, whether he had chosen Bayon Deer over Tom Heaton and whether that was the right choice.
00:05:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
um He gave a very stern answer back to the reporter and kind of called out the The reporter called out the incident against Spurs, like you mentioned, and in the League Cup. And Amorim was very quick to mention the game after against Arsenal in the f FA Cup, where he saves the penalty and United go on it and win that game in the Cup.
00:05:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yet, it's good that he's backing his players and it's good that he's standing up for them, but I'm not sure if Biondier is the hill you want to die on. So it'll be interesting to see what he does do over the next couple of weeks, whether it is Onana coming back from injury, whether it is Tom Heaton.
00:06:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
based off that interview, I think he'll probably stick with Baye Indeer until, until Unana comes back. But, you know, any of those three options, it's, it's slim pickings in terms of probably who you actually want to, to choose there. But, um, yes, the position we're in. And I think, like you mentioned, being creative in that position probably wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but I just, I just can't see it happening at the moment.
00:06:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then, Moving on to that Cunha incident, I think if if it's given, you're delighted. And I think if it was given against me, I'd be i'd be very disappointed. Saliba was kind of sliding in to kind of anticipating blocking the flick that Cunha was inevitably going to do. But then the ball kind of got stuck and then he kind of just slows fall at or kind of slowly falls over Saliba.
00:06:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's it's it's one that could have easily been given if it did go to VAR, which I'm surprised, like you mentioned, it didn't. But yeah, it definitely wasn't a clean cut one, but definitely you'd you'd be claiming for it. So you would if you were on the the United side like we are.
00:07:09
Tom Cairns
I'll ask you this question then. Do you reckon that Bayern Dier will be in goal for the League Cup game against Grinsby do you think Tom Heaton will be giving a go?
00:07:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's good question. If Onana is still injured... I think Bayon Deer, because he started the Premier League game, will be the Premier League keeper until Onana comes back and they battle it out. So I think Tom Heaton might get a shout then in the League Cup.
00:07:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that's a that's a good call. How far is that away? Just a couple of weeks, is it?
00:07:38
Tom Cairns
It's an
00:07:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
After the Premier League
00:07:39
Tom Cairns
It's after the second Premier game.
00:07:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, okay. Yeah, I can't see Tom Heaton getting run out in that because I think a lot of players that that haven't started will start that game and and try and get their get their hand up for a spot. So, um yeah, I'd definitely say Tom Heaton probably will play that League Cup game.
00:07:59
Tom Cairns
Yeah, I agree with it. I mean, I hope Tom Heaton gets the ah the nod in between the sticks and we'll see how that one ah plays out. mean, i expect us to win that game anyway, but if we don't, there's massive question marks, but at least that removes some of the upcoming fixtures which we would be facing for this season, giving us an opportunity just to concentrate on each Premier League game until the FA Cup arrives in January, but just was but which was the case for when we went to the League Cup 11 years ago in the second round at the expense of MK Dons.
00:08:29
Tom Cairns
And I'm not saying we should go out to Grimsby. I think that'd be really embarrassing. But we've just got to turn up and put in a convincing performance. And I think what we take from that League Cup game is not going to be reflection saying, oh yeah, United are back. Even if we scored six or seven goals against them, it's not going to be a a true reflection of where this Manchester United team is at.
00:08:49
Tom Cairns
But we'll see.
00:08:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've got to take the positives. We're we're still in 15th. Somehow that bogey number is still sitting beside us on the league table there. So so if we get a victory in the League Cup, we'll have to take it.
00:09:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll take a quick break there, Tom. and We'll be back with a bit more after this short break.
Halftime Interviews: American Influence
00:10:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Tom, I have Monday Night Football on in the background here. David Moyes, the former United manager, is being interviewed after a pretty lacklustre performance from Everton. Post-match interviews were we're used to. We're used to seeing our managers and our players participating in that.
00:10:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Halftime interviews has been a big talking point today on social media on Sunday evening and today. Odegaard being interviewed down the tunnel down the tunnel at Old Trafford.
00:10:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very American style kind of punditry and TV. Are you a fan?
00:10:40
Tom Cairns
If it was with managers, I'd have understood it more. With players, not really. Because the issue I find is is what kind of things you would expect a player to say after they just played 45 minutes of football.
00:10:57
Tom Cairns
You know that they've been on the wrong end of a challenge, for instance, and they're very angry and they take it out on the interview team on the back of that a few minutes after.
00:11:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's probably what they want, actually.
00:11:06
Tom Cairns
yeah, this is what I mean. Like, I mean, for the neutral sake, you know, that that's maybe what they want.
00:11:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:11:11
Tom Cairns
But I think to begin with, it might look all right. But until certain incidents occur that subsequently results in interviews being overdramatic, not needed, I just think it's going end up causing more issues. And think some of the clubs will end up complaining too much about having to do half-time interviews. it was Do the audience really care? is Was it really something that they had asked for to begin with?
00:11:47
Tom Cairns
Or is it just something to tailor the American market and saying, oh, right, we need to try and do it the way the Americans do it? Like, no, we don't. This is the Premier League. This is England.
00:11:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, very, very strong take there. I didn't expect anything less, to be honest. i think I'm in the same boat. like i I appreciate and I understand them trying to do something different and and trying to spice it up a bit.
00:12:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But I just can't really see it taking off, especially, you know, players are very... cautious in their post-match interviews and boring after their post-match interviews and maybe they're thinking like you mentioned when the adrenaline is up they might say something slightly off the cuff now i can imagine they started off by just picking the captain during super sunday i don't know if they're gonna let let the person know before the game who they're actually gonna pull in or if it's only gonna be captains so that they'll give a very kind of cultured response but
00:12:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're hoping in some time in game week 21, someone just goes off the cuff with one of these and we get a brilliant clip that goes viral. But yeah, I'm not i'm not too convinced by it because...
00:12:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Everyone that's watching on TV, oh, great, halftime, let's, you know, nip and get a cup of tea or let me go go out to the shops for a second till I get back in to see Roy Keane on TV or something like that. You know, they they don't care about, oh, i need to wait until I hear from Odegaard five minutes after the game or 35 seconds after the game, sorry.
00:13:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
before I can actually go and do my thing for 15 minutes so yeah I'm uh I'm not convinced I think to be honest the majority of of social media seems to be on that that side as well um but yeah I can't really see it taking off
00:13:31
Tom Cairns
can you Do you remember, I think, during the ITV days of maybe the Champions League or the FA Cup?
Manager Interviews During Halftime
00:13:39
Tom Cairns
we're're We're going back many years ago, Niall, where the managers used to speak during half-time.
00:13:45
Tom Cairns
Because they did used to do that. I remember Sorelitz giving a few words before the second half had begun.
00:13:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:13:51
Tom Cairns
I wouldn't mind that. If it was managers, I wouldn't mind it. Because they're probably the most disciplined individuals... involved in the match compared to players because you know they're more mature than you know the old 21 22 year old who is probably one of those social media attention seekers who's just there for all the the gimmicks the flicks and and things like that on a football pitch whereas a manager has been in the game for long enough to know what's right and wrong to say to the media
00:14:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
So you're looking for you know disciplined answers. You're looking for a bit of analysis rather than something off the cuff, I suppose, from from a player in the heat of the moment.
00:14:34
Tom Cairns
Well, yeah, this is the thing. like The FA are very, very strong on what gets said to the media, either about them, about referees, certain players from other teams. you know that That's why we have sporting codes in regards to what you can and cannot say within the media.
00:14:50
Tom Cairns
It's like you can't just say, something about the referee, even if... Because ah there is a rule when it comes to press conferences. In pre-match press conferences, you're not allowed to say anything about the referee.
00:15:02
Tom Cairns
Even if it's something nice, you can't say it. In post-match interviews, you can say what you like, providing it's not libelous or anything like that.
00:15:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:15:09
Tom Cairns
In half-time interviews, I don't know exactly how it works if you're talking about the referee or anything like that.
00:15:18
Tom Cairns
I think the manager... would give should be given the benefit of the doubt. Because if, let's say, there's been a red card in the match and it looks controversial, I think the manager is allowed to say, as he or she so pleases.
00:15:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:15:31
Tom Cairns
That would be my take on it.
00:15:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:32
Tom Cairns
Because it's it's a raw reaction. Before the match, obviously, you can't say it because it can influence how the referee behaves and it can have an impact on the result. So, yeah, half-time interviews, players, I think it just looks a bit niche.
Rules and Challenges of Halftime Interviews
00:15:48
Tom Cairns
With managers or ah member of the backroom staff, it just sounds more suitable for that particular um for that particular concept.
00:15:59
Tom Cairns
And they've only got a limited amount of time anyway.
00:16:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
be interesting to see how they come up with a rule book for that because you mentioned you know what you can and can't say before and after the match. But you know that horrible middle ground of of halftime, I mean, what are you allowed to say? What aren't you allowed to say? So it's it's going to be interesting to see how it goes. And I think like you mentioned...
00:16:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
the players the players will need to be very careful about this say i can imagine the people that are organizing this are going to be very careful about the players they select to come on on ah and speak about this you know you can imagine if you were to pick someone out of the you know 22 players that started that game against you united and arsenal odegaard would definitely be up there as someone you'd you'd bring in to be the poster boy for this halftime interview and have a nice kind of calm answers and, uh, and be very kind of gracious with the interviewer. So, um, from a fan's perspective, you're looking for, for someone a bit more off the cuff, but, uh, yeah, let's, uh, let's see how it progresses.
00:17:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
But anyway, Tom, thank you very much for joining me, um, on this a bit of a, bit of a ah mix, I suppose, of, additional things from the the review of the Arsenal game.
00:17:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And also some social media topics around this, this halftime interview. So thank you very much for joining me. And, um, yeah, we've plenty more episodes coming up this week. We have the Premier League game at the weekend. And we're going have a few wildcard Wednesdays, few previews as well this week. So, um,
00:17:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
plenty to tune in on the podcast and you can find us on the daily Manchester United, GSPN Man United on social media and yeah, you can tune in to our raw reaction from the Arsenal game yesterday. Myself and Tom were on, we were joined by Kieran.
00:17:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah, plenty of content coming out with the podcast over the the next few and next few weeks and yeah, thanks again for joining me and I'll see you in the next one.