Transcript
Global Sports Podcast Network: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Daily Manchester United podcast. My name is Cormac and today I'm joined by Tuluwa. Tuluwa, how are we I'm not doing bad.
Toluwa : Good, man. How are you?
Global Sports Podcast Network: And also Sam. Sam, are we doing?
Sam Brady: Not bad, mate. Not bad in circumstances.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah Yeah, so we're here after United's abysmal one loss at home to Everton. Tolu, I'll start you. What are your thoughts on the match?
Toluwa : That was a hard watch, man. That was frustrating, just annoying. It's like all of the things that we've we've tried our best in the past five games to kind of get out of our system. We just went right back to default.
Toluwa : And it's the same old. I feel like it'd be so different if Everton were, you know, if the game was even 11 v 11 and they were outplaying us and we just lost based off them being better.
Toluwa : But it's another situation where they're just, it's just another average team versus another average team. And for some reason we can never be the better average team. We always have to struggle and try and fight our way back into the game and It doesn't make sense to me how many times we can go from, oh, we can beat the likes of Liverpool, we can beat Brighton, and then we play a very lackluster Everton, and it looks like we've never kicked a football day in our lives.
Toluwa : So I'm just frustrated.
Global Sports Podcast Network: and I'll share your thoughts there, sam your Your opinion on the match.
Sam Brady: Yeah, I mean, Tolu is right in the fact that we are average and the system makes us even more average. Like, it's embarrassing. Like, let's get less's let's get it straight. It's embarrassing that we're 1-0 down at home to Everton and we've got five defenders on the pitch. It's embarrassing. I don't care if you like Armourin, if you want him to stay, if you don't want him to stay.
Sam Brady: If you are that stubborn and and that sort of so in your own way of never changing your formation, no matter what, it's embarrassing. And he's drag it's in front of his own our own eyes. He's dragging our club down and down and down that same path. I mean, the fact that you've got Luke Shaw playing at centre-back And he brings De Lott on and plays him left wing back. And then we persist on going down that left-hand side. I mean, it's embarrassing. Like, what are we doing here? What are we at? And and the thing is, like, they get 10 men and we're still not in control of the game.
Sam Brady: We never look in control ever of football matches. And this is my whole problem. like and And I have to reiterate, I have nothing against Almorin as a person. To be honest, he's probably one of the nicest managers we've had post-Fergie. He's a nice guy, honest guy.
Sam Brady: But as a football manager, he's so tactically inept, it's unreal. tactically He has one way of playing and that's it. and And I'm not even saying it's just on him because I also think, as I've expressed in previous episodes, our players kind of just are, okay, average is a bit harsh, but they're decent.
Sam Brady: like Like I've said in previous episodes, like I'm not having this this agenda. or Luke Shaw's decent centre-back. Delix, oh, he's very good. No, they're all decent. like we We accept these standards because there's no other alternative.
Sam Brady: Whereas as United fans, we forget actually. Just because there's no other alternative doesn't mean it's right. and and And I feel like we fall into this trap of going undefeated for a few games and the morale's really high and we forget the actual narrative. I mean, it was the exact same last season going into the Europa League final.
Sam Brady: Everyone had this narrative of, oh, we've we've had the worst season in our club's history, yet for some reason we think we can beat Spurs in a Europa League final. like It's that same old narrative. And I think as fans, we get carried away with it. I think as, I don't know, Almorin and the players, maybe they get carried away with it. We need to go back to the start of this season.
Sam Brady: That was where the the evidence lie and the evidence is is is in front of us today. we cannot we We couldn't dominate a 10-men Everton at Old Trafford.
Sam Brady: It's embarrassing. I don't know what else you want me to say. and Anyone who backs Almorin anymore, you're just in denial. I'm sorry, you might like the guy. i like the guy. And you you don't want another manager to be sacked. I don't either. And it's not a good cycle that we've...
Sam Brady: we've come into as United fans and as a club. But we have to face the facts. He's been here basically a year now, over a year maybe, and nothing's changed. And clearly today is like, how much evidence do you need that the guy's never going to change? How much evidence do you need?
Sam Brady: So I don't know what you want me to say that I haven't said already.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, no, I believe it's... I agree with you fully. I believe it's actually a year since his first match in charge against Ipswich. So, yeah, I think plenty of time. But, no, I fully agree with you. i mean, I'm just... I'm sick of watching this fight back. I really am. I mean...
Global Sports Podcast Network: it's We've said it time and time on here. He just doesn't adapt at all. i mean It was clear to me, i mean even when Ghanagay got sent off, you know they were still winning every second ball in the midfield.
Global Sports Podcast Network: and you know And then finally halftime comes and you think, all right, you might see a bit of common sense change. And then he's just you know he moves Ahmad out right wing back okay from Azarov. He might be a little more attacking, but it's the same five at the back.
Toluwa : Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And still even, they'd launch, everyone would just launch the ball up to Barry. And then second ball, they have Grealish or Dewsbury Hall just picking it up. And I mean,
Sam Brady: And I'm sorry, Cormac, but that's embarrassing as well. I'm sorry. and We shouldn't just lay blame on Almorin because the players out there tonight were an absolute joke.
Global Sports Podcast Network: it is.
Sam Brady: The fact that we've got three centre-backs out there and Tiamo Barry, let's be fair, an average Premier League striker, won the most duels a Premier League striker has won all season against a back five.
Sam Brady: It's embarrassing. I mean, it's embarrassing.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, no, I mean, to be fair, I think, I don't know what height Barry is, but he's a tall boy.
Toluwa : It's pretty tall.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, he's I think he's taller a lot of our defenders, but no, yeah, I agree.
Toluwa : It's pretty tall. Yeah.
Sam Brady: We've three of them out there. We've got three centres out there. Like, come on.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I mean, Shaw obviously isn't going to be helped, but yeah, Yarrow and De Ligt, two of them, with no one else in their man down, should be able to deal with them a lot better. um But no, my point is... you know, bring in another midfielder there and I would have pushed Bruno into a more attacking role.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And you still have, leave Yarrow and De Ligt back there. And then you have, have someone covering for those second balls. But no, Amorim's just so stubborn with his system. And yeah, you know, we went on that lead little bit run, you know, five games and beating what it was.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And I was giving Amorim bit more benefit of the doubt. But after to today, I mean, yeah, i agree with you, Sam. I don't want him really stick around because I just don't see it. That performance today reminded me of when we were right in that centre of that terrible run last year.
Global Sports Podcast Network: You know, we can't create anything up top. um and And yeah, it was just for me, was saying to Toluva before us, that I think is the worst result I've seen under Amaran.
Global Sports Podcast Network: The fact that we're a man up and Everton done it to themselves too. You're playing against a team, they're two players fighting each other. You know, how how often do you see that?
Sam Brady: Yes. yes
Global Sports Podcast Network: I know the commentary mentioned Kieran Dyer and Lee Bowyer back in the day, but that's something you don't really see, you know, and you have to think that's affecting their heads. Michael Keane's probably rattled a bit and then we just still let them go and score and they come away with three points.
Global Sports Podcast Network: um
Sam Brady: Do you know what, Cormac as well, by the way, sorry. It's the fact that we it's just it's just no change. It just hasn't changed. And yeah, as you said, we went on that undefeated run and and okay, there was a bit there. But it's so the the most worrying thing I find is it's so evidently clear that throughout the game, in the first...
Sam Brady: at at First half, for example, there's so much evidence. You don't have to be a football manager to know that this system isn't working. The back three is just not clicking. Luke Shaw, by the way, is eager, is so keen to bomb down that left-hand side, but he can't because...
Sam Brady: Almiron insists, for whatever reason, by the way, to play Luke Shaw at centre-back. I hate this agenda that he's trying to push and this narrative of playing Luke Shaw. Look, when the hell has Luke Shaw ever played centre-back in his life? I know he's had a few games here and there under a few managers. He's a left-back.
Sam Brady: De Lott is a traditional right-back. For a start, you need to stop playing players in the traditional positions. We've got, as ah as I've mentioned in in previous episodes, in this system, because he won't change, he's he's sort of going down. i think Gary Neville summed it up perfectly where he's going down ah a sort of an empty cordy sack. where like when you bring on DeLauw, that means you persist with a left-back at centre-back in Luke Shaw. You persist a right-back at left-wing-back, which means DeLauw has to all the time cut inside. But then when he cuts inside, Shaw's right there because no one's making the overlap because Shaw's not allowed to make the overlap because he's a centre-back. I mean, everything around the system just does not work one bit. And and as I said, going to the point that I said at the start,
Sam Brady: The most worrying thing is you don't have to be a football manager to to figure that out. And yet he still doesn't change. And as I said, today wasn't just about armoring.
Toluwa : Thank you.
Sam Brady: I'm not putting all the blame on armoring. I think it's a big blame because of the system doesn't work and and the players aren't good enough to play the system. But I also think, you know, half of the the problem were the players.
Sam Brady: I mean, the passing, the passing, I don't know what you boys thought, but My God, and Almorin has nothing to do with that. That's just being a basic footballer and making you two-yard passes.
Sam Brady: I mean, I thought it was awful. um But I just thought, like, we're playing Everton at home ah Old Trafford and we set up with a back four. You've got Casemiro in front, which another defensive player.
Sam Brady: Mizrahi is not going to, like, bomb forward, really. You know, the whole set-up was set up not to lose. why How the hell does Kobi Meynu not play this game? How does he not start? If there's a game where Kobi Meynu's got to start, how's he not starting? You know what I mean? like i just i just I mean, your lads, what do you think, I mean, Tallulah, I guess on Meynu?
Sam Brady: I mean, he comes on, but...
Toluwa : I mean, i have I have many thoughts just because I'm not one that's, I'm not quick to ever judge a system of formation anymore just because, look, I'll be honest.
Sam Brady: I'm on my. Hmm.
Toluwa : I mean, I hear you guys. I really do. And before em MRM came in, I never believed in playing a three at the back. That's never been our identity. That's never been our DNA. We've never once done that. And if we had to do that, it was out of pure necessity.
Toluwa : It was urgent. It was because we didn't have the personnel to play whatever system. So I get it for for sure. But when I look at games like this compared to the five unbeaten streak that we went on, I just can't say it was the system alone today.
Toluwa : the In the first half, once we went down to some, and I agree, We have to get an extra body in midfield. I don't think necessarily you have to switch to a back forward to do that. Just ask one of your center backs to push up and occupy that space. Then we can just pin Everton back. That's what we did in the second half. And it worked.
Toluwa : We created a lot of chances and we missed so many chances. But at the end of the day, missing these chances doesn't really negate the fact that we played bad. We still played bad. And to give Everton the opportunity that we did, Dewsbury Hall getting that goal, I mean, that shouldn't have happened in the first place.
Toluwa : And this comes down to just in the moment, the players just, I don't know what's going on. How can we play like we do against Brighton and Sunderland and Liverpool? Even in the Liverpool game, we weren't at our best, but we still showed more hunger and determination. Today, like you like you like both of you said, Barry's winning headers and the second ball is going to Grealish or is going to Dewsbury Hall. And it's like,
Toluwa : Where's our midfield? Bruno Fernandes was all over the pitch today. Like I noticed so many times and Bumo had to come in and fill his position because I'm like, what is Bruno doing? So to me, it's just the the players are just they on a game by game basis. It's like, I don't know what to expect.
Toluwa : And Amram said this in his in one of his pressers.
Sam Brady: the and
Toluwa : He said on a game by game basis, I don't even know what the players are going to do today before. I'll let you I'll let you say what you're gonna say. But today I noticed that. Amadialo and Mbumo on the right-hand side normally is so dangerous.
Toluwa : Why? Because one of them is always constantly providing that run outside. Both of them today kept staying in the same spot. They just stood there and waited and waited.
Toluwa : On the other side, on the left, Shaw, Dalo, and Mount all did the same thing.
Sam Brady: Yeah.
Toluwa : They just stand there. And it's like, okay, even if we're playing at a four-back, if those guys are just going to stand there, how are going to create chances? The space was there down the way what down the wing and we didn't use it at all.
Toluwa : We kept trying to cut in and play balls into the middle. It didn't work. But for some reason, I don't know if it's Amarim. I don't know if it's Bruno not being a leader. Nobody's talking. Nobody's really getting the message across.
Toluwa : I don't know.
Sam Brady: Yeah, I mean, I was just going to say on, I mean, two of your points there, I guess.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, yeah.
Sam Brady: I agree with your point, actually, ah in the fact that it's not just a system alone. I never do actually think it is just a system. i think it i I think it's the system that you have to have the right players for the system.
Sam Brady: I think the system can work.
Toluwa : Yeah. Yeah.
Sam Brady: It clearly worked at Sporting Lisbon. and And teams have tried the system and it does work. But you need the players to play the system for it to work. And the fact that Almorin persists with the system without the players seems crazy to me. Because the system only works if you have the players. So if you don't have the players, it's obviously not going to work.
Sam Brady: So i I get it. But then that's where I blame Almorin in persisting with it. And why not switching it up? And then on the point of... um sort of the left-hand side and ah and not getting not getting forward and pushing one centre back up.
Sam Brady: I actually think we did that in the second half, but on the wrong side, Jorreau was pushing forward, but for whatever reason, we persisted to go down the left-hand side and Shaw didn't push up, so Shaw just light stayed back.
Sam Brady: And then you've got De Lott going forward, but on the right-hand side, there's an overlap. Jorreau is going forward, but for whatever reason, Shaw was just, I mean, i was watching the comms and again, Gary Neville, think, summed it up perfectly where Shaw was kind of like metharging around, kind of just like jogging around, just just inside just inside the Everton half.
Sam Brady: Get forward, bomb forward, pass De Lott.
Toluwa : Yep.
Sam Brady: But that just didn't happen. But I also think, why bring De Lott on in the first place? You could have easily, as easily, has ah just either gone to a back four, which in my opinion, i just would have done. Almorin's never going to do that, as as we've seen.
Sam Brady: But okay, maybe don't do that. But put short, I don't know, put short at left wing and then bring in a centre-back. Or I don't do something, but bringing on...
Sam Brady: Delot at left wing back when, again, i go back to my point before, when he is traditionally a right back, right wing back. And also he's so one footed. He's only right footed.
Sam Brady: So when he does go forward, you've only got one option to cut back and to either pass it or cross it.
Toluwa : He's cutting in. Yeah.
Sam Brady: So, and I mean, God knows we haven't even touched on the amount crosses we put in.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, yeah.
Sam Brady: That's embarrassing and in itself. Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Now, going off your point, Sam, with Dallot being one-footed, I mean, I thought Dorgoo was just horrendous to watch today, you know, he's left-footed on that side, another guy strangling one-footed, but I mean, how predictable is he?
Sam Brady: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: You know, he's he's never going inside, because even if he does go inside, he's going to dribble with his left and keep it close to the defender, but I mean, all he was doing was really trying to go down put a cross, or else he was just, you know, cutting back and passing it, and You know, he was falling over half the time.
Global Sports Podcast Network: He was trying to dribble as well. um But going back to some of your points, Tolua, just kind of around the system again, think you're spot on with, you know, players, they just pick up the same positions.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I mean, it was time and time again, you'd see Mount on the left wing. He has Dallow five yards below him. And then you have Shaw five yards below him again. I mean, Everton just need two people to defend that, you know, and then it's like,
Global Sports Podcast Network: We just spent half the time going side to side and then it's just an overload again on another side. I mean, um yeah. And then you spoke about that, you know, we created a lot of chances, but how many of them were actually good chances?
Global Sports Podcast Network: You know, and I feel like this system, you know, um I think it works a lot better against, you know, the likes of Liverpool, bigger teams.
Sam Brady: Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: When you have teams sitting back and granted Everton a Man Down had to sit back. But even, you know, when we're playing... you know, the likes Burnley or other teams with 11 men who are going to sit back. I just feel like this system, it doesn't create the chances, you know.
Sam Brady: Well, Paul, Mark, we've been saying this for weeks.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Sam Brady: I remember, I think me and you maybe did an episode last week or two weeks ago where we said, I think it was after a win maybe, where we said, oh, this is pretty good against the big teams. So how are we noticing that?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Sam Brady: And and and if Almorin is noticing it, what's going on? Why are you not changing it? Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No, yeah exactly. And I think that's the most frustrating thing because the average fan can see it. And then the man we're paying millions to in charge of the team can't see it. I mean, yeah, it just doesn't make sense to me. But we'll go for a quick break we'll come back with more United talk.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Talou, we spoke a bit beforehand about um you know the late absence of Matthias Cunha and then, you know, also obviously Cesc out up to five weeks. How much of a difference do you think they would have made today?
Toluwa : Huge. I mean, Cunha alone, I think would have given us at least something that that Sam was talking about before we went to break. Just give me something. Give me something out of nothing. And Cunha is that type of player.
Toluwa : And today it was just too predictable. We spoke about it before we went to break, but if I'm seeing Amadello and Mbumo both trying to go into the same space, I'm going to get frustrated. But if Kunia and Ahmad are on the same side, then I know Ahmad's going to go down one.
Toluwa : Kunia is going to try and do something else. So, and Shashko, I mean, trying to put the ball up to Xerxe, it's like, what's the point? I mean, he is just, he's awful. And I think when it comes down to it, a lot of United fans want him to be great.
Toluwa : And it's just like you said, Sam, we kind of... fall into this false sense of hope that, okay, he has a few decent performances and he's a decent player, but the reality is he's just not built for this league.
Sam Brady: you
Toluwa : So when you have, it's just like Hoyland, when you have a striker, you're trying to pump the ball up to to hold it up and he can't really do it majority of the game, we're just gonna always struggle. And then add into the fact that we have such a very open midfield and it's just a recipe for disaster. But Cunha was such a huge miss today. And like you said, we talked about it before, when I saw the notification, I just knew like, oh man, we're gonna struggle.
Toluwa : Because when you have no creativity, for the most part, we don't really have creativity. We have directness, but we need somebody to change it up a little bit. And when he's gone, we just look kind of average.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Sam, your thoughts?
Sam Brady: Yeah, I mean, i agree with what Toluva said. I mean, to be honest, if if you just look look at our starting line-up today, I mean, i don't like it. I don't like the look of it when when you've got Zerchi coming in. like i just ah feel like I go back to my point but because I feel sort of so strongly about it in the fact that I feel like as United fans, we...
Sam Brady: we We sort of, yeah, we as Toluwe said there, we we have a few games and we go, oh, he's actually class, like he's really good, blah, blah, blah. All of our players from top to bottom, but ah on the pitch today, bar Bruno, Mbwemo and Ahmad,
Toluwa : Thank you.
Sam Brady: They're all, and and I give Lamens a pass because I actually think he's been better than decent since he's come in. I think think he's played very, very good, apart from maybe he could have got a hand on that goal today. But I think if you go through our three centre-backs, our full-back, Casemiro and then Xerchi, they're all decent on their day.
Sam Brady: And um we we can't settle for decent on their day because when they're not on their day, we get performances like this. And and this is the the whole problem we've been having not only this year, last year, where we settle for, oh, you know, De Ligt. And i'm not I'm not just pointing out De Ligt just because obviously we spoke about it during the game, tolua but it's a perfect example. of We bring players in and look, we like them as people and maybe they've had decent careers, but they're not like they're decent and and they've always been decent. You know, apart from, OK, Casemiro used to be world class. Now he's decent.
Sam Brady: Yoro is decent. He's not world class yet. And look, he's young, so give him a bit of a break. But he's decent. Shaw decent. barely decent at this point. Masraoui, consistent but decent. You know, it's the same.
Sam Brady: we' we've We've just... what What do we expect? What do we expect? Of course, some games we're going to play well, some games we're going to play terribly. That is what you get when you have a decent football club.
Sam Brady: I mean, like I don't get what what what there is to more to be said.
Toluwa : you
Sam Brady: And I think any United fan kidding yourself, going into games thinking... oh yeah we're gonna win this one convincingly we're really gonna win any united fan who's confident about going into any game to be honest like i don't care if we're playing like if we play i don't know who we have next but i do know it's a fairly well meant to be a fairly easy run the next couple games started off brilliantly um but whoever it is i don't care if it's maybe burnley away next next weekend it's
Sam Brady: you never know what you're going to get And that's the problem. And the thing is, that is always going to be the case. That attitude of you never know what you're going to get when you have just decent, inconsistent players with a system that doesn't work, with a manager who is looks so out of his depth to me, it's unbelievable.
Sam Brady: But... I mean, it's the same thing I said against when we played Spurs in the final last year. It's the same thing I'll be saying now. What what do you expect from that group of players? Especially in now where it's almost made it this um attitude I speak about United fans having.
Sam Brady: almost a bit worse when we bring players in like Cunha, who I think is more than decent, by the way. is He is class. I think Mbremo is class. But then then the thing is, we play a few games with those class players, see what life and football is like on the other side where you have class players in your team, and then we get hope and we're like, oh, is this actually what it's like winning winning games and playing well? soon as those class players are taken out and you're back to your core group,
Sam Brady: I mean, reality hits home and and that's what happened today.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, yeah. And looking at the next fixtures, so we have Palace away next and West Ham home, Wolves away, Bournemouth home, Villa away next five games. So, I mean, I feel like this is going to be, it you know, tell us a lot about Amaran these next few games.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I mean, obviously Wolves behind the table, should be, you know, but then after that, I mean, West Ham at home, I could see us getting them trouble and then, you know, Palace away.
Toluwa : you
Global Sports Podcast Network: it'll definitely be, you know, I think a tough run of fixtures, even if on paper, Doesn't look the toughest. Reverting back to
Sam Brady: But, Korma, I was just going to say on that point about the fixtures, this is the whole attitude and the club and and the whole problem, I think.
Sam Brady: Just last week, we were going into this run of games going, oh, we've we've really got a chance now of like getting top four, we're playing really well. blah, blah, blah.
Sam Brady: And now one game, one game, by the way, has completely 180'd that mentality. And now we're going, ooh, we could struggle. with That shouldn't be the attitude of our club.
Sam Brady: We should either consistently feeling like we're going to at least like give them a good game and we might we should win that game. Or I'd rather be on the complete opposite and be like, yeah, we're going to lose every game.
Sam Brady: I hate being this in-between where, will we win? Will we not? And it's just like, it's it's a joke that a club of our stature and where we want to get to is now in in sort of this timestamp of ah of a club where it's win, lose, win, lose.
Sam Brady: Like, it's embarrassing.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No, I agree with you're saying. I think that's been, you know, what United fans have done all through the years. But I feel like, you know, under Ameren, we hadn't seen a run like this ever. And, you know, we had never even won two games in row.
Toluwa : Mm-hmm.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And then we go, know, five unbeaten. So I feel like then fans finally were starting to think maybe, all right, it's finally clicking now. But I think after today, again, it's just back to square one, really.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And there's no progress made.
Sam Brady: Do you, did you say this was his, did you say this was, you thought it was his worst result, uh, since he's been.
Global Sports Podcast Network: personally given the circumstance that Everton um you know getting their self sent off and you know back of the back off the run of games we've had and just to be a man up the whole time and to play that poorly I thought you obviously you know Grimsby we've had you know probably worse results on paper but I just thought the way we played and the way of the game they set up was set up for us to win um and you know the
Sam Brady: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: inaptability of Amarim to change anything. Just, I thought overall for me personally, I thought it was the toughest result to take and the worst for me.
Sam Brady: Yeah.
Sam Brady: I mean, yeah, I mean, for for me, it was after the Brentford game. you You boys know that i I basically, look, I haven't given up on Almorin because I hope he's ah hope he succeeds. I want him to stay, but I've given up in trusting him.
Sam Brady: um in But genuine question, like and and I am genuinely interested. So you boys, ah both of you, I imagine, you still want Almorin in and you still trust him, right?
Sam Brady: Am I wrong in saying that or
Global Sports Podcast Network: Unless you go first, Lua.
Toluwa : Yeah, I'll say personally, um you know, we've we've had a ah bunch of terrible managers. And when you look at his win record, he's obviously the worst, just based off statistics.
Toluwa : um But I think he's been put in the worst position out of all the managers we've had. So it's really harsh most of the time to just put him in that conversation where, oh my gosh, this guy he's just terrible, he's this.
Toluwa : And I look at the squad that we have and To be honest with you, I didn't expect a lot from this season. I didn't expect us to finish top four from the jump. I think the run of results kind of got into our heads as it should. We all deserve a little bit of hope, but that turns into cope. That's just the truth.
Sam Brady: Thank
Toluwa : and ah I think this is right where we're supposed to be, ah you know, hovering around mid table like six to 10th. I think that's still an improvement on what we did last season. But to be fair, like you said, when Kunia and Mbumo or Shashko don't make the starting 11, we just have the same exact team we had last season that finished 15th.
Toluwa : So like I want to give him time just based off the fact that I have not seen him actually get in a starting 11 of his own. And I agree with you on the fact that, you know, he's playing a system that doesn't fit the current group of players we have. But my my issue with that is these guys are professionals, man.
Toluwa : They can't even do the basics. Doesn't matter what system they play. Today, how many misplaced passes did we see? Literally, the players are standing right next to each other. They can't even pass it to each other. When I see things like that, I just can i can't blame a manager.
Toluwa : Ten Hag was sacked because Diogo Dalot missed a wide open goal at West Ham. Not because the system was bad or because we were wide open. No, it was because the players were just bad.
Toluwa : Let's be real. The players were bad. And they threw him under the bus, just like is seemingly they're throwing Amarim under the bus or they threw Ole under the bus. It's just the same cycle. And a lot of the core guys that were there are still here. Luke Shaw, you mentioned, is still here.
Toluwa : Maguire is still here. And Bruno, I love Bruno. But Bruno was a part of that culture. that was consistently getting rid of managers. He's been here since Ole. He went through Ten Hag, now he's here with Emerim.
Toluwa : All he's trying to do is his best, but at the same time, look at the players around him. When he goes to Portugal, it's a completely different story. If we had even a smidge of the quality level that Portugal have,
Toluwa : With this system, we wouldn't be having these conversations. We would be having conversations of, oh, we should have turned that draw into a win. But instead, we're having conversations where United are struggling against 10 men because half the players can't even do the basics.
Toluwa : They just can't do the basics. But to answer your question, long story short, I still want Amram to just be given some time. I want him to get in another group of players that can actually do simple things.
Toluwa : We've brought in players like Dorgoo to try and complement the system. I don't necessarily think Emram said, I want Dorgoo. But the situation that we're in, that was the next best option. And like you said, i agree with you 100%. We're just constantly like lowering our standards to fit the next best option.
Toluwa : And at some point, that has to stop. We have to really take a look at the squad and be honest and say, you know what? You're bang average. You got to go. You're bang average. You got to go. It doesn't matter about fitting them here or there. If you're asked to do something, you adapt.
Toluwa : When are we going to talk about the players not being able to adapt? We keep talking about Amarim, but the players can never adapt to any formation that any manager brings. They just can't. It doesn't make sense. And I'm starting to lose my patience just with everything.
Toluwa : Man United, just everything.
Sam Brady: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, yeah i'm gonna I mean,
Toluwa : Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Towards the end of last season, I was kind of hammering him out. But then, you know, granted, I wanted to see him get a window. And yeah, Tullui would make a fair point. You know, he needs a bit of time to get the players in. And then, you know, started the season all right. And then we went on the run. and I was like, all right, here we go. But I mean, i think after today, I've come the realization that this is a system style of play that's, first off, never going to be giving us consistent results. And we're never going to dominate or control games with it.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And I feel like to be a top team, that's what they all do. And I just feel like, you know, how long are we going to hold on for? I'm personally, I'd like to see him gone, to be honest, because I think the season's still early enough to where we can still salvage a bit. um you know Obviously, I don't like all the changes and stuff, but I just don't want to see another season like last season where we're out in February and we're just sitting around waiting until next year again, six months later. I mean, it's just not fair to us as fans, really. um But you know you can say Amaran as well needs players, needs time, but
Global Sports Podcast Network: I want to know is how come Ruud van Nistelrooy came in? He was in charge of for four matches and he won three and drew one. And then Amarim came in and couldn't buy a win in how long? I mean, i feel like if you're a top, top manager, you can adjust.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And a big part is adaptability, seeing what you have and then changing things to that. But, I mean, as we said time and time again, Amarim just firmly believes in the system and he he won't do that.
Sam Brady: mean I mean, you know who i I'd bring in now, to be honest. Give it Ole till the end of the season again.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Who?
Sam Brady: Why not?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Listen, I don't think it could be worse, to be honest.
Sam Brady: We love you. We love him. He loves us. Oli's at the wheel part two.
Toluwa : Bye.
Sam Brady: I want that. And like, the thing is, we joke around it and all that and it's never going happen. But if Oli came into that group right now, you know the vibes would be high. The fans' vibes would be high. He he could do it again. he could do Oli is at the wheel part two.
Sam Brady: He could. But the thing is, yeah, what I was going to say on on that point, and especially to Lua, I guess, is how long do you give him then? Because this season was meant to be the season where, look, shocking season last season, but this season, look, we bring in players, we kick on now, we we seem to get better. And look, I guess we've we've gotten slightly better up the league, I suppose.
Sam Brady: But how how long do you give him until then you join the dark side?
Toluwa : I'll be honest, um you know, I'm not afraid to call for a manager's head if it's just not working. I'll be real. um I know i'm I come across like I'm this Amarim lover.
Toluwa : Truth be told, Amarim is a good guy, like you said, and his tactics do confuse me a lot.
Sam Brady: Yeah.
Toluwa : I just want to see somebody succeed at United, you know, and he seems like the next best candidate. um But to answer your question, I think the fact that other teams in the league are struggling is giving Amarim a lot more time because Liverpool,
Toluwa : um Manchester City, Tottenham, they're all losing games too. and The table is so tight that really any week you could find yourself in the top four or you could find yourself in the bottom half. I think if Emrym doesn't get consistently or if he doesn't stay consistently in the top seven by January or February,
Toluwa : or probably January because you'd want to, you know, get some changes and get some transfers. And I think, yeah, you've got to make a change. um I think if we're languishing in the bottom half come January 1st, yeah, there's there's no need to try and force, ah you know, I guess force Amarim down our throats, even though I want to see him get given to the end of the season.
Toluwa : It's just like at some point, like, yeah, you're going to have to cut the losses. If it's not working at that point, it's been, what, a year and a half? or maybe maybe, no, just a little bit over a year.
Sam Brady: Yeah. Yeah.
Toluwa : So at that point, it it's just, yeah. But then I think to myself, who would we bring in? Who's going to come in?
Sam Brady: ah That was going to be my...
Toluwa : I know i know you i know you said Ole, but I actually want you know a longterm so a long-term solution, not just another quick fix. you know If we get, let's say, for example, Ole comes in, if that ever happens, and we finish, of course, and we finish top six, and then he he leaves in the summer, we sign a new manager.
Sam Brady: Just till the summer. Just till the summer. Yeah.
Toluwa : Let's say we we we have it we end up in the same situation again. So I don't know. It's tough. if It seems like right now United take two steps forward and three steps back.
Toluwa : Then they'll take four steps forward and maybe one step back. And that's when we get into that hope. We're like, okay United are playing better. And then one bad result. It's like, oh, my gosh, we're right back to where we started.
Toluwa : So.
Sam Brady: bro who do we who do we bring in in january then do you written do you realistic player wise because obviously you said give alma in january see if he can bring in anyone one i guess who do we bring in and two do you realistically think we're gonna bring in a lot of change
Toluwa : Like player wise or manager wise.
Toluwa : I mean, realistically, we don't have to sign. i see a lot of people talking about Wharton and Baleba and Anderson. We don't have to sign 100 million pound players every single time. Why can't we dip into the loan market and find a player who's not maybe on the fringes, but can still do a job for us? If we're getting linked to players like Connor Gallagher, I'd bring him in.
Toluwa : That's an engine in midfield that we desperately need. We just need...
Sam Brady: I mean, Spurs got Paulina in the summer on loan.
Toluwa : Yeah, that that that would have been a perfect signing for us. I don't know why we were sleeping on that. And so many of these cheap options, we can even dip into the championship and get somebody who's just outperforming that league and see if he can come and do a job. We're playing once a week.
Toluwa : If we can... Michael Keane today was the best player on the pitch. Michael Keane.
Sam Brady: Yeah.
Toluwa : The amount of interceptions and tackles he made, if he can do that, he's average. He's so dang average. But today we made him look like Puyo and PK.
Toluwa : I just don't get it.
Sam Brady: Yeah.
Toluwa : So if teams can do that, why can't we do that? Find a cheap alternative that can just outperform all of these big money signings. But for some reason, we just have to go and sign a hundred million pound player. If I was to bring somebody in, I'd bring in ah Gallagher if he's available.
Toluwa : Go and bring in someone on loan, someone in the Premier League who's not playing for their team right now. Bring in midfielder. I know Lavia was one of those players, Jao Gomez for Wolves. Bring somebody in that can just change the dynamic because right now we're just too predictable in certain games. There are teams like Everton, like David Moyes, who will be happy to sit back and defend.
Toluwa : And once that happens, we it's kind of like we short circuit. So we need players who can just push the envelope like Cunha. We need more players who are inventive, I think.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah. Yeah.
Sam Brady: Yeah, I mean, ah just to bounce off that, in terms of, I mean, I was just thinking of names when you were when you were talking there. I mean, in the summer, I mean, obviously, Everton got Grealish.
Sam Brady: I mean, we were never going to get Grealish. But on loan, Jack Grealish, very good signing. Paulinho, Paulinho for Spurs, a very good signing.
Toluwa : Very good. Yeah.
Toluwa : yeah
Sam Brady: Position that we needed, by the way, and and we didn't bring in um So, yeah, I mean, I i definitely agree with with that. But I just don't know.
Sam Brady: i just don't know who who we're who we can even bring in. I mean, I think if we're going We have a lot of problems. And I mean Arsenal, sorry, another one where i watched a London derby, North London derby yesterday.
Sam Brady: They're two backup centre-backs in Herpache and Mascara. Absolutely co class. And we couldn't even get one of them. um And... Yeah, I think the the thing is, with with me, I think that we have sort of areas we need to fix all over the pitch.
Sam Brady: So I, in my opinion, if we do keep Almorin, I would rather sort of, well, I mean, we we can start in Jan, but I don't think it's going to happen in January. because
Toluwa : Thank you.
Sam Brady: Not much big business ever happens. But to me, I'm looking at, we need a world-class centre-back, like a leader who really dominates that that whole defence. We need another midfielder. Let's be fair, Casemiro and Mainu just aren't cutting it right now. Full-backs is an issue because I know we we spoke about Dorgo. And yeah, I mean, to be honest, he's another Wambasaka in my eyes. I mean, he's he's decent. He's okay. He's he's not bad.
Sam Brady: But... ah But the thing is, he is young. So again, like i'll I'll let him off. I won't go too harsh on him because he is young. But I mean, he looks like Bambi on ice, exactly like Wan-Bissaka on the left.
Sam Brady: um live And you know the worst thing about tonight, lads? The worst thing about tonight, yeah, was the thing is, the opposition team even tried to self-sabotage and fight i themselves and we still are lost.
Toluwa : yeah
Sam Brady: So what did you make of the the red card, by the way, Cornelius?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I mean, to be honest, I didn't even know what happened. I heard Sheeran. I think they were on a replay at the time. then I thought Idris Kanegui hit someone like United player. And then they show it.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I mean, what? Just unbelievable. It's such a rare occurrence. You never see that happen. In fact, he just slapped Keane.
Toluwa : Yeah.
Sam Brady: Do you think it was a red card? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Global Sports Podcast Network: To be honest, it was a bit soft, but I mean, with the rule stipulations and by the letter of the law, I mean, it was, you know, a hit to the face.
Toluwa : Yeah.
Toluwa : A slap.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Toluwa : Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: So, I mean, the ref really has no choice, but I mean, i would love to have heard that dressing room after that. I mean.
Sam Brady: Yeah, um yeah made me it made me think actually like what would happen if that was Sir Alex and that was one of his players. Oh my, ya this yeah, exactly, exactly.
Global Sports Podcast Network: You're getting exiled for a while, I think. yeah
Sam Brady: so
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah. But no, I am.
Sam Brady: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Anyway, lads, I had a good chat here today. um We'll hear your final thoughts, Sam, on just moving forward for United before we wrap up the episode.
Sam Brady: Final thoughts, final thoughts. What a question. um I mean, same thoughts as it's been prior to this game and and the same thoughts that I'll have the whole time Almorin's probably under and under ah United ah in the manager's position. I mean,
Sam Brady: I just don't think it's going to work. i I just haven't seen anything that the squad, the system, the players, everything, the the combination of everything, i just don't think it's going to work. I've seen no evidence of it of it working. Okay, we've had a few good games here and there, but that's always going to happen. We're not going to lose every game. um And I just don't know where where we go from here. I mean, this has given me, I mean, probably like a lot of United fans and even people who were on the fence of maybe supporting Almoran, I think this game has given us a massive, a massive insight into how
Sam Brady: stubborn and how pragmatic he will be in terms of sticking with this formation and with the system. I mean, if you're not changing your formation, when we're 1-0 down against 10 men Everton at Old Trafford at half-time, that should give you all the evidence you need that this manager will never change the way he will play.
Sam Brady: And to me right now, I don't enjoy that that football at United. I don't think it's working. It's not working. So I don't really know what more to say, to be honest, and and where we go from here.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, 100% agree with you, Sam. Tilloui, your final thoughts?
Toluwa : Yeah, I mean, I don't blame Sam at all for that, you know, for the way he feels, because honestly, it's just embarrassing. Like I said, it'd be a ah completely different story if Everton came here and just completely outplayed us. Then we could sit here and say, you know what?
Toluwa : We just weren't at it. We weren't good enough. we We didn't have what it takes to to be outplay Everton, which would be crazy to say. But the truth of the matter is Everton didn't come here and outplay us.
Toluwa : They quite literally did what Grimsby did. They just did the basics right. That's it. They did what they had to do and they sat back the rest of the game. And for some reason, we just cannot break down teams that do that.
Toluwa : it's It's a problem that we've had since Amarim, but it's a problem that has been really put under the um magnifying scope while Amarim has been here. So it's not good. And I think moving forward, ah I'm still not Amarim out just because...
Toluwa : When the system works, it works well. We win games. We win convincingly sometimes. Not enough to say that this is where Mayunetta should be, but I think coming from where we were last season, we have improved.
Toluwa : I don't think anybody can doubt that. There's still areas of our game that we need to fix, and I think today showed that. It wasn't just how pragmatic we were going forward, but these lapses of concentration are really starting to get on my nerves. Because how many times can we talk about, oh, this player was ball watching or this player wasn't doing his job. He wasn't tracking back. It's just basics.
Toluwa : It's annoying. And Cormac, you said it perfectly about Amarim. If we can see these things and we're not getting paid millions, but he's getting paid millions. I'm thinking about what are the players thinking?
Toluwa : They're getting paid way more than Emmerim. But for some reason, it just it's like they cannot comprehend anything that he's saying or them on the pitch. It's like they don't know what they're doing half the time.
Toluwa : It's just vibes sometimes. And i think moving forward, all it takes for United, whether Emmerim changes the system or not, whether the formation changes or not, I think all it's going to come down to is we need to just stop conceding goals.
Toluwa : I think that's the first thing that needs to happen. And I know it's easier said than done, but we've shown that we can sit compact and frustrate teams. Half the goals that we've conceded in the past two or three games, you cannot sit here and say was because we got outplayed. It was nonsense.
Toluwa : Players were ball watching. Players were not concentrating. That's all it's been this entire season. The goal against Arsenal. It wasn't because Arsenal played through our lines. Even Liverpool. It's just nonsense. We concede nonsense.
Toluwa : And if any other team in the league was conceding the amount of goals that we were, the way we were, there would be a huge conversation to be had, not about the manager, but about how the players just do their jobs on the pitch. I'm looking at Liverpool.
Toluwa : they have ah They have a way better team than us. You can't sit here and tell me that they're not playing well because their players are bad. They're not playing well because, for one, they have no midfield. For some reason, Slott has decided to abandon their midfield.
Toluwa : And then the players are not buying into what he's doing. I think it's the same thing that's happened here. The players just don't buy into Emmerim half the time. But it's not just Emmerim. They won't buy into any system.
Toluwa : So it blows my mind. I think if that's the case, okay, we can get to the end of the season and scrape. Let's just stop conceding silly goals and move forward. I think once those...
Sam Brady: Do you know how crazy it is for you for you to say that the main problem is to stop conceding goals and we have five at the back? We literally have you literally you have the maximum defenders we can have in a formation.
Toluwa : that's That's the problem.
Sam Brady: and um And I agree with you. The biggest problem is we're conceding.
Toluwa : Yeah.
Sam Brady: So surely is that not the the the formation, the system?
Toluwa : No, because we did the same thing under Ten Hag. We did the same.
Sam Brady: We didn't play at the back.
Toluwa : we played four We played four and shipped goal after goal after goal after goal.
Sam Brady: now alone
Sam Brady: but almaine Yeah, but the thing is, Almorin's been brought in and he's gone, you know what, to make that more solid, I'm going add an extra defender.
Toluwa : Like,
Sam Brady: And by the way, put Casemiro in there as like a DM. And we're still conceding goals. So i don't know.
Toluwa : the but But the problem is with that is you can add another defender, you can take another defender. It's the way we're conceding that's the problem.
Sam Brady: Hmm.
Toluwa : Under Ten Hag, we weren't conceding based off errors leading to goals. We were getting outplayed. We were getting ran through the middle of the pitch. Under Emmerim, the amount of goals that we concede based off silly errors is actually mind-boggling.
Toluwa : It's mind-boggling. We concede so many ridiculous goals. The two goals against Nottingham Forest... I mean, that's schoolboy. We could go on the pitch right now and mark our man and they wouldn't score.
Toluwa : That's the problem I have.
Sam Brady: Yeah. Yep.
Toluwa : And you're right. Having the extra center back and we're still conceding goals makes no sense. I texted my friend that a year ago today. When we're conceding goals against silly, like poor teams and we have five defenders, I'm thinking to myself, why are we playing a five back if we're still conceding goals?
Toluwa : The problem is it doesn't matter if we play a five, a three, a four, we're still going to concede. That's the issue. that's the The players just don't concentrate for a full 90. Everton, they sat back. Jack Grealish was defending this whole game.
Toluwa : You will never see our left winger or left 10 do that. They'll just stand up there and wait for the ball to come on the counter. They'll do that every time. And we concede goals like this on a regular basis. I think the second we stop conceding goals like that, it'll give May United some type of platform to say, hey, we can actually stop other teams.
Toluwa : We just need one goal to win the game. Everton just needed one lucky long shot to win the game. It wasn't like they outplayed us again, but that's all it takes. So long story short, I've been rambling moving forward.
Toluwa : We got to stop conceding these goals, man. We really do. We got to stop giving the ball away and conceding goals. And then from there, I think we have we have what it takes to at least beat half the teams in this division.
Toluwa : The other 10 teams we can either lose, win or draw. But I think we have what it takes to beat the bottom 10. For some reason, we just struggle against them. I don't know why. ah think it's you guys are spot on. It's up to Amorim to encourage his players to do something different.
Toluwa : He has to change something about that system. If we're playing a bottom team, I agree. I'm tired of seeing a back three against rubbish teams. I'm tired of seeing a back three against 10 men. We played a back three against 10 men against Chelsea, and we were worse in the second half.
Toluwa : So I'm tired of it, too. I agree.
Sam Brady: I mean, Tolu, our whole DNA is to attack, right? our whole
Toluwa : I agree.
Sam Brady: Our whole club sort of ah ethos is you hear the you hear the crowd today chanting attack, attack, attack.
Toluwa : Yep. Yep.
Sam Brady: and When you set up with five at the back at Old Trafford with Casemiro as a DM against Everton, what message does that send out? And you bring on De Lott at left back.
Sam Brady: You swap your left wing backs for whatever reason because you think that's going to make an impact. you and And we've seen in previous games him swapping his centre-backs. So, i mean, forgetting Almiron and forgetting these players for a minute, go back to to the basics of just our club.
Sam Brady: I mean, we we our whole success was brought off being an attackive team, outscoring the opponent and, and you know, just attack, attack, attack, up basically. And we brought in a manager who, in my opinion...
Sam Brady: brings the whole mentality of the opposite way, where, in my opinion, he goes into games thinking, how how do we not lose this game instead of how do we not win this game? And like like I said, you had Maz Rawi, which Ahmad could have played right wing back and and, you know, we played Mount up there or to have that more attack. But he plays Maz Rawi.
Sam Brady: We play Casemiro in there when Kobi Menuh is the more attacking option and and could have played. you know, and and then we play five at the back and then the whole system for a start is defensive. So, yeah i mean, I completely agree with what you said and and you as well, Cormac, and I think we're all in agreeance where it's a combination of but everything, right? It's the players aren't good enough. As you said, Toluwa, they can't do the basics. We've seen that on many occasions where in random games, they just basically have a day off. I mean, against Grimsby was the perfect example, right?
Sam Brady: And that's where the the Grimsby game for me was the realisation that maybe you're having today, where I was looking at those players against Grimsby and I was like, you don't need a system to beat Grimsby when you're Man United.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Sam Brady: You just score goals and and that's it.
Toluwa : yeah
Sam Brady: So for that game, I agree with you where they couldn't do the basics.
Toluwa : the
Sam Brady: Today, I'm more like, yeah, they they didn't do the basics at the time. But you're playing a premer like a mid-table Premier League team. You need a bit help from your coach. You need a bit of tactics. a bit of Look, when you're struggling on the pitch, you need the guy on the sideline. You need to look over and be like, what do we do? We we need a plan B. And I just think we have no plan b when plan A goes horribly wrong like like it did today. So, yeah, I think it's a combination of of a lot.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, yeah. I think but the performance today was summed up, I think, by Ahmad standing on the pitch taking a throw in at the end. And I think that was the perfect way to sum up all the slappiness and mistakes we've seen today.
Sam Brady: Yeah. i
Toluwa : Oh.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I mean, it was just dreadful all around. But anyway, thanks for joining me, lads. Hopefully we'll be back the next match review with a much more positive outlook. um But yeah, thanks everyone for listening and I will see on the next episode.
