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Tuchel's Turgid Tenure - England struggle again against minnows
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Transcript
Introduction and Weekend Plans
00:00:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome, welcome, welcome everybody to Daily Premier League podcast. hope you're enjoying your weekend, I know I am. I'm looking forward to a game that's about to kick off in approximately 12 minutes. It's the Bengals at the Browns.
00:00:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Don't blame you if you tune off after 12 minutes of this and go and watch that. Very, very exciting. know My name's Ken Davis. I'm joined as ever by my old pal, my old geezer, my old buddy.
Football Season Antics
00:00:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's Nick Britton. How are you doing, mate?
00:00:40
Nick Britten
I'm very well. If anybody is watching this and they wonder, why is Ken dressed like Ronald McDonald? That's why. It's the start of the American football season.
00:00:51
Nick Britten
And if ah and if you if you were watching, you would have seen him chuck a, whatever that is, a deflated American football at somewhere. if you and If you're only listening to this and you heard a big crash as the sting was playing, that's what it was.
00:01:06
Nick Britten
it Surprised he's got a screen left. So yeah, hello, Ken. it' Very good to see you, as
England Game Analysis
00:01:11
Nick Britten
always. And I've got some interesting interesting feedback from my trip to Villa Park yesterday to watch...
00:01:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, that's what i want to talk about.
00:01:17
Nick Britten
but
00:01:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's a couple of things I want to talk about today. want to talk about the England game. You were there. I've already it described as turgid, pedestrian. I mean, I'd be interested in your view as to whether that is an accurate description of what you witnessed firsthand.
00:01:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
want to know what time you actually left the ground. Secondly, i thought we might do a deep dive into Manchester United. I want to do it in a particular way. And we'll we'll come to that in the second half of the programme.
00:01:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
But before we get into England, I understand there's some breaking news.
00:01:49
Nick Britten
Yeah, so interesting. it Just keep an eye on the whole Mark Gahey situation, which is which is interesting. played for England yesterday. Reportedly, and we never know how much these are. This is paper talk. This is media. This is people briefing, and therefore how accurate this is, but reportedly very unhappy and...
00:02:06
Nick Britten
very disgruntled at Crystal Palace's last-minute U-turn on his transfer to Liverpool. We've talked about it a lot, Ken. ah News today in the in the papers saying that Liverpool will not be going back in for ah Mark Gage in January.
00:02:21
Nick Britten
And they would much rather wait to see, and try and get him as a free agent in the summer. Now, that makes sense to me. Unless, of course, Virgil van Dijk gets injured or something happens. They've got quite a few centre-halves. They've got Virgil van Dijk. They've got Canate. They've got Gomez.
00:02:42
Nick Britten
They've just signed an 18-year-old lad who's a centre-half as well. So they're not short in that department. But Gehi would be a brilliant acquisition. But I can see why they want to just wait till the end of the season and get him for nothing.
Liverpool Transfer Strategies
00:02:55
Nick Britten
But I wonder if, if it is a big if, but if they get an injury to Van Dijk or something like that, maybe it will force their hand to go back into in January. But yeah, news news today, they're not really prepared to at the moment.
00:03:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
You just commented before we started on what I was wearing. Yours looks like a nun's outfit from where I'm sitting. Looks like you're wearing some kind of nun dress.
00:03:19
Nick Britten
yeah Yeah, it's just a dirty habit I've got.
00:03:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is it? hey And it's a Sunday as well. Anyway, um moving on.
00:03:26
Nick Britten
No, yeah it's a Puma sports top because i've
00:03:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, right. It does look, from anybody who's looking at the top bit, looks like you've actually joined a nunnery.
00:03:30
Nick Britten
if you're strange
00:03:34
Nick Britten
no no no looks just
00:03:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, I got you.
00:03:35
Nick Britten
it's
00:03:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's more like it. That's more like it.
00:03:37
Nick Britten
I've been refereeing this afternoon in the ah fa women's FA Cup. ah So I'm only just just back from that game.
00:03:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, there it
00:03:44
Nick Britten
So yeah, this is um this is my top that I went to and returned from the game.
00:03:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
is. Is that why you dress like a woman? Anyway, no, moving and on.
00:03:51
Nick Britten
Well, yeah, form order
00:03:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah move Moving on, moving on, moving on.
00:03:53
Nick Britten
she
00:03:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I'm not entirely sure about this Gahey thing. liberal Obviously, I've been predicting, and you know how much I know about football, which is everything, in my crystal ball, ah that he will be going to Liverpool in January.
00:04:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think he will. And I don't think the issue is Van Dyke getting injured. I think the issue is Canarte's form.
00:04:14
Nick Britten
well yeah
00:04:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because Canarte's been rotten, to be honest, in the first games the season.
00:04:15
Nick Britten
form is
00:04:19
Nick Britten
Yeah, it's only three games in, isn't it? It's only three games in. And to be clear, he wasn't on against Arsenal.
00:04:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't know, I don't
00:04:23
Nick Britten
He kept Goikerski very quiet.
00:04:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is my point. If Canate continues to struggle, I think they'll be in. If he doesn't, and and he and and if he has has a very, very good next three months, you were may well could be right.
00:04:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
But of course, if they leave the window open until until the yeah the end of the season, I mean, anybody could go for him. I mean, anyone could go for him in January. But i think Liverpool have a head start. think they may take advantage of that. Okay.
Manchester United's Challenges
00:04:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Second thing is Onana seems to be the stories that Onana is looking at a loan deal to go to Turkey, Trabsons 4.
00:05:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Probably a good thing. Let's be honest.
00:05:03
Nick Britten
but No surprise. No surprise whatsoever. ah It just makes perfect sense. They brought in Senny Lamens, who's going to take the number one spot, at least for the time being. And Arna, is he number two? Is he number three? we don't know.
00:05:16
Nick Britten
it doesn't surprise me that he's on his way. He'll want to play football. He's probably good enough to be a number one somewhere. Not really in the Premier League, not really for Manchester United. So, yeah, the fact he's leaving doesn't surprise me in the slightest.
00:05:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, but just open the way for Lammons. I think Lammons will be United number one
00:05:32
Nick Britten
with believe the reason why they've gone out and signed Lamb is just because they've had to because Inanna and Bayandir have been rubbish the start the season so it's
00:05:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
one. And it's fairly high very highly rated. So...
00:05:41
Nick Britten
If Fernando played well, if he'd built on... I mean, I know he wasn't bad last year. I know he made the odd hiccup and the odd mistake, but he wasn't disastrous. But if he'd start this season strongly, they wouldn't have gone and got Lamont. They wouldn't have felt they needed to have gone got him.
00:05:55
Nick Britten
So the reason why they bought him is because the goalkeepers aren't performing and therefore Lamont is going to come in as number one.
00:05:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is.
00:06:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep. If lemons ends up being a lemon, they're in a lot of trouble, aren't they?
00:06:09
Nick Britten
Yes.
00:06:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
When life gives you lemons,
00:06:12
Nick Britten
Yeah, yeah. I mean, look, how how badly can their goalkeeper recruit? Sooner or later, they've got to sign a goalkeeper who is okay, who's quite good, who's up to the job.
00:06:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
What is the matter kind of, yeah statistically, they're going to find one eventually.
00:06:23
Nick Britten
And they have haven't had it. They haven't had one since, really.
00:06:28
Nick Britten
Yeah, I mean, not since De Gea left, really, but
00:06:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a rubbish way of recruiting people. Anyway, as they know Manchester United, as they know in their goalkeeper recruitment department, In football, it pays to get your team
Advertisements and Promotions
00:06:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
selection right. And here at Global Sports Podcast Network, we spend a lot of time selecting our delivery partner, and we chose Zencastr because Zencastr makes it easy to bring your vision to life, share it with your audience, wherever they may be. It's got a 4K video recording, easy AI editing tools, and top-tier distribution all in one place.
00:07:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you've got a story to tell, tell it to Zencastr. Check the show notes for details.
Villa Park Experience
00:07:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. Yesterday, i went shopping. I walked around Sainsbury's for a couple of hours. Boring. The most boring couple of hours I thought I could spend on a Saturday. i was wrong.
00:07:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
I understand that was all happening at Villa Park. Nick, you were there. Can you report on on the disaster, ah the pedestrian turginess that you witnessed?
00:07:41
Nick Britten
I had great, I had a really, really nice lunch.
00:07:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:07:49
Nick Britten
In Birmingham. And that was about good as it got. The rest of it was a bit of, i mean, yeah, look, we can get to the game. can get to the game. I mean, the rest of it, I don't know.
00:07:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's go to the game.
00:08:02
Nick Britten
Villa Park is not really set up for, I don't think Villa Park is set up for international football. I don't think it's set up for football generally. so It's just impossible is well just an impossible place to get in and out of.
00:08:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hot tape.
00:08:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:08:13
Nick Britten
yeah Train-wise, because you got unless you live in Birmingham. but So we got the train down from Derby, which was rammed. So you're literally like a Sadi, unable to breathe.
00:08:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:08:22
Nick Britten
ah Then you get it then then we got we had a nice lunch and a couple of pies in Birmingham. it was lovely. And then the train out to Whitton, which is near the stadium, rammed.
00:08:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's gonna pop way outside the city centre.
00:08:32
Nick Britten
not Like sardines, you know, you're walking through streets. It's not a nice area. The stadium feels really old, if I'm honest with you. There's no leg room. This concourse is dead small and cramped. It just wasn't a pleasant experience.
00:08:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wow.
00:08:46
Nick Britten
But the football was dreadful. It was a really cool game.
00:08:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I thought, so but the football's great. But no, make things just got worse.
00:08:54
Nick Britten
No, it wasn't. The football was... Don't get me wrong, I had a great day out. was always good fun. was good day out.
00:08:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Get every day out a good day out, but, you know.
00:08:59
Nick Britten
It was good. yeah Yeah. ah But yeah, it was it was, I just thought they were just so disappointing because it was just sideways, sideways, sideways, backwards, backwards, sideways, backwards, sideways, backwards.
00:09:11
Nick Britten
And you're just thinking, for goodness sake, could somebody just take a risk? ah But i'm going to prove to you what absolute football genius I am, if if I may.
00:09:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:09:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, okay.
00:09:21
Nick Britten
So sort of whatever it was, 65 to 70 minutes of this rubbish had elapsed.
00:09:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:09:26
Nick Britten
And Rhys James, who's the right back, plays for Chelsea, got the ball in ah very in the attacking third for the umpteenth time.
00:09:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:09:36
Nick Britten
Umpteenth time. And for the umpteenth time, when he got the ball, instead of trying to take his full-back on or making half a yard for himself and getting cross in or looking to make something happen, he just passed it straight back.
00:09:47
Nick Britten
Passed it back to whichever midfielder passed it to him.
00:09:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Hmm.
00:09:50
Nick Britten
Didn't take any responsibility. Didn't try and make anything happen. And at that stage, I said to wife, said, I've had enough of this. I've absolutely had enough. Why can't he just whip the ball in and try and you know try and see what happens? Because we've got good strikers.
00:10:06
Nick Britten
And Dora were defending well, but they'd already scored one goal.
00:10:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Antorra.
00:10:09
Nick Britten
You just don't know.
00:10:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
They are Antorra.
00:10:10
Nick Britten
you just don't know what's going to happen. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. ah Within about five seconds of that happening, he got the ball back from whichever midfielder he passed it back to, whipped it across and Declan Rice headed it in. And it just proves what that I am a football genius.
00:10:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:23
Nick Britten
And I knew exactly what I talking about.
00:10:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. Well, congratulations.
00:10:26
Nick Britten
do everybody everybody well i just couldn't believe the amount is i mean, I hear Thomas Tuchel after the game, right?
00:10:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Good. maybe maybe Maybe we need you in place of two. It's interesting.
00:10:37
Nick Britten
I hear we go, oh, we weren't this and we weren't that and we needed to be more you know aggressive and more. yeah Well, you're the coach. Don't accept 70 minutes or 80 minutes or 90 minutes of just passing sideways and not even trying.
00:10:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:10:50
Nick Britten
I'd much rather, when the subs came on, so Morgan Gibbs-White particularly, what
00:10:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:10:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah I thought he played well. He made a difference.
00:10:57
Nick Britten
Yeah, Jordan. Suddenly they're trying to make things happen.
00:11:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, maybe.
00:11:00
Nick Britten
And I might try to make something happen something happen and it didn't, but at least you're trying. Then there's continual, they're just safe yeah safe passing because I don't want to take responsibility for anything.
00:11:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:09
Nick Britten
You're an England player playing against Andorra, for God's sake.
00:11:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:12
Nick Britten
it was It was pretty pathetic, I'm not going to lie. And not many players came out of it with that much credit. As I say, Rhys James was just doing nothing. Because most of most of our attacks went down the right-hand side.
00:11:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:11:23
Nick Britten
And he was he was teamed up with Madweke on the right-hand side. Madweke, I thought, i had a decent game. He was running at the opposition, at least. Again, he was trying to...
00:11:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, we had nothing else to do, to be honest.
00:11:32
Nick Britten
Yeah. Well, this is it. Yeah, on the other side, Rashford started...
00:11:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely no. Oh, Rashford. I mean, that was a question i'm going to ask.
00:11:38
Nick Britten
Yeah.
00:11:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, Rashford, why? mean, what has Rashford done to kind of deserve an England player?
00:11:43
Nick Britten
nothing No, nothing. He hasn't done anything to deserve his support in the England team. And I'll be surprised if we see him back anytime soon.
00:11:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well,
00:11:51
Nick Britten
in it in any In any other capacity other than an impact sub.
00:11:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I hope you're right. I worry, though.
00:11:56
Nick Britten
Well, but't see what I don't see why we were playing. So I thought Eze had a disappointing game. i was really looking forward to seeing him play.
00:12:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:12:03
Nick Britten
I don't think that number 10 slot suits him because he is operating in an area where he's got nine yellow shirts around him at all time. And his strength is maybe coming from deep, you running at players and all that. So he he didn't, and he missed a couple of very presentable opportunities to score.
00:12:20
Nick Britten
Who else? You know I mean, you can just go through the whole team.
00:12:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Cain, I mean, what was how was Cain?
00:12:23
Nick Britten
The only one,
00:12:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, Cain looked a bit
00:12:25
Nick Britten
Well, you know what? i spin I spent about 10 minutes a second half. So I was behind the goal when England were attacking in the second half. And I spent about 10 minutes just watching Kane because to be honest, there was no point.
00:12:34
Nick Britten
There's nothing else to watch. And I felt sorry for him because his movement was really good.
00:12:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:39
Nick Britten
he was fine. He was it constantly, never, ever, ever allowed himself to be marked. He was always taking up positions. He was always on the move and taking up positions in between the Senate halves.
00:12:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
good
00:12:50
Nick Britten
And I was saying to my wife, why on earth are we not just getting balls into his feet? Why is it constantly side to side to side, backwards, side to side to side, backwards? Why are we not going through the middle, get balls into his feet, get Ezzie playing off him?
00:13:03
Nick Britten
and And he barely touched the ball, he didn't 12 touches throughout the entire game. And I saw report saying, oh, was his poorest game for England.
00:13:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know.
00:13:09
Nick Britten
It wasn't. because nobody gave him the ball. Literally nobody passed to him.
00:13:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:14
Nick Britten
It was infuriating.
00:13:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I did watch on the TV, and there seems to be plenty of runs being made, but no balls being passed into the space.
00:13:22
Nick Britten
Yeah.
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's no...
00:13:23
Nick Britten
No, correct. Because it was just, oh, actually, why do I try and take a risk and play that ball in, but it might go wrong, it might go right?
00:13:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:13:30
Nick Britten
Or do I actually play a simple ball and keep it safe ah to my teammate five metres away from me and nothing is achieved? It was just that. was just that all game.
00:13:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's interesting.
00:13:37
Nick Britten
And it's it's not surprising. It's not surprising that within about 15 minutes to go, Villa Park was virtually empty. Everybody just went.
00:13:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, I saw that. And I don't blame him. They want to get away early. And you need to get away early for the part. One of the things that Tuchel kind of promised when he came into the job, you know, was urgency and aggression and the press and and you know dynamism.
00:13:57
Nick Britten
yeah
00:13:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we've seen none of that, have we? you I mean, in the we've seen five games under Tuchel now, four qualification games and one against Senegal. Interesting point.
00:14:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously, we've won all four qualification games, but they're against Andorra twice.
00:14:15
Nick Britten
It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter. yeah Because they're games that you can put your B team or your under-21s out and expect to win.
00:14:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, this is it. So so it's it's there's an argument.
00:14:24
Nick Britten
and
00:14:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's two arguments here. There's an argument to say Well, you can't really judge Tuchel because he's won every game. What can you do? You can only be put in front of you. But equally, you are expected to beat St.
00:14:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Patrick's under 11s by more than 1-0 if you're the England team.
00:14:42
Nick Britten
um I would rather just see us 1-0, but really fly at them and really try stuff and be inventive and this and the other. rather than win 2-0, as we did yesterday, and learn nothing. We didn't learn anything.
00:14:56
Nick Britten
Well, I'll tell you what we did. I'll tell you what we did learn. We learned one thing, and that is Elliot Anderson was our best player on debut.
00:15:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:03
Nick Britten
He was excellent. He was the man of the match for England. He had a really good game. So he showed he's got it in him. All right, we haven't seen him against better opposition, but he played really, really well.
00:15:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Final thing on this, just what does bring about England, and we're going to get a proper test of England on Tuesday. and I'm interested in the Serbia game. i think it's going to be a really interesting game. England beat Andorra twice.
00:15:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Andorra 174th in the rankings. They beat Latvia 137th. They beat Albania 68th. They lost to Senegal, who are 18th. That's the test. They lost to a top-20 team.
00:15:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just in other context, in terms of the games that were being played on that day, Portugal beat Armenia, 5-0 away. That was their 105th in the world. ah Bosnia beat San Marino, 6-0 away. They're 204th.
00:15:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Italy beat Estonia, 126th, 5-0. Iceland beat Azerbaijan, 122nd in the world, 5-0. They seem to be able to do it. We can't do it.
00:16:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm interested as to why we can't do it when they can.
00:16:06
Nick Britten
Well, it's quite plain to see when you watched the game yesterday, which was at home in front of your home crowd, why like why they couldn't do it.
00:16:18
Nick Britten
There were two reasons, really. One is Andorra just put 11 men behind the ball. And even if you are part-time players, yeah, yeah, but
00:16:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I showed it to San Marino, to be honest, i would imagine, against...
00:16:27
Nick Britten
But even if you're part-time players or or you know you you're you're way below the level of your opponents, you're still a human being. And human beings are still made of of matter that you can't kick a football through.
00:16:40
Nick Britten
So if you just refuse to leave your own penalty area and just stand there, you can't have footballs kick through you. And they defended really, really well.
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so I thought they were...
00:16:49
Nick Britten
That's all they did. you know So there is that. There is an element ah of that. but But also there's element of we didn't play anywhere near the way the those 11 players, Premier players, and you know can do can do.
00:17:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:03
Nick Britten
There was no there was no invention. It was literally just here one one tactic, side to side, side side, nothing different, nothing unusual. Raft should have had a couple of good runs, but Dwake had a couple of good runs.
00:17:15
Nick Britten
We created two or three more opportunities. Elliot Anderson, how he's missed a completely open goal is beyond me. Put it down to good save if you want, but he's missed a completely open goal. Eze's missed a couple.
00:17:26
Nick Britten
It could have been five if we'd taken our chances. It wasn't like we weren't creating. But the vast majority of the game was just dull because we weren't taking risks.
00:17:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
problem for Tuchel is creating a bit of a narrative. It could have been a completely different narrative. And in the first five games under Tuchel, the narrative he's created is not an energetic and dynamic England. It's a turgid and pedestrian one.
00:17:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a dangerous precedent to set. Anyway, we better move on.
00:17:52
Nick Britten
Well, we used to, yeah, we used to turgid and predictable. We had all that with Gareth Southgate in the quantifiers.
00:17:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:17:57
Nick Britten
So we'll see.
00:17:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
but But the bombshell that we've learned is that human beings are made of matter.
00:18:05
Nick Britten
There you go.
00:18:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, it's me and Nick here. We're discussing everything that matters in the world of football.
00:18:21
Nick Britten
you I want you to go outside. want you to go outside when this podcast is finished. Find your external neighbours and kick footballs at them. And you will realise that footballs don't go through human beings.
00:18:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
human days beinges and Human beings are made of matter.
00:18:32
Nick Britten
They're made of matter.
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Global Sports Podcast Network
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Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:19:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
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Manchester United's Future
00:19:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
order. it Right, last part of the yeah of this very exciting episode.
00:19:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
I want talk about Man United and I want to talk about, I just want to do a slightly deeper dive than we ever get chance to do because we're normally doing the context of results and fixtures and things like that.
00:19:19
Nick Britten
I can't get a chance to think about it.
00:19:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But i I thought we might just take 10 minutes on this just to discuss discuss three things, ah three questions. Imagine, Nick, for a moment, you are Jim Radcliffe.
00:19:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, imagine that. you got that? You might. Doing Reuben Amorim's appraisal before the season started. Okay, so good morning, Reuben. and Nice to see mate.
00:19:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Take a What, Jim... constitutes an acceptable season for Manchester United, what would be seen as a successful season, and what would constitute utter failure?
00:20:04
Nick Britten
Right. What constitutes...
00:20:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Remember, we're role-playing, clin so you can do this in a Portuguese accent.
00:20:08
Nick Britten
Okay, so was that No, I'm Jim Radcliffe, so you've you've got to be Reuben Hammer.
00:20:14
Nick Britten
Yeah, yeah.
00:20:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wait, Jim.
00:20:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
i called i thought No, I'm not doing it. I'm just not doing it.
00:20:16
Nick Britten
No.
00:20:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, go on, Nick.
00:20:18
Nick Britten
No. He seems to have gone to India on his holidays and picked up a bit A bit of a local accent there, Kenny. ah Right, I think what's acceptable is and ah demonstrable signs of progress.
00:20:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:20:30
Nick Britten
So that's two things. That's an uptick in results from last season, but it's also an identifiable style of play. It is an ability to look at Manchester United and understand that there are stuff going on in the pitch, the players know what they're meant to be doing, and signs that we're making in progress.
00:20:49
Nick Britten
That's acceptable.
00:20:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
You wouldn't put that down to a position.
00:20:50
Nick Britten
Now,
00:20:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
You wouldn't say, actually, ah yeah if we finish in the bottom half, you're in trouble.
00:20:53
Nick Britten
No, don't think so, because...
00:20:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
if you finish top half, <unk> we're all right.
00:20:56
Nick Britten
No, because... No, because you you could be an eighth.
00:21:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
You'd be all right if they finished 15th and did those things.
00:21:03
Nick Britten
Well, you could but you could be in eighth going into the last game of a season and end up at 12th through no real fault of your own, other than you don't win your last game of a season. know it's not i don't think i don't I think it's dangerous to say, oh, we must finish ninth or you're out or must finish fifth.
00:21:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:21:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:21:19
Nick Britten
You've got 19 other teams where there are invariables that you can't predict. So you can only look after yourself.
00:21:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:21:28
Nick Britten
So, no, I wouldn't say that. because And also, season is defined on on other stuff that's out of your control, like injuries or bad refereeing decisions or study of stuff. There's other stuff going on that you can't do anything about. I think if you'd finished 15th, I would imagine that they haven't done the first part.
00:21:45
Nick Britten
I don't think.
00:21:45
Nick Britten
Because I think one would lead to the other.
00:21:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, I get that.
00:21:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I get that. So one leads to the other.
00:21:49
Nick Britten
But it might be 11th.
00:21:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. Yeah.
00:21:51
Nick Britten
It might be 10th.
00:21:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:21:54
Nick Britten
you know But if there are demonstrable signs of progress and we can see what the team's doing they've got enough good players there to pick up results.
00:21:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah
00:22:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
And what would you how would you measure progress?
00:22:03
Nick Britten
Well, again, two things. I think more victories, so more wins.
00:22:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:22:08
Nick Britten
And can we look at the team and understand what they're trying to do?
00:22:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:22:13
Nick Britten
Do we have a team that is fluid? Do we have a team that they all understand what they're meant to be doing? Can we see patterns of play? can can you know do we understand Do the players understand what they do with and without a ball?
00:22:24
Nick Britten
at home and away from home. They've invested heavily in their front line, so they want to see more goals out there. They want to see a better return out of their front line than they had last season. So it's things like that. It's things like that.
00:22:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:33
Nick Britten
These things aren't ever, you must finish third or must win that or or what have you.
00:22:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
um makes
00:22:38
Nick Britten
I think and accept this is an acceptable season.
00:22:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
So what...
00:22:40
Nick Britten
I just think a successful season,
00:22:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is an acceptable line. you So what what constitutes a successful season? So he's literally high-fiving Ruben at the end of the season. You've done a great job, Ruben.
00:22:50
Nick Britten
European qualification.
00:22:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:53
Nick Britten
I think just that.
00:22:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:55
Nick Britten
Get into Europe for next year You've had a great season.
00:22:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. And what comes um what constitutes a...
00:22:58
Nick Britten
The secondary might be...
00:23:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
on so
00:23:02
Nick Britten
Sorry, go on.
00:23:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
no what constitutes a season that is that is
00:23:04
Nick Britten
No, no, no.
00:23:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sorry, Ruben, it's been delightful, but we're going to have make a change. What what what it essentially is the season that means that happens?
00:23:15
Nick Britten
Well, if he's having that conversation, think he'll have that conversation by Christmas because that's when it, by then, we'll know. So a successful season is saying we've spent, what is 100 and how much did it in Bumo and Chesco?
00:23:28
Nick Britten
and
00:23:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, it's 180 million or something, isn't it?
00:23:30
Nick Britten
Yeah, so spent 180 million and we're just as bad as we were last season. So I think think ah an unacceptable season is a repeat of last year because he's been given the tools, he's been given money to spend, he's got his players in
00:23:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:44
Nick Britten
So it's up to him to make it work now. And there's no signs so far, really. we were Apart from the first game when they played quite well, there's no signs that it's it's working.
00:23:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm lost.
00:23:54
Nick Britten
But there's we've any played we've only had three games and I'm not, you know, I'm not worried too much.
00:23:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, what that kind of brings me, that brings
00:24:00
Nick Britten
There's real pressure. There's pressure him.
00:24:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Massive pressure. And I know we did ah yesterday when we were doing the who's on the hot seat, who is the outsiders to win the sack race. I know Amerim was in your thoughts, wasn't he?
00:24:13
Nick Britten
Very much so, yeah, because I've got Chelsea coming up, I've got Man City coming up, two very difficult games.
00:24:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:24:19
Nick Britten
If you get no points out at them, you might go, well, it's okay. It's Man City and Chelsea, what would you expect? But they then then you come down to, okay, well, how has the team performed?
00:24:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:24:29
Nick Britten
And if the team has lost playing really well, you go, okay, no problem.
00:24:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like the Arsenal game.
00:24:33
Nick Britten
But if the team has lost, yeah.
00:24:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like the Arsenal game. Where everyone came away from that having lost, thinking this is a much better sign. Interesting.
00:24:38
Nick Britten
Yes, yes but if we if but if they play and look disorganised and chaotic and don't really know what they what they're doing and they can't really see what they're trying to do, then that rings alarm bells.
00:24:50
Nick Britten
It has to ring alarm bells.
00:24:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
we
00:24:51
Nick Britten
And you've got to then ask yourself, well, how long am I prepared to let this go on? And not suggesting he's going to get a sack after the next two games, but... We all know, in Ken, that winning's a habit and losing's a habit in football. And there's so much about Ameren that you still look at and go, does he really know what he's doing it does he know what he's got?
00:25:09
Nick Britten
Is there a real clear pathway in his thinking that the players understand?
00:25:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, well, that brings me a neat segue to the second point that I was going to raise my mind, which was if you had a magic wand, and yeah um and I've heard rumours that you do.
00:25:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah If you had...
00:25:28
Nick Britten
Or am I just... You.
00:25:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've spoke to Helen about it, and she says you've got a magic wand. ah If you had a magic wand and you could change one position... Stop laughing.
00:25:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
One position at Man United and instantly get a world-class person in that position. Which position would that be?
00:25:50
Nick Britten
Centre midfield.
00:25:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:53
Nick Britten
I think they still they still lack... an absolute driving force in centre midfield. I like Bruno Fernandes, and he's got lots and lots and lots of qualities, but he's not that driving force in midfield. I don't quite... That's a good question.
00:26:08
Nick Britten
mean, I could say world-class centre-half, I suppose, because they still look a bit iffy at the back. We've got a goalkeeper in there. You could say world-class manager.
00:26:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
A hot take from Nick. That's a nice one. That's an interesting one. nick's on it Nick's on a bit of a roll with Amarim, I can tell. Yeah, I think they lack a defensive midfielder, actually.
00:26:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think they lack an absolute classic Claude McAlealy-type defensive midfielder.
00:26:32
Nick Britten
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I
00:26:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
They could release Bruno a bit further forward and all that. Someone who just stops it, distributes it, stops it, distributes it. That would be, you know, if I was if f i was the see magician of Manchester, that's what I'd be waving my wand at.
00:26:51
Nick Britten
yeah i think that's a very good call.
00:26:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Final question, because this is a real home. this is ah This is literally, I'm going to cross this for you to nod it in like Declan writes, because this is your absolutely your home turf, ah being pe your PR guru to the stars.
Ruben Ammerin's Media Image
00:27:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
What PR advice would you give Ruben Ammerin? Because it looks to me like he leads it leads he needs Nick's arm around his shoulder and a few wise words.
00:27:20
Nick Britten
I think he just needs to be a lot more streetwise publicly. So his public his public perception of him... needs to change and change quite radically.
00:27:32
Nick Britten
Now, there's two things that spring to mind when we talk about this. One of his one is his media interviews, where, in my opinion, and I know look i know we live in an age where we feel everything's sanitized in the media and you never get a straight interview ah question, sorry, answer out of a straight interview question.
00:27:48
Nick Britten
But I think he's too honest and he's too he speaks his mind too much. And I don't think, you know, the comments he made the other day saying, oh, sometimes I hate my players and sometimes I never want to see them and sometimes I do like them and all that.
00:28:00
Nick Britten
Like, we don't want to be hearing that from a manager of Manchester United. And he and he he he doubled down on it, didn't he? said, look, I'm not going to change. I'm going to tell you exactly what I think and all that. But in the in the and the emotion of the aftermath of a Premier League game, you need a little bit of street wiseness. And I often look at Eddie Howe as a kind of direct comparison.
00:28:22
Nick Britten
And he's so smart. And he's so canny. And he knows how to do it. He knows how to do the media. He knows how to play the media. He knows what to say. He knows, more importantly, what not to say. So there's that bit of it.
00:28:33
Nick Britten
And then the other bit of it, which I just think the optics look really, really bad on Ameren, is this nonsensical, ridiculous, I'm not going to watch any penalty that we get. Because it's just...
00:28:44
Nick Britten
I mean...
00:28:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's random, isn't it? I don't watch throw-ins.
00:28:45
Nick Britten
really the
00:28:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm not watching corners anymore.
00:28:49
Nick Britten
Right, so they've had two really, really important penalties in their last two games.
00:28:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:54
Nick Britten
The first one was a penalty shootout against Grimsby, which went on well into the night. And he just sat there like a kid stuck on the naughty chair, looking down at the ground in an embarrassed manner that his team hadn't even managed to beat Grimsby.
00:29:07
Nick Britten
And then, just as bad, they got a penalty in the 97th minute at home to Burnley in the last Premier League game, which a lot of people were were saying, look, lose that, mate, and you're out. It was a massive moment in Manchester United's season. It was a massive kick at a ball.
00:29:22
Nick Britten
It was a potentially season-defining moment, depending on where they're going from here. And he's not watching. He's looking at the ground.
00:29:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
and I can't believe it.
00:29:31
Nick Britten
i mean, what does that what does that make you look like?
00:29:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I'll tell you what it makes you look like. It makes you look like a mentalist, if you can still use that word. I think, I think, ah but I mean, it reminds me that when you get intellectual European football managers or players talking to the media England, like it reminded me a bit of the canton art when the trawlers throw the pilchards into the sea, you know, I want to be a seagull or wherever it was, you know, it's,
00:29:40
Nick Britten
don't think he's... I don't think he's...
00:30:03
Nick Britten
The seagulls follow the trawler. It's because they think fish are going to be thrown into the sea. I think is the quote you're looking for.
00:30:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly. Yeah, I think that was probably... i know there were seagulls, trawlers and fish involved. But I think...
00:30:11
Nick Britten
Not necessarily pilchers, though. Other types of fish are available.
00:30:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But... yeah Yeah, exactly. So, I mean, that is that struck me as being a bit of one of those moments when when us in England, like, you know, kind of think, oh, my God, mentalist.
00:30:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
and then and then And then he does the thing where he can't watch the penalties. That's going to become meme, isn't it?
00:30:31
Nick Britten
Yeah.
00:30:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's going to be what people define him as. So, I mean, I think Amorim's on an absolutely slippery slope at the moment in all kinds of ways.
00:30:37
Nick Britten
yeah
00:30:43
Nick Britten
And it's no good, Ken. It's no good him just going, yeah, but this is my character. I'm not going to change. This is how I've always been. Because good managers, good bosses learn and they adapt and they change to the ever-changing environment that they operate in.
00:30:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:30:59
Nick Britten
He just can't get on with that at a moment. I just thought it was... I thought after the Grimsby thing, well, it was bad enough. But then I thought, okay, well, when Fernandes has that penalty to win the game and save your job, the least you could do, if you're being polite, is take the trouble to watch him.
00:31:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Crazy. Okay, that'll do for today. That's been a really interesting
Listener Engagement
00:31:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
episode. If you want to get in contact with us, send us an email at dailypremierleaguepodcast at gmail.com.
00:31:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
that's That's been an interesting conversation. Thank you, Nick, for your views on England and your views on Amerim. He may not be a pilchard. Let's hope he can get a tuner out of Man United.
00:31:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thanks very much.
00:31:42
Nick Britten
Oh, super.
00:31:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
See you next time.
00:31:43
Nick Britten
so