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00:00:01
Do we have to pick a player of the month?
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Niall is joined by Kieran to discuss the September player of the month and the Antony interview!
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Transcript
00:00:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Daily Manchester United podcast. I'm your host for this episode Niall Hannigan and I'm back with familiar face, familiar voice Ciarán McGinley. Ciarán, welcome to the episode. How are you this evening?
00:00:29
Kieran McGinley
ah still Still reeling firm ah from yesterday's episode, that's for sure. ah I think I've calmed down a lot more, but I'm just a scathing. So good time. Good time to record, I think.
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's um it's a rough one. you know You'd nearly rather be in that scathing mood, this kind of lull midweek where you you have time where it s sinks in. It's so almost worse in a way where you're you're ah going over and obviously reminiscing in the past, but going over the result of the weekend and then trying to get optimistic for the weekend, knowing that it probably just won't turn around. But anyway,
00:01:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's see what happens. It's the 30th of September. You know what that means. It's player of the month time. That's what we're going to discuss today. um We saw Man United have put out or started out their poll for player of the month.
00:01:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Surprised they were going ahead with it this month, Ciarán. um But they've somehow found a couple of a couple of nominations. um Obviously, Iain Buemo won August.
00:01:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Were you happy with that?
00:01:37
Kieran McGinley
Oh, very happy. I mean, he's been a bright spark in this one. um So fully deserved the August award. I think September's going to be, well, I would say closer, but not for good reasons. More like there was the game against Chelsea where, you know, that's really where Fernandes and Dorgu really made their mark in in in the game.
00:01:57
Kieran McGinley
And then you've got Cescou with... a red card assist. Could you, is that such a thing these days? Um, but anyway, his header run and also he scored his first goal.
00:02:07
Kieran McGinley
But I think that's more like the, um, what you call it, you know, how you've got like the chairman's award for most improved player, you know, and you're like under ages, like the undernights under nines, under tens.
00:02:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:02:18
Kieran McGinley
That's the sort of we've put him there because, well,
00:02:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:02:22
Kieran McGinley
you know look, he's improving. look ah Come on, give him a pat on the back. so I would probably say it's between Fernandes and Dorgou going into this. Do you know what? I think out of all of them, Dorgou's been the most consistent.
00:02:34
Kieran McGinley
i've I've loved him down the down the left wing. um As I've been saying, the the one thing he's lacking at the moment is the crossing, that sort of final third. But up and down that wing, he is he's you know making it his own at the moment.
00:02:50
Kieran McGinley
Just needs to add add a little bit more consistency and maybe have 10 other people playing with him on the pitch. Other than that, i think he i think he's been good. I think for me, Dorgou would get my vote.
00:03:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I don't hate it. um There's been... Dorgue, I've seen online, he's been getting a ah bit of abuse, mainly about the final third, but I just don't know how you could throw any shade towards Dorgue at all, to be honest, like considering the performances the whole team are putting out. I think I agree with you. I have great time for him. Such a young player, has a good attitude.
00:03:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, that's that's the bar at the moment. Like, are you trying hard? If you're trying hard and you're you're putting in a shift for the team, like you're you're getting nominated for player of the month.
00:03:32
Kieran McGinley
Yeah. Yeah.
00:03:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I find it funny on the website as well. you know Normally, we we judge players on goals and assists. We've got appearances slash assists are a goal. So we've got Darga three appearances this month and one assist.
00:03:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've got Bruno with three appearances as well, which is great. And then we've got Sesco with three appearances. So um we're absolutely stat padding here at the moment with ah with these brackets beside their name.
00:03:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
But and it is Olympic country.
00:03:59
Kieran McGinley
don't Don't forget as well, Bruno Fernandes got the man of match in the yeah was the Chelsea game. hey. so hey
00:04:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, could be missing the match, I don't know, in the the penalties, but we'll go for a man the match. um Interesting one. But yeah, I mean, Doggo, we've mentioned it before.
00:04:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is just that final third, and the... The annoying thing about this system is that because the wingbacks are so important to it, they actually end up a lot of the time as the highest players in the final third. um So he's going to need to improve it a lot because there's ah there's a lot riding on him of of being able to provide those opportunities for for the likes of Sesco. So um let's see what happens. But yeah, he came in under the radar in terms of ah a transfer and...
00:04:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know you You probably wouldn't have said that he's he's going to be a mainstay in the team, but he he's done it himself and he's he's backed himself and he's been able to um to to keep his spot in there. But I think it says more about the rest of the squad than it does about Dorgud that he's just kind of waltzed into that position and there's absolutely no competition for him and he's just absolutely nailed down the spot. So, ah yeah, I'd probably have to vote for him as well. But, I mean, Sesko got off the mark here. and Do you think that's...
00:05:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
I can't even say it. like But do you think that that's going to like open the floodgates when it comes to Cesc kind of kicking off his United a career?
00:05:25
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, well, we saw a false dawn with Hoyland, didn't we, last season?
00:05:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, he did.
00:05:29
Kieran McGinley
And we sort of thought that when he scored, it was like, oh, yes, this is it now. He'll get a hatful. I think he got three more in the Premier League for the rest of the season.
00:05:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:05:38
Kieran McGinley
So I don't get my hopes up too much. um when he faces Sunderland. I'm hoping that he can, obviously, I'm obviously hoping he he can get some and because what we desperately need is a striker and a striker in form. This system depends on a striker in form. And if that doesn't happen, then, know, the goals kind of dry up like they have. I mean, we were top of the XG table when we came up against City because you'll never sing that.
00:06:05
Kieran McGinley
So it is creating chances. We're just not being clinical enough. And not only that, but the chances that are against us because we're so easily caught on the counterattack, they are very, would say they're very easy, easy, yeah easy chances, but they're certainly high in XG. If you are an XG believer, you know, you're looking at, there is such a thing.
00:06:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, there's people out there.
00:06:28
Kieran McGinley
um
00:06:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:32
Kieran McGinley
But if you're looking at that that sort stats side as as an idea as to how good these chances are, how clear-cut those chances are, that's where we're falling apart. is Although we've got three at the back, we we are conceding some very...
00:06:49
Kieran McGinley
easy chances to to concede from.
00:06:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:51
Kieran McGinley
and And this is the problem. Like when Maguire got caught out in two minds of whether he was going to step up and trigger the offside trap or track a man, track Thiago, he ah got caught in two minds, as as Peter Crouch was saying on the TNT sports coverage.
00:06:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah
00:07:08
Kieran McGinley
And because of that, that led to Thiago beating the offside trap and just being able to run in behind. So, Yeah, it that's an individual mistake. And I've seen De Ligt speaking to the press, speaking to the media, saying, you know, it's all well and good, you know, criticising the manager. But at the end of the day, it's the player performances. And Mbermo, speaking with Sky Sports, has also said the same thing. So I wonder how much of it is the players sort of saying, right, we've got to take the brunt of this. Or if it's just Amrim just sneaking them 20 quid, being like, oh, go on, go on, have this interview and tell them tell them how good I am
00:07:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's it's it's a tough one. I mean, I do believe that the the players need to take way more responsibility when it comes to this stuff as well. um there Like on paper, we shouldn't be 14th, to be honest. Like we do kind of say we don't have enough quality, but we shouldn't be 14th. There's enough talent there. There's enough firepower in the front three.
00:08:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
from even just the signs that we've made, particularly in Bombo and Cunha, Bruno in there as well. Yes, he's playing out of position, but there isn't really an excuse. You know, there's international players all over the pitch, not many from England, not making England squads anymore, but they're making plenty of other squads. And yeah, it is bad. I mean, when Jordan Henderson is splitting your defence, the part where passes, you know you're in trouble.
00:08:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
So um yeah, it's it's it's a tough one to watch, but I don't even like the way... they They have a little blurb about the players of how they did this month as well. And um talking about your chairman award, I mean, this is definitely a chairman award sentence for Sesco. It's also worth noting Sesco managed a couple of decent shots in the loss to City.
00:08:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, that that one's got a sting.
00:08:50
Kieran McGinley
But yeah.
00:08:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a tough one. That is a tough one to take.
00:08:53
Kieran McGinley
Yep.
00:08:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
That a few decent shots in an absolute drubbing against City gets you into um ah player of the month candidacy and probably comes second in that vote. so It's a dire state of affairs, Ciarán, but um yeah, we're we're only we're only just past September and we've got a long season to go to follow these lads.
00:09:12
Kieran McGinley
Not a again. I'm getting deja vu now. so for Of when we were dreaming of international breaks.
00:09:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:20
Kieran McGinley
It's happened again.
00:09:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know, I know. But everyone's getting good entertainment out of the the episodes. um Plenty of hate listens and hate watches going on. So we aim to please. That's what we do. So that's what we're here for. But we'll take a quick break there and be back with a bit more for this episode.
00:10:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:10:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anthony's been in the headlines again, um himself over in Real Betis. He's always called former Manchester United player rather than current Real Betis player, but he has been in the news. He's been across ah multiple kind of networks in the UK. It's been reported as well that he felt disrespected at United. And to be honest, training by yourself, and he said he was living away in a hotel as well in Manchester during that period.
00:11:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
On a human level, it is tough. like it It must be tough when you're you have so much pressure on you and you've come over with that with such a price tag um and it's not working for you on the pitch and then you're just kind of shunned by the team and no found dick a hope to kind of find a ah new home. But he's not happy.
00:11:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's not happy with United and he's definitely not the first one, Kieran.
00:11:39
Kieran McGinley
And won't be the last, um which is just going to be a ah pattern here.
00:11:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:11:43
Kieran McGinley
But it was always going to be a talking point when we signed Anthony for the price tag we that we did. And that's not his fault. you know Any price tag for a player not their fault. It's not their doing.
00:11:56
Kieran McGinley
That's how much the club they were at are willing to to part ways with them for. So if that turns out to be hundreds of millions, then that's what the team that's what the teams agree on the on his valuation. but for For that kind of money, we were expecting someone who was going to not only hit the ground running, but be able to change games on a whim.
00:12:19
Kieran McGinley
And although we had a couple of nice Anthony spins, um it it was it wasn't what we needed. And the here's the thing. If the Anthony spin, you know he made that, but he was also scoring 20 goals a season.
00:12:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah oh could you imagine could you imagine the Brazilian edits like of that yeah yeah
00:12:36
Kieran McGinley
This is what... Exactly, exactly. but But because it didn't work, now he's going to be mocked mercilessly for it. um What's the game?
00:12:46
Kieran McGinley
Is it the game against, was it Chelsea where he's on the sideline? I'm trying to think which game it was. Social media will will be able to pull up the picture.
00:12:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
When he's doing the faints?
00:12:53
Kieran McGinley
Absolutely. Yeah.
00:12:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:55
Kieran McGinley
And it's like, the it's the I'm him photo kind of thing where he's focused, laser focused.
00:12:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:13:00
Kieran McGinley
It might not be against Chelsea, but... but But things like that. See, if he'd have scored a hat trick after that, totally different picture. That's like, you know, gets hung in the ah the Hall of Fame of social media.
00:13:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah. Yeah.
00:13:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:12
Kieran McGinley
But because it didn't work, he's going shunned for it. it's It's so easy and it's so, you know, tip of a needle, a balancing act as to, you know, you've got the ego and you can back it up. But if you have the ego and it doesn't work, you look like got egg on your face.
00:13:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's ah it is tough. Like, I mean, I'm just looking at it now. 82 million pounds. Like... it's just a lot of money. I know the transfer market was a bit mental this year, but, you know, two years ago, 82 million pounds, you know, for kind of a player that we were hoping would work because he played with Ten Hag before and just, okay, let's get everyone from Ajax in. Like we've done this with Dutch players in the past at Van Gaal. Surely it's going to work. um And yeah, it's a, it's a difficult one. I mean, some of the quotes from the, the, the interview that he had as well,
00:14:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Tough few months in England, more than 40 days in the hotel, training separately. i feel like they disrespected me, but that's not the point. I don't want to create any controversy. Well, Anthony, you have, because you just said what you said 10 seconds beforehand.
00:14:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I mean, we probably could have all read into this that it's not an ideal situation for him to be in, but...
00:14:24
Kieran McGinley
Mm-hmm.
00:14:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know I mentioned that on a human level it must be tough, but also at a professional level, you have to have surely the desire to want to go and prove that you actually are worth it and that you can perform in the Premier League and that it's not just kind of successful in a couple of leagues around Europe.
00:14:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But it just never seemed to... it It just never felt like it was ever going to work. It was that... we've mentioned before um around that kind of raw pace and that raw strength to actually get past someone. like ah you never really ever saw him go past someone. And and in the Premier League, you have...
00:15:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
absolute physical specimens on every team and then you have also good footballers as well so like the and nearly the bare minimum to survive is just to be an incredible athlete at the moment and that's what United are missing in general at the moment like we're being completely overrun in midfield and in every game mainly because we only have two in there and everyone else has three but also physically in terms of aerobic ability as well we we we're just not there we're we're reliant on Casemiro and then when Agarote comes in and then Bruno, who's not really playing in his natural position. So um it's an issue with the whole team, but particularly for wingers, if you're giving them the ball, you're not going up against a non-athletic fullback anymore.
00:15:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's absolute animals playing out there as well who can who can run. you know There's a Dargu there that's eyeing you up as well. So um yeah, it was just never really going to work. I think i think you just need to be of that position kind of baseline of of physical presence to actually survive in the Premier League when it comes to players on across the pitch, I suppose, but particularly in in one-on-one battles here.
00:16:07
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, he had his loan spell Batiste, did Anthony, and ah got them or was with the team as he made his way in towards the ah Europa League final. In fact, ah scored against Forrest in one of the yeah you know Europa League match days, scored the equaliser, actually, um on match day one of the Europa League.
00:16:31
Kieran McGinley
So there's clearly a player in there. And i like to think as well, not that there is less pressure, but it seems like the the price tag no longer hanging over him.
00:16:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:42
Kieran McGinley
And sometimes, as you say, as a player, that's a huge amount of pressure to put on you, no matter the price tag.
00:16:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:16:48
Kieran McGinley
And the price tag is never your fault. But people are expecting when you know it's 80 odd million pounds, they're expecting you to come in and be this finished product already.
00:16:59
Kieran McGinley
It's very rare, apart from if you're Manchester United, that you sign someone for more than 60, 70 million pounds that is not a finished product. So when when you look at it that way, you can kind of see you know if you're signing high price tag players, you're expecting them to be ready for the first team out and out.
00:17:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:17:19
Kieran McGinley
And I think the move for Anthony was too early. But if he can knuckle down, yeah have a couple of good seasons at Betis, I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in the Premier League again.
00:17:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, potentially. i think... i don't I don't know if clubs would would bother at this stage. I think i think he showed enough in the Premier League that, you know, I don't think if you look around the other clubs, would he get into any of those teams? Like, i mean, even...
00:17:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
looking at Bournemouth, for example, or Newcastle. He's not getting into any of them. They're absolute animals of a team. You have the likes of Semenyo there, who's double the player of Anthony, really.
00:17:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's just, looking back at the price tags as well, mean, we sold them permanent basis for a fee of £21.65 million. That is just a colossal loss.
00:18:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just, business-wise, just horrendous.
00:18:12
Kieran McGinley
But I think think ah think there is a sell-on clause in that as well, I believe.
00:18:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay
00:18:18
Kieran McGinley
so But even so, it will not recoup unless he's worth 100 million again.
00:18:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:18:24
Kieran McGinley
That's not going to recoup what we paid for him.
00:18:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Oh, I need to be 300 million to get to get anywhere near back to where we were.
00:18:29
Kieran McGinley
and
00:18:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
like But yeah, it's um it's just another example of just signings not working out for us. And it's it's a different type signing to the, we hired them past their prime.
00:18:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
This one just completely just didn't work similar to Sancho. And it's it's tough to take.
00:18:46
Kieran McGinley
Well, I do see you know i see your point about maybe Premier League teams won't go near again. However, if he didn't work at Manchester United, then you know what that means. He's on the Chelsea shortlist.
00:19:00
Kieran McGinley
Watch this space.
00:19:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's true.
00:19:01
Kieran McGinley
Give it two, three years.
00:19:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he's a winger. And he's a winger, so he's definitely going to Chelsea.
00:19:04
Kieran McGinley
Yeah.
00:19:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. um They'd definitely be able to keep up with his wages anyway. So, it would be a good one. But that seems to be the only team we can actually get a result against at the minute. So, yeah.
00:19:16
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, and they need to be down to 10 men to do it.
00:19:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, true. too we'll We'll leave that. like But Cesc with his assist as well. um That was also mentioned in the paragraph earlier.
00:19:27
Kieran McGinley
i mean, assist is, I was going say, assist is a yeah a strong word.
00:19:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh sacrifice himself.
00:19:32
Kieran McGinley
It was certainly a a red card assist, if that's even a thing.
00:19:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:36
Kieran McGinley
Look, if if pre-assists exist in places like ice hockey, surely a red card assist is going to make its way through to the game at some point.
00:19:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, the hockey assist is going to be there for um for all of those that they're the XG lovers. I'm sure they'll love a hockey assist as well. So I'm sure there's plenty of people that can give us a few stats on that. Maybe you United it it can add that in into their brackets of appearances, hockey assists and assists. And we do need to score some goals to get some hockey assists, though.
00:20:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is... That is a tough one. That's a tough barrier to get over. But um I'm sure we'll survive. But, Ciarán, we've got more episodes this week. I mean, i'm just sound so excited.
00:20:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we've got preview for the Sunderland game. ah like I don't even want to talk about it. But we've got that coming up. We've then got Liverpool after. We might have a special episode as well, Ciarán.
00:20:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you want to give any any clues around that? Or it's in the pipeline.
00:20:30
Kieran McGinley
what i will say yeah we're we're cooking at the moment um yeah won't say too much right now but watch this space that's for sure
00:20:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're cooking.
00:20:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Well, Ciarán, we'll leave it there for this episode. Thank you very much for joining me. um I'm sure we'll be casting our vote for September player of the month. um And everyone's on tender hooks waiting for the, waiting for the answer on that. So we're looking forward to that. And yeah, we'll, ah we'll see you in the next one.
00:20:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you can check us out at the the social media channels that we have. Ciarán has some lot of great clips there over the last few days of his, uh, scathing response to the to the Brentford game Tom's in there as well nice raw reactions um so yeah if you have any opinions at all just keep them in the comments so we like we like the conversation in there it's going well and we're growing those channels so yeah you'll find us across GSPN on TikTok and Instagram and ah you can also watch us on YouTube as well um watch these ah these podcasts from from start to finish and see Kieran's beautiful face
00:21:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
smiling for this underlying game at the weekend. But anyway, Ciarán, any final words?
00:21:43
Kieran McGinley
um i To be honest, I saw Sunderland in the last game. They look all right, so I'm scared.
00:21:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Can't wait. Can't wait. Anyway, thank you very much for listening and we will see you in the next one.