Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hello and welcome into the latest edition of ESPN FC. Kay Murray, Alejandro Moreno and Stevie Nicol here in the studio. Lots to look forward to with the weekend ahead and we will start with the Manchester derby. It's Manchester United hosting Manchester City at Old Trafford on Saturday morning. City currently chasing leaders Arsenal at the top of the table.
Manchester United fighting to try and get into the top four. And now they have Michael Carrick back on the bench as interim manager. Let's welcome in Julien Neron and Nader Manoua to talk more about this. Before we say hello to them, though, we thought we'd bring you everybody's predictions.
Oh, yeah.
Chapter 2: What are the key matchups in the upcoming Manchester Derby?
I wonder if the guys are all agreeing on this one. It turns out they are, all except for Dan Thomas, who's gone for a 2-2 draw here.
Where is, I'm sorry, excuse me, where is Kay Murray?
I don't do predictions, Ali.
How come? Is that on your contract? I'm neutral.
What? No prediction from me. I stay clear from this one. I guess you're special, though. Nadim, I'll start with you then. No new manager bounce with Michael Carrick coming back for you.
Well, there could still be a new manager bounce, but I still think City are going to win this game. I think City's form has been, obviously they've drawn a couple of games, but I think it's 13 games unbeaten now.
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Chapter 3: How are Manchester United and City performing in the league?
And I think that win against Newcastle midweek was a good sign for them. Being able to rest a couple of the more senior players, we could have a big impact in this match tomorrow. But I'll be honest with you, as a Man City supporter, I hate derby days so much.
from having suffered through the 90s, spending three years not even having the derby game because City weren't in the Premier League, to now knowing that across these last 20 years or so, to a certain extent, it doesn't even matter whether City are higher up in the league than United because these derby games bring out at times the best in United.
But I think on this occasion, I'm leaning towards City and that new manager balance fully can start after this game.
What does Michael Carrick need to do with what he's got to try and get something here?
Well, I think he needs to follow the lead of recent managers and sit tight and don't give anything away. I mean, that's... That, I think, was what Nadam was worried about because all the victories and results that United have had against City have been backs against the wall and try and catch them on the counter, get your nose ahead and then hang on.
Unfortunately, this new manager bounce with Carrick, all the talk from Michael Carrick has been about playing football and being attractive and all of these things. And if he comes into this game
filling the heads of these United players with that thought about being positive, going forward, you know, making runs, you know, be brave, be courageous, all of those great things that sound good in the dressing room before the game, if they actually go about it that way, then I think they'll comfortably be beaten. And that's what I see.
It reminds me of Chelsea Arsenal during the week, where new manager, Rossignor, talking about playing football, and Chelsea went out and played their football, but unfortunately they left holes. And although it was 3-2, they were thoroughly beaten, and there should have been more.
So I can see a similar thing happening with this Man Utd team, going out, trying to play football, trying to kind of go toe-to-toe, but I think that's a bad idea.
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Chapter 4: What impact does Michael Carrick's return have on Manchester United?
It's a different manager, you're right. So they're left with Amorim, they come back as Carrick. It's a different system as well, which we haven't really spoken about. But we expect the back four. We expect Bruno Fernandes to play again in his favourite and best position as a number 10. I'm not sure where that leaves...
Kunia and Ahmad and Bomo and all of that because obviously they signed those players for Amorim in the system that he was playing at. Amorim spent a lot of time with Ahmad kind of transforming him into a very attacking wing back if you want. Now if you play in a more traditional let's say 4-2-3-1 It'd be very interesting to see who Carrick picks to be the two wide players.
We expect Cesco to be the number nine, but that means Cunha a little bit out of position, Mount could be out of position, and Bombo probably different to what he played at Brentford, but maybe on that right-hand side it's actually not too bad.
I guess you could put Diallo on the other side, but again, you got rid of Wingers because you were playing in the Amorim system and now you play in a different system where actually you could do with wide players. So it'd be very interesting in terms of team selection as well what Carrick does.
Yeah, let me fill Nadim with a little bit more anxiety ahead of the Manchester derby, seeing as though we know that that's the route he's taking at the moment. We know that recent meetings between the two haven't fared so badly for Manchester United.
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Chapter 5: What are the predictions for the Manchester Derby?
We know with Erling Haaland, his scoring's been a bit of a concern in just the recent games. Talk about him not scoring from open play since before Christmas. Are these the concerns that you have, Nadim?
No, not really. I think Erling Haaland not scoring for a few games, that at some point will deal with itself. We'll probably get to the end of the season and see you score 30 goals in the Premier League again. I don't doubt that at all. I think some of those draws in recent times, they have been disappointing.
I think for me, there have been some of those moments in those games where they've not really taken their chances and as a consequence, they've been punished because if your game's out of sight, then the other team will always have belief that they can do something. But I don't think... this derby game itself is going to be similar to those matches of football.
And I think Haaland himself, if we're going to talk about his goal scoring, he's got a pretty good goal scoring record against United, seeing him scoring at Hat-tricks, for example, I think in his first ever one. So I don't doubt that City can win it. But again, it's like...
The new manager balance, I don't necessarily always believe in that, but for Michael Carrick, what a way it could potentially be to get things going for the five months he's going to be in charge. First game against Manchester City, it's going to be at Old Trafford, 70,000 people screaming for this victory, because I think even to look at the table, This is how much things have changed.
Last time there was a derby, United were two points ahead of City and now you fast forward to this point and they're 11 points behind. They've had a very, very tough spell in that time, but this could be a great way for them to get towards that final end of the season because we know there's no FA Cup, no Carabao Cup, no European football, so these fixtures are right here.
He's a worried man, isn't he? He's a worried man. Yes, he is. But may I admit something here? A few weeks ago, before the Semenyo transaction, if you will, where he ends up at Manchester City, we had a conversation about Manchester United and Manchester City as to where he should go.
And I was sitting here and said, well, he's probably not going to play as a centre-forward at Manchester City, so maybe he should go to Manchester United.
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Chapter 6: How did Real Madrid fare in their recent matches?
And Stevie, you said, and at that point, were very clear that if it were you, you would go to Manchester City. I was kind of like, I don't know. I don't know, you know, with that sort of tone, dismissive as I was. Well, I was wrong. You were right. I was wrong. Let me tell you something. Simeone is changing the face of this team. And it's maybe early days.
Look, it may be just perhaps me getting excited. But what I've seen from him is a player that can do both the work on the left side and the right side. And whatever he does on the left side or the right side does it better than the other alternatives. He gives this team a true threat on the flank.
So if you take Doku on one side and Simeone on the other side and Simeone on the left and whoever's playing on the right, it's an actual threat on both sides. Winger type players that can beat defenders from 1v1 situations that don't necessarily have to cut the ball back so that they can recreate and recycle possession of the ball. That, I think, benefits Erling Haaland.
So I go back to the conversation about Erling Haaland. If you have guys that are not predictable in the attack because they're willing and capable of taking players in 1v1 situations, it makes his job easier because he can now find the space inside the 18-yard box knowing that somebody is about to get to the end line and cross the ball and put it into a dangerous area.
Simeone has provided that for this team. Stevie, you were right.
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Chapter 7: What challenges do Real Madrid face going forward?
Thank you.
So obviously that's going to make Nadine feel a little bit better. I'm about to make him feel a bit worse in a minute.
Go ahead, Stevie. You were talking about the new manager bounce. But when somebody like Semenyo comes in, you get the new player bounce and the side that they join. Because everybody's... trying to show him as well what they're all about. And he comes in like a breath of fresh air. He's still scoring goals. He's got assists. And so that gives, it's just like a new player bounce.
And so it's given City just a lift. And the fact that Gay's going to be coming in as well. I mean, Manchester City are pretty much on a high right now.
Yeah, let's get to Mark Gahee if we can with you, Jules. Where are we with that?
Yeah, we're finalising the deal. Now, he won't play this weekend with Crystal Palace. He won't play again the derby, obviously, tomorrow. But he could well be involved in the next game.
We said, I think, since all the injuries, the Guardiola and the Ruben Dias injury, that they were going to go and sign a centre-back, one, maybe even two defenders, maybe one centre-back and one a bit more versatile that can play in the full-back position, maybe a centre-back position. Well, the first one We've been marking here around the Ā£20 million mark.
There's still a few bonuses, I think, to still sort out between the two clubs, which, as we said, on the face of it, you say this is a bargain for a player like him. Considering he only has six months left on his current contract, you still pay for somebody who you could get for free in six-month time. But, hey, you need him now. Palace needs the money. So it makes sense.
I think it makes sense from a Manchester City point of view. From a Gueye point of view, it makes sense. Yeah, of course, he's going to play now. Ruben Diaz is going to come probably in a month or so. Guardiola not before next season. So you think him and John Stones, we don't know. Nobody knows, really.
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Chapter 8: What to expect from the Africa Cup of Nations final?
As I've been watching him play throughout the season, it's fair to say that he is a good player. You could argue a very good player. But for the way that Arsenal play, at times, it doesn't seem like he suits them. There are so many games where, at times, he almost feels anonymous. And it's good that, in some ways, yes, he can battle it out with the defenders and so on.
But when he comes up against a bunch of defenders who've got the same sort of physicality as him... then it all of a sudden doesn't look the same, doesn't seem of a benefit to Arsenal, and maybe there's a certain amount of control that they lose in a game because, say, he's involved in that manner. And yes, he's a great finisher, and Jules makes a good point.
You know, if the service is first time, then great, you'll probably score more goals, but maybe that's not the strength or the tendency of those Arsenal players. So I try and think to myself sometimes, like, he's a good player for them to have,
But I don't think if they win the league this season because they signed this number nine, which so many people have been talking about for the last, say, couple of years. Because I think for me, the way that Arsenal are, their strength comes in the collective, not necessarily 10 people potentially trying to feed one. So yeah, I see his benefit. I see how good he is.
But even to sum up that goal the other day, there's good fortune that leads to it. And in some ways, it felt weird seeing all the Arsenal players around him say, oh, look, well done, Victor. Well done. Everybody celebrate Victor. He's finally scored. That doesn't really seem like the type of energy you'd have around a striker who's potentially going to propel you towards the league title.
Would you like to state your case from the forwards union here?
Well, I mean, it's in the same neighborhood of sometimes what we see from Manchester City and Erling Haaland, that it seems like he's just a passenger in the game when Manchester City has decided, as they do many a times and for long periods of time during a match, which is just passing around the box, just passing, passing, passing, passing, passing, passing, and they don't take advantage of what they have
front of them which is in the case of Erling Haaland a world-class striker now I don't think joke it is is at that level but if indeed you're gonna take advantage of a number nine he needs and this is not a mystery he needs service he needs service and if you're a striker you live and breathe and die on service And I equate it as a source of life.
If you're a striker and you're getting service, you're more likely to make the next run and to make the next run after that because you know in your heart, in your soul, you believe that that ball is coming. When that ball doesn't come and you've made one run, and you made a second run, and you made a third run, when there's the fourth run, you're like, well, I don't know. I don't know.
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