Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Hello and welcome into the latest edition of ESPN FC. Kay Murray and Craig Burley here in the studio kicking things off with the Premier League action that we saw today between Everton and Manchester United. Just the one goal in it and it was Benjamin Shesco once again a super sub off the bench. His strike sealing the deal and giving Manchester United all three points in this game.
They sit fourth in the table. Speaking of three points, they are three points ahead of both Chelsea and Liverpool in fifth and sixth respectively. And it continues the good run since Michael Carrick took over. Back to winning ways as well after that draw last time out against West Ham. Mario Melchior and Don Hutchison are joining us now. Let me kick things off with you though, Craig.
What does this result tell us?
Shall I go down the road of what some of our lot are saying about the Premier League and how strong it is? Man United, this Man United team are in fourth place. They're in fourth. They've had a great run. That's how strong this Premier League is. An average performance, but a great result. You know, West Ham apart, where they dropped some points. It could have been, I think, five from five.
I can't remember exactly. But it's been a really good start. We saw a little clip of Jason Wilcox and I think Omar Barada behind the scenes clapping at the end of the game from the main stand at Everton because... Really, this has released some pressure for now on the board. The board that sacked Ruben Amorim and were sort of staggering around with nowhere to go.
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Chapter 2: What was the significance of Seško's goal in the Man United vs Everton match?
Going to hire Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. That was stupid. Maybe going to give Michael Carrick the job. Nobody really else out there. Go with Carrick. And then they sit back and go, we don't know what's going to happen. And it has been... In terms of results and performances early on, it's been very good. But in terms of results, it's been brilliant.
They are very much now in the fight for the Champions League places. If I was Liverpool, I would be worried. If I was Chelsea, I'd be concerned. If I was Man United, I would be buoyant about my chances, particularly from where they were early in the season. So, yeah, this was... It wasn't... Listen, it was a game you would turn this game off in a flash.
If you've DVR'd this game, get home and delete it. That's how bad it was. But that's what Everton can do to you. They're a team that are not attractive. They'll fight and scrap. They'll try and defend. They don't create a lot. And they try and make the game scrappy. And they did all that. And I think United found that a little bit tough.
But Michael Carrick will be delighted with the result more so than I would say the performance.
When you look at this run of results, Mario, and you see that they're in fourth right now, would you bet against them keeping that top four spot come the end of the season?
No, no, I wouldn't. I think also because, you know, we played the game also. We know how it works. When a new man comes in, everybody gets some new energy.
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Chapter 3: How has Michael Carrick impacted Manchester United's performance?
And I think that is one of the key parts. And also, of course, I think Eric already changed the system and everything is going better for the club. And what Craig said, he's right. You know, like you're watching a team now. They're in the up. But they've still got to fix it because, you know, they had a massive crack. He comes in, he glues the crack a little bit, but the crack is not fixed yet.
So they have to make a decision in what they're going to do in the future because eventually you have a team that's building. Let's say the team gets to the Champions League. You also have to remember that this is a club that always attracts people and attracts players and individuals who want to go there.
And they have to make sure that they either back on that track and making sure that they become that giant club that it's always been in England. And I think not making it to the Champions League, that would be a big loss. So that's why I think they will make it.
The results though, they definitely are back on track right now, Don.
OK, five wins in six, unbeaten in six. I think what you've took from tonight is not a lot, apart from Cesco scoring again. I thought the goal they scored was a brilliant goal. I thought he ran off the back of Tarkovsky. Tarkovsky was running in treacle and couldn't catch him. Well, that's the form since Michael Carrick's been in the job, and you have to say he's the frontrunner.
I mean, I wouldn't be in a rush to give him the job after what's happened to previous managers when they've been in this position, but You know, he's turned the players around. He's made it simple for them. He's put them in their best positions in terms of Luke Shaw and Bruno Fernandes. Crystal Palace up next at home. So you'd fancy they'd win that.
Chelsea, as Craig said, will be a bit concerned. They've got Arsenal and Villa. So there's tough games ahead. Liverpool have got a little bit of a clear run in the next couple. I think they play West Ham next, then Wolves, then Tottenham at home.
So the fixtures, when you try and navigate who's going to be where in a few weeks' time, you feel as though United and Chelsea have got hard fixtures because, as I said, they've got difficult games down the road. But it's how do you rely on Liverpool after what we saw at the weekend? So you look at Man United, if you're trying to... pinpoint who's going to get that fourth.
I think it'll be Man United, and then I think it's a 50-50 shootout between Chelsea and Liverpool.
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Chapter 4: What controversial incident occurred during the Arsenal vs Spurs match?
Cesco's been coming on, making an impact. So he's made an impact not only with his team selection, but his substitutions. And that's one of the key to management. It's not just picking a team. Anybody can pick a team, right? Anybody can pick a team.
One manager said to me before, he says, Craig, the most difficult thing about being a manager and a coach is making in-game decisions to affect the game. Because maybe the opposition are doing something different or maybe they're doing something particularly well. And then you can't just sit there and say, well, I picked a 4-3-3 and that's it. Or I picked a 3-5-2 and that's it.
You have to then meet these little subtle in-game changes to affect that game, to make the difference. And I think, to be fair to Michael Carrick, He has done that. He's made those changes in games that have been a little flat that have made the difference. And if I was Man United at the moment, I'd feel really good about this top four.
You're right, Don, to talk about the fixtures Liverpool have, but I think the bigger story is actually Liverpool themselves. I don't think there's an easy fixture in the Premier League at the moment for this Liverpool side. And I think the first 45 minutes at the city ground against Nottingham Forest encapsulated that.
And who's to say that's just not going to recur again and again and again for Liverpool? At the moment, I would be really fearing of this Liverpool side's ability to get in the top four. And Andy Slott was asked about it a couple of weeks ago. He says, would it be, what was the word that they used? Would it be acceptable? And he said no. He said, no, it would not be acceptable.
And so if it's not acceptable to him, it might not be acceptable to the Liverpool bold. So it's going to be a big end to the season for Liverpool. Trust me.
Absolutely. When you talk about that in-game management, you mentioned Cesco once again. And Mario, we saw once again him scoring, proving to be a super sub. Is he saying to Michael Carrick, can I start now, please, boss?
I mean, look, as a player, I think you should never be happy to be on the bench. And I think he's one of that. But we also have to remember how he started, right? He came in and we expected a lot. Then it's gone cold for him and it was kind of difficult for him. You could see that he had to adapt. And now I feel like when I watch him, especially after today's game, I saw his confidence.
You understand? You see that the confidence is coming. And we all know when strikers score, they become different humans. When they don't score, oh my God, you don't want them around you. Because they are so moody. So for him now, I could see the spark of confidence. And also the players around him, they want to put him in. You know, Mbwemo is like one of the key guys in their team.
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Chapter 5: Is Eberechi Eze the solution to Arsenal's attacking issues?
They like the fact that he will stretch teams when, all right, couldn't really do it tonight because there wasn't a lot of space. But generally, and United are not frightened to go long to Brian Mbemmo, even if it's from Lamans, the goalkeeper. If teams are pressing United, I've seen them do it at Old Trafford. When teams press them, they're not frightened to go back to Lamans and he launches it.
He launches it and tries to launch it in the channels and Mbemmo will run in there. And he's key to United doing that. So I don't really see that changing anytime soon. But in terms of Cesco coming off the bench and making an impact, it's the perfect scenario really for the United manager.
So talking about the United manager, Don, what do Manchester United do? Do they wait to the end of the season to make a decision on whether it should be Michael Carrick to stick around?
Yeah, I think they will. But I think even Michael summed it up himself. He got asked the question about 10 days ago and he said, no, he said the club should wait. He's a very honest guy, Michael. And just going off the back of the Cesco conversation there, he'll be wanting Cesco to bang down his door. You put it quite nicely and quite politely there when you said, please, can you play me boss?
But when players knock on a door, it's not exactly how they phrase it. And after he scored the goals that he scored... He should be knocking on the manager's door, asking to start. And Michael would appreciate that and Michael would welcome that. He said himself in terms of the job, he said, the board should wait. So Jim Radcliffe and Ineos should wait.
They have to wait till the end of the season. They're not daft. They've made some daft decisions in the past, in the recent past, but they're not going to be forced into looking at a manager's six or seven games and thinking, right, he's the man for the job. If he keeps on winning and they say undefeated and he gets him in the Champions League, I honestly think he'd be favourite for it.
I think, you know, Shaka made a point, a very good point, actually, you know, albeit he's laying on a sun lounger in Trinidad as we speak.
Conveniently.
Conveniently. He's not bothered to come back. Oh, there's a lot of snow. Is he back? No, he's not back.
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Chapter 6: What challenges does Arsenal face in the Premier League title race?
We've discussed this on the show. I think Mark Ogden in particular has written a piece or two on the FC website about the balancing act of waiting to see how this goes. And then missing out on potential other managers because, let's be honest, they're not the only club going to be looking for a manager. Chelsea may be looking, who knows what's going to happen with Rosinha.
Tottenham will be looking. Okay, they haven't got the pull of Man United, but they will be looking. Maybe Man City will be looking in the summer for a manager. If Guardiola, if it falls apart and he says, oh, Arsenal are too strong, I've had enough of this, I've got this 115 charges, all this, I'm packing it in. That's just three or four clubs in England alone.
Never mind before you get to Spain, Italy, Germany and the rest. So there is a danger in playing the waiting game. And I wouldn't want to be, guys, I wouldn't want to be this United board who have made... And listen, this board are not culpable for all the mistakes that have been made, but they've certainly made some. Amarim and the Ten Hag new contract was a disaster.
And they're in a position now, Mario, I suppose, where the next decision is probably the biggest decision they're going to have since they arrived at this club and put that money in.
Yeah, but Craig, if we look at them now, right, don't we expect a team like that to have a prep? They give us the feeling that they're not even prepped to let this situation happen to them. Normally, we were talking about Man United. Man United, how can, I'll give an example, a Bradford and a Brighton, they always have a list of five, six managers that they can pull something from.
And Man United, I have a feeling. I know there is timing. I know timing is important because sometimes the one that you want is not available. But still, you have to have your list and say, like, these are more potential guys that I'm going to go after. And if this one comes up in the situation, I might have to adjust it.
And they don't give me the feeling at the moment that they know exactly what they are planning. It feels more like, OK, Carrick comes and takes the job. Does a great job for them. And now we are talking about, OK, are you going to let him go? Are you going to keep him? OK, we know what happened to Soska. OK, then they end up giving him the job.
But now also as a coach, I don't know how Carrick, he might comes out nicely like how Don said. But would you want to wait that long? Now, after a while, I also want to know what's happening because sometimes managers show them the smile, but it's not always what they think. So I don't know, what is it, 11 or 12 more games? I'm sure he wants to know what the future is going to be like.
But it's not just the recruitment on the manager's side, Mario. If you think about it, it's the recruitment on the player's side as well.
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Chapter 7: How do recent performances affect the future of Michael Carrick at Man United?
There has to be a balance between signing good quality, expensive players and going out and finding hidden gems and then bringing them into the team and you sit back and go, wow, what a signing that is. Other clubs seem to do that better, not just in United, than some of the big clubs or the clubs with more money who seem more fixated
to me and just being able to go out and spend that money rather than finding these players. I think some of the other Premier League clubs, and I throw Bournemouth into that ring as well, who have just sold three or four top quality players. Why are the real big heads in the Premier League, why are they not finding these players?
Why are they waiting for the smaller clubs to get these players and then they go in and they spend a fortune to bring them to their club? If that was me, I'd be saying... It's because they got the money, Greg.
Yeah, but where's the... They got the money, that's why they're doing it. It's not smart.
But where's their scouting system, though, to go and find these players in the first place? Why are they leaving these players? It's a bit like Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool. People say, well, there was a great bit of business from Liverpool. What are you talking about? Celtic signed him from Groningen, as you well know, for a pittance.
Southampton signed Van Dijk from Celtic because all the clubs in England were saying, oh, he can't play in England because the Scottish league's terrible. And then Liverpool pay, I think it was a world record fee. So I think the bigger clubs, and I include Man United in this, their recruitment of low-cost, unheard-of players has to be better.
Yes.
Absolutely.
There'll be more talk about Manchester United.
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