Chapter 1: What does Sheffield United's victory over Arsenal mean for the club?
What an emotional night for Sheffield United. What a time to be a Sheffield United fan. How about if you're a Sheffield United fan that then became the Sheffield United manager and has just overseen that tonight? Here's Chris Wilder waiting to speak to us. Congratulations, Chris. Can you put into words how proud you are of your team tonight?
Yeah, the old football club, you know, to host a game like this, the magnitude of it, and to play well and get a win. Yeah, we were under enormous pressure second half, but I think we limited them to few chances. And, you know, we backed up a good performance with a good result, and we didn't four or five weeks ago against the European champions.
And we wanted to make sure if we played well against the top sides, we have to get something from the game, and three points is a great reward for the players.
Was this then the game plan working to perfection tonight, Chris?
We can't open up. I think it's absolutely crazy that people think that we can just open up against Arsenal. You saw two or three times first half how quickly they counted and what ability some of their players have got where they've skipped round our challenges as if they were not even there. So we had to make sure we had got the balance of in and out of possession and I think we did that.
Obviously, getting ahead...
gave us something to hang on to and we defended manfully and as I said Dean's made a couple of saves really but we've had a couple of chances as well so you know maybe you know it's just tipped from the Liverpool performance and the game where we maybe should have got something and the other way tonight where we deserve to get something Chris you've said about not opening up but how pleased were you at the actual football that you played especially first half and I said a half time it wasn't just a battle and performance you'd have footballed Arsenal
I think that if people had watched us in the Championship last year and we tried to play our own way, we wanted to stick to our identity this year, we knew we had to tinker. and alter the approach in certain areas and key areas, and especially in the middle of the park.
We played two midfield players last year, we knew we couldn't do that this year, but I think we've got the balance right and we've not been as clinical as we should have been with the chances that we've created. We try to play when we can and we just... We try to win a game of football, whatever means. If it has to go long, it has to go long.
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Chapter 2: How did Chris Wilder's game plan lead to success against Arsenal?
Seriously, every game we're going to try and get something from and see where that takes us. It's quite boring from me being a Yorkshire guy with a tracksuit on, but that's where it's at. We're going to every game to see if we can pick something from and then accumulation of points. If it's good enough to keep us in the division, that's fantastic.
we have to make it difficult for teams to come in, we feel we have done in all the teams that we've played, Leicester, Southampton, Palace, Liverpool, and tonight, and that's the question of those teams that come to Bramall Lane, if you're going to win, you're going to have to play really well tonight, and we're up for the battle, it's early days, we're delighted with the points total that we've got, but yet again, we look at the next few fixtures, West Ham away, Burnley at home, who are doing fantastically well, and then we're away at Spurs, so it's
Brilliant fixture list, but we don't just want to make the numbers up and be there for people just to easily pick our pockets, and I don't think we have done all season.
They certainly haven't. It's been great to watch tonight, Chris. Thank you very much. I think you've earned yourself a greasy chip, buddy. Cheers, yeah. Cheers, Dave. Thank you. Enjoy it. Well, what about that as an achievement?
And he's doing an extraordinary job, taking them from League One, 100 points, up into the Championship, one season of consolidation, and then up into the Premier League, and then performing when they're here, Jamie, as well. Put that into context.
Well, he was spoken about a lot and the job that he'd done. You know, you talk about English managers, he goes lower down the pyramid, if you like, because we weren't getting too many managers in the Premier League and the only way of normally getting them in the Premier League is you had to bring a team up.
And what I like about him, and I watch Sheffield United players, and I think it's something that's frustrated me for the last few years, I've always felt like some teams have almost shown a white flag against the real top teams or the top six. I mean, I think the record last year and the year before was horrendous in terms of actually could anyone beat the top six.
That's completely gone on its head this season. But the way he's taken the game to the opposition, it's not just tonight. They didn't deserve to lose against Liverpool. They went to Chelsea, I think they were going to beat 2-0 and come back 2-2. To Goodison and got a win. Now, they've lost the other three on the bounce at home before they come here.
But they're going to play a certain way that's going to get the crowd on the edge of the seat at home. They're going to go after the team's be aggressive they lose games but I can see them making that place with a result like that against Arsenal and against Liverpool where People don't want to go to Sheffield United, and it almost gets in people's heads.
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Chapter 3: What tactical adjustments did Sheffield United make this season?
It's not like Jamie said, like he's playing against Stoke and Longball. No, I enjoy. I enjoy seeing them playing today. So that's why they deserve that win. And before the game, I was worried for Arsenal, and they just confirmed that. But Sheffield deserve to win completely.
They also have the armoury of the set-piece, which worked for them tonight, Jamie.
Yes, and listen, I think for Sheffield United, the system that they play probably helps with set-piece. When you get three centre-backs in your team, three six-foot plus, you've got the extra big lad, if you like, midfield player, and Lundström's a good size as well, so they've got big players in there. It's just getting around the fact of how Arsenal actually set up.
Listen, they lose a header at the back post, and Moussa is there. I mean, listen, there's not that much. They just lose a header, really, and what happens is... It's just Callum Chambers, I think, there. I mean, it was a bit like what we spoke about with Rojo at the start of the game.
Once you get that body position where you can't see the man, and the big point is... Sorry, I've got the wrong one here. Is that one there? What do you do as a goalkeeper if you have another player there? Listen, it's a decision to make. But you just get caught at the back post. O'Connell gets the header and Moussa is there. We said bringing him in. As I said, could he get the goal?
Could he make that difference really? And he does that off the set piece, Patrice.
I know maybe it's a decision of the goalkeeper, but I'm still not happy with the unmarked player inside the box. It's impossible. Because even the second ball, he will still be unmarked. And that's why he scored that goal. So I don't understand. You need someone to protect the goalkeeper. Maybe you say you play with a few goalkeepers, like Reina, and he didn't like to have two players around him.
But for me, if I am a manager, I will definitely put someone to mark a player. I can't leave an unmarked player in the box, especially on the corner kick.
I think a lot of Arsenal fans were expecting big changes in the defence tonight. They've got Rob Holding back, who certainly impressed a lot of people when he has featured. Kieran Tierney, they haven't seen yet in the Premier League. Big signing from Celtic. Bellerin's working his way back, not involved tonight. Is it a matter of time?
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Chapter 4: How did Sheffield United manage to limit Arsenal's chances?
And it was poor as well under Arsene Wenger, but it just hasn't got any better, Jamie. It's the worst of the big six sides. Even Crystal Palace have got a better away record than Arsenal have since Unai Emery took over. What's most startling on there for you? Is it the clean sheets? It's unbelievable.
Two clean sheets, Arsenal. I mean... It's hard to do that. You know, sometimes you play an away game and you have a really bad game and you're lucky, your keeper makes a save, they miss loads of chances, you just come out and you can't believe you've got away with a nil-nil or a one-nil. That should happen two or three times in 24, even if you're awful.
You'd expect a couple of times you'd put in a good, solid defensive performance. It's hard to do that. Two clean sheets, I can assure you, in 24. I'm telling you, we've played in games where you come away, you can't believe you've kept a clean sheet. And I've said it before, I don't see anything different than when Arsene Wenger was there at the end. I don't see it.
In fact, actually at times it looks worse. I actually said Sheffield United tonight in the first half, played better football than Arsenal. You'd never really say that under Arsene Wenger. And I just, I don't, it's still early in the second season. I always think a manager in his first season is getting to know the league, his players, you've got to make changes.
And it's still early in his second season. But I think we're just getting to that stage now in the next month, six weeks, when we get towards Christmas, where you start actually thinking, Is Unai Emery actually the man to go into his third season? I think it's very like that, I think with Arsenal supporters and maybe the top of the club.
I'm not talking about getting rid of the manager, I'm not on the back of this, but I don't... It's not even where they are in the league, because I don't expect them to... Signs of progress, isn't it? Yeah, I expect them to be where they are in the league, but maybe I was waiting for something different. I just don't like seeing the same stuff.
Even if they were negative and defensive, and it wasn't the same as Wenger, but they were aggressive, they were tough to beat, but they lacked goals, or they lacked a bit of class, or something like that. I just hate seeing the same thing. And I think when a manager's brought in,
whether we like it or not, a lot of the time is you're brought in because the manager before is not getting X, Y or Z, right? That's the things we're bringing in for to fix that. Getting rolled over in big games every time they play a big game. They're away record, two clean sheets in 24, eight wins in 24. It's like, what's changed? Nothing has changed.
He didn't look a happy man, did he? Watching on the sideline tonight, we can hear from him now. Unai Emery with Greg Whelan.
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Chapter 5: What factors contribute to Arsenal's struggles this season?
They give us the key moment. One is, that's goal, OK? And the second is another corner for us. It's very clear, the penalty. with Socrates. It's very clear.
There was another incident in the first half also when Bukayo Saka was booked in the penalty area. What did you think perhaps should have been the decision there?
For me, I might see an action individual where he drives, he gets the ball dribbling and then I don't know if it's a penalty or not. Okay, no penalty. Perfect. I think the yellow card is very hard for that action but... I accepted that. But really, really, when we are working with BER, the penalty against Socrates, this is for review.
In my point of view, this is the action to review because it's clear. It's clear. He earned the time to headache and it's penalty clear. But we need to accept and also continue.
You say you need to accept. Do Sheffield United deserve credit for the way they faced up to you today, for the way they played?
I think we didn't deserve to lose. And then we can improve. We can speak about things to improve. First is don't consider that meters on the pitch for credit that corners offensively. And then I think the second half when we were losing 1-0, we tried it, we controlled better. We didn't consider it a lot of transition for them. I think we defended well.
And in the attacking moment, they were with a lot of people, a lot of players in their box and it was also difficult to... to achieve an attack in a small space, but we created three or four chances and really I think we had those chances for scoring.
We were speaking in the dressing room, the most important thing was to score one goal and if we score one goal then we can control better and we can also take a more strong moment ourselves in our confidence to go against them.
Finally, Unai, you talked going into this game about hoping to achieve something maybe important this season. Are you concerned, are you worried that your away form, your form away from the Emirates, is still an issue for you?
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Chapter 6: What insights does Patrice Evra provide about his ultimate XI?
They're not going to give a penalty for something?
Yeah, well, it's a clear and obvious thing now. It's getting repetitive, isn't it? Each week, every team are involved. It's not just affecting one team. Everyone seems to be involved because there's so many decisions and there's a few we're going to look at later on now. But when the referee doesn't give that...
No part of me at this moment in any game I'm watching thinks any decision is going to get changed.
We'll talk more about it in just a couple of minutes' time. We're going to take a break, and when we come back, we'll be hearing from Patrice Ever on his ultimate team and those he left out. That's always the tricky bit, Patrice, particularly when you play with so many great players. Who's made the XI? We'll find out in a moment.
Yes, you can feel my passion
What a player and what a career Patrice ever had, actually started out in Italy. And then it was in Monaco where he really made his name as a Champions League runner-up. The switch to Manchester United, five Premier League titles, the Champions League. Then on to Juventus, two more titles, a Champions League runner-up. And 81 caps for his country playing at five major tournaments.
Five major tournaments, five Champions League finals, 15 major trophies in all. It's time, Patrice, for you to pick your ultimate eleven and Patrice was just telling me, panicking in the break, I've forgotten Thierry. No, definitely. But we set you with this challenge and we know it's a difficult challenge, so we said the club players you played with.
So you played with Thierry in the national team. In the national team, so he doesn't. All right, so that's only fair that he misses out on this. Let's start with your goalkeeper because, again, you've played with some top keepers in your time. Who's your pick?
Van der Sar. He was a difficult... not a difficult pick because I'm also really impressed with Buffon. But Edwin van der Sar, I think he's the only goalkeeper in the world, when he makes a save, he doesn't shout on his defender. I never understood why the goalkeeper, when they make a save and they shout on the defender, because they are paid for that. paying for stopping, like, goals.
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Chapter 7: How does Patrice Evra compare players from different eras?
Because he's my team. What was your best era? We talked about all those incredible honours that you've won.
It's really, like, my best actually was Romario. Because I start as a striker and now as a left-back. And, yeah, Romario. But I never had, like, any role model. I always like trying to push myself, you know, far as I can. And I wanted to be the best in my position. every day, but I didn't know I should put another player in. I think it was my team, so I should put myself as well in.
Of course you have to play. In front of you, you need a good player as well. Again, quality options. Was this an easy selection, Ryan Giggs?
Yeah, Giggs. I think when I joined United, a lot of people asked me, who is the player who impressed you the most? And people were always expecting me to say Rune or Cristiano Ronaldo. But I think Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholl, they are just amazing. They were a model. I will tell you a story about that. I was in the massage table. That's why I say you always need character.
You always need a leader in your team, no matter if they are old. So I received a knock and the doctor said, Patrice, you won't train today and you won't be part of the session because we have a game on Saturday. So he's a little bit risky. So I was having a massage. And I saw Gixy. He had a problem with his back doing a stretch. And he went out to go to the pitch.
Scolzi was having a knock on his knee, limping. He wears his boots. He went outside. Garry, as well, was like injury. And they trained. And in one point, I was on the massage table. And I was like, Patrice, stop being a diva. You see these three dinosaurs going outside and training. and you will stay there. So I stand up, I put my boots on. I remember the physio said, Patrice, you can't.
I said, no, I will train. I train with the pain and I play the game on Saturday. So that's why for me, they were like a massive example.
And then you were out for six months. No.
Your central midfield, Pirlo and Scholes. Yeah. Scholes is the one, like, Alex Ferguson never gave him the hairdryer. He's the only one player he never... But actually, He was just amazing. In the box, he never lost the ball. He was dictating the tempo of the game. I lost Scorsese and he was aggressive in training. He was like a flying tackle.
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