Michael Carrick's at the Wheel

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0:35Hello there everyone and welcome to the latest edition of ESPN FC. I'm Alexis Dunez alongside Stevie Nicholl and Craig Burley. There's only one place to start right now and that is the Premier League because it was Arsenal, the league leaders hosting Manchester United and believe it or not it's the Red Devils that walk away from the Emirates with all three points. Things went Arsenal's way after an own goal from Lissandro Martinez put them in the lead in the 29th minute. But then goals from Brian Mboma and Patrick Dorgu gave Michael Carrick's men the lead. Mikel Marino equalized in the 84th minute for the Gunners.

1:07But a stunning goal from Mateos Cunha, who came off the bench, saw Manchester United get the 3-2 win. Let's have a look at the top half of the Premier League standings. Now, despite the loss, Arsenal still very much in front, but only by four points. Manchester City and Aston Villa level on 46 points. And look at that, Man United sneaking in to the top four. Let's welcome in Frank LaBeouf, who made sure he was on time for this one. But Craig, let me start with you, because I don't think anybody really expected this result from United. Well, he certainly expected a little bit more hope for United off the back of the City game and the change of stewardship in terms of Ruben Amarim and all the negative speak around the club and the players and the team.

1:51it has sort of gone and it's been, you know, new managers, some new ideas, fresh voice. So that gave him a little bit of hope. But I think most people, myself included, still thought that Arsenal would be too strong. And that's how it should have been because Arsenal dominated the game. But we were walking to the studio, Steve and I said, I don't know about you, but I'm just a bit bored watching this Arsenal side. Saka and set pieces. Yeah. I know that's not their only facets, but it's a big one. Saka and set pieces. And when you can nullify Saka, and if you do nullify the set pieces, which teams are just, it's driving me bonkers.

2:28Stevie mentioned it. 16 players, 14, 15 players in the six yard box. What's Laman supposed to do? He's got nowhere to go. But we see this every game. I mean, it's bonkers. All these coaches, you've got the manager, you've got the first team coach, you've got the assistant, you've got the set piece coach, you've got the throw in coach, you've got a coach for this. And yet nobody's coming up with anything that can stop Arsenal scoring from these set pieces. But we've always said it, leave three up. Make them think. Thin out that six-yard box where a goalkeeper has more room to come and operate. So at that point, we thought Arsenal were going to go on and win it.

3:05But you've got to give United a lot of credit. And Matthias Kuhner has made a big difference coming off the bench in the last two games. I mean, that's a hell of a player to be able to bring on. Give United a lot of credit. That's not something Stevie Nichol likes to do. Stevie, I know you're rooting for Arsenal in this one very vigorously in front of the TV, but you're going to give United some credit? What about that? He's on fire. Stevie, you hate United. He was very vocal while we were watching the game. Next time we're watching the game with this one.

3:42Listen, the question I had coming into this game was can United perform twice in a row? something they haven't done for I don't know how many years but I tell you what for 30 minutes I thought the answer to that was absolutely not but as soon as Mbwemo gets that goal I'm sorry you couldn't tell who was top of the league and who wasn't you just couldn't and again I was thinking about will this Man United side be able to take a punch in the nose from Arsenal and they did, they went behind and what happened? Again, they stepped forward. And actually, Arsenal, for all the favourites they were, and for all they dominated the first 30-odd minutes, they were the ones that didn't know what to do.

4:28They were the ones that didn't recover. And Manchester United, apart from the little spell where the equaliser came for Arsenal, Manchester United were comfortable. Couldn't see what... The only way they were going to score was a set-piece, and that's exactly what happened. But the way they, again, they got punched in the nose, United, okay, are they going to hold on? Well, they didn't hold on. They went forward and Cunha wins the game for them. So, listen, at the end of the day, Man United deserve this win and who would have thunk it? Oh, man. Can I record you saying that? Just so I can pay a ton of repeat for me.

5:04It's not happening again. I don't want to hear the usual from the Arsenal fans, because Arsenal fans are getting particularly bad about PGMOL. I'm glad that came out right. About the referees, conspiracy say, never got this decision. Should have had a penalty at Nottingham Forest the other week with the ball and eye on his arm. All that. Should have had this. The ball hit Dorgu in the arm. It might have grazed his shirt. I don't want to hear these complaints from Arsenal fans about the referee's this, the referee's that. This is on them. The side-to-side stuff, the lack of getting Xocharez into good positions.

5:40He gets dropped, Jesus comes in. Eze in and out the side, not performing, and look short of conference, needing a different facet of Saka's getting, you know, if Saka's getting doubled up on, we need to go. So I don't, you know, and I feel that Arsenal fans, a lot of them will be like, some of them, if they're honest, they'll be, yeah, we're not doing enough. But quite a big bulk of them these days will be like, well, it's the referees. No, that's not why they lost today. It's not why they drew it for us. It's not why they drew against Liverpool at home. That is on them. And at the moment, they've got a big enough gap to get away with it.

6:13But maybe if this continues, depending on what happens with City and Villa maybe if this continues they won't have that gap so it's going to be a big three or four weeks for them Frank what did you think of the game and what the guys are saying about it? I agree with the guys and it's been said a lot about Arsenal and the Gunners but lately I'm sorry they've been far from being impressive and if they won games the way they were playing didn't please me but I want to talk about Manchester United what I saw and I will congratulate Michael Carrick because against City and today against the Gunners, I mean, they showed that Manchester United could be back.

6:52Of course, you don't want to make a very fast conclusion about what's going to happen to Manchester United, but the way they play, the spirit they put in the game, the intensity they put in the game, reminds me of the good time of the Manchester United from the 90s. OK, we are far away from there, but they showed what they were capable of doing. And those two games won will bring a lot of confidence to the fans, of course, but to the dressing room especially. And Michael Carey, who really wasn't a definite coach, can change the mind of the board. And if he carries on like that, he might be somebody who can create a brighter future to Manchester United.

7:37It's incredible the changing mentality of this United side, to be honest. And you put that down to Carrick. Well, it can't be anything else. What else can it be? It's the same group of players. What's the chances of them winning those two games if they had continued with Ruben Amory when he's negative sort of... No, they wouldn't. Nobody would have put a penny on that. So, 100 % down to Carrick and his staff for completely changing the mentality. Yes, it helps that they've got one game a week. But my goodness, you talk about organisation, you talk about everybody looks as though they know what their role is.

8:14I mean, all simple, basic things that Amarim couldn't get them to do, that Carrick is getting them to do right now. Well, Kobe Miner wouldn't have played. He's played two games. Bruno Fernandes would then have played deeper. He's played further up. They scored three today. They scored two against City. He could have been five. he was very influential I know he was influential from a deeper position but not as influential as he can be from that area where he's 20 yards further forward where all of a sudden he can really affect the game so those changes wouldn't have happened and that was a big bugbear that you've got one of the best creative players in the game and you're playing him alongside Casemiro so we don't know what's going to happen with Michael Carrick in this team it could all sort of falter and go a bit flat but in terms of how you wanted to start, if you'd have said to him, take the job, you're playing City and Arsenal, we'd have been like, can't I just take it after those two games?

9:12So that's how badly it could have gone. We were sitting here and I was sitting here saying, what if they give him the job and they lose five games in the spin? How's that going to look and what are they going to do? And honestly, you looked at the fixtures and you looked at the way the team were playing and you looked at all the negativity around it. You looked at the fixtures and you said, they could lose those five. So to be able to turn that round with the first two to take you into the next fixtures was huge. Well, Stevie, you said that I'm dressed like a banana today. And in the spirit of banana peels, the truth is for Man United, the banana peels for them have been the other teams.

9:47They put up big performances against City, against Arsenal right now. But then look against Brighton in the Cup. You look against Bournemouth as well. You look against the Burnleys as well. Can they have enough to finally go on a good run? Is there anything else you've said to her today? She's going to tell people. Bananas are my favourite fruit, so I took that as a compliment. Look, I don't... It's amazing how quickly things can go from being so bad to so good. I mean, right now, you're looking at United having produced the two performances we're talking about with City and now this one again away at Arsenal, who haven't lost at home yet this season.

10:26And all of a sudden, all you can see is positive things. All you can see is good things. And there's no reason, you know, coming into this game, myself and Robbo in particular, we sat here the other night and we said, I don't see how they can do it twice in a row. This team's not done it twice in a row. I can't even remember the last time. They produced two victories and two superb performances in the trial. Now they've done it. So now it's hard to argue that they can't go and do it again because they've shown that they can do it. So right now, things are looking good for United. Frank, what do you make of it?

11:04Because as we said, we've seen United lift their game for the big ones. But can they do it now next against the likes of Fulham? Well, it would be a big mistake. And unprofessional if they don't do so. I mean, the fans are going to get crazy. And they expect something very good against Fulham. Fulham just won the game at home. but there is no way that you would see Manchester United dropping points against Fulham. They have to carry on like that. I mean, the spirit is there, the confidence is back and they're going to do it. I want to add to the players that Craig mentioned, who changed the spirit maybe and the quality of the team because of their positioning.

11:45I want to add Martinez when he came back and he's a fighter. On the other side, you had Gabriel Heinz, who was on the bench with Mikel Arteta, but it reminds me so much of him. A fighter, a warrior, the guy who never gives up. And today, I mean, the guy you hate when you play against, but you love when you play with, because he's going to give his life. And that's what you need when you play for Manchester United or big clubs like you can find in England. And that's what we find with that player. And that player is an example to the others. and it's why I think that what you're going to see in dressing room with Casemiro, with Martinez, with Fernandes and some others, you're going to have a team who's going to be hard to beat if they carry on like that, but they have to confirm.

12:29Of course they have to confirm. They are healing right now, but it's too early to say, oh, he's done, he's part of the past. No, no, he's still there and he can be traumatized again if another team beat them at home, for example, but otherwise if they carry on like that they're going to go to another era I think Stevie mentioned it when we were watching the game to Frank's point there, Martinez might not be everybody's cup of tea, maybe make some rash decisions but he's never going to shirk away from a scrap no matter what size the opponent is Jokerez or Haaland and you've got Harry Maguire beside him and Stevie watching the game he said anything he's down beside him and he has to get turned, he struggles but when it's in front of him and he knocks it away and he heads it away, then he's fine.

13:16In some ways, you go back to basics. I know Ruben Amarim made some changes near the end, but Shaw, in terms of the way he played, he went back to a back four in the odd game, but for the most part, he played a three. But Shaw can go back and play it left back. Dalo looks more comfortable, and they've got two centre-halves. Let's be honest, they want to head it and kick it away. They're not trying to be over fancy. It's about doing the basics. And I think Ruben Amarim was A, out of his depth, B, was overcomplicating it, and three, just dragged the whole dressing room down with his rhetoric. I mean, what United player wants to come in after a game when they've drawn at home or whatever it is, and the manager's going to the press conference and he's like, I haven't got what I need and I haven't got this and I haven't got that.

14:04And you're in the dressing room and you're going, oh, really? Cheers. You know, he wants us all out and he's moaning because he hasn't got player A, B and C and D. And sometimes that just affects players. I think, you know what, I've just had enough of this guy. So Carrick comes in, a bit of simplicity, you know, back four, square pegs and square holes and making some good substitutions at the right time, like he did against City last week. And again, he did it today. So a big mental change around it at Old Trafford, I think as much as personnel and tweaks within the system, a big mentality change.

14:41I bet when you go into that training ground now and you've got Carrick and Holland and all these guys that are helping them out, they go in, they've got a smile on their face. Everyone wants to be there. You want to be there, you want to train, you want to go on, but you can't wait for the next game. Opposed to what it was like, it must have been a very negative place to go into that daily basis. Well Stevie, looking back at Arsenal now just shifting focus a little bit I mean this is the third straight Premier League games that they have dropped points If you're Mikel Arteta, what do you want to see him address?

15:11To be honest, I think the front players have to be held accountable I was talking about Liverpool front players yesterday and today was exactly the same What did Arteta get from Saka, Jesus and Trossard? He didn't get anything and he had to make changes. So, yeah, if I'm Arteta, that is my biggest worry. I need to be, we need to be able to create more opportunities and score more goals. Because, listen, defensively, nine times out of ten, they're solid, you know. Today's not a normal day when they lose three goals. So if I'm Arteta, I'm looking at the front players and I'm figuring out how we can get them working together, playing together the way that Dorgu and Fernandes the way they combined for that goal today how do we get our players to do that that's what they need to work on I'd like to see some stats that correlate the amount of times they're in good positions in the wide areas both sides and put crosses into the box because it seems to me they get in those positions a lot and it seems to me that they're not inclined to get half a yard and whip it in it's nah it's not on let's go back out and go out the other side and it's very it's becoming very tippy tappy it makes it easier to defend as well because all you're doing is shuffling all you're doing is shuffling across you know you know you kind of know what they're going to be doing whenever they get a certain position in a certain way you know they're either going backwards or they're going sideways so it makes it easier to defend Frank we've talked about the outside pressure probably eventually getting to Arsenal but if you're in the locker room right now How much tension is building up after dropping points in these last three games?

17:00It must be important because I'm pretty sure that the players are wondering, you know, can we do it? We have to do it. It would be abnormal to not finish the job because the others were so much inconsistent and we were the only one and we were promised to finish the job like Liverpool did last season without having a great season at the end of it. But let's say it's an accident, but it's due to Michael Arteta to do better. I mean, he's the hair apparent of Pep Guardiola. And he does sometimes the same. The guys were talking about the fact that sometimes you don't cross the ball because you try to find the perfect way or the perfect pass or the last one, we're going to make the difference.

17:41Sometimes you have to enjoy the football and try to create opportunities. And when you think too much and you try to get 100 % of good passes, is 100 % of a shot in goal and on target. Sometimes, you know, you think too much. You think too much. And that's what it is with the players at frontrunner. Saka is doing great, but how many goals did he score? Nothing for the last 12 goals, game, sorry, all competition. So for players like that, no, something is wrong. Something is wrong with Odegaard. Something sometimes today was wrong with Strossard. They think too much. and when we see in comparison Manchester United they stop of doing that they go for it and it's what Mike Miquel Atetov to put down because otherwise yeah the pressure is going to be good it's going to be big sorry and the players are going to start wondering can we do it and when you start thinking like that how to cope with the spirit I think one of the big questions is can City mount a challenge if you watched him yesterday even at home in the second half against Wolves, they had to ride the look a little bit.

18:51Donnarumma had to make some saves, a few scrambles. This is against the worst team in the Premier League. And so they are far from perfect. And I think the big question is, is anybody, and I'm not throwing Villa away, but I think it's unlikely Villa are going to be able to be as consistent. Maybe I'm wrong. But the question is, is anybody out there able to mount a challenge if Arsenal continue to falter? And I think that is still a big question. I don't know if we used to. I think watching City, there's still a big question about whether these teams are going to be good enough to latch on if Arsenal's short-term issues continue to be long-term.

19:28If both teams were playing tomorrow, regardless of the opposition, I'd still put my money on Arsenal to win it over City. All right. Well, plenty to talk about there because the gap, like I said, is four points now. And in addition to the show, we have plenty more Premier League chat over on our YouTube channel. Make sure to check it out. Rich Eisen here. The tax deadline will be here before you know it. And you just want to know your taxes are actually being handled. But the old way, you hand everything off and then silence. Days pass. Weeks pass. You start wondering, should I send another follow-up email?

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21:20Find out how the most successful home service contractors are growing today. Visit Servicetitan.com to learn more. That's Servicetitan.com. Hansi Flick's Barcelona took on Arsid Lowe's Real Oviedo in a top-of-the-table versus bottom-of-the-table clash. And it's Barcelona who win 3-0 at home with goals from Dani Olmo, Rafinha and, of course, Laminia Mal as they go back to the top of the table. Now let's hear from Hansi Flick. But first, our Gemma Soler managed to catch up with Rooney Bardagi. Yes, we are with Rooney Bardagi. It was very important to win today, to go back off the table again, but you struggled a lot, especially in the first half against bottom team Real Ovid.

22:04What do you think happened? Yeah, for sure. I mean, we all know that the start of the game wasn't what we wanted. That can happen sometimes. We knew it wasn't good enough and we didn't create enough chances. I don't know why, you know, maybe we played so many games recently, maybe we are a little bit tired, fatigued, but that's not an excuse in the end. But I think we knew that in the halftime and we changed the game in the second half. So that's also important that we could turn the game. Yeah, exactly. What happened? What kind of a speech was from Hansi Flick in the halftime? Because it was another version of the team, maybe more patient and generating more dangerous chances.

22:41No, for sure. I mean, I just we we had to wake up in the halftime. I think we all knew that. So it wasn't anything crazy. We're just that we need to go out and do a lot better in the second half. and I think we did that and we created more chances. We played our game so in the end it worked good. You were in the game substituting Lamin Jamal, he only scores beautiful goals. What an amazing goal, what an amazing player. Yeah, yeah, no, for sure, for sure. Amazing goal. It's not often you see those kind of goals. So now he's always good. I'm always there supporting him, you know. In the end we are very good friends so it's always nice to see your teammates, you know, score good goals or doing good.

23:16So it's nice. What a goal by Damin Jamal. We saw you very emotional, very passionate celebrating that goal. Can you please describe that moment? No, it was great because it was the third goal, but at the end for me was more how he pressed and that we can score a goal. It was great. Also from him in the defence. This happy that he scored such a goal and at the end 3-0 for us was very important. All right, here's a look at the top of the La Liga standings. Barcelona go back top on 52 points, just one ahead of their fierce rivals, Real Madrid. Craig, back at the top, job done, simple as? Well, there's not a lot to say here, really.

24:10They played the team that were bottom of the league. Struggled for 45 minutes, didn't play well. He changed half-time. Gerard Martin went off. Koundy came on. So a little bit different personnel, different shape in the second half in terms of where people were. No Pedri. He's out for a month. The fixtures are relatively comfortable for them in paper. Elche, Girona, who have struggled, and Albacete and the Copa del Rey. Ferran Torres out with a hamstring injury. That's a blow for them because Robert Lewandowski is a different type of player when all things are equal now, Ferran Torres is a starter.

24:49But when teams make mistakes against you and you've got the likes of Olmo, Rufina, Lamin, Yamal, and then you can bring on a guy who was getting a rest today, Fermin Lopez, who's been excellent for them, then I think they're in good shape. The big question will be how's their defence going to hold out between now and end of the season. But what we have in La Liga, believe it or not, because if you'd believed all the stories, De Bernabeu was burning down and Alonso got sacked and everything was just wrong. There was mutiny in the dressing room. Well, everybody seems quite happy now and we have a title race.

25:26So at least that's one thing if you're a neutral. But I do think Barcelona, looking at the two sides, certainly in the forward areas, they're not as reliant on one player for the goals, I think, as Real Madrid are. Yes, Vinicius might be happier, Yes, Rodrigo's there. Yes, Bellinger might be playing a bit better and all that. But Barcelona could really share it around. There's probably about five, six or seven players there that can all come in, score goals and win games. And that might just be the difference for Hansi Flick. Yes, Stevie, as we said, I mean, it was doom and gloom for Real Madrid.

26:02They got rid of Xabi Alonso. Now the gap is only one point. So it looks like, as Craig said, title race on our hands. Who do you like more for it, though? Oh, I think I would go with Barcelona. It does seem a little strange that on the face of it, you've got a Barcelona side who, yeah, Pedri's injured and Ferran Torre's injured. But things seem to be settled there and there doesn't seem to be too much to worry about. Whereas Real Madrid, you're like, yes, they won yesterday, but there just seems to be... You're just waiting on something else going wrong. But yet there are only a point behind. so 100 % there's a race on I loved it I was watching the game yesterday Rob Palmer was in the commentary I think he was on it with Robbo and he says and this got me and I don't know what you think he said Rale Asensio wasn't fit to play but they're so short in numbers he's agreed to play and I'm like have you played?

27:00he had to play with a mask on and he's had some other issues but I was sitting going he wasn't fit to play but he's agreed to play so he was okay to play in the first place. What an amazing mentality. Amazing mentality indeed. Stevie, just wanted to touch on Real Oviedo's defending or lack thereof or their insistence on trying to play it out from the back. Usually we're talking about defensive howlers for Barcelona, but Oviedo gave Barca some gifts today. Well, there's a reason they're bottom of the league. And when you see today, we see why, because I'm going to say at their best, that may be a stretch, but when they're concentrated and then when they do the simple things well and they keep it basic, then they're, if nothing else, tough to beat.

27:43And that's what we saw in the first half. But in the second half, we saw how this team are capable of just throwing all the good things they've done away and making it easier for the opposition. And again, when you're playing against players of the quality that Barcelona have and you make those types of mistakes, I mean, they're going to eat you up. And that's what happened in the second half. They absolutely ate them up, chewed them up and spat them out. That's why they're bottom of the league. It's at this point I'm going to throw the biggest hint out in the history of hints. When there's four feet of snow outside this campus.