Derby day delight for Michael Carrick's new look Manchester United

23:41And then Brian and Bruno and Mateos coming on, making a difference, and Mason coming on again and nearly getting the goal. I just thought in general everything was what we would hope for and hence getting the good result. I guess even with the career you've had, football doesn't give you many perfect days. Was that almost as perfect as you get, as close to it? Yeah, I think it's as much as we could have as close as we could have hoped for. To be honest, coming into the game, change is not easy. Change is not easy for anyone, but to then have to perform on the back of it is... But I've had a real sense for the last few days, and especially before the game, how much the players were desperate, desperate, want to have that feeling and want to give success and a feeling to the supporters.

24:30I genuinely felt that before the game. I could, if anything, and I was more concerned that that feeling was... It would spill over. Because they're so keen to do well, but I thought they managed the emotional side of the game unbelievably well. So that made me proud, you know, to see a team and watch my team today and moving forward to have that feeling was great to see. And obviously to be able to put it all together was even better. There was maybe just that one moment where it nearly spilled over, wasn't there? The Dallow Challenge, which, I don't know, different day, different ref, different VAR, might have gone against you?

25:05Yeah, I'm not going to give you the total answer, but I literally haven't seen it, to be honest. Well done. Yeah, no, I haven't. To be honest, at the time I thought he had kicked the ball out, Diogo, but Sam told me and his fourth official said that he hadn't. So I've not seen it. It was, you know, talking about the offside decisions, I've not seen them either, but apparently they were close. And, you know, we could have had more in the game. So that's it. them type of games you're expected to ebb and flow and there's going to be decisions and that's it today if they went for us they went for us and we'll take it.

25:38You used the word magical earlier in the interview. I know what you did here and how much you won but was that right up there? Especially knowing it's your team that's done that. Yeah that was that for so many reasons I think that today was special. Putting things together quite quickly coming in and trying to put print on the team, but gathering together and emotionally getting all, you know, attached to what we want to do. And I felt that unbelievably from the staff, from the players. So it made it a very special kind of day as it's gone through. And I'm not getting carried away, you know, it's one game.

26:18So it's really important we don't get carried away. It needs to be a regular feeling of that level of performance. And that's something we obviously got to get to and consistency. So I'm not getting carried away. It's a great day. It's a fantastic result. And there's the element of certainly soaking up and enjoying it. But it's definitely not enough. It's never enough. And just a word on your coaching staff, because inevitably the credit goes to the man who stands in front of the camera, the man who stands on the touchline. But that group you've assembled around you, how much credit do they deserve for today?

26:51Huge amount. I mean, I'm standing here. I didn't do all the work this week. I've done a lot of the meetings and main meetings and team meetings and maybe on the pitch and in front of the players a little bit more. But the intricacies of how much detail to give to certain players and individuals and bits of units, that's a skill and that's why they're here as well, because they're fantastic coaches. You've got a good blend in there. Yeah, unbelievable. And Steve's got a really calm head and so experienced. And Jonathan and Johnny and Trav, I think we've got a real mix of what we can offer the players because that's what it comes down to.

27:27What can we offer the players to make them better? These three days, you look at the result and you think, yeah, it's worked. We've got to keep building on that. Thank you. Well done. Cheers. Thanks very much. Thanks, Art. There we go. What a start. He got them off and running with his seventh of the season to the delight of the key men upstairs, Omar Barada and Jason Wilcox, of whom you've heard a lot talked about. We haven't heard them talk. and he was able to give Kobe Meynou his first start of the season. Stuck to that fort in the back, which Darren Fletcher had turned to after Ruben Amirim had departed and it all worked perfectly here today against Manchester City.

28:08Does that level of performance, Roy, take Manchester United back into the Champions League? Well, it was certainly given that belief. I think what we've been chatting most weeks about the system United have been doing for the last year and a half and you felt maybe because they've not been getting loads of positive results did the players have that belief in the system we're playing, but certainly the way they were lined up today. And credit to people like Maynard who've come in, Maguire, who's not played for a while, Martinez, who's still come back from a long-term injury. These lads came in and put a good shift in, and they've proved it today.

28:38They can be a good team. But as we know, and I will continue to say it, they've got to keep doing it. They had big results earlier in the season. They went and won at Liverpool. But what this manager has to do, and what the previous manager didn't get, he didn't really get any momentum. We never got that winning four, five, six games at conference, Old Trafford buzzing. So they have a chance now on the back of this result, another free week, and go to Arsenal next week and play with that energy and that quality. It doesn't get any easier, does it, when you consider that Arsenal away is there next.

29:07No, but after that, today was a great game for Carrick. You come in, you're playing Manchester, the Manchester derby, you're playing against a brilliant manager like Pep, and City are just off a little bit, still a brilliant team. You've got players back, available. This was a great game for the team. I may as well be the first to ask this question because I suspect that it's going to get asked a lot over the next course of 17 games. But if that is the level and if they continue to produce performances like that, why not Michael Carrick long term? I said before the game and I say it now, I think he, why not give him an opportunity?

29:39Like I said before, you've got managers who we consider to be top, top level managers, the greatest managers. We talk about Guardiola, Zidane, Arteta at the moment. those guys managed teams, you know, the B team of Barcelona, the B team of Real Madrid, and an assistant to Pep Guardiola, and they went and had amazing success at top football clubs. So for me, I think the timing, you know, could you argue, cool, yeah, there's bigger names that are going to be available. If we build something here in these next 17 games, what would be the point of bringing someone else in to build off what he's built?

30:13Like, give him an opportunity. He might grow into becoming a top-level coach, and we go, fantastic. Like, I like the fact he's an English manager, he's getting an opportunity and today was a performance that you look at and you go, listen, if this man can build something, he deserves it for me. I don't see the point in looking elsewhere and you can always say, yeah, that looks good. Oh, yeah, that looks nice over there. You know what? Stick with what you got, baby. Would you give him it, Roy? I'll give him what he wants. Sign the contract. Maybe it's to do with a blend of the coaching stuff. No, listen, again, we give credit where it's due.

30:50Absolutely fantastic. But let's judge it over the next few months. Again, the key for him, I think, now, is try and get momentum into this team, disbelief, again, no other distractions, focus on the league matches. There's quality players, as we know that. They've not had that... They've not been consistent enough. And today they've got a clean sheet. They maybe have two centre-halves now, experienced players who can get a partnership together and stay injury-free. And all these little things fall into place. You've got a striker, players coming off the bench having an effect. but maybe somebody, the PR with Carrick has been a good over recently, you just mentioned because he's an English coach, the English media will be pushing for that, even Man United he's done well today but let's see over the next few months what he does.

31:29It could give them a real headache, couldn't it Mike? If they were to do well and then if you were in Jason Wilcox and Obar Barada's shoes to then say thanks Michael but we're going to go in a different direction this summer? It's difficult, I said that I was asked when I was doing the League Cup on Tuesday and they say, I think it's a bit of a conundrum that they find themselves in because if he puts in performances like that, then you have to really give him the job. But I was speaking to Gary before the game, and he just wants someone who's elite. But someone elite coming here doesn't automatically think success.

32:00Like Jose Mourinho or Van Gaal? It is a difficult one. But I think what I like, it's not just about him, who's the players buying into what they were doing on the pitch today. If you look at the way Man United defended today, it was all together. But not only that, when they defended, they could get out. But when they played the other system, it's sort of like it was locked in and then they had no way to get out. And on that transition, I thought it was fantastic. That we talked about before about the Johnny Evans in there and people giving them confidence. You mentioned Steve Holland and he's a person who does that.

32:30And that's what I think Man United have missed over the last eight team. But they've won one game. No, no, no. The previous manager won one game. It's a manner in which you win a game. If United would have fluked this game 1-0, I would tend to agree with it. But they had five and six clear opportunities. They defended well and they looked organised as a group. Mixed in with confidence as well that character. Look, I'm not naive to say give him a job now. He's only been there for three days. All of a sudden, no. But they needed to lift. This was about a lift. It was more than that. The formation change for me is key.

33:07The previous manager, Ruben Amarim, played a formation that didn't suit the players. Fletch changed it. but there was players missing two or three players missing it's that feel good factor if you look at a lot of managers careers and timing and characters coming here to the United I think it's the dream scenario for them to come in everyone's available you've got Manchester City at home who haven't been they've been offered a little bit you're at home you've got players available you could have a man sent off timing and a little bit of luck they've made the most of it I'll take nothing away from them I'm happy to give credit where it's due and fantastic today but everyone just calmed down I'm calm.

33:42That's me saying it. I'm calm. Calm even more, Dalton. No, no, no, no. I'm staying up. You're saying give him the job. What are you saying, Daniel? No, because, you know what? I think today buys him a bad result or two. I think a performance like now, if they lose next week, it's like, you know what? Well, last week. But what's his target? To finish fourth. Yeah, well, Champions League. Yeah, fourth. Fourth, I get into Europe. Or maybe fifth as well. Fifth, of course. But getting to Europe. But fourth is realistic. And you're going, well, that's what Man United should be thinking. We shouldn't be sitting there going, scratching our heads going, well, could United finish Even the last week or two, when we've been doing games and we've been disappointed in United, we've been saying, but Fort is a realistic target.

34:20But it hasn't been the case, has it, for once in the last four seasons, I think they've finished in the top five. I know, but the last few months we have been saying, but because of the way the league is at the moment, there is a chance for United to finish Fort. It's not miracles we're talking about here. And if he gets to Fort and he doesn't get the job, he'll still need Carrick to get another job somewhere. Because people look and go, listen to the way he's handled himself, he's been great, he's been cool, and United have played it a positive way. But most people who would have took this job today would have played that way.

34:43Let me ask you a question. With the players at Man United having their squad, where do you think they should be finishing? Because if you're saying they're not ready to win the league yet, so Champions League is realistic. So if they finish in the top four, right now that has to be a positive. Well, I felt the last few months they were going to miss out. But when you see a performer like that and everyone's available, you're thinking, and because of the way the league is this year, a lot of teams have been inconsistent. Barron, obviously, maybe Villa and, of course, Arsenal, where City have. You're thinking, yeah, there's a realistic chance, but there's five or six teams would be thinking that.

35:14But if the team can play with that quality and energy, week in, week out, and that is the key, then of course they've got a chance of it. Absolutely. And what a test next week at Arsenal. Maybe after that game we'll be saying they need an interim to replace the interim who replaced the other interim. We will see. Let's get the Manchester City perspective. Pep Guardiola with Patrick. Well Pep, obviously the result was a disappointment. What did you make of your team's performance? Better team 1. United Wilson, in 10 years is the time we came here that they were better. So nothing more to say. When a team is better, we have to accept it, we have the energy that we didn't have.

35:56And yeah, congratulate them. So how were they able to, maybe not in terms of possession, but chances, how were they able to have the better of the match? No, they had the chances at the end and the crosses and of course the goals they conceded were poorly you do know that always United have been a transitional team and we didn't control but in general we can talk about this action or the other action in the beginning of the game or whatever so I think we had the duty to analyse the game in general and they were better They obviously wanted an intense physical game they wanted to bring their crowd into it were you just not able at any point maybe because you didn't keep the ball well enough you just weren't able to take that heat out of the match?

36:40They started really strong we lost one or two balls the crowd is normal so we played a derby so in many years you know they were behind and they played at home a long week new managers so these kind of things are involved in a game it's normal that will happen but you know especially when we arrive many many times in the final third to try to you know to score we never make a threat we never make a cross we never make a movement to try to win that. That is because it's part of the energy. It's not the energy we talk about. Win or do. It's what we do with the ball as well, not just without. Today they have a point higher than us.

37:21You spoke about it a bit before the match with regard to Erling Haaland. Do you feel like that exhaustion? I know you're really not keen to make an excuse for the schedule. It's not about one. in general, so it's not about just one player. No, but do you feel like the schedule caught up with the group today? No, today was a game we didn't have in Newcastle. We didn't have against Sunderland. It was an exception, we didn't have in Brighton or Chelsea. So we were top in that game. And Newcastle away, you know how difficult it is, and today we didn't have it. What was the thinking with the changes at halftime?

38:02Foden came off. Max Alain, who probably had his most difficult half since coming into the team, he came off as well. It was not in the first actions, but that's a play good. That's a play good, but I know he's a new player coming to the stadium. He's like a process of incredible senior important players like Tewa's and Ruben, but like, I don't know, Akanji's or Kai Walker's, all the generation that we have. We've been in, you know, in one or two years for age, we've been replaced. and you need to experience that game step by step to do it. But you have to continue along. So in two days we have Champions League in Norway and go there.

38:40And those changes, I think, with 10 minutes to go, it's the first time in the Premier League that you've taken Erling Haaland off when you've needed a goal. At that point, with the three you took off, are you just thinking about saving legs? Yeah, part of that, yeah. Yeah, part of that. I did the net and divine. I won and we have new energy. So at the end it's a question. how many moments you have, how many, and all of them. Believe me, I'm not a guy who proved many times that he was for that reason. It was one reason. Always energy is one each other. When someone cannot, the other ones can do it.

39:18And today we didn't have it. And of course, the match could have gone down a very different path had Diogo Dalot been sent off. Could say that, right? Could say that. could say that. I could say that it's red card, different game. But as a manager, I have to see how was the game. You know, many, many situations happen, you know, like we talk about that. It was easy for me to come here and say, should be a send-off, should be a red card. And change the game? No. I choose the game, yes, you play 10 against 11 during 85 minutes, should be a little bit differently. But Anthony Taylor had to decide of that, of VAR, but it's not about that.

39:57We will not grow up if that is the argument to win or lose the game. You have to do better today. Last question, if Arsenal punish you later, if they make that gap, nine points? It's about how we grow up as a team. I had the feeling that we have done very, very good things so far. I had that feeling. We are a team like a bad team. We have a lot of problems in some departments and other ones, you know. as well and maybe to be better you have to make a setback. It's not about at the end we don't win like what happened last season and we won Liverpool congratulating. You have to do it but this is a long way.

40:41You have to continue to analyse why we didn't have that and try to do it. Thank you. So where are we then, Micah, in terms of this title race for Manchester City? Where does this leave us? I think if Arsenal win tonight then that could be it. I've always sort of stumbled on the Man City Arsenal but I just think for confidence as well if Arsenal go there Forest and win then their confidence will be too high I don't know if Man City can claw it back like previous seasons when I go on these amazing runs and I say that because defensively if they're getting gay maybe they can take it to Arsenal brought in some NU who's done ever so well in last couple of games a bit quiet today.

41:23Mikey, you said defensive, but they're not scoring. Yeah, yeah. But if you keep clean sheets, you'll always back City to get one or two in the games normally. Today, that wasn't the case. I think the wider issue for me is how easy it is to play against Man City. And that's not just blaming the defenders. Rico Lewis didn't have the best game today. But how easy he can get through the lines. And if Rodri is in a position, there's so much ball from space. Rodri at the end. Oh, my goodness. I was watching him. Obviously, the one that was this low, when he gives it away and he's running back, he looks shattered.

41:58Absolutely shattered. You hear that tone from Pep Guardiola, Daniel, and it's sort of talked about that performance around the development of the team, the way the team is progressing, but they've just signed, as Micah says, Antoine Semenya for£65 million. Now, Mark Gahey for another£20 million. They could have got him for free in January. They've done it now. That seems to be a team that wants to win right now, that is not prepared to just let Arsenal take the league title? Yeah, I mean, they're trying their best to figure out a way. I think this season is probably the one season, maybe in the midfield areas as well, that they're lacking a true partner for, say, a Rodri or a Nico Gonzalez.

42:36I think Reinders is quite attacking. Cherki's attacking. Foden's attacking. So in turn, you've got a multitude of attacking-minded midfielders in there with only one who's thinking about the defensive side of the game alongside the wingers who are also attacking. but their job's to defend. I think that's why City are quite much easier to play against. They've had the Kovacic of this world, the Gundawans of this world, and the list goes on. I think now the future of the team will be the involvement is, can they become, again, to Mike's point, more difficult to break down and get chances against?

43:07They usually control games. Today wasn't that day for them. But you'd like to think, with the signings they've brought in, that they're going to challenge. It's just, can Arsenal take it by the scruff of their neck and go ahead and do it? The big shock today, I know Pep's mentioned, but they looked... The physicality wasn't there. I know they've had a busy schedule in a midweek game. What is that the consequence of fighting on four fronts? It can be, but sometimes even City on a bad day, looking back at the last few years, you think they'd still turn up and have that physicality and obviously energy, and then they showed their quality.

43:38They didn't even have that today. That real intensity wasn't there from the first minute. But does the game change if, as Pep suggested, Dallow is shown a red card just 11 minutes into this. Yeah, well, we go back to having a bit of luck. Decisions going for you or against you. Micah's still winning. Do you know what? It doesn't get any better. And, of course, you look at any tackle in slow motion I've been on this road, it never looks good. Put it this way, I think if he got a red for that, we wouldn't be sitting here going, it's a bad decision. I think we all agree and we've all played at a decent level.

44:12That's a red. Is there an argument, though, Micah, if there is force and intensity behind that challenge, which VAR said there wasn't, that Doku doesn't actually get up there? Well, I don't... It's how high it is on your knee. Of course, if it goes a little bit harder, then his knee's going to basically explode. Where it is, it's a clear red card. Like you said, we've all played the game. You can talk about intensity all you want, but when you go that high in a challenge... And Dalos, I've been critical of Dalos the last few months about not getting out to people and not having that intensity.

44:47Today, he obviously went overboard. He's obviously realising that he needs to get tighter to people. Gary mentioned a few times in commentary how he's getting out to people. He's obviously gone out there quickly. He wants to be aggressive, but he certainly mistimed it. Very, very lucky boy. I don't think you can use that as an excuse, though. Man United, as Pep said, Man United was just better on the day. The game might have changed if that happened, but you don't want to be using that as an excuse. It just didn't do enough. Yeah, they weren't good enough today, City. But for me, it's a red card.

45:18If I'm under the receiving end of that challenge, I'd be fuming. And you would have anticipated that the referee, when you slow it down and you see it in slow motion, you're thinking, it's nasty. I don't think I need to slow it down. In real time. It's just nasty, though. It's a nasty tackle. It's just nasty tackle. Would it have made a difference, this scoreline? Well, we will never know, will we? Micah, thank you very much. Daniel, thank you. Roy, thank you very much. That is all we've got time for here at Old Trafford. We'll let you head away and focus on what's happening at three o 'clock after we just reminded you that Super Sunday brings you Wolves Newcastle from one o 'clock and Aston Villa, who are right in this title race themselves, taking on Everton from four.

46:00And on Monday night, Thierry Henry joins Jamie Carragher as we bring you Brighton up against Bournemouth. But what a day it has been for everyone on the red side of Manchester for Michael Carrick and not forgetting Steve Holland and Johnny Evans as well. Don't forget Woodgate too. Jonathan Woodgate and the rest. Bye from us.

46:27Thanks for listening to the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. Don't forget to hit follow so you don't miss an episode.