Dramatic Maguire header earns Manchester United first win at Liverpool for nine years

25:35Well they scored two today, they scored two last year and you're the centre half of this team, you know, always start with the man in the mirror. Always start with, because he's a big leader. We talk about United's Maguire turning up today and always just today and Bruno and stuff. But Van Dyke, if you're the centre half and your team are all of a sudden giving up loads of goals and you've got new people coming to your club you've got to have a good look at yourself and go, am I really helping these lads? Am I getting a grip of people? and little incidents we saw with the goal there, yeah, we'll give United applauded, but I do look at them going, are you really sprinting back?

26:03And what happens when you become champions? The biggest challenge is the next year because people are looking at you going, you're the champions, we're going after you. Even United were coming today, there's a United attacking player certainly had a bit of a swagger about them. Whereas Liverpool, they struggle to deal with that and the stats, we're talking about stats. I think a really important stat in football is the scoreline and that's it. And Liverpool, the manager said last year, Liverpool won loads of games by the odd goal. They're now on the wrong side of it. And again, they're losing lots of late goals.

26:31So whatever happened with the substitutions, the mentality, shall we say, even when Liverpool got it back to 1-1 today, you're looking, you still think United had a goal. It's not as if you're going, well, listen, the second goal's coming. And Liverpool, just before the goal, almost kind of gifted them giving the ball away cheaply. And there are little moments that you've got to have to say to, where Van Dijk's got to say to the players, nah, it's just, just calm down. Just, again, it was, And I think sometimes it's good to be forcing things and panicking, but not all the time. I felt it was like that from even the first half.

27:00It's not as if we'd done it at United. It'd be a mad last 10 or 15 minutes, but not a mad last hour. Well, you talked about the substitutions, and when Arnestat made that triple substitution, that's when it started to feel particularly chaotic, frantic, any of the words that you want to use. And in fairness, it earned Liverpool a goal. Yeah, a bit of genius madness. Virgil does brilliantly well to win the challenge there on Umbermo. And then they keep the ball alive. And the pressure was certainly mounting. And you could feel that something was going to happen. They get that little bit of luck there.

27:31They stay calm. Burt keeps it alive. Smashes it across to face a goal. And then there was always one player I felt today that could get that goal. I didn't feel like Salah was going to be Salah. I felt it was going to be Gakpo. He had so many chances. He enjoys this fixture. He hit the post three times in the game. Three times, Kelly. And he was always looking to score. And obviously a little bit wasteful with a header. That was a great opportunity for him. And then I could only see one winner. Although Liverpool's formation was crazy, you end up with Verts and Jones as your two defensive midfield players, I still felt they would be the team in the ascendancy and win it.

28:04And that's what Virgil spoke about, that little bit of calmness. And I go back to the throwing, when they go and give the ball, when Samosláe throws it back to his keeper, he just needs to stay calm. You've got so much time still. Little mistakes like that were just transmitting to the fans, to the players. It doesn't need it. And that's what they did so well last year. we spoke about how good Liverpool were, we all spoke about how calm they were. They never really got under pressure. But you felt today they were too rushed. But it goes to show there was a nervousness in Liverpool and that's on the back of three defeats.

28:32For all the brilliant Liverpool have been over the last year, they're human beings. When you lose three games, can I tell you what? Self-doubt will kick in. You're just like, really? Are we going to lose again? And they've lost that little bit of belief. And you felt it in the stadium. When we got here today before the game, you're still thinking Liverpool will get the job done. But when you're a goal down after a minute or two and you think you're nervous before the game, after a minute, you're going, oh my goodness, it's a long way back and it didn't quite do enough. For all the efforts and the chances, you felt United had a chance of getting a big result today.

29:00But even in terms of Manchester United's winner, in the build-up to it, there was evidence of what Van Dijk was talking about. Yeah, just stay calm. Sob a slight here. Look, he's throwing it back to his keeper. It's just not on. And Bermot goes and presses him and then you can see there's a little bit of panic. The keeper's obviously, look, he's throwing his arms up in the air. Then they don't win the second ball. Harry Maguire wins that. Right, now you're on the back foot. They work it really well. Sesko's good feet. Kunja, who's been excellent, certainly in the second half, keeps the ball alive.

29:27They get a corner. That's where the goal comes from. It's just a case of staying calm. That's where you use your experience, Kenny. That's where you've got to use your experience. It's madness with the trolling. Just go down the line. Yeah, a bit of brilliance for Bruno there. I mean, this won't go down as a goal necessarily straight from the corner because obviously it gets played out and ends up back with Bruno Fernandes. but are you concerned about Liverpool's defensive record from set pieces, Jamie? Given how big set pieces are, particularly this season, we've seen a big increase in how effective sides can be from Arsenal benefiting hugely.

30:00Well, you looked at the substitution. When you take off Graven Birch and then you bring on Jones and Birch, you lose a big head of the ball. Roy and I were saying during the game, look at the size of United all of a sudden. They look a really big side from every single set piece that comes in. They've got big players. They bring on Sesco, 6 '5", 6 '6", whatever he is. So there was a few mismatches there. So yeah set pieces are a big but you know there's sometimes you just got to take leadership You know can I take can he deal with it Virgil van Dijk and the chaos I felt towards the end of the game Jamie Carragher mentioned it a few weeks ago And I think it was before the Chelsea game the bit basketball all the time with Liverpool It just never feels like there's that control But even the ball goes out to Bruno if you look at the Liverpool players body language If we can go back to it a lot of the Liverpool players five or six of them are running to what you as a player You must know you must know your players you look up.

30:44I see the ball if you if you run here And you only goes back out to Bruno just a run it none of a body language So this is balls come back out to Bruno the Liverpool players are running this 23 running out You're going it's going to blue up know your players, you know, there's a good chance He's gonna push it back into a good area Your priority at this one time is protect your goals protect your goals I know they're playing off the cuff stuff and it's a bit mad, but it's four of a five on body language watch when it goes out here They're running out. What are you running out to? Gap Poe ends up, he's at the back post, he ends up as a furthest player there.

31:18There's a saying, a lot of these players are on the outside looking back in. If you're defending and you're defending for your lives and you've got that hunger, you've got to be inside and facing on to the game. You can't be stood there looking at the goal, somebody's scoring against you. You've got to be goal side. There might be one or two of you maybe, someone on the edge of the box, but too many of them are. When it's going back to Bruno going, what can we do? No, no, don't worry about getting there. Bruno's going to put it back into a good area. That's what Bruno Fernandes does. He's a brilliant player.

31:45The rest of my life is brilliant, yeah. This sloppiness, decision-making, which is costing Liverpool. The goal at Chelsea, Robertson, people not being aware, as if they're not aware of people around them in the box. Where do you think these better players are going to be? Where do you think Harry Maguire is going to be hanging around? He nearly scored the winner last year. Don't worry, he's going to try and sniff out a chance. So it's almost like naive, really naive defending from Liverpool as a team. From one or two players as a team. and that's where your senior players have to say, that's when the ball's here.

32:11Let's just sit in and defend our box. Then we can counter-attack. But they're almost trying to counter-attack when they haven't got the ball.

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32:55This is the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. Let's get more analysis of the game and return to the student. Four defeats in all competitions for Liverpool. They are four points behind the league leaders, Arsenal, after defeat at home to Manchester United, who haven't won at Anfield in the league since 2016. Let's hear from Arna Slott, here with Patrick Davison. Well, Arna, you're always very good at taking the emotion out of it with your post-match analysis. What's your take on today?

33:28If you play United, that comes here with a low block, with playing a lot of lone balls, then you know that that is going to be difficult because it's not easy to play through them and you don't get the chance to win a ball back high up the pitch and then create your chance. But it makes it even harder if you're after one or two minutes, I think. One nil down. And if you would have told me before the game that we were able to play against the low block, with the quality players United have, against the team that plays so many long balls, we would be able to create so many chances. I would have said I would take that immediately and that normally doesn't lead to losing the game of football.

34:09But we did because we missed a lot. and the few chances we've conceded led to two goals. Conceded were again a set piece. It's partly the reason why we lose this game. I could see from where I was sat that you weren't happy with some of the officiating for their first goal for a penalty you might have had during the first half. Did you feel those two were big moments and didn't go the way they should have gone? I think if you lose a game of football, especially after you've lost four, maybe you can have the emotion in the game, but I should not talk about that at this moment of time. No excuses.

34:49We've had more than enough chances to score a goal where we then maybe didn't need that penalty if it was one yes or no. I don't want to talk about that. We should just focus on ourselves. If we have so many chances, you need to score more. And if you are 1-1 and the game is completely there for you and you then have to defend one set piece defended better than we did and this is where we should focus on and that there is emotion in the game about decisions yeah that's I think quite normal every manager has this but I should not talk about this after the game. Is that pattern a concern getting yourselves back into a game getting level and then losing it late on?

35:27Nah it happens three times in a row so yeah we've made many offensive substitutions to turn the game around and I think I wouldn't say that worked, but in the end we've created a lot of chances throughout the whole game, but mainly after the substitutions were made. Then of course you don't have maybe the same structure in defending a set piece as you have when you start the game, because every time when someone gets off there's a lot of work to be done, who does what. But sometimes it's not about who does what, it's just about making sure you don't concede. but our mindset in that moment of time is maybe only on scoring, scoring, scoring, because we think we deserve to win the game and we forget that in the moment, I don't know if we forget, but it comes across like that, that we forget this one or two single moments where we have to defend.

36:17Just tell us about some of the changes you make, because you were really kind of aggressive in terms of trying to affect the game from the touchline. What was your thinking, just trying to kind of overload that low block? I think before that already we've created enough chances to score a goal. Cody Kakpo twice on the post in the first half, Alexander Rizak one-on-one to the goalkeeper and I think if I look back I maybe forget one or two chances. And in the second half we started off quite well in my opinion but yeah if you have so many good players on the bench you can better use them especially if they are offensive and then you take the risk because that's people might say Yeah, you've conceded one or two extra chances apart from the goal as well.

36:58Correct. That's what we did. But that's also what we need to do. If you're 1-0 down, you have to take more risk than when you're 1-0 up. So if I take that into account that we every time have to fight back and then see the amount of chances we concede, I cannot be too negative about that. But defending in the set piece, if you are 1-1, that happened to us at Palace, that happened to us today, that we have to do much better. But again, a lot of impact from the players that came on. But that's also because of the effort we put in in the first half. So we have 60-65 % ball possession. The other team has to run a lot.

37:33A lot of players had to go off from United because they were tired. But yeah, end result, lost 2-1. Yeah, and it is four defeats in a row. How have you ended up as the league's champions in this downward spiral? And how difficult a moment is it for you and the team? It is a difficult moment because you know how it works in football. If you lose a game of football, if you lose two, three or four. The main thing is that the players need to keep believing in each other and what we are doing is good. So if you play a game like this, I think they will be in the dressing room saying, what an amount of chances we had.

38:12But you can play a next game, maybe where you don't create as much. and this is always... Players, if you lose, come off, thought they didn't have to be substituted, players who thought they had to play longer. These kind of things are quite normal in football. But what I see at this moment of time at Liverpool is that they're all very involved. If we start them, they do well. If they come in, they do well. If we get chances in the end, I see the players on the bench hoping that we score. Also the ones I took off, frustrated if then Maguire wasn't fracturing the offside. So I see everything that is needed to win a game of football.

38:51But maybe it's a smart thing that we start doing this quite soon. You took Mo Salar off needing a goal and he obviously is in a difficult moment. Are we seeing a great player maybe moving into a different phase of his career? I mean, I know it's a difficult question for you to answer. Is it just form? Is it just him trying to blend with new signings? What's happening with him at the moment? I think after games like this it's quite normal, usual that people are very focused on individual players. So in the first five or six games it was mainly about the signings we did. Now we have to talk about Mo Salah.

39:28I think we've had more than enough chances to score a goal and Mo missed a big one, some others missed a big one, a big chance. And We are not used to this from all, but we needed a goal. We also needed a player that could create something in that end phase. That's what Jeremy did. He came in, had a great action. We crossed to Cody. When we would have been 3-0 up, I think Cody would have scored that one. But I cannot guarantee this. So like I said, every player has tried everything, but it didn't work out for us. Thank you, Manu. You're welcome. So that's how Arnaz Lott saw the game. Jamie Carragher obviously was commentating for us.

40:16Jamie, I know you missed the beginning of that, but just to sum up Arnaz Lott saying that he would have been happy if he knew how many chances Liverpool would create in the match. And actually, Cody Gakpo had a higher XG than Manchester United as a team in that game, hit the post three times, but that they have to finish them better, but also that defensively of the chances they did give up, they conceded a couple of goals, including one from a set piece or from a corner that led to the goal. And then he said, we just can't afford to be doing that. Yeah, I think it was a really good interview, that, because when you lose a game of this magnitude, people get emotional, even pundits, supporters.

40:52And it probably is a good time for the manager to be measured four defeats in a row. He's explaining the game really well. If Liverpool put the majority of the chances of it, they'd probably win the game. But the way the Premier League is style-wise this season, for everybody, set-pieces is a big part of the game. Everybody's taken long throws this season. Set-pieces, glory. Look at Arsenal, the success they've had as well. And Liverpool just can't seem to cope at the moment. So we keep talking about new signs and integrating them in terms of actually the football Liverpool are playing. But the new signs that Liverpool have brought in, has it affected them set-piece-wise as well?

41:28the full backs are quite small there's no sort of great physical presence in there, even if you play Averton midfield and McAllister as well, you've got to think set piece wise as well, is the team big enough and maybe this is hurting Liverpool now not just in terms of actually playing the football and getting players on the ball but it looks like they're not coping at all well with set pieces they can see last minute at Crystal Palace from a long throw as well another corner at Crystal Palace as well. So, yeah, they're struggling, I think, with the style of the whole Premier League right now.

42:02You mentioned the fact that it's a time for an honour slot to be measured after four defeats in a row. But if you look at performances across the whole season, you were saying in the first game of the season against Bournemouth that there were worrying signs defensively for Liverpool from open play. Have they gone any way to fixing those? Do they still look as vulnerable in open players as you they were on that first day? Oh, yeah. Yeah, it hasn't changed. And I think a few weeks away, I looked about Liverpool maybe going back to having Sir Bosley in the midfield and maybe Vert coming out of the team because he's more of an offensive number 10 than Sir Bosley.

42:37But Sir Bosley's played in that position in the last two games. You know, away at Chelsea here against Manchester United today and Liverpool are still conceding goals and conceding big chances. You know, you think of the chance Fernandes had in that first half as well. Manchester United should be 2-0 up in that situation. So, as we said before, the game, I don't think it's one glare and problem. There's lots of things. New signings, not up to speed. But some of Liverpool's great players last season are playing nowhere near the level that they are and just making errors. And you talk about Canarte.

43:09He was brilliant today. Canarte had a really great game. But then Van Dijk's nowhere near himself. He has a really poor game as well. So, it's not quite happening for Liverpool right now. And I think, I've just mentioned on the podcast, actually, I think of Manchester... Where's that available to download? All your usual podcast places? Yes, exactly. But I think when the champions or a team, if you think of last season, on such a long run undefeated from the Nottingham Forest game, I think maybe to the Fulham game later in the season, almost feel invincible. And then this season, as soon as someone beats them, this run goes on in four games.

43:46I remember Manchester City last season, had that run where you couldn't believe this was Manchester City. You feel a little bit like that with Liverpool. And I go back to a game I played in here 25 years ago or something with the invincible team at Arsenal. The following season, once they'd lost one game, everyone thought, oh, maybe you can beat them. And they actually went on a run of sort of losing four or five games. So it's just one of those things that they've looked at it in right now. And they just, as the manager said, you know, they've got to get out of it quick, but it's probably we're not going to see the best of Liverpool I would say till the second half of the season.

44:19That's why I think a draw today I know we praise enough for gambling and winning getting their goals but on the back of three defeats you're home to United and it's 1-1. Don't shy away from taking a point as well I think just to stop the rot. I know three games for Liverpool is a lot but there's a bit of arrogance at that which is nothing wrong with that when you're champions you think there's a bit of a swagger but also smell the game and go this there's danger here that's what it is there's not no taking a point either It's not the end of the world. Jamie, just picking up on what Roy was saying about Liverpool coming back this season, saying earlier about coming back as champions and finding it harder.

44:53They've always been title challengers. They've always had teams coming in here and maybe sitting back against them. But to Jamie's point, do you think that they can scent blood a bit more this season? They feel that it's possible to get something? Yeah, and I think a lot of clubs, a lot of teams will look at what Manchester United did today. They never once played out from the back from a goal kick. You see much lesser teams who aren't comfortable on the ball trying to do that. inviting pressure, losing the goal. I think they had a really good game plan. I think they showed that against Liverpool today.

45:18In terms of trying to maybe... A point isn't the worst result in the world. It wouldn't have been. If you look at what Arsenal did, when they got that point against Manchester City, we were all talking about it after that, how they were celebrating, how happy they were. But then they go on a great run after that. They got a Newcastle win. And we all go, yeah, actually, at the time it didn't feel like a good point, but how good does it feel now? So Liverpool have just got to find some rhythm again. And everyone's going to be asking questions about its decisions, the players that are coming. in, that's inevitable.

45:43The next week or so people are talking about, you know, how's he going to fit Verts in the team? How's he going to fit Isak, Eketike into the team? What does he do about the right back situation? How's the left back looking? There's going to be lots of question marks, but you've just got to be a little bit patient. He's very measured, the manager. He doesn't get too involved, doesn't get too high when they do well, doesn't get too low when they don't. And I think it might need a bit of that for now, because it's going to be a little bit of a struggle. It's going to be a difficult time because they've got some tough games.

46:07We were writing it down earlier on. They've got Brentford away, Villa at home and then the Manchester City away. They're not their games that you're looking at thinking they're not going to be easy They're gonna challenge next week. Champions League games Carabao Cup game against Crystal Palace and we talk about set pieces Jamie's mentioned that how difficult they are now and I think that we cut the ultimate test next week at Brentford away So they're the challenges that they've got to have so they've got to make sure they deal with and with all the players They're brought in I'm just trying to imagine all the manager and the staff at the training ground They're looking at you can give a lot of options really and sometimes that can be a problem Also when you've got brilliant options on the bench You see him chopping and changing and he is offensive and I give him a thumbs up for gambling But again, there's certain games and you have it the old saying in football if you can't win it Don't lose it.

46:48They've got to get back to that mindset of not giving up daft goals like they have done That's the point he made at the end When you've won the title and you've obviously lucky you've won it loads of times You then the second year when you have to do it again Is it like you've got to, is it hard to get yourself going? There's obviously a different challenge and obviously people look at you but then you've obviously got a bit of a confidence about you that we've done it and we can hopefully do it again. You've got that winning culture and that vibe going on. Again, people always thought about the team I was involved with, and you always felt you'd go to the very end.

47:17You always felt if anyone was going to win it, it was United and they'd be gambling. But there was plenty of games where we'd be trying to win again, but also we'd be looking going, everyone thinks we're going to go for it here, but we'll take a draw. There's certain games, I think you always have to smell it in the air. I think Liverpool should have smelled that today. I know it's hard when you're home and the fans are pushing you, It's on the television. Everyone's building the game up. But when it's 1-1 and you've lost three in a row, there's nothing wrong with it. Just bringing it back to base, because we're going, listen, what a lads.

47:43We'd love to win it. We've got enough attacking players on the pitch. But defensively, you've got experienced two centre-halves going, listen, we've got one or two players who are going to try and win it, but make sure we don't lose it. Do you think that's a hangover, though, from those seasons where City were pushing for 100 points, where Liverpool ran them close on 90-odd points in more than one season? Yeah, they obviously had good rhythm last year, particularly. But when it felt that a draw was dropped points, when you almost had to have a perfect season? Yeah, obviously to win titles, it is about winning football matches, but I'm just on about if there's five or ten minutes to go and you're up against teams like United today, especially if they're attacking players, you just, Kelly, you smell it, you just feel it in the air going, I know everyone wants to, I was in midfield and we'd have lads going forward, but I'd still be going, yeah, lads, Giggsie, Becky, you go for it, but don't worry, I'm sitting back in, I'm going to sit in front of my two centre-halves and we're still going to make sure we defend crosses or whatever.

48:30Because unless you do that, unless you do them basics right, you're not gonna win football matches So I just felt today at Liverpool, it was a time for them to go with five or ten minutes to go We talked about that throwing and even that was a symbol of like what are you doing? Just throw it down the line and we get up the pitch Maybe a bit of arrogance and a bit of you can be too confident and United are looking going I tell you what happens when you're thinking that United will be sniffing it and going I think there's a chance here that we can win this game and United haven't won here for ten years So you're giving them belief.

48:59You have to take that belief away from them. And again, go in that dressing room afterwards and be annoyed with a draw. Go in and go, Lance, we need to do better. But it's a draw. It's something. Instead of going and going, hey, we can't be giving up goals like that. We said about their body language when it comes back in from Bruno. Players, four or five of them were kind of looking to run up the pitch as if they're playing at home to a championship team. Southampton came out two or three weeks and they got a few chances. They had a little bit of joy. I know they won the game, but it's still Man United there and they're still a very good attack on players.

49:26And all of a sudden you go, it's going out to Bruno and you're running out. Bruno puts it in, Maguire's on the back post, just like some of the Palace players were on the back post, just like Chelsea were on the back post when they're breaking, going, we'll sniff a chance here. What you just said there, you've probably looked at it a few times, the goal and the team defending the corner. But I go back to my worry about Liverpool at the start of the season. It's not so much all the attacking players, but if the mindset of everyone is always, we're going to be attacking, we've got this attacking player, we're going to be on the ball.

49:54people are always thinking about what happens when they're on the ball and almost the defending bit becomes a bit like do I have to do that, do I have to track him back do I have to go and win a big header I want to get on the ball, I want to play we've got midfield players who all want to get on the ball so I actually think sometimes Liverpool now there's almost a mindset of not actually doing the dirty work and you're talking about today you know getting that point that was definitely more the case in the two away games with Chelsea, Crystal Palace Crystal Palace batted Liverpool they got a goal late on Liverpool that's like get out of there with your pointers it's a tough place to go could have been 3-0 down at half great point a great point away at Chelsea got beat there last season you got back to 1-1 you don't get beat that's the thing that frustrates me in terms of the experience on the pitch and the players they have on the pitch who've won not just last season but won numerous trophies over the last few years have they lost that pride in defending we talk about teams that win titles the foundations obviously you need a top goalkeeper it'd be rock solid at the back we look what Arsenal are doing now but Liverpool are looking at it going do we need to do that bit because we've got so many options we've got brilliant attacker players they're always a goal tread again it's good it could have scored four or five today but they're getting cut out a little bit almost become a bit more humble and don't forget what you got that success that was been maybe rock solid at the back you're going to give up one or two chances but I think teams know we're playing Liverpool and that's four games and going the problem is though Kelly when you actually look at the team they ended up with they end up with three defensive minded players Kerkhez Kanate and Virgil van Dijk.

51:22Everyone else on that pitch is always thinking, a little bit like what Gakpo's thinking, when that corner comes in, if we get the ball, we might score. When Roy mentions about when he was there and he'd be an offensive midfield player, okay, you go, I'll sit here. That's not in Jones. He's not inclined to do that. Verts is not inclined to do that. You end up with everybody else, all the four players, Ekotike, obviously Isak was off the pitch at the time, Fring Pong's not that player. Everyone's trying to win the game. There was not one player that's really going, okay, If we lose it in that midfield, what happens next?

51:51And that's where they got good. Great example. If you look at Arsenal last night, Arsenal for all how brilliant they are. And when you get to the top of the league and you're thinking, you're confident in this guy. You look at Arsenal, when they lose the ball, forget about what they're doing in position. They've got really good players and they're brilliant at set pieces. It's what they're doing without the ball. They're hunting in packs. And they're like tactics right to win. They're just going to close people down. They're not getting bogged down by anything else. So look at Arsenal's success at the moment.

52:17Still a lot to do for them. There's a long way to go. So the bit of joy is coming from actually hunting the ball down, chasing it, pride, hunger. Have Liverpool lost that a little bit? I think they have. They nearly had the chance to equalise. It fell to Cody Gakpo. We'll take a look at some of his other chances in a moment. But you want chances to come in the late stages of the game at 2-1 down. And you want them to fall to somebody maybe who's already scored in the game, who's shown that they're sharp in the game. And yet this happens. Yeah, and listen, we're talking about games, but as we know, the small margins make a big difference.

52:52But he was Liverpool's best attacking player by a long way. Looked really dangerous, Liverpool did, especially in that first half down that left side. And listen, Gakpo's been questioned quite a lot this season because he's one of those players who... He's never going to be a superstar, but you know what you're going to get from him. He's going to get you the goal. Is it because people are missing Luis Diaz? Is that maybe why? Yeah, but I think him and Lewis D has sort of almost flipped between who was playing wide left last season. This is the exact case. He has to score that. He has to. And listen, we can talk about the system, how Liverpool are mentally, tactics.

53:27But players miss chances like that, it's going to come back and haunt you. And Liverpool, as I said, more often than not, in a game in this situation, as the manager said, they end up in the back net, you win the game. And we're talking totally different. And that's the nature of... That's the madness of football, isn't it? That's why even if he makes the substitutions, we all say, God, that was genius. He threw all those players forward. That's what Alex Ferguson used to do. He's gambled and he's won the game. The flip side is when it goes wrong, you lose. That's when you get question marks against maybe being too offensive.

53:55As I said, it's great gambling, of course, but you've still got to make sure you don't give up on that. And that's kind of the question over this performance. We looked at their match stats earlier, Jamie, in Liverpool way ahead in XG. I think I said earlier, Cody Gakpo's XG was higher than that of Manchester United. but they're quite blunt instruments in terms of looking at those moments where you're maybe an inch or two away from getting a goal, those small margins. It's more looking at the big picture for Liverpool. We're trying to kind of widen it out and see where they can improve because those moments will change over the course of a season.

54:26Yeah, a few games' time, they'll start going in. But when you're sort of saying Liverpool's stats are a lot better than Manchester United, they always were going to be before the game. Liverpool are a much better team than Manchester United. So it shouldn't be a case of, oh, we were unlucky. You know, look how many chances we had. Or our XG was more. We had more touches in the back. You'd expect that. Liverpool are a much better team, as I said, than Manchester United. So if Manchester United were going to come to Anfield and win, it was going to be a little bit like that. Maybe getting a late goal, you know, getting a little bit of luck here and there.

54:54But Manchester United had chances in the first half, you know, to go ahead. Liverpool are just not at the races at all defensively. And until they fix that, they can't win the league.

55:10If you're enjoying this podcast, there are plenty more from Sky Sports we think you'll love too. There's the Gary Neville podcast for Gary's immediate reaction to the biggest matches. Transfer Talk has the latest on all the big moves in and out of the Premier League and beyond. And for WSL fans, check out Pitch to Pod with Jordan Nobbs and Nikita Paris. Just search for Sky Sports wherever you get your podcasts. For now, though, let's get back to the Sky Sports Premier League podcast.

55:48Manchester United get their first win at Anfield in the league since 2016. It's back-to-back wins in the league now for Ruben Amorim. They move into the top half of the table. They're two points behind Liverpool. Here he is with Patrick Davison. Well Ruben, I'm conscious that the questions for you in these interviews are often quite dramatic. If you lose, it's a disaster. If you win, it's a transformational moment. Nonetheless, was that perhaps the biggest win of your time as Manchester United manager? I think so. It doesn't mean a lot. It means today, but tomorrow is not going to mean a It's three points, but it's a good victory.

56:30But I will do the same thing that I did in the last games, is try to see the game, try to win key points. We had some luck, but we fought for every ball. We lost our composure a little bit in the second half. But the most important thing, the spirit was there. And that is the beginning of everything. and sometimes you play more with the ball and other days you play without the ball but if you have the spirit you can win any game. I was going to ask you what did you like most about it but would it be that, the togetherness, the fight, the spirit? The spirit and the belief that of course we need some moments like to score first, saves from our goalkeeper, one shot on the post to start believing that we can win any game but then you can feel it.

57:19any transition, some moments with the ball, the team starts believing that it's possible. It was a good day, but now I'm concerned about Brighton. Not already, Ruben. Yeah, because I had one year of experience, so I will enjoy it. I'm not down. I have to enjoy these moments, but let's focus on Brighton. You made a couple of decisions at the start of the game that I'm sure, you know, if you'd been stood here after a defeat, you'd have been criticised for. You brought Maguire in. and you went with that mobile front three. Just tell us a bit more about both those decisions, because clearly they worked.

57:55It's a lack of a manager, so I was expecting that. It's nothing new, so I get used to that. We just saw the game. We know how important set-pieces are, how important the guys that have more experience, imagine that something happened in the beginning of the game against us. Harry Maguire has experience to help the other guys. And then Conate and Van Dijk, they like the confrontation. They like to fight. One of them goes to the ball, the other one makes a second line. But you can sense that more or less all the transitions was Cunha. Cunha was so far from the centre-backs that helped us to take the ball.

58:38Did you as well maybe try and play on their bad run and almost make them impatient a little bit when they were in possession? Every time you play in this kind of environment, if you block well, especially in the beginning, you can feel the fans turning. We feel that in our stadium. All the big teams suffer from that. We try to do that. I think we have to have, of course, more possession to rest our players. They struggle in the end because they are used to have the ball when they spend so much time without the ball, they struggle a little bit. But again, a good win. Let's focus on the next one.

59:21I think I asked you beforehand, would a win kind of change the story of the season? Maybe even change the story of your time in charge so far, because it's the back to back wins. It's a win at Anfield for the first time in a long time. It's an away win for the first time in a while. Do you think this is the moment that switches the narrative? It will give us more confidence to the week. will give a lot of pleasure to our fans that they deserve it. After Greensby, after Brentford, to have a win like this is really important. But again, that is in our hands. And this is the past. Let's focus on the future.

59:57It will change if we do the same thing, playing a little bit better, but with the same spirit, things will change in time. Thank you very much. Well done. Thank you. Thank you. Look, he's preaching calm and sense at the moment. Ruben Amirim and in the wake of what was a really big win for Manchester United we saw the reaction from the players we certainly saw the reaction from the fans as well it's a fourth Premier League away win under Amirim this one the one against Manchester City Fulham and Leicester are the other two teams so what can we read into it not just the result Roy but the performance of Manchester United well obviously they had a little bit of luck today they've scored two goals could have scored one or two more they give up a lot of chances as lots of teams do when they play Liverpool.

1:00:40They mentioned again the word belief, we look at Liverpool maybe losing it a little bit, they have believed it when they've lost four. So if United get back-to-back wins, the result here today. Again if you go into the training this week, United will be a better place and that's it. There'll be different energy, there'll be different vibes, they've got new players who've come to the club, particularly attacking players and they haven't got all that baggage I suppose from last year when it was really negative and the results and lack of goals. So now they can bring some positivity but again bright next week another tricky game for United but what we're finding out about certain players at United, we've seen today with the attacking players, what you want at United as well or whatever about their technical skills is lads who are big characters and big personalities and we're seeing certainly signs of players who are playing for Man United going yeah these expectations and obviously expected to win every week I think they're embracing it they don't like they're shying away from it, still loads to fix let's not kid ourselves either at United or all of a sudden some top team far from it but they've got signs like they're a goal threat Monday and obviously last year particularly when you're not scoring many goals they were constantly under pressure at the back but now it just eases the pressure a little bit when you come to players like Liverpool you go listen we've got two or three goals in our makeup even Sunday at home two goals if you get two goals a game then they've got a chance of winning some football matches Manchester United's recruitment has taken a bashing over the years with Cunha and Bermos Lomans potentially as well send a Lomans in goal Made some big saves, yeah, of course.

1:02:00Yeah, have they turned that around? Should they get praise, given that we've criticised them in the past? Yeah, you have to do, because obviously we know the importance of recruitment in football, and we've been slagging United off the last two, three, four, five years, saying, who's buying these players? But all of a sudden, you look at the attacking players, and what they helped, the big plus for the attacking players, they're brought in this summer, they pay big money for players who know the Premier League. So they are used, whereas over the last year or two, we're looking at United buying players a lot from a broad quality, but they couldn't seem to deal with the speed and the physicality of the Premier League.

1:02:27But all of a sudden you've got two players who are going to get you up the pitch. They're the goal threat. They'll deal with the demands. Their bodies are robust enough. Today was a physical challenge and they dealt with it. They weren't rolling around. So that's a big plus. And when you're in a team, you've got two, a couple of star players top of your pitch. You think they can get us out of jail. It gives everyone a big lift. So it's a relief to the defenders. Your midfielders go, we've got some attacking players. We've all played with attacking players. Even on a bad day you go, hopefully they'll get us out of jail.

1:02:52And they kind of did that with United today because United gave up a lot of chances. But if you feel every time the ball goes forward, someone's going to hold it up. Somebody's going to go past somebody or somebody's going to put the ball in the back of the net. That gives everyone a lift and a belief. And we saw clips of the United players in the dressing room there and they're smiling, they're happy. What a great place to be. Success is good. Enjoy it, embrace it, but back it up next Saturday against Brighton, which would be not a tricky game for United. What have you made of Umbermo and Kunia since they've come in?

1:03:18Yeah, they look like top players, but they also look like they're good characters as well. We all know, I know Bermow from his time at Brentford, that you assign players, not just on the back of how talented they are, but what they bring to the dressing room, how they train every day, how they live their life. Kunja obviously has had their reputation, been sent off a couple of times, but I like a bit of development in a player. You know, you play with Eric Cantona, that's what he was like. You knew that you could get that genius, but sometimes you get a bit of madness, it goes with it. He looks like he just looks right and he looks complete in a Manchester United shirt.

1:03:46So good recruitment. As you say, the goalkeeper, you've got to celebrate that one as well. and whatever way you look at it, some of the players that they've decided to leave the club, like Sir Garnasso, Sancho, Rashford, for whatever reason, the club didn't feel that they were the right kind of characters. So they've not had them and they've moved them on. So instead they're changing that. And then you change the environment and you change the culture at the club. Then you start to see that the young players, rather than looking at people that maybe don't conduct themselves in the right way at training, maybe turn up late, maybe don't give 100 % in training, then things start to change.

1:04:15And that's what you're trying to achieve. That's what Manchester City have had. That's what probably Liverpool have had over the last few years, where they've had brilliant senior players, even if you take it back to Jordan Henderson and James Milner and Virgil van Dijk. Good players, good people leading the way, setting the right examples, goes a long way in football. And I think that's why their recruitment is not just about signing good players, but also good characters. And also, we talk about the players, but the manager will get a big lift from this. He's been under huge pressure, heavily criticised, attacked his assistant.

1:04:41Not just the manager, his staff. They will go back, they'll get a bit of confidence from that. we can compete against Liverpool but obviously we're going to do it week in week out so the lift for the staff who've obviously been heavily criticised as well Well what do you make of the system and the tactical now of Ruben Amorim that has come in for a lot of criticism does today show that it can work? Well no, there's still a long way back for United they've given up lots of chances, I'm not sure still about the balance of the back or whatever but we talk about these big clubs Man United are both top players and big characters, big personality.

1:05:18And they showed that today. And as I said, a couple of attackers they brought in and the goalkeeper made some big saves today. That make a huge difference to them. Absolutely. And they'll start looking at the table and all of a sudden you're looking, top four, top five. Have that belief and confidence that you can compete and start getting back to being a really decent team.

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1:06:12So we talked about Manchester United's new signing and their recruitment. Let's talk about Liverpool. Now, if we talk about Isak and Wurtz, it's only eight starts between the two of them. So we're not dealing with this on the basis of a lot of evidence. But is the evidence there that they are going to click, that they are going to start producing? I think the evidence is definitely there with Isaac, because he's been in the Premier League before, you know, and he was fantastic for Newcastle. He's got to score that chance. And Slott says now his pre-season's over. He's now ready to be judged. Listen, I said a few weeks ago, maybe for Florian Vert, he's found it tough to get up to the speed of the Premier League.

1:06:53It's not just about the goals and assists. Obviously, we know he hasn't got one yet, but it can be in general play as well. And we know there's a different physicality in the Premier League to the Bundesliga. And yes, and my aunt Jamie said before, the game, and plenty of people do, and they're writing to say, oh, it's too early to judge. And of course, as you've just said, seven or eight games. But I mean, is there a certain game where it's OK? What do we have to get to? 15, 20? What I'm saying is it's like, you've got to... I'm not expecting to see the Bayer Leverkusen, Florian Vert in the first seven games.

1:07:22But I'm expecting to see them... Improve. Just little glimpses where you think, OK, he can get there. We just haven't seen much at all, really. and with Izaki as I said he's got to score that chance that's not about being at a new club that's just a poor finish you know he's not thinking of that when he's going through he's just got to score that but no listen I think it's interesting when and we've all said this as a pundit where we talk about how long do you give foreign players when they come to the league some people say you don't write the first year off but you know the second year they'll improve and get better but if I'm being totally honest in my experience of players who've come to the club when I was a player If I think of the great foreign signings, and the first one that comes to me, I'll think of Sammy Hippier, Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Luis Suarez, Didi Jaman coming in.

1:08:16They're all at the ground, aren't they? I can't think of many who had a really average poor... I'm not talking seven games, by the way. If we're talking getting to Christmas, January, February, and you haven't seen much, you're a little bit like... Because for me, history doesn't tell me that foreign signings coming into England take a year. People always say Thierry Henry. It's nonsense. Thierry Henry scored 25 goals in his first season for Arsenal. If he didn't score for his first eight, then. Exactly. But what I'm saying is it wasn't a year. So you do need to be patient, then. If he didn't score for his first eight, then...

1:08:46I know what I'm just saying. Seven or eight games is too early. But what I'm saying is once we start getting to January, February, March, it's a bit like, when is the time when we can start saying, hang on, maybe this was a mistake? Yes, you can talk about getting used to up to speed. and we're at that stage now, seven or eight games. But in my experience with players, especially at Liverpool, players who are great foreign signings for the club, more often than not, they hit the ground, wouldn't they? I would say 99 % of them. I think there are others that don't. Graham and Birch took a while.

1:09:14There are others that maybe do take a little bit more time. And the thing is, as well, this pre-season, I think, for Liverpool, was probably the most difficult they've ever had to go through with, obviously, what happened with a tragedy and everything like that. So everything's been disrupted and been so tough for the players. So what that has done to a lot of the players and that disruption must have been so tough for everybody. They've lost one of their, not just a teammate, also a brother to a lot of them. So it's been really difficult. Now, players coming in, like Florian Verts, there's been a few moments.

1:09:42If he has the assist against Chelsea and Salah scores for him, we all talk about, well, what an assist. He's off. He's running. Now, I'm not sure, excuse me, if he's going to be that person that's going to be always sliding balls through. He might be at times a little bit like, I would say, a Luka Modric. Now, Luka Modric, you judged him purely on his goals and assists. You maybe think he wouldn't be the player that we all talk about. But he would be the player that would make the pass and makes the pass. Now, that might be floor inverse. Today, when he come on, he showed me a lot of qualities.

1:10:07And I thought, yep, he was willing to get on the board. It wasn't easy for him. I think we've got a real player there. But it's going to take time. The intensity of this league, especially for someone like him, it's so robust. And he might just be finding that bit more difficult. but it won't be all expected. He might have to go on a little bit of a strength and conditioning situation for a few months and get him even stronger. But I've got no doubt, because I've seen players like that in the Premier League and I've seen him in Germany, he will be a success here. But again, we have to be a little bit patient.

1:10:36Isak, I'm not worried about, as Jamie says. He's played in this league for the last few years. He's going to be comfortable. But there is an added pressure when you play for Liverpool. It brings me back to something you said before the game, Jamie, which is that when Mo Salah isn't playing well, Liverpool are maybe having to have someone else as their star player. However, is that an Isak? Is that a Florian Vert? Is it someone else? They're now looking for a different, I don't know, pivotal player in that starting line-up. Who do you think the future player that Liverpool build their team around is?

1:11:09It has to be Isak and Vert because they've spent the money on them and their age profile compared to Mo Salah. I do think watching Mo Salah this season, I absolutely love him. But we know there's a tactical set-up with Mo Salah in that. He doesn't help Liverpool's right-back. But I'm not criticising him for being lazy and not getting back. We lauded Arnaislava for allowing Salah that role last season. And he probably hasn't got the legs to get up and down like a conventional wide player. But if you're not getting nothing going the other way, you're obviously losing something that way, but you're not gaining it going the other way.

1:11:44and watching Mo Salah today he never got found out sort of defensively because he doesn't track back today but he was off with the ball he lost the ball a lot through the game and that can happen with him even in his prime but what I would say with Mo Salah right now is I think we're at the stage where I don't think Mo Salah should be like a Virgil van Dijk where it's like first name on the team sheet so Liverpool have got two away games one of the Champions League in Frankfurt and then they go to Brentford I don't think Mo Salah should start both of those games. He should always be starting at Anfield because Liverpool are going to be on top, be around the edge of the box and more often than not, he scores in those situations today.

1:12:22But I do think with away games and helping your right full-back as well, I don't think Mo Salah should be starting every game right now, certainly away from home with the form that he's in. Was he on the bench for the Galatasaray game in Europe? Yeah, and I think we'll see that a little bit more going forward. Just because... Will he be OK with that, Jeremy? Will he be OK with that or is he tight to spit his dummy out? Probably not. I wouldn't imagine we're not all great with being on the bench, but I think when you get to a certain age as well, I think we all have to understand that as well. Especially when you're not playing well, where's your argument?

1:12:56It's different if you're banging in the goals and the manager makes a tackle decision and you're frustrated. I don't think Mo Salah's in any position to complain if he was left out of one of the next two away games. But I do think, we'll always play him at home, but I think right now playing him away from home in every game, I think the manager should look at maybe something slightly different in terms of Frim Pong. What do you think? Is it time to start managing his career? Yeah, a little bit. I mean, Jurgen Klopp did it a couple of times. He didn't like it when he took him off. I'm at West Ham one day and there was a few words crossed between the two of them.

1:13:25So it has happened even in a few years ago. So it's not anything new. I mean, do I look at him and think that he's a different player right now? I think last year he was so good early in the season, but there seemed to be a drop off. His form, his confidence is low. He's not looking the same player right now. but when you talk about world-class players, I know he's obviously playing a totally different league, but you still have to bring him up. He's Ronaldo and the age he's still at. Now, these are great players and he's so fit. I still think he's got a lot more to offer. He's just having a bit of a bad time and it's like everybody else in this team.

1:13:58So it's very easy to look at all the different players. There's not one player that I would say, yet they're at the level they were last year at the moment. And that's what's making it really difficult, not just for the manager, but also for the team. Sorry, there's lots of dynamics going on with the attacking players and who are on grey form and new players settling. But that's where you go back to basics and start going, at least be harder to beat. Unless attacking defenders of the team just looks a bit disjointed.