Michael Carrick questions 'baffling' penalty decisions as Man Utd pegged back at Bournemouth

0:06This is the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. Thanks for joining us. The Premier League weekend kicked off at Bournemouth as Manchester United travelled to the Vitality Stadium for Friday night football. And here is how the game finished.

0:25Well there's something about these two dealing in entertaining topsy-turvy draws the first half here didn't exactly catch fire but then it all happened in the second United looked to be on course when Bruno Fernandes slotted Cooley from the spot and set them on the way but there was a surprising response and indeed a surprising scorer for Bournemouth. Ryan Christie with his first home goal of the season made it 1-1. It was another set-piece goal for Manchester United. Maguire celebrated but the final touch came off James Hill. Manchester United in front again but again Bournemouth came back. Junior Kruppi slotting from the penalty spot after Harry Maguire had fouled Ever Nielsen and got his marching orders.

1:07Off he went Harry Maguire on the day that he was recalled by England. 2-2, Alan, fair result for you? Yeah, I think in the end, an entertaining second half. Both sides showed some good parts of the character. So it takes another step forward, maybe a small step for Carrick, but it could have easily been lost that match. Well, it's still just one defeat in ten for Manchester United. It's another draw for Bournemouth, their 15th of the season. Final score, Bournemouth 2, Manchester United 2.

1:46One thing to point out, Manchester United had 11 shots in the first half, just three in the second half. And in fact, after Bruno Fernandes' penalty, they didn't have a single shot. So that was after 61 minutes, the penalty. So he didn't have a shot for the last, what, 38 minutes of the game. And Harry Maguire not sent off till the 78. So that might be a disappointing element of it for Michael Carrick. But a really entertaining second half. and you were saying, Andy, at halftime, that we just needed that little bit of magic. Was Cunha the player to deliver that, or the first player to deliver that anyway?

2:18Most definitely. And to be fair, I think that's the kind of play you expect to offer as well. First touch here, impeccable first touch here. Drives, drives, drives, and then he straightens Jimenez up and just flicks inside that little bit of Brazilian flair and gets himself a penalty. It's a brilliant skill, Jamie. Brilliant, because what it is, is the lift. because most defenders will put their foot out and leave it on the floor. And they just see it with his right foot there. He just lifts it over his foot there. Then Jimenez can't react. And then it's just pure panic. Like, it's hard. Why are you holding him?

2:50You've just got to let him go. He's done you. You've got your centre-back's going to come across and give you a little bit of help. But sometimes that's just the panic. He's been outskilled, and that's what happens sometimes. 100 % a penalty. And then the man you want to take it, Andy? He is the guy when it comes to penalties. Like you were saying, I don't know how he does it. It's started, stopped and then watching the goalkeeper move and then strokes it home. The Ivan's only technique. Yeah, definitely. And then, so that was, the guys think, no doubt about that penalty. And then there was a penalty appeal just before Bournemouth equalised.

3:22So Manchester United thought they should have had another penalty here when Ahmad goes through. Jamie, what's your verdict on this? I think it would have been really harsh. I think that you can see Truffaut is being aggressive with him. He does manhandle him a bit, but I just don't think it's enough for it to be a penalty. Then Bournemouth break. Now you can probably, in the VAR room, you can see the referee. They're thinking, is it a penalty? Is it not? Let's hope this doesn't end up in a goal. Bournemouth work it really, really well. You see, I think Casemiro here goes out too far. He leaves Christie in a good position, lets it run across his body.

3:55Good touch. And that is a sublime finish. It's so good. You loved this, Andy, didn't you? To finish that, I look and say to myself, that's the kind of thing I want to do. you know, stroke it in the corner. Now you look at his pick and turn around and say, well, there's no power in it. He doesn't need any power because he knows what he's doing, knows what he wants. The sky's in the bottom corner. Just steers it in for his first home goal for almost two years. Here's another look at Ahmad. Andy, what's your take on this? I would say in today's game for me, it's a penalty. Yeah. When we were playing, no chance, absolutely no chance.

4:26Why do you think it is a penalty? Physical, it's very physical in today's game. You know, we're going to see the other penalty in a minute and where Harry Maguire gets sent off, you turn around and say to yourself, well, if I'm in that position, I'm not going down anyway. So for me, that's not a penalty, but it is what it is. We will have another look at this in just a moment in context with the one that went Bournemouth's way, but Bournemouth having got themselves back in the game, that parity only lasted for four minutes because you were sort of worried about them from set pieces, Jamie. Well, they're not necessarily a big side.

4:57That's the problem. You've got your two centre-backs, Sanessi and Hill. Hill can head the ball, but if you can almost take him out of the equation, it's difficult. And in that instance, Sanessi, number five, he gets a great leap. He gets his first touch. And you can see Hill, it just unfortunately hits him on the side of the face. Manchester United at that point to bring on Cescou as well. So they've got a lot of height. And that becomes the panic. I mean, they leave Rayan, who looks 6 '3", at least. He's one of the players that doesn't get into the box. So you've got to really defend well from corners.

5:24They have done. They haven't really been exploited that often. But obviously, that was a big moment in the game. And then Bournemouth get this moment. Travernier, brilliant. Lends it to Eva Nilsson. A nice little bit of movement. Kruppi then comes into the space, plays it. Nielsen takes a great first touch across Harry Maguire. And Harry just gets his arm out. And I know what everyone else is saying. Well, what's the difference? I think the difference is he's going in goal. He's denied a goal-scoring opportunity. It obviously means it's going to be a red card. And Harry's just, because of his momentum, has just put his arm out.

5:52It's extremely harsh. But I could see why he's given that one. Andy, come in on this? Very harsh. First and foremost, the interplay between the two boys up front. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Once he gets himself in there, I'm stating myself here, I've not got no time to go down. Because he's a really good touch. He's in on goal. It's a great touch. So I'm thinking, I'm not going down. I'm going to finish myself. But, like I said, today's game, you go down, you've got a great opportunity of getting a penalty. And unfortunately for Manchester United, Harry Maguire gets sent off as well. So let's have a...

6:21I mean, it is hard. I mean, the more you watch it, it's so... What's the difference between the two? That's the thing. That's the thing. And I think normally, because he's not given that one, Jamie, me. Because he's not given this one, I think it's probably human nature to not give the other one. But he's decided not to. Look, I just think that's really hard. There's nothing. Ahmad's just too weak. He goes down. But you say that. Eben Ilsen was weak as well. But he's Ahmad through on goal. And Eben Ilsen is through on goal. Is that the difference? It's exactly the same thing. They've both gone down weakly.

6:52The referees decide to give one and not the other. But we're asking the question, what is the difference? Because for me, there is no difference. let's have a look at the actual penalty though because he looked nervous didn't he in the actual moments waiting he obviously wasn't this is brilliant look at his technique I mean Andy he was a forward that's brilliant isn't it you like him as well don't you that is top draw for a young man you know what's he 18 19 years old and that's his ninth goal of the season the highest scoring teenager in the Premier League even before that just come on as well I like what it when's the penalty you've been given is a young man even Ilsen's on the pitch He ran over to Lemons and just nicked the ball off him and said, I'm taking this.

7:34I think that shows you and tells you everything about him. 19 years of age, another one. Recruitment at Bournemouth is so good. And he's a sensational young player. Really nervous, as you can see there. Let's hear from Bruno Fernandes now. He's with David Craig. Bruno, it's another game unbeaten for Manchester United. But is there perhaps a sense of frustration that you're not going away with here with all three points? I'm more disappointed because I think we did enough to get that three points. Obviously, we had to finish the game with a lot of suffering and trying to not concede a goal. The frustration also came a little bit into ourselves because obviously we had a situation where we could have gone 3-1 up and from that situation we ended up conceding another goal.

8:21I think, no, we could have gone 2-0 out, sorry, and then we end up conceding a goal, not getting a penalty, and then we get a penalty against where more or less it's the same situation as Ahmad. One is rewarded as a penalty, the other one not. I know it's difficult for the referee to give two penalties in the same game for the same team, but what I don't understand is why VAR doesn't get involved in that situation or either way in the situation of Ari, because either one is a penalty and the other one too or none of them is a penalty. I can understand and we don't want to get you into trouble with the authorities but is there a frustration that can you see similarities between the one that's not given for you and the one that sees Harry pick up a red card and is given?

9:04Yeah, because I think Ahmad is getting to a point where he's going to shoot and he gets pushed or pulled. I can't exactly see how it happens but you can see that is there something that gets him completely out of balance. And obviously, I think it's very frustrating for the small players because they always say he's very soft on the small players and when he's in a bigger player, they say they end up giving the falls. I do think that on the Ari situation, it is a penalty, but I think in the Ahmad one is also a penalty and obviously that could have changed the game. You mentioned having to sit and suffer a little bit, especially with 10 men, but the fact that you were able to do that and still come away from this game with something, does that tell us how Manchester United have evolved since Michael Carrick and his backroom team have come in?

9:56No, I think that's always been part of the club. It doesn't change who's the manager in charge. Obviously, in the last week, we've been very positive with the results and obviously that gives more of a positive energy to the team to understand that we can get results anywhere we go. it's been very important for us in the last play with Michael because we've been in very good form and obviously today we had to suffer we had to run a little bit more and we did at the end up getting a point what's not everything negative from the game so we got something from it Clearly getting a Champions League spot for next season is the aim whatever happens with the other results this weekend you go into the international break you will be third could it be higher than third the way this Manchester United team are playing and believing in themselves come the end of the season?

10:46What could be better is that in the next game we have to get the three points that we didn't get today. That's all. We need to go game by game because the Premier League is very tough. We have a lot of competition to play against in this moment because Villa is very close to us. Liverpool and Chelsea also. So we need to be aware of that. But our aim is looking forward and try to get the three points. Not that we're not going to be looking at them, but we know that we have to run away from them and the best way to do it is getting points. And if you're going to get closer to the one in front of you, you still have to get the three points.

11:23And just very finally, earlier this year, all of you as a team, the whole club, had to take a lot of criticism. You had to suffer a lot of weight on your shoulders from all directions. Is there now a new feeling around Manchester United? Is this a real good feeling? and what Manchester United stand for and are about? It's going to always be like that. When you get results, you're going to get your flowers. When you don't get the results, you're going to get the criticism. It's part of being a Man United player. You play for a top club where the demand is very high from everywhere, from everyone.

11:58You know that you're going to have a lot of people with the eyes on our club because the club is massive and social-wise even more. So it's a lot of eyes looking for us. but if you decide to play for this club and if you are at this club it's because you are a big player and you have to have a big personality to be here understanding that it's going to be highs and lows and you have to deal with them in the same way. Bruno, I appreciate your time. Thank you very much. Thank you. Good luck. I don't want you feeling too much joy tonight because they'll feel like this is two points dropped from the positions they got themselves in and Bruno made the point as well that those were the same incidents and if one's a penalty then the other one should be a penalty as well.

12:36Andy thought the foul on Ahmad was a penalty albeit perhaps soft. Jamie, can you explain why you think this was not given and not overturned as well by VAR? I just think because if you look at where Truffaut is and you can see Sanessi, number five, he's coming back. There's two players around him there. I just think one's not denying a definite goal-scoring opportunity. I think he just could be a little bit stronger. He's going over a little bit too easily. And as I say, there's bodies around there. Now, if he hadn't, if he had given it, would we have gone, oh, that's the worst penalty decision ever?

13:05No, it's not. I just don't personally think it is. and then you roll it onto this one and I just feel because even Ilsen is going into the goal scoring area to score or probably score and I just think that it's still weak but I think that's maybe the slightest difference on the two of them. It's an opportunity to score isn't it and then the referee Stuart Adwell has got to make a couple of decisions with regard to Harry Maguire. Has he made a deliberate attempt to play the ball? Has he denied a goal scoring opportunity and if he thinks that he hasn't, he's done the first and he hasn't done the second, then it's a red card, isn't it, Andy?

13:40Well, yeah. Obviously, that's why he's made a decision, you know, to send him off because he's believed he's done just that. But when you talk about going down easily, he's gone down really easily then. As a manager, of course, you're going to be disappointed. Bruno's disappointed in that as well because you're looking at it. You're looking at both of them. You turn around and say, so break it down. What is the difference? Because they've both gone down easily, but what is the difference? Yeah, I get the sending off one. I get that. But if we're talking about the penalty itself, why is one giving them one's not?

14:10The other thing that Andy makes a great point with is why even are you wanting to go down there? You are going through to see the whites of the goalkeeper's eyes. It's amazing. You would never have tried to do that. You'd have just thought, I'm going to go through. This is obviously not the one, but this is, you know, that's the bit that amazes me. But I just think they're both incredibly soft. What about the decision from VAR actually to stay out of both? What do you think about that? Because essentially we're saying that the referee is the one who's making the decision, the arbiter. Which is, I think, where we probably all wanted to get to in football, that VAR was a little bit too heavy.

14:46Mostly because they didn't want to make that call. Oh, can you imagine the panic in the room with the first one when he's got the ball? Please don't score. Please don't score. Harry's been caught all ends up as well. Brilliant play by Bournemouth. Andy said it himself. I love that. You know, that's great interchange. He's been caught by the pace and the touch. Pace, the touch, everything. And you can just see it there. And then all of a sudden, this panic, he puts his left arm out, right arm out. But it's not a great deal. But I guess when he's going at that pace, going through clean on goal, and I feel like the more that you see it, you think it is a penalty, the more that you see it, you think it's not a penalty.

15:21The other thing is that the referee, I think he probably sees him going down thinking, well, why is he going down if he's going through clean on goal? That's the other bit. It's like, oh, it's... In my head, I'm saying to myself, well, OK, you try to put me up my stride. I get it, but I ain't got no time for that. I'm going to finish it off myself. But like I was saying off air, it's so easy to go down there and get a penalty because you know, guaranteed, nine times out of ten, you're going to get one. So why stay on your feet? Yeah, and we can get the verdict from the Manchester United boss now, Michael Carrick with David Craig.

15:56Michael, first of all, can we ask you for your reflections on that 90-plus minutes tonight from your perspective? Yeah, a lot happened in the end. I thought we had good chances, really, good opportunities, some good chances, some really good opportunities that probably didn't lead to the chance. But I thought we had enough to be ahead and a little bit more comfortable in the game. We found the goal. Should have had another penalty. If you get one, you must get the other. It's pretty much identical for me, two-hand grab. So, he's, out of the way, he's got one wrong. But to give one and not give the others, I just can't get my head around it.

16:35I think it's crazy. And then, obviously, because of that, it goes to the other end. They score. And then there's chaos after that, really. So, disappointed with not winning the game after being up. But under the circumstances, with 10 men for what ended up being some sort of added time, which we haven't seen for a while, decided to bring that one back. back, we managed that really well again and were really comfortable in managing that in the way we did it. So I was really pleased with the way the boys finished the game and easy to let that game slip away. They kept their heads really well and took the point, which in the end, we'll take the point and we'll move on.

17:13But just the decision for the penalty, I just can't understand how you can be so one and the other and give one and not. That's mental. now the last thing we want you to do is get you into trouble with the authorities but obviously that was two huge talking points the one with Ahmed and then the one with Harry how much of a similarity between both did you see from your perspective where do you start really listen maybe he's past Harry so maybe that's a decision right and he gives that but I haven't really actually got too much of a problem I haven't seen it back to be totally truthful but I think if he's passed him and he's in on goal then I can understand that decision so I'm not going oh we deserve everything but it shouldn't have happened because we should be we should have another penalty and the game would have been different and totally different and then it ended up chaos after that kind of chasing decisions really so it is what it is.

18:11How big are those moments at the highest level when things don't go your way? Massive absolutely massive for that's what I was for clean it up and make consistency and surely whatever they think, if one's already been given, there's enough people to decide that the other one should be the same as the first either way and it's two different decisions. It's a bit baffling, really. What it does mean, though, is it's still just the one defeat in 10 games since you took over. Whatever happens this weekend, you go into that international break in third. Do you sense that the momentum is very much with you to achieve what you're trying to achieve this year is ensuring Champions League football for this club?

18:51We're in a good place. We're in a decent place. We know it's for now. Of course, we need to take the breather. Some lads, obviously, a lot of the boys are going away and come back strong. We've got a big finish to the season. We've put ourselves in this position through some good work, some good results and some good performances. We could have had more tonight. In the end, it went against us, but we still took the point. It's not the end of the world by any stretch. We'll come back stronger after the break. we touched on it pre-game but a lot of people are speaking about it a rejuvenated Manchester United a Manchester United that's playing in the style and producing the results that people expect has it even superseded your expectations coming into what was a difficult position Michael?

19:36No I think we came in and I came to work with the boys and trying to make the best of it and trying to keep improving and work with them and develop the team develop the players and work with the staff and I think we've made some improvements. There's things we can improve on, we can get a lot better. It's still a short period of time relative, and we've made a lot of steps. So I'm happy the way things have gone, but we're not satisfied. We definitely want more. Mike, appreciate your time. Thanks a lot. Thanks, mate. So when you look at this, Andy, a point gained or two dropped? From the positions, Manchester United found himself in two dropped, but going away with a point, is better than going away with nothing.

20:20It just gives everyone else that little flicker of hope again, doesn't it? Yeah, but this isn't the title race. When you look at Arsenal and Man City, they're going head on. Man City just fought with a little bit of late. But when you look at the other sides, Chelsea are dropping points, Liverpool are dropping points, the Tottenham Hotspurs last week. Aston Villa have gone on a bit of a bad run. So it might end up not being a bad point, but it just all depends. it can flip very quickly you know if the other teams win if Chelsea go to Everton this weekend get three points all of a sudden they're straight back into it again so I think up until the end of the season there's going to be a lot of twists and turns in that top four looks like five race so time will tell but I always just feel not just because I watch so much of Bournemouth anytime you get anything against them it's not the worst result we've seen Liverpool go there and get chinned last minute they are such an excellent side unbelievable They're so fit, strong, the way they get after teams, great energy, good interchange, as Andy said.

21:20They're so hard to play against. So you've always thought you've just got to take what you can when you go there. You know, they've been excellent in both games against them this season. And lose very few games at home as well. I suppose, you know, we talk about Michael Carrick and obviously the conversation continues to be around him because it is such a big job being the Manchester United manager. And right now, the position seems vacant. If there were any questions, Andy, would they be around, if you look at the results where they haven't won the games, the away form in recent weeks, they've won one of their last four away games, dropping points at West Ham, losing at Newcastle, dropping points against Bournemouth.

21:57Would that be the question? Yeah, you could say that, but then for me, you'll be nitpicking. If you look at the games that they've drawn, they've got themselves in front. It's not as if they're going to go behind or anything. They've always got themselves in front and unfortunate to give away a goal or whatever maybe. At times, when you're in the Premier League, you're going to be a little bit lucky. You expect that, you know. But if I'm looking at it as a whole, since he's taken over, his first game against Manchester City there, 17th of January, and now we're talking March 15th. if you look at those results as a manager, you can't ask for much more.

22:31No, you'd be very, very happy. But do you think he's got to do more than produce results, more than get Manchester United into the Champions League to actually get this job? No, like I said, at the start of the show, that's totally out of my hands there. Don't be backing off again. I mean, it's not. But if you're a manager, for instance, if I'm a manager and I come in as an interim manager and I'm getting those results, what more can you ask for? you know that's what they wanted from him go out there win football matches as many as you can when you do that who can really complain and say oh you've not done this you've not done that or you've not got a result there or whatever maybe I just think since he's gone in whatever he's done he's done a brilliant job he's galvanised the club oh yeah yeah yeah you know you can see the players they're enjoying they've had a lot of managers I don't think the players for whatever reason have respected now does he get it long term who knows you know, whatever candidates are out there.

23:27He's done himself no harm whatsoever. Andy said a great point at the start of the show. If it's not here, he doesn't end up getting the job. He will be on someone's radar because of the job that he's done. He showed he could, because he's still a very young manager in terms of managing in the Premier League. He still could become a really good manager. And you get the feeling as well, Jamie, that he is making everyone else's life easier at Old Trafford, including the people he's got to manage up to, as well as the players and the coaches around him. Yeah, he's a bright boy. He understands the game.

23:58He knows the remit. He's gone in there and just not complicated things. Played players in the right positions. Got your best players feeling confident, enjoying themselves. He's gone back to a back four, which the players seem to be a lot comfortable with. He's just done the right things. And he's made it look easy. I think that he's him as a person, though. Yeah. If you look at the way he played, I mean, you look at the way he's managing now, he's exactly the same person. You know, he never screams and shouts, listen to his interviews there that is Michael Carrick so whatever he's gone in there and done he's done extremely well Hi I'm Tamsin Greenway and I'm Tracey Neville and we've teamed up this season for Sky Netball's Off the Court podcast Join us every week as we shoot through the hottest topics in Netball We'll bring you everything you need to know from the Super League to the Super Shop all building towards the Commonwealth Games Make sure you give Off the Court a follow where you listen to your podcasts.

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