Rogers’ stunning double downs Man Utd as Villa win again

25:41So every manager wants to bring players from the academy, not spend money because this gives value to the manager. I just want to win. I just want to be certain that the players that come in from the academy are not going to suffer too much. So I'm just trying to help the club. It doesn't matter if he's from the academy or abroad. Sorry to go back to Bruno, I know it's very early, but what are the early indications with him in terms of what the injury is, how bad it might be? I think he's soft tissues, so he's going to take a while, we'll see. And Kobi, I know you spoke about that before, but do you think that's a calf and shouldn't be too long?

26:22We'll see, I don't want to say nothing because the last time that I spoke about Mata, for example, you never know, so let's focus on the next game, the players that we have and and do everything we can to recover the players. It's going to be a huge test for the group, isn't it? Losing Kobe, now Bruno, on top of the players you're already without. They have happened at the worst possible time, haven't they? We need to prepare all the guys that we have to the next game. The responsibility is the same. We cannot use anything as an excuse. No one is going to remember this problem. So let's cope with that and it will make us stronger.

27:00Do we see today a team and a club going in the right direction, the way you played? I think I saw that since the beginning of this season. A team that is going forward, that sometimes relax a little bit, sometimes is not there in the right moment to fight. But today was completely the opposite. We were the better team against a team that plays at home in a very good run. We were really unlucky today. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Well, he ended by saying he felt that Manchester United were very unlucky. He started by saying he thought they were the better team today. What do you think?

27:35I disagree that they're unlucky. You know, they give up two goals defensively. We look over the last two games, two today, four against Bournemouth. That's not good enough. We praise them for what they're doing going forward. More of a goal threat. And again, couldn't you miss a great chance? Maybe they get a point. And again, that would have been two goals for them. But the amount of chances of goals they're giving up, you're never really going to make big progress. That's all right for us. Maybe a small club where you might be an entertaining club but you can still dig deep. They still have to find a way and after the game I've always felt as a player I'd be further points than the players.

28:10So there's no point coming out afterwards and particularly at Man United going we played really well we were a bit unlucky no I'd rather come out again no we weren't at our best but I tell you what we got the job done and even United today they can dig deep. They've got to be more intense when they're defending they've got to be a bit more pride. I look at Dal O'Deary getting interviewed after the game and Dalla for the second goal, the intensity or desire to stop a cross. And these are like big moments in a football match. It might be, again, it ends up being a poor cross, but Aston Villa, again, playing with confidence, I believe, make the most of it.

28:39Whereas United are just letting teams away with it. You can't give up six goals in two matches and stand there and expect to say, we're going to get results. You're just making it really hard for yourselves. And they're up against the nil with people like Bruno. Okay, he's brought on a couple of younger players today. There's players away. These are the challenges of playing for Man United. but you can also dig deep. You can also win playing ugly. You have to find a way to do that because there's no good turn. A part of football is when you're out of possession and this team out of possession are nowhere near good enough and I don't know where that intensity, that drive and belief is to try and get a result.

29:11I don't see it. Again, I've watched United today and I've watched them closely recently and out of possession, I said it before the game, teams seem to create chances and goals far too easily. There has to be a pride in your, when you're a player for a team to say we're going to be hard to beat. And they're not. I think it was 18 games they lost last year. If they were better out of possession. Well, the great example there would be the second goal. Just go in with the players tomorrow and go, listen, we're up against Villa. We have a good record here. But obviously that can come to an end as well.

29:40Villa are doing well and they've got moments that we saw Rodgers producing moments of magic. But let's make it a bit harder for them. For a great example, if you want to analyse football, look at Dalo here. Dalo's a full-back. Look at Dalo. Look at that. You tell me that's the intensity of a desire of a footballer to say you are not going to get across him. It's not as if somebody's done a brilliant trick or ran at him with real pace. A fullback, a bit different if it was a striker back, he's a fullback. You get down low, you get your body in position. You said, you know what, if you're going to get across him, you're going to have to do remarkably well.

30:13But this is not a tricky winger, someone lighting in place. This is just a little shimmy. Look at that lot, just focus on him. Keep watching, keep watching. Look. It's like yeah, yeah, have a cross and then Villa. And this ends up being the winning goal, of course. And the football is about moments. Man United don't control too many games, to be honest with you, they're trying to pick moments. But after the boss, you forget the rest of the game. They would have been training all week, they would have had their pasta, they would have had their team talk, they would have come down to Birmingham last night, and then you've got a full back who doesn't want to stop across.

30:46There you go. And then the player comes out afterwards, and these are important players, these are international players. and you're talking about well we have to dig deep no you you have to stop across or do your best to stop across to me he's not doing his best to stop across there and these are the final moments in a game of football and we could talk all day about all the other bits the lovely pretty parts but United don't the other bits really in terms of rolling their sleeves up they lost far too many games this year this year is a little bit better from going forward as a team and being a goal threat but you talk about any really decent team you start about being hard to beat We look obviously we're arsing out at the moment and you know it's hard to never mind get the goals how to get a chance Just the two the two the last two games United conceded six goals What chance have you got?

31:30They got Newcastle coming up in a few days You know I have sorry a Newcastle they'll come to Old Trafford They'll enjoy it. They'll have runners and we see we see the desire man United there to try and get a result Because you can have all the talent in the world We mentioned it time and time again But you got to roll your sleeves up and when the game gets a bit tight or there's moments you go. I'm just gonna I'm gonna do my bit for the team and there's too many players like Dalo just don't do enough. I won't use the word cheating, but it's just not doing enough. And after the game I'd be looking at him.

31:59I wouldn't be looking at the other bits of the game. I said, are you gonna stop it? Same for the first goal. Players when it, when Rodgers gets the ball wide in the first goal, we're all sitting there. We know there's danger. Do they not know there's danger? Are they a bit blasé going, do I have to do? Yeah, these are the ugly bits of football. We know you've got the other bits, but you've got to do the ugly bits of football. That's what all the top teams do. And you get the end product. Here we see, again, we're talking about making tackles, making sacrifices. Even Dallot here, I just look here.

32:26And again, I might be in hard on him today. Where's Dallot going here? Just slow down. You know, Rodgers is right footed. You know he's going to cut in. It's just, yeah, here you go. Just give it a free shot. Brilliant finish. Take nothing away from Aston Villa. But from a United point of view, I use the word intensity and the desire to try and get a result or to make it hard for Aston Villa. You want Aston Villa after a game today in that dressing, you want to go to the Villa dressing room and go, well done, and they're exhausted, they're tired. They were like, it's not so bad playing against United.

32:55When United out of possession, when United out of possession, they're probably one of the worst teams in the league. In possession, of course, they're good. There's a threat. They could have scored two or three goals today. But unfortunately, part of being a footballer, particularly if you want to be a tough footballer, is what you do out of possession. Everyone wants to talk about what you do in possession, what you do on the other side of it and Man United cut corners and they take too many risks and that's why they're getting punished and I'm glad they get punished I like teams getting punished who take chances end up letting their teammates down their supporters down and their fans down and after the game they're very blasey in the interviews they're looking at players and they're like robot they're like oh well you know we're a bit lucky Bruno no no find a way roll your sleeves up they don't do that well enough United and it's going to get harder for Manchester United because the report on Bruno that we heard there as much as Ruben Amarim can say at the moment.

33:44This is the next 10 fixtures. So we don't know how much of this he's going to miss, but it came off with a soft tissue injury and he said it's going to be a little while. But they've also got players who are going to be away with the Africa Cup of Nations. That could go, I mean, some like Mbamo, Masraoui, Ahmad, and they potentially could get, if they get to the final, they'd be missing right up to the Manchester City game. So that's the length of time they could be away. So that, plus another injury, plus players who were already missing out, means that they're kind of stretched a little bit.

34:16And then if you've got Kobaymenu on the fringes with everything that's going on with him, and then he misses out on the squad today with a late calf injury, it's starting to look a little stretched for Ruben Amirim. Yeah, I think it is. And, you know, you look at Bruno now missing for we don't know how long. You know, he's been the best player for Manchester United for years now. if he's now out for four or five six games it's it's gonna get even tougher and like I say the the players that are going away to the African Cup of Nations as well now it starts you start looking at the squad and you're relying on maybe the youngsters that come on today you know they've got no experience of course you know they need to get that experience but where Manchester United are at as a club you need to get wins on the board and the next few games that they've got coming up of course Newcastle at home is it it's gonna be it's gonna be a tough game you know I I think we saw that they've got Wolves, they've got Burnley.

35:06You know, no disrespect to them teams there, but they're games that they should be winning. But when you're looking at your squad now and you're thinking, well, have I got the players to adjust and be in their positions? It is going to be tough. And you know, you've got to get straight back on the training pitch now and work. And like Roy was saying, we said it before the game, going forward, you know, they've got players that can create chances and create something out of nothing. It's the opposite side, it's working hard, it's the intensity, it's the defender. We saw that on the two goals, we've been through it.

35:40Lenny Oro could get out to the first one after Morgan Rodgers' touch. You start to know players, you should know players, he's going to come back inside on his right foot. And if you give him that much space and time, he could put the ball in the top corner like he did. The second goal is the same thing. It's Tielemans out there, you want to show him back up the pitch instead of letting him get across in. You're thinking, oh, maybe the cross won't amount to nothing, but it actually does. And, you know, Oli Watkins is on his front foot instead of Haven. Or just gets a touch, he scores, and that wins the game.

36:11So it's the details of not when you're in possession, when you're out of possession, and the intensity and the work rate that you have to put in. And if you're not putting that in, you'll get punished like you did today. And it means those comments that he made about young players, and he brought young players on today particularly, the comments that he made about them maybe being a little complacent and a little bit entitled in terms of expecting there to be a natural progress into the first team. It all feels a little bit more heightened when we hear comments like that about the senior pros, about the players who should be leading the line and should be the ones who are doing the work off the ball.

36:45Yeah, and it's hard for young kids to come through. It's hard. They're playing against the rest of the world. They're not playing when we played. Now they're playing against kids from Brazil and all over South America where you can bring them in. So it's hard. But you want to bring these kids into good football teams. Do you know what I mean? When they make that jump, they've got to come into a team that's flying. Do you know what I mean? Like Arsenal, when you see Arsenal, when they bring Wanyeri on and down, and they're playing at full of confidence, they look after the players. You know, bringing them players on now.

37:14You know, I said to Ashley, as soon as Fletcher come on, first thing you should do when Fletcher comes on, give him the ball. Straight away, give him it, get him in the game. And it's not like that. They're all looking after themselves first. And that's why it's hard for these kids. But yeah, they might have to go another way. It'd be up to the owners of the club. They might look at it and go, wait a minute, we want youth. We need youth in the team. We ain't got money to go and buy 60, 70, 80 million pound players. We've got to get these kids in. And the only way you can get them in and see if they are good is by keep on playing them.

37:43For me, what would it hurt playing the young kid Fletcher against Newcastle? What would it hurt? They're not winning the league. They're not winning the league. They might get top four, I doubt it. So give these kids a chance. Give them a chance at home, Newcastle. You're playing against a very good midfield in Bruno and Tonali. You know, can Olin help? Can Olin help, you know, for me. So, yeah, but my big worry, when I see all them stats today, you know, Man United, he made one save, I think, Martinez, and that was when Cescou should have put it over him. The other one obviously headed it wide.

38:17But for all them stats that were double more than Villa, didn't do anything. Even the league table, the goals against compared to... and I don't mean the top teams, I don't remember the teams in the top 12 or 13. As a manager and a staff, they must be looking at the players, and you're not about bringing young players into a senior team, but you've got a proper good senior pros. Have United got that? I don't think they have. I don't think you have six, seven, eight top players. Who will drag these kids along? Absolutely not. So, yeah, sometimes you throw the kids in, but you're like, well, good luck in this team.

38:46You showed a clip earlier about Nev and all these lads, when they came through, they were coming into a top dressing room. Proper men who'd won titles and would help these kids out. I don't know I don't know there's enough senior players at United the evidence isn't there that they will help these young kids because everyone seems to be looking after themselves and if they're cutting corners like we saw today with some of the goals then these are the habits these young lads will be seeing these senior players do and that is such a bad example for these kids to have Well if you're playing at home to Newcastle on Boxing Day and Martinez plays in front of Fletcher if you're sitting there as a kid you think what's the point in being here what's the point playing a centre half as a centre midfield player when I'm coming through.

39:24You know, he can play. He's a good player. I've seen him play. Give him a chance. Give him a chance this weekend. The worst thing that can ever happen is he has a bad game, like most of them have every other week. So you're not losing anything. And it helps. The fans go home. They go, you know, well, at least we've got one of our youngsters coming through and they see something. Can't keep on buying 50, 60, 70 million pound players. You know. And when we see United losing, we obviously look at excuses for United, but it's Aston Villa's there today. two world-class moments a team that's Andy up a lot of momentum a world-class manager so it's thumbs up to Villa today and maybe United will have to again reflect and have a look what they're doing and stop cutting corners and having said all that Manchester United still only three points off the Champions League places so not all doom and gloom necessarily but like you say defensively there are issues 28 goals conceded in their 17 games and only one clean sheet in the league so far this season but it is Aston Villa's day they take all three points They move to within three points of the league leaders.

40:24They're one point behind second place at Manchester City. They're seven points ahead of fourth place. And Unai Emery is up next.

40:52Not got Sky Sports? Existing Sky customers can upgrade their package. Or if you've not got Sky, you can sign up at sky.com. Now, let's get back to the Sky Sports Premier League podcast.

41:14There are just a few weeks left of the regular season in the NFL and the race for the playoffs is really hotting up. I'm Neil Reynolds, the host of Sky Sports NFL podcast, Inside the Huddle. Every Monday and Thursday, we review the big games and discuss all the key talking points. So to see who will be battling it out for a place at Super Bowl 60, search for Inside the Huddle and give us a listen.

41:39All the festive feels at Villa Park, Father Christmas on hand. And Aston Villa got the three points that they wanted for the festive season. Some lucky person even took home Morgan Rogers' shirt. Someone else took home a match ball kicked out by Emmy Martinez. And there's all kinds of festive fun in the Big Christmas Quiz.

42:06Hello, welcome to the Big Christmas Quiz. We have two teams, as you can see. Paul Merson and Roy Keane are Meroy Christmas. Gary Neville and Ashley Young are Feliz Nevin Dash. Which, all right, well I like them better than that. That would be better. Round one is a picture round. I'm gonna show you a picture of a number of footballers and their names will combine together to give you a popular Christmas phrase. So for example, Chris Wood, Mason Mount, Eve Basuma will be Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve. Dig deep for that. Okay. These are your three players. Deck the halls. Deck the halls? Yeah, are we giving us that one?

42:56Correct. Yeah, we said it. Deck the halls. Was it you who said it? I can't work out. Deck the halls. That's not our deck the halls. Deck the halls. Not halls, they're both halls. They're both halls. They're both halls. Oh, have you seen what I can see? Oh, Candy Cane? Candy Cane is correct. Emery Chan, or Cane, Paolo Di Canio, and obviously Harry Kane as well. Well done. Candy Cane. And the final one in this round, which seems to have caused all kinds of trouble. Here we go. It's less about the players' names and more about the actions. Sleeping speed times? No. If you were shushing... Harry, keep looking at them, you're giving them the keys.

43:36If you were shushing somebody, you'd want them to... Why not? Well... No chance!

43:48No chance! You said it. No chance. No chance. We said it exactly the same time. Oh, now you're stretching. Now you're looking for a draw. It was Gary. It was Gary! Feliz Levin Dash lead by two points to one.

44:07I honestly cannot tell you how long that row went over who got that answer in first. You can see all of it. It's going to be available tomorrow because it's needing quite a little bit of editing. It went on for quite a long time. It's on the Sky Sports YouTube channel, the big Christmas quiz. You'll be able to see all the questions, all the answers. And more importantly, you will be able to see the winner. Coming up right now, though, we're going to hear from Unai Emery. in full celebratory mode after Aston Villa went 2-1 up against Manchester United. Here he is with Patrick Davison. Well, Unai, a home win over Manchester United, which hasn't happened often for Aston Villa, and a tenth win in a row, which doesn't happen to anyone very often.

44:51How special a day was that for the club? Good evening. Very happy. very happy and of course our supporters should be proud of everything we are doing together because the energy is very important and how they transmit the energy how they are doing helping us here to fill Villa Park as our fortress is really fantastic and then compete compete sometimes we can dominate, sometimes we must defend, we must be resilient, that we need it today as well, but being resilient, taking our time as well with our qualities, today is more fantastic, and overall we must feel proud of everything we are doing, but as well ambitious and, of course, realistic.

45:47And after those three points, of course, we are taking some advantage, but there's still a lot of work to do. You touched on it there. Your team seems to have an amazing capacity for being resilient, for winning tight games. The opposition might have more chances or more of the ball, but you find a way to win. What is that in your team? Why do you have those qualities? We are building the team in different ways. Of course, mentality is very important. Resilience through our mentality. We must understand how much we are facing with the difficulties like we had. And how we can compete. Stopping them.

46:28How we can compete. Showing our capacity, our structure. Tactically, we need our structure. Defensively, offensively, try to get good position. And then our qualities. And try to exploit our qualities. feeling comfort is one in his position. But of course, one match like today, how we compete 90 minutes, how we needed to be resilient without supporters helping us, the energy is very important as well. Morgan Rodgers had some difficult moments earlier in the season. And I remember you said he can grow from this. He will grow from this. Are we seeing that now with his level of performance? Yes, yes.

47:05But he was not performing very well in the first half. He scored a very good goal, but he was not performing very well. And in the lesson we were speaking about we needed increase individually, our wishes, our focus to try to get better. And the second half, he did much, much better. OK, so that's interesting. What did you say to him at half-time? Because he scored a wonder goal, but obviously you weren't entirely happy. Yes, I was not happy. I was not happy because I am ambitious myself and I am demanding myself. But of course, I should share my ambitions with them and then as well my demand.

47:44And of course, the players, they were performing and trying, but we weren't focusing and we weren't facing them, getting duels like we planned or like we needed. The second half, we did better. We were a lot of time playing back, playing back. And today was the match to play forward, more forward, because they were always waiting our pass back to press us and we were in more difficulties after it. How is Emi Martinez? He obviously finished the game, so he's OK, but there was just a moment with that clash with Mati Cash in the first half where the medics looked concerned. What was the situation there?

48:21I don't know. I think he's OK. You mentioned in your first answer about what's realistic this season. What is realistic for Aston Villa? because the excitement, the noise will only grow. What's your message to your team? The realistic is the level to the Manchester United show it. The realistic is the capacity, the potential. We played against a lot of teams like Arsenal, like Manchester City. Of course, we beat them here, but they have massive stout tactically with a lot of players in the higher level. and we have as well. But of course, to be contender in front of the end is our realistic way.

49:06It's not. We are not contender. We are here because we are really competing fantastic. The players, they are really focusing each match with the demand we are trying to set and as well being consistent. But, but, we are not contender to be there. Of course, we are being consistent. More or less in three years, we are being consistent and we are getting top European position. but we must continue being humble and understanding how we can beat, get points like we did today, being resilient, having the mentality we had, struggling and we need individual skills. Today, Emilio Martínez, fantastic. Today, Morgan, fantastic.

49:46Today, how the players play, how to compete as well, fantastic. And not feeling we are under Manchester United But understanding, if we want to keep the same level we have now, we must be intelligent, we must be competitive, we must be consistent, we must be demanding, and through it, we are here. Well done. Thank you. Thanks, Unai. What did you make of the message from Unai Emery, particularly in the context of these 10 wins in a row? It's the first time they've done that as a top division team since 1914. It's an incredible run of results. What a passionate man, brilliant football knowledge no doubt.

50:30Had a difficult start to this season, but they've regrouped. And then I think the message he was trying to get to the players about, he obviously said he was disappointed at half-time, but the demands you put on yourself. I love that message. Yeah, you've got to look at your manager and your staff, Aston Villa, a big club, but the demands you put on yourself from players like Rodgers, you think you're doing all right, but he's like, I want more. And that's what Villa have to have over next few months. Again, he used that word mentality two or three times, strong mentality. They dig in there. They wanted their very best today, but they've won the game.

51:00They've got momentum. They've got staff. People turn up at big moments. They've just got to keep it going. Oh, that's the big question mark. Hopefully they can, because it's great for the Premier League when you've got Villa up there competing. And the way that he comes across, and you can give us more insight into this, is that he puts those same demands that he has of the players on himself and that he has that same level of intensity as a manager and as a coach. Yeah, of course. And that's exactly the way Unai is. That is day in, day out. You see the interviews just given there, the passion he's got.

51:29He's like that every day. He puts massive demands on himself, which then filters down to the players. The players then demand off each other. And I think that's why they've been able to come out the other side of when they went through a little blip. You know, he would have got them in the training ground. They would have sat down, had meetings, talked about it. And he would have been saying that, you know, look where we were, look where we were before. OK, we're in a sticky patch, but you keep doing what it is I'm asking and demanding of you. We'll get out the other side and we'll come through this." And it's no coincidence that they've gone on a 10-game run now to show exactly that way.

52:04And like he said, he wasn't happy at half-time. And of course, when he's talking about there were times to play forward more, he would have seen Manchester United's midfield and that's what he would have wanted. Obviously, the goal where they've played back again, Matty Cash trying to dribble out, they've conceded from. So it was probably one of the things that he was talking about, and he probably alluded to that at half-time. And then he probably said in the second half, go out and keep demanding off each other. And like I said, he's one of them passionate managers that, you know, I think you see the celebration, the coat went flying.

52:36And he's always croaky in his post-match interviews as well. Is he very vocal? That's because he shows so much in training, that's why. You know, he's non-stop, like I say, he's one of the managers that he demands so much. And, you know, he's shouting to get the best out of the players. And, you know, that's the way he is. And I think that's why you're seeing the benefits from that and why the team's doing so well. Well, we've mentioned it a couple of times. Their next couple of fixtures before the turn of the year are Chelsea and Arsenal away. They're going to be the ones by which we will seriously measure Aston Villa's title credentials.

53:07Not 100%, but they're in there. You know, as you just said, they've beaten Man City and they've beaten Arsenal this season. I think their next six games are difficult. When the fixtures come up there, six difficult games you get rid of them and all of a sudden there's 15 games or so left if you're up there then you've got to because these games soon fly by you know they soon go bang while it crash before you know we were talking earlier with Roy you know Leicester you know no Leicester can't win it Leicester can't win it and another game goes and another game goes and another game goes they've got to keep on working I can't keep on giving goals away give a terrible goal away at West Ham give a terrible goal away again today you've got to cut them out because you can't keep on relying on magic to get you out of trouble every week.

53:50Do you know what I mean? Sometimes it might be the odd goal. Yeah, they've got to tighten up at the back. But for me, watching today, they weren't great, but they scored two goals. I think they're in it. I think they deserve to be challengers. I know their squad ain't the biggest, but if they keep all these players fit and they pick and choose, but I think if it gets down to coming, I think he'd rather win the Europa Conference. I really do. I think it's probably, yeah, I would say. than when the... I don't think wins the Premier League. I think they'll be around. But I still think, looking at the fixtures they've got coming up, I think it'd still be easier for them to get into the Champions League by the Europa Conference and what it will the top four, in my opinion.

54:29I think it's a long way to go. But if they keep on playing the way they do, who knows who could be sitting here in May going well. And we know he loves a European competition. It's great on his CV. Exactly. Let's take a look at what else is coming up for you over this festive period on Sky Sports. There's still another match from this round of fixtures as well to come. The Monday Night Football is Fulham against Nottingham Forest, and they'll have all the build-up to that from 6.30 with reflection on some of the big talking points from this weekend. So that's Sky Sports Premier League. Carabao Cup quarterfinal action, Arsenal against Crystal Palace.

55:03This is the final quarterfinal to be played, delayed because of Palace's European commitment. 7.30 on Sky Sports Football for that one. Boxing Day is huge for the EFL. 12 games from midday on Sky Sports. From the Championship, 12 from League One, 12 from League Two. And from 7 o 'clock is Manchester United against Newcastle on Sky Sports Premier League. And Baller League, Angry Ginger is back as the king of the jungle. Match Day 9, 5 o 'clock, Sky Sports Plus.

55:42Thank you very much to Paul, to Ashley and to Roy for your company. Have a lovely Christmas as Aston Villa take all three points against Manchester United. They move to within three points of the leaders and it's the perfect way for the villains to step into Christmas.

56:02Thanks for listening to the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. Don't forget to hit follow so you don't miss an episode.