Carrick's Man Utd STUN City 2-0 in derby | Can Pep's side catch Arsenal after crushing loss?

0:00Peter Drury:Welcome everyone to a brief Gary Neville podcast. Normally we review the whole weekend. There's only been one game this weekend so far though and it is here at Old Trafford where Manchester United, as Gary's smile would suggest to you, have just beaten Manchester City by two goals to nil and it was in the context of the last couple of years, Gary, a really remarkable United performance.

0:24Gary Neville:Absolutely incredible. Even at 0-0, Peter, even after 15, 20 minutes, I talk a lot about intent. I was asked a question earlier on this week about Manchester United DNA, and I think it's quite clear what it is if you support Manchester United and if you play for Manchester United, what it is. Being aggressive, having an incredible attitude, making sure that you are positive and have purpose in everything that you do, that you play the ball forward as quickly as possible with real quality, that you sprint forward in your absolute droves as much as you possibly can. And I've seen everything and more there today.

0:59Gary Neville:I don't care if they lose games. I don't care if they draw games. We can never be bored here. And that, look, the goals help. The results help. But performance, I keep talking about performance, performance, performance. And look, what's happened in the last three days, they've appointed Michael Carrick. Michael Carrick, I know him very, very well. He's composed, he's class. he knows the game he's intelligent he's got a good understanding of what a Manchester United performance looks like he played in probably the best Manchester United team really when you look at Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez gigs in that front line you're never going to see world class like that I don't think again so for me yeah I can't believe what I've just watched I've done 8 of Manchester United's last 10 games I've seen Burnley I've seen Wolves I've seen West Ham I've seen Everton here I've seen Bournemouth here and I've seen nothing like that.

1:55Gary Neville:And the system matters. The system matters. You know, it does. I'm surprised that Juruban Amirim didn't get a better performance out of the players. But what's plainly obvious here to see today is the complete shift in attitude and intensity and everything. Everything. I mean, look, that's not good in some ways for the players in the sense that they've been able to shift. but they're not responding to something, they're not responding to a message, individuals, a system. I don't know what it is, but how that transformation has come from the last five or six weeks, from that Everton game where Manchester United lost to ten men to today, that is one of the best performances you'll see in any era, by the way, by a Manchester United team in a football match.

2:40Gary Neville:That's an unbelievable performance from start to finish. If you said to me, what do I want to see? I want to see a 4-4-2 really compact, engaging, aggressive. I want to see doubling up of wingers and full-backs working together to nullify opposition wingers. I want to see two central midfield players tight together and combine and stop the ball going into Foden in a number 10 position. I want to see two centre-halves be aggressive against a great centre-forward and nullify him. I want to see a combination of two centre-forwards, Fernandes and Mbermo and then Kunio when he came on, making sure they're linking together and playing off each other, but also blocking passes into Rodri to not make it easy.

3:18Gary Neville:It's a very simple system, 4-4-2. I played it all my life here. And it's about basically the combinations of pairs. It's about the way in which pairs work together all over the pitch. That's a left winger and a left back. It's a right winger and a right back. It's two central midfield players. It's two centre forwards and it's two centre backs. And then you might have your left-sided centre back with your left back and it's pairs all over. and how they can pack together so that they can play with each other. When Manchester United's wide players got the ball high up the pitch, you often saw Shaw and Dallow very close to them.

3:53Gary Neville:Shaw's played left centre-back here. I don't know how many times in the last six months. And I've been screaming for him to go forward and get close to whoever his left wing-back is. He's been sort of holding back. Just go! Just go! And look, I got quite emotional when that goal went in of Embermos because, to be honest with you, I thought, oh my god that's what I have been asking for it's what everyone in this ground has been asking for we know what it looks like and you know we don't have to win I keep saying that there's no right to win at this club and we might lose the next 10 matches I don't care but the intent to do the right thing is there but those players have set themselves a standard today I have to say they've set themselves a standard in attitude in aggression in positivity when they're playing with intent and playing through the lines, everything.

4:43Gary Neville:You cannot drop below that. You cannot drop below that. And look, credit, I don't know what Michael's done. I have no idea what he's done in three days. What could he have done in three days to even turn it round from, say, the two games that Darren Fletch had? Let's forget about Ruman Amrum. The two games that Darren Fletch had against Burnley and against Brighton in the Cup. Where's that come from? So, look, there's definitely things that I've seen out there today that have been instilled in a three-day period because they're completely different. But he's gone back to something that this club looks like.

5:18Gary Neville:Now, like I say, this is... I'm just happy. I'm happy because I don't have to come on to a podcast at the end of a game and talk about crap that I've watched and Manchester United fans booing and talk about how the negativity around the club and the players can't... I'm so happy to be able to see something that resembles what this is and what everyone here should be aspiring for. And it is not a time to get giddy or carried away, even though Manchester United fans should celebrate till their hearts content tonight and go for it and have the night of their lives. Because these moments are rare and have been rare in this last 10 years.

5:57Gary Neville:But it has to be. Michael Carrick has laid a foundation today for the next four months. And if he can continue to lay that foundation here with that level of performance the next four months, the person who picks up the baton at the end of the season can be in a good place. You know, Ralph Ranjit came, it didn't quite happen in terms of that handover. When Oli came in and got the role, if you like, for sixth, and he then got given the job, Michael Carrick's got to hand that baton over in good shape and that is an unbelievable start for him and say well done to him because he's a brilliant lad, a brilliant lad, a brilliant player, a good man, and he's put a steal and a level of competence into their organisation throughout the game.

6:42Gary Neville:And it wasn't, by the way, sit back and defend for your lives. This was a bit different. So, yeah, look, I'm really proud of what I've seen today and I'm happy for Michael. I'm happy for those players, to be fair. But I would ask the question, where's that been, that attitude, that intensity, that determination? because that's all we've really wanted to see, to play with a bit of fight and a bit of heart. And it's come.

7:08Peter Drury:We'll finish on Manchester United because it is, as you quite rightly say, their day. But for balance, we've got to see it from a Manchester City perspective as well. First of all, I have to put to you that many watching that game, and with respect, you were outvoted in our studio at half-time, thought that Diogo Dallo might have been sent off. So please address that again, if you will. And then just see the game from City's perspective. Yeah, look, I thought yellow was right.

7:33Gary Neville:I still think yellow was right. There are many, and we've seen already in the studio, Roy, Mike and Daniel have said that they think that that's a red card. Now, I was surprised actually. Sometimes, you know, when you're sort of quite sort of firm in your position, then obviously these things are subjective. And at half time, the three lads said it was a red. Mike Dean, obviously, who sat on this gantry with us many times, said he thought it was a red. So you start to question yourself. But what I thought was that, and I'm looking at it from purely a sort of fullback perspective, it's a bit like if you punch someone, it's a red.

8:08Gary Neville:If you slap someone, it's a yellow type. It's almost like, so to me, what Dallow's foot does, the ball's there. And by the way, you've got to take into consideration as well, I think, Doku and what he does and what he is. He's sensational at shifting the ball. So I think he's just gone like that with his studs. and it's not really got a lot of force behind it. If he goes like that and holds his legs stiff and firm and he follows through with it and he doesn't do that little pull away at the end, I think it's a red. So I think there is a subtle difference and we were listening to VAR and what they thought of it and he read it as I read it at the time, but the force wasn't there in the challenge.

8:46Gary Neville:It was an attempt for the ball and Docu's too quick for him, which is exactly what VAR said. I'm sure Howard Webb will do his programme in a couple of weeks and it will show that incident. them, but that was the feeling of me as well, that it wasn't a red card, it was just, it was one of them that you looked at and thought, oh, in slow motion, yeah, it's on the knee, it's not good, but it was just one of them because the ball was there, the ball was bouncing, so I did think it was a yellow, probably orange, I didn't think it was a red, but I can see, you know, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City fans, I'm sure will just say it's a red all day long, it's ridiculous, you're being biased, you're a United fan, but I genuinely think that I don't look at it like that, if I genuinely thought it was a red, I'd say it, and I think If it's a stiff leg with real force, I think it's basically a red, but I don't think it is.

9:28Gary Neville:I think it's a bit one of those legs. He's almost reaching for it with his studs like that. That's how I saw it.

9:34Peter Drury:That aside, and that of course will be a big debating point for City fans in particular. That aside, was City a little tepid today or was it just that Manchester United played so well?

9:47Gary Neville:I think City were surprised. I don't think the expected Manchester United to come out. I think what Pep Guardiola would have said to them is, look, they're going to come out potentially and be hard and come out the blocks fast. And it might be a little bit rah, rah, rah, gunk hole for 20 minutes. But when it dies down, you'll play through them. I don't think he would have expected the level of sustained aggression and sustained compactness and sustained organisation of this Manchester United team. I don't think he would have expected, none of us would have done, that they would have been so well drilled defensively, but also I think in attack they were so well drilled that to me felt like a 4-4-2 system that had been instilled in a team that had played together in that system with a manager for like 18 months, two years I mean I'd love to do Monday Night Football this week don't hear me because they'll probably call me down to London now but I'd love to see Monday Night Football this week because to be fair you could see comparisons of the counter-attacks of the doubling up on wide players of the wide players and the actual full-backs combining in wide areas in attack The midfield players playing off each other.

10:52Gary Neville:The way in which Embermo and Fernandes link with each other. Bruno was really close to Embermo. I've always said Manchester United's system is such. You have a forward and then you have a number 10. It can be York. It can be Cantona. It can be Rooney. It can be Tevez. It can be Berbatov. Then players that just drop in off a striker. Scholes did it for a number of years. We've always had that most talented player close to our striker and feeding them. And that's what made me a little bit emotional on that goal, thinking of, I actually nearly said it, but I thought I'm not going to get carried away too much.

11:25Gary Neville:But Bruno was a little bit like Cantonaresque today in the way in which he played. And that's where he's got to play. Be near to goal. Be where you can hurt teams, because he's a great player. We don't want to see him back in a midfield two in front of a back three. Is that where we want to see Bruno Fernandes? No. And it's definitely not right. So for me today, I just saw so many things that reminded me of what this club plays like, what their DNA is, what they should be. But for City, Foden stopped. Foden couldn't get on the ball because they couldn't play it through the Manchester United 2-2-2.

12:01Gary Neville:They couldn't get it through. The two wide players narrowed in. They allowed it to go to Dooku wide. When it went to Dooku wide, Dallas sprinted out with real intent, different. Do you remember the other week? Who was it over there that scored a goal against Manchester United? It was Morgan Rodgers. it wasn't I said Burnley didn't I it was Morgan Rogers got the goal against Manchester United the ball went out to him

12:22Peter Drury:at Villa Park

12:23Gary Neville:at Villa Park and who was it was it Dallow that was right back I think he jogged over or ambled over to him didn't he I think he did today you look at you look at Dallow compared to the other week or look at Shaw compared to when the ball goes out to their wide player they're sprinting out to him quickly and that's what you have and then you have to get back in quickly if it recycles back so there's so many things that I recognised today from what a good full-back does, from what a good centre-back does, from what a good midfield four do and what a good front two do. And City found that really difficult to break down because Manchester United was so persistent and sustained in their organisation that they couldn't get forward in the game.

13:00Gary Neville:They couldn't get the ball into Haaland. Now the one thing I thought City should have done when they continually kept hitting this red wall and it kept going wide to Semenyu and Doku, maybe they should just simplify the game a little bit and put crosses in. What would that do? It would make obviously Haaland potentially come into the game a little bit more, but it might make them, Manchester United's full-back, just edge a little bit wider, which means then that the opening spaces might come up in the channels. So I didn't think City changed it up enough to be able to actually then create things in a way in which they normally do, which is the chance that Reinders gets when he gets in that sort of channel.

13:32Gary Neville:You could never get between United's lines, but I think they had to try and be a little bit more forceful with those crosses to try and open up something else, and they just didn't do. They just fell into the trap, City, and United got the goals, and I actually thought half-time United could struggle the second half because they'd done so well first half but then they just did it again and like I say that was one of the very best performances I've seen from United for a long, long time honestly a long, long time and we've all been conditioned to think maybe it's not been possible that maybe that's not what it is anymore you can't play 4-4-2 anymore Gary you can't play 4-4-2 at the back anymore can you not?

14:08Gary Neville:OK well I think we've seen that we can against the best teams in the league Now, next weekend's Arsenal. Who knows what's going to happen? We could get pulled apart playing the same system. I don't care. Continue to play the way we play. Wide players, attacking, getting a number 10 close to a striker, having two midfield players, one of which can play a little bit, and a back four that is really rotating quickly and aggressive, but one full-back that gets forward on the side the ball's on. It's literally programmed into our heads of what it is. Just do it. And the other thing that came today, by the way, was the switch of play.

14:40Gary Neville:the switch of play to a wide player that goes over to the far side that's returned today and wide players that then go and attack a winger at Old Trafford because it's so big counter-attacks with four and five players so many things that were good and brilliant I think he picked the right team as well in hindsight I thought that I was surprised Kunye didn't play for Dogu I knew that Sesko wouldn't play I thought that Embermo would play up top but there'll be a point for Sesko to come in I'm sure but I think that he got it absolutely spot on

15:09Peter Drury:So last one, Gary, we're very nearly done. But just throwing it forward, as you did to some extent there, talking about Arsenal. Tell me why, because we've had two of these a year for the last 13 years. Tell me why this might not be another full storm. Why will Manchester United potentially sustain this sort of performance?

15:28Gary Neville:No, I can't give you any guarantees, Peter, that there's a massive caveat with this. I'm just getting giddy, to be fair, for 20 minutes in my life, because we should. because not look if we if we'd won today Manchester United by playing really deep scrapping a 1-0 win and I'd seen like a bit of a scruffy type hang in there type performance I wouldn't be getting as giddy as I am I wouldn't the Manchester United fans are not stupid by the way they were clapping at half time because they thought yeah that's it that's it that's what we do it's 0-0 by the way they were clapping that tells you everything so at the end of the game obviously they're absolutely buoyant because it's 2-0.

16:06Gary Neville:But the half-time clap and the appreciation of what they'd seen was because they'd seen a proper performance. So for me, no, it may be a false dawn. It may be a false dawn, Peter. It may be that, you know, but Manchester United are currently sat in the top four and I've maintained all year. They'll go out of it, obviously, when the rest of the games come this weekend. But they're sat fourth right now. They should be fourth or third anyway over the last few weeks with the games that they've dropped points in. But they've not shown and demonstrated enough energy attitude, performance levels or anything.

16:36Gary Neville:And I've always thought this team were actually capable of that. And we've seen today that they actually are. So, look, getting into the top four this season, top five, would be a massive achievement. I think it's achievable. It's there. There's a lot of work to do to get there. But that wouldn't mean a return of Manchester United. That's not, you know, I'm not getting carried away beyond that. I want to really heavily caveat how happy and giddy I've been in this podcast. just purely because we've been conditioned to believe you cannot play like Manchester United play. That's what I've been told for the last three, four, five years.

17:08Gary Neville:Move on. You can't play that way anymore. I'm sorry. You can play that way in modern football. You can. It's just, you've just watched 90 minutes of it. 90 minutes of exactly what I think this club plays like when it's actually at its very best. And that's sometimes unashamedly being in without the ball and just being behind the ball and saying, go on knock us down then we'll just counter attack on you so no it's not a time to say that Manchester United will sustain this and then they'll go and carry on the league this has got to be a bridge towards potentially getting a European place top five would be amazing that would get a Champions League place and then maybe something else next season but no this is not the return of Manchester United but it's the return of at least something that looks like the club you know it's been a pale imitation this last many years really many years it's been awful some of the performances here you have to see a good one to remind you how bad the ones have been well

18:04Peter Drury:it's been a good day for those of you who are red Gary so enjoy that enjoy the rest of the Premier League weekend Super Sunday tomorrow two games on that and a Monday night football as well which I'm sure will re-examine this derby thanks Gary

18:16Gary Neville:thanks Peter