Neville: 'We know the problem for Utd!' | City looked a bit old against Spurs | How do Arsenal look without Saka and Odegaard?

0:00Hello everybody, it's the Gary Neville podcast this evening from Craven Cottage. Beautiful sunny evening in West London, off the back of one-all draw between Fulham and Manchester United. And Gary, you've just been looking at the numbers actually, which were on the screen moments ago, and it's just about bang level.

0:15Gary Neville:Yeah, it was a pretty even game in the end. I think that you look at all the stats, possession was 52-48, shots on target, shots on goal, expected goals, all pretty level. Fulham came back into it in the second half and finished really strongly. I thought they were a lot better in the second half. I thought United were the better team in the first half, particularly in that first period. And yeah, fair result. We don't like watching draws. We always feel a little bit like on the way home, but you know you're going to get them in football. And I think it was probably the right result today for both teams.

0:46What's it done to your mindset vis-a-vis Manchester United? If you came away with cautious optimism from Old Trafford a week ago, where are you at now?

0:53Gary Neville:Yeah, I think it's been checked slightly because there were a couple of the old sort of scars sort of felt like they were sort of reappearing and opened up. I think that what Fulham did, they tried to pack midfield. What United did quite well in the first half to stop Fulham's sort of shape was that Mount would fill in quite well. He sort of glues that midfield to the front and he helped Cunyre and Mbermo in respect of sort of their defensive work. And he certainly got alongside Casemiro and he got alongside Fernandes. And it meant that when Awobi was in those positions, just sort of drifting in and trying to find pockets.

1:32Gary Neville:Because we know the problem for United is when you flatten that back five out of United and then you have the two in midfield, the big gaps are here and here alongside that two in midfield. But when the three up top come back quite tight and compact, it means that there's not a lot of room to operate in. And in the first half, I thought United were really quite compact with that five, that two and that three. And Mountain does that really well as well. So I think that's why they combated most of the problems that occurred in the second half, in the first half. The problem was the game opens up a little bit.

2:01Gary Neville:And I said this last week, a little bit worrying. Fulham got a lot stronger when they made their substitutions. I actually thought United got worse when they made theirs. Czesco at the moment, let's just say it, he's nowhere near in terms of fitness or sort of just getting up to speed. I think Ruben Amarin before the game said that obviously there is a clamour to play him. I think last week I was saying, look, let's just get him straight in. he is going to have to get him in against Grimsby and give him 90 minutes and he's going to have to probably play him against Burnley next Saturday just to get him going because you can see he needs football.

2:29Gary Neville:And what you can't do is let a sort of player of that value, that potential, just keep being on the bench. The problem he'll have is that he wants to keep mounting the team. But I think what you saw with United, when they brought Cesc go on, when they sort of then put a mount into midfield, took Casemiro off, they did get opened up and they looked like Fulham could score and then the strange one for me was the actual changing of the back line again with Yoro and Shaw going off with five minutes to go you don't want to be changing that back line if you can help it I know Dalot came on for Ahmad so yeah a few of the old wounds appearing again but look I don't think we got overly carried away last week we just said it was optimistic I thought the first 20 minutes actually first 15 minutes United United's play was really bright and they should have gone definitely ahead in the first half.

3:20Gary Neville:We obviously know Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty. So, yeah, I think a little bit more subdued. In fact, quite a bit more subdued than after last week. But it's two games in. But what they can't do is let this run of defeat draw. They've got to win against Burnley next Saturday and get that optimism and that confidence and that momentum. You see a lot less of Fulham, of course. I'm sure their supporters will be interested in your read on Fulham. I thought they were really good. really organised I know that they're I know that there's a lot of talk at Fulham about the fact they've not made signings and there's a little bit of despair and maybe you know when a club doesn't make signings everyone feels a little bit sort of downbeat about it but when I looked at the Fulham team and I saw the Fulham bench I thought I think Fulham are okay Fulham have got a good team already they've got a good bench famously Liverpool last year didn't really add too much to their team and won the title and sometimes not adding players can be as good as adding players because you can sort of freshen it up for no apparent reason.

4:19Gary Neville:I actually think what they've got there today, that's to pay from up there. It's raining team sheets. No, I think that from what I saw today of Fulham, the team that started did well and the team that, you know, the four or five that came on did really well and they actually made them a lot better. You think of sort of Raul Jimenez coming off the bench, Smith-Rowe, Robinson, Harry Wilson, they were really bright and they were too sharp for United in that last period of the game. So, yeah, maybe one or two coming in this week would add a little bit of a spark that naturally a new signing does, but don't be too disheartened, Fulham fans, about it.

4:52Gary Neville:I know I'm not a Fulham fan, but the team that I saw consistently do well last season, I think will do well this season. And I think the fact that you've come back in two games, you've shown a spirit, you've played well, I think it was a good performance from Fulham in the end. I mean, you think of the investment of Manchester United compared to Fulham, and it's night and day. So you have to say that they're well out-punching their weight, and I thought they had a good day. OK, we'll come back to the other two Sunday games, perhaps to finish with, both of which have a narrative, of course. But in terms of the other big business of the weekend, it began, of course, with Spurs winning at Manchester City.

5:25Did you see a lot of that game?

5:27Gary Neville:I did. I watched it. I was surprised. Obviously, I think maybe it's very early in the season. So when obviously Manchester City won at Wolves last week, we're all thinking, and we're missing the obvious here of Manchester City being the title winners this season. But then when you saw them on Saturday, thinking, it looks a little bit old. they looked a little bit you know like they were sort of overpowered outrun Tottenham did really well Thomas Frank what a start that he's had there showing adaptability I think Jamie Carragher did a really good piece small piece but it was a really nice piece on Monday night about how he's played in the two games in the first you know played against Burnley last weekend at home but how it differed from the performance against PSG and I think from that point of view I think in the three games Thomas Frank's demonstrated how agile he is they had that disappointment in midweek of missing out on Eze and it was a little bit embarrassing for them.

6:18Gary Neville:But that, I think, on Saturday was a really good performance, good result. Obviously, they have got a fantastic manager there who's done brilliantly at Brentford and you can see it's rubbing off on them already. But like I say, it's very early in the season, not time to get carried away, but fantastic for Tottenham. A little bit worrying for Manchester City. Hard in context for Arsenal fans not to start getting carried away two games in, of course. Always that caveat. But they were terrific. I mean, you and I were both there on Saturday night. I just thought it was a lovely feel about the way they played and the ambience in the stadium and introducing Eze and all of that.

6:51It was a happy place, wasn't it?

6:53Gary Neville:It was. The only, I mean, the obvious negative for Arsenal were the two injuries to Odegaard and Saka. That was the sort of big downer of the day. The other thing is that first half an hour when Leeds were just sat deep, they couldn't break them down. There was a little bit of the recycling. But then when you score, people just say, well, that's patience. That's what good teams do. but I think what they have to do is make sure that they're innovative in that final third. They've got such good players. They can take a bit more risk in that final third of the pitch. They're such a good team. They've kept two clean sheets.

7:21Gary Neville:They don't look like they're going to concede a lot of goals and when they do get shots on the goal, the goalkeeper pulls off some fantastic saves. So they're in a good place, Arsenal. They're solid. They are consistent. They've finished second three times, which in the Premier League is tough to do. To get that extra step, that little bit of spark up top, Jokeres, what a big day it was for him to score that goal. There was sheer relief, wasn't there, in the stadium when he cut inside. And when he moved down that left channel, I was almost thinking, you know, come on, what have you got? I think it was Stroik, was it?

7:53Gary Neville:And he was up against and just showed him back inside. But he showed he had power. He showed he had that confidence and he hits it early. And then to get a double, he scored two in two. And the pressure's off him. Not off him, but the pressure's released. and he'll walk into the training ground Monday morning and he'll think, yeah, his chest will be out a little bit and he'll start to get that little bit of good feeling from his teammates, from the fans, people in the street that he passes. And obviously the media, because we stopped talking about him when obviously he doesn't score. So yeah, I think it was a good day for him.

8:23Gary Neville:Great for Max Downman to come on. I mean, to see a 15-year-old. I was talking about this during the game and saying he's got his GCSE year coming up. What's he going to do next Monday when he's got double geography, double history? What's he going to do? I mean, how are they going to manage and keep that? I mean, obviously, he's grounded. He must be to have the temperament to be able to be where he is. He showed a couple of really nice glimpses, didn't he, in the game? So it was a good thing. Arsenal had two or three players out there at the end that come through the ranks, which I always like to see.

8:53Yeah, Wengeri, one of them. And in that context, slightly putting you on the spot here, so forgive me. But if Saka doesn't play next week, which feels likely, we don't know, of course we don't know, don't want to speculate. late, but if he doesn't, and supposing Odegaard doesn't as well, just for the sake of the exercise, and you've got Eze, you've got Waneri, I suppose you've got Downman as well, I mean just have some fun at picking the Arsenal team

9:17Gary Neville:Yeah, look, for me, Eze is going to come in on that left-hand side I think Jokeres is going to play up front and I actually thought, the minute that Saka went off and Madweke went to the right-hand side, I thought all of a sudden he looked at home you know, it's a strange phenomenon isn't it, to see a sort of left winger play on the left side of midfield we don't see that too much they're always opposite footed wingers now but to see Madweke go over to that right hand side on his left foot I thought he looked a lot better for that five minutes or so that he was there so you have Madweke I think on the right I think you'll have Jokeres up front I think you'll have Eze to the left and then in midfield you've got Zubamendi you've got Rice and you've got Mourinho you've got Waineri so you've got players I think he'll bring Mourinho in I think what he'll do is he'll make it a lot stronger a lot more physical that's what I would do I think I think that's what Mikel Arteta will do He'll go with one of his more powerful players in there.

10:06Gary Neville:But you think of a midfield three of Rice, Marino and Zubimendi with Eze, Jokerez and Madweki. I mean, that's still a fantastic front six. And they've got the best back five in the country at this moment in time. They've got a really dependable back line. I think Timber is a very good full-back. I thought he was outstanding when he came on at Old Trafford. I thought he was very good yesterday, giving man of the match. Not because he's a right-back, because he scored two and he's done well. and then at left back they've got real power with Califiora and then they've got the sort of the skill and tenacity of of Myles-Louis Skelly so they've got real options Arsenal not to mention Trossard and others that obviously they don't want to lose Havertz they don't lose Saka they don't lose Odegaard they don't but they have got better options behind them now with the signings of Maduaki, Eze and Jokerez and we're going to see maybe all three of them up front against Liverpool and why not?

10:58That's going to be a belting game already looking forward Liverpool have Newcastle to play first. Chelsea fans might be saying we scored five as well, actually. What about us, Gary?

11:08Gary Neville:No, I mean, I think it's a really good result for Chelsea. They obviously go 1-0 down in the game. But it's important for Chelsea to win, obviously, after last week, even though Crystal Palace, I think, are a tough team to play against. It was a good away win for Chelsea. It'll just get them going.

11:26Gary Neville:Is it realistic that they can win the Premier League title? I don't think so. but I think if you're getting into the Champions League places and in and around there, a couple of seasons on the bounce then you certainly start to move forwards and there's a long way to go but it was a game that you would expect them to win as well I think West Ham are really struggling One of your big topics this early season has been around hoping that the promoted teams do okay and they've all got to win Yes Two games in Yeah, incredible Yeah, obviously Sunderland brought back down to earth a little bit but then for Burnley, brilliant that they've won and the fact that the three of them have won in the first week.

12:01Gary Neville:Obviously, Sunderland brilliantly last weekend, Leeds on Monday night football, and then Burnley on Saturday with some good moments in the game. I think Sunderland had some good moments in the first half and could have gone up in that game. So I think that to have three points after two games, it would have been... They all would have taken it. There's no doubt about that. So they're in a good place. It gives them a bit of confidence that they can win games. And there's no doubt, and saying this on Monday night, earlier on in the week, every time a promoted team wins a football match, it feels like an event.

12:30Gary Neville:It did when Brentford first came into the Premier League. It was almost like, you know, they were doing laps of honours every time they won three points, and rightly so, because it's challenging. It's bloody hard work. And we've seen that in that first couple of weeks, but it is good. It's a good feeling. Yeah. So back to today's business, or today's sort of any other business, let's deal with Everton first, just because we were just watching it here. I mean, it was bouncing, wasn't it? And that's lovely. I mean, what a way to christen their new place. Yeah. I mean I love Goodison Park but you see that new stadium there today and it was importantly won you know I know it's a big moment for the club a monumental moment but they felt like they had to win and I was worried about them because I thought Brighton the type of team that can just catch you Welbeck, Matoma and Minter and players like that that can just sort of cut through you but Everton is a really good day for them good day for them in more ways than one Jack Grealish obviously was a given man of the match obviously had a couple of really good moments in the game, not necessarily the second one, it's just a simple pass, but there was a good point made on commentary or in the studio that he attracted so many players over to him that he just then meant that there was a space inside for him to roll it and his assist for the first goal was excellent.

13:45Gary Neville:That's classic Jack Grealish, just getting a yard and putting it across. So yeah, really good day for Everton, I'm happy for them. It's a giant of a football club and I think that obviously they've had some difficult times over this last five, six, seven, eight years. I still think they're going to have some challenges on the pitch. I thought they were average, to be fair, at Leeds the other night, but a good win for them today and it gets them going. Which leaves us with Crystal Palace Forest, which was clearly, how do you put this, a political football match, wasn't it? There were plenty of subplots.

14:17I don't really know what question to ask you about it, so I'll just set you free on Palace Forest.

14:22Gary Neville:Yeah, it wasn't a political football match for the players or for the fans. it more from the clubs and sort of what's happened over the last few months you can understand why there's a little bit of bad feeling obviously then we had Nuno's interview on Friday which looks like things might be just going a little south there which who'd have thought and yeah but a one all draw probably the right result probably the one that maybe the police wanted, the Premier League wanted, the security wanted yeah but I think it's an interesting time I felt sorry, I mean you have to feel sorry for Crystal Palace?

14:55Gary Neville:You do. I mean, getting into the Europa League and winning a trophy for the first time and winning the FA Cup like that, I mean, and then they can't go and play in the competition they qualified for. So I think there's a lot of

15:11Gary Neville:feeling that it's not quite right from people in football. But then, we keep being told, don't we, that rules are rules and obviously there has to be positions in place. They weren't quite sure at the time when I think they had to disguise their own or whatever it is you have to do now, put them in blind trusts. As soon as you start saying blind trusts with football teams, you know something's wrong, don't you? It's like if they put him in a blind trust, it'd have been okay. But now the fact that he actually opened himself up and he was there, well, I'm sorry, they can't go into Europe. So, yeah, madness really.

15:42Yeah. But in purely football terms, actually, and interestingly, that is the first time they hope of many that they're going to have to play Sunday off Thursday because they had their qualifier at Selhurst Park, didn't they, on Thursday night. So that would be a learning experience for them. So we'll see how they deal with that. I think we should finish by you teeing up Monday Night Football, which is a belter. What do you think?

16:01Gary Neville:Yeah, it's a brilliant game. I think that Newcastle, you don't always get this type of game on a Monday night. But I think these two teams, not being in the Carabao Cup, obviously in this round, and Europe's not started yet, means you're allowed, there's a blockbuster fixture, with a bit of spice added, because of the Isak situation. We all know what's going on there, I think, don't we? that they're waiting for this game to be finished before they do the business. Obviously, the last week of the window was coming as well. But yeah, it's a game I'm really looking forward to. It should be an outstanding fixture.

16:31Gary Neville:A real test for Liverpool, real test. Obviously, they're there to withstand it and can withstand it. But for Newcastle as well, it's a good moment for them. It's a big home game, first game of the season. And yeah, it'll be really interesting to see what happens. I just want to mention that the penalty, the situation with Bruno Fernandes, I think he let it impact him. I think, you know, you didn't ask me before, but I thought he let it get to him. When he came out of the second half and he was still talking to the referee, I know that can happen, but I think you could see in his face sometimes with Bruno, I think he wears his heart on his sleeve.

17:06Gary Neville:And it was quite clear that obviously he's desperately disappointed about missing the penalty in the way in which he did. You know, I think sometimes if a goalkeeper saves it, you might think, well, okay, that happened, but he's smashed it over the bar. But then this idea of sort of that the referee disrupted his rhythm. It was a complete accident, obviously. The referee was trying to walk back towards players coming in. He just seemed to let it impact him in the game. I think that's just something that shouldn't have happened, really. I think it was more important. But that wasn't the biggest problem out there for United today.

17:35I think that there's a couple of things in the first half.

17:38Gary Neville:I think that the goalkeeper still looking a little shaky or very shaky on those crosses from corners, which can't continue because that anxiety builds. I've said it before. and then in central midfield I think United have to do a piece of business now because I would have liked to have thought that Mayne could step up and be that person but it's quite clear that at this moment in time Ruben Amarim's not having him I mean he starts with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes he then puts Mason Mount back in there and then he brings Agathe on in front of him which tells you he's almost like fourth choice really and that means that they are going to need to I think get something sorted because it's going to be a problem the two in there really does get exposed when that front three are just a little bit more higher and that back five sometimes get pushed back a bit.

18:27Gary Neville:Those gaps, those acres of space seem to open up and I thought United got cut through quite a few times in there in the second half and I think Bruno Fernandes is part of that in there and he's going to have to sort it out. Well, it's going to be a very interesting week for a lot of clubs, Manchester United included right up to that transfer window. Yeah, I think Isak's the big one, isn't it? I mean, that's the one that I think everybody will be waiting for. I think that Manchester United will have to get a goalkeeper and I think they'll look at getting a central midfield player. You think Newcastle will have to do some business with the exact money, so they'll be probably waiting and seeing what they don't want to end up with is£150 million in the bank or£140 million in the bank and then someone take it off them for inferior player or players, so I think that's what they'll be scared of.

19:09Gary Neville:We've seen that too many times before, so I think there will be quite a bit of business and it will be an interesting week and it always is. Transfer deadline week and yeah it's a week that I think we like particularly at Sky we do and it leads up to a blockbuster next Sunday see you at Anfield yes that'll be good too for Liverpool Arsenal see you next week Peter thanks Gary