371: United Want Enrique? Maguire Pay Rise?

0:28Hi, Uncle Lazer here.

0:35Hello, everybody. Welcome to the United Stand. We're not muted now. I'm Mark Goldbridge and the Premier League is back. And whilst Manchester United may not be playing till Monday night, we've got lots of news for you to get into this morning. Manchester United want Enrique, Luis Enrique. But this is coming in from Fabrizio Romano. So should we get our hopes up? Well, maybe the Carrick crew won't. I mean, I'd be very excited about this. We'll talk about that. Also got an update coming in around Tonali in the last few minutes as well. Is Harry Maguire getting a pay rise at Manchester United to stay?

1:08We'd always been led to believe, and I think a lot of people that wanted Maguire to stay felt that, well, with a pay cut, you know, it's not a bad deal. Apparently there is no pay cut. Apparently it could even be a pay rise. We'll talk about that. We've also got Bruno Fernandes' recent interview to react to, which I haven't really spoken about yet. We've also got Ricky's combined 11 for the Leeds game that doesn't include Bruno Fernandes. Is this now just stubbornness? Some people say, is it stupidity or is he actually having a hot take? Some would be saying he's having a hot flush down the toilet.

1:42And also, Dennis Irwin not named in the top three left backs in Premier League history. What is happening to our football punditry and media? Absolute joke. We'll talk about that if we have time as well. But look, lots to get into. And we're going to start off with this story that came in from Fabrizio Romano last night. There is someone internally at Manchester United that is a big, big fan of Luis Enrique and dreams of him as United manager one day. However, Enrique is advancing in conversations with PSG over a new contract until 2030. What is that as an update? What does that mean for Manchester United and their manager appointment in the summer?

2:28Well, look, I actually think it's a positive. I think that if we give it to Carrick and it goes wrong, which it may well do, then whoever that person in a Man United is very clever because Fabrizio Romano is very credible. And we now know that somebody in that football club wanted or wants Luis Enrique. And I think Favell probably wants Nagelsmann as well. So I can deal with that. I can deal with that. As I've said before, if we give it to Carrick, I think it's a mistake, but I will back him. You know, there's nothing difficult about that for me. but I also think it's really good that there's somebody in the club who is a big admirer of Enrique because it just shows that there is people in there who have a brain and whilst they might get voted down by the morons who we can obviously guess who they are one day we might get rid of the morons and actually start being a proper football club again James says I think it might be Barada who wants Enrique maybe it is maybe it is I mean look he will have seen at Manchester City what happens when you go and get the best in class I mean, I don't recall Man City in Barada's time saying to Kevin De Bruyne, do you want the job?

3:35Or, you know, Sean Gota or any other ex-Man City player. They always went and got the best in class and look what happened with them. So it could be Barada. It could be Favell, although I think Favell would probably want Nagelsmann. It could be Sir Jim Radcliffe because obviously Nice are in the French League and you might have looked at it from that point of view. One person it won't be is Jason Wilcox. I mean, I saw the footage of Wilcox in Dublin yesterday with Carrick and it was almost like fucking Wilcox was the coach. I don't know whether you've seen it, but Carrick sort of stood there like this and Wilcox is going like this, you know, as if he's the bloody coach again.

4:08So he's going to bloody love having Carrick, isn't he? Because he's got a guy there already that lets him on the training ground and he's bloody listening to him. So it won't be Wilcox. And unfortunately for us, Wilcox is the guy that's got the ear of Sir Jim. So it won't be Wilcox. But at least there is. I take it as a positive. I take it as a positive that there is somebody in that football club, in the in the boardroom, who is a big, big admirer of Enrique, because it just shows you that there is somebody in there with a bit of a brain. Do I think we're going to get Enrique? Absolutely not.

4:38I think he's going to sign a new deal at PSG. I think Ben Jacobs had an update last night where he said, as previously reported, PSG are optimistic that they will get Enrique to sign a contract. there is a timeline to finalise this but Enrique is currently in talks to there is no timeline to finalise it but he is in talks if it's done before the end of the season it will be the culmination of several months of negotiations but the French champions are equally comfortable if discussions need to run on into May or the off-season Enrique's current contract has a year left on it meaning even without a new deal PSG have always downplayed fears of an exit this summer I mean I don't think Manchester United are competent enough to even talk to Luis Enrique I think this is just somebody in the club.

5:25Let's say it's Barada or whoever who would love Luis Enrique to be the Man United manager. But the club are doing nothing about it. So I don't think we will get him. I think it is a dream move. But I think the positive is, is that if they go with Carrick or yeah, if they go with Carrick and it doesn't work, then we know there was somebody in that football club that wanted us to go for Enrique. And hopefully the person that chooses Carrick gets sacked if it goes wrong. i.e. Wilcox, because he has made so many bad calls as director of football at this football club. And this will be another bad call on him.

5:58And he can't hide behind anybody else. I've seen people defend Wilcox over the last couple of years. He's ultimately responsible for every managerial appointment and sacking. And it's on him. So let's wait and see what happens. But it won't be him who wants Enrique. It will be, you know, probably Barada, if we're being honest. I don't know whether Blanc is still involved at Man United. I think he might have gone now. Maybe it's a gym, like I say. But look, there's a positive in the negative that at least somebody in that football club has mentioned the name Enrique. And then when they get it wrong, we have that information, don't we?

6:38Why don't I think we'll get in? Because I think we're bloody incompetent. I think we're cheap. I think we go for second best. I mean, look, the dream summer, clearly for most people, would be Luis Enrique as the coach, someone like Elliot Anderson or Tonali coming in as the number one midfielder to replace Casemiro. We're probably going to stick with what we've got and bring Bilaba in. And that's not, I wouldn't say it's a nightmare, but it's not a dream, is it? And this is Manchester United. And I think that so many conversations around Man United are about standards. Some people have the standards of what this football club was built upon.

7:12And some people have the standards of what the Glazers have turned this football club into. Like keeping Harry Maguire and keeping him on the same wage. Some people are OK with that. I think it's laughable, but some people are OK with that. Some people are happy to keep Steve Holland and Carrick as our manager for the next three years. Some people are happy just to get Belaber in. Some people just have low standards now. And, you know, those people can argue about it. But where my standards are, your standards are there. So it is what it is. You have low standards, in my opinion. Maybe in your opinion, I have two higher standards.

7:46But look, I grew up with a Man United side that had nothing, built an empire and then for some reason let that empire crumble when everyone else was telling them what to do. So my standards still remain as to where this great football club should be. I think your standards are in the mud, some of you at the moment, in relation to what you think is acceptable about Manchester United. I mean, I hear the word greats and legends being used about the team in the last 10 years. I'm like, for what? Oh, we've got to keep the experience around the dressing room. For what? Sacking managers? What, so they can give them all a hug?

8:16We've been here before. We've sacked loads of managers. Rubbish. Absolute nonsense. So the standard of Man United this summer should be Anderson, Tonali, Enrique, Nagelsmann. That's where we should be looking. But the fact that that's a dream, I think is very, very sad. Because it shouldn't be a dream. You go abroad, you go to America, you go to India, Europe, Australia, South America, and you mention Man United and everyone knows who we are. The only people who don't know who Man United are, unfortunately, is the people in the boardroom. because everybody else in the world knows that Man United are massive and knows what Man United should be and knows Man United are nowhere near where they should be.

8:54But in the boardroom, it's a dream to get the number one targets in the managerial room or in the midfield. And that's the problem we have is that we want to be at the... Apparently, we want to be at the top of football with mediocre decisions. If you want to beat the best and you want to beat the rest, you better buy the best. And we still don't seem to have figured that one out. So look, a very interesting update from Fabrizio Romano in relation to Luis Enrique, certainly saying that there is somebody in that football club who is internally at Man United a big, big fan of Luis Enrique and dreams of him as being United manager.

9:36but look I think we all know the chances of that happening in reality are very very very slim I think it's gonna be Carrick I said that to you the other day that's that's sort of where we're heading towards as well interestingly as well now this is very interesting at the moment and let me just catch up on a few super chats before I move on to this centre-back story with Murillo from Forest who is a player I think we should be looking at as well morning Mark all the best Go on United says Owen good morning Owen I hope you're doing very well Marlo's in the house legend of the chat he says I predicted in early March that the midfield signings will end up with our Fernandez Gomez and Belaba looks more and more likely not best in class but what's left in class probably a fair point more likely we re-sign Anderson from 2008 than the current one says Nick and Slow Sports News is in the house hope you're doing well pal Wilcox has made more mistakes than a toddler with a sharpie he will fail eventually and Kiel Robinson says we are Joey Barton FC, Manchester into Manchester.

10:35And Inu says, would love Schlotterbeck for cover, rotation and competition for Martinez. Could play both with Martinez and as a six. Literally signed a new contract yesterday with Dortmund. So that's not going to happen, Inu, unfortunately. Let me talk to you about the centre-back situation. I don't even propose to run a poll on this. I think this is something we're just going to have to get in the comments about. So if you are watching live, whack it in the live chat. If you're not watching live, whack it into the comments. If you are watching live, come back later and put it into the comments if you want it to stay on the video.

11:08So look, Andy Mitten was on the Athletic podcast yesterday saying that he's been very close to the Harry Maguire deal. And the deal that Maguire is signing is not necessarily a pay cut because he could have gone and earned money elsewhere. So it almost read, and if you listen to it that Maguire has extended his contract on the terms that he was on before. So, and if you listen to it, we might get more clarity in the next few days, but if you listen to what was said and you look at the quotes that are coming out, it reads and listens like the scenario could well be that United have just extended his contract by another year.

11:51No negotiations about a wage cut or anything like that. And Andy Mitten is basically saying that, look, Maguire has chosen to stay on those terms when he could have gone elsewhere and earned more. Now, Maguire has always been rumoured to be on 190 grand a week. That will have come down because we're not in the Champions League. So that probably comes down to, I don't know, 150 grand a week. But with his back in the Champions League, is he technically getting a pay rise then? Because if he's had, what I'm saying is this year, he'll have been on a reduced wage because we're not in the Champions League.

12:22So if we're keeping him for another year and it goes up because we're in the Champions League, technically he's getting a pay rise. So look, I like Harry Maguire. This is not personal to Harry Maguire. And I have to keep saying that because some people take things out of context. This is about the football club and the decisions it makes. Manchester City move people like Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne are on when they're better players than what we've got and they move them on. We keep players Man City wouldn't even have and keep them at the football club. It has to be said that when most people said keep Maguire, it was on the basis that his wage would come down to around 100 grand a week.

13:07I don't think there's anybody out there that would keep him on the same wage. I mean, that's just bloody ridiculous. And I'm sorry, but if he was going to earn money elsewhere that was more, let him go. Like this, we're letting Casemiro go because we don't want to pay his wage anymore. But with Maguire, because it's not 300 grand a week, it's absolutely... I just find this absolutely ridiculous. From a football club that's trying to weirdly reduce its wage bill, why would you keep somebody at the club on 150 or 190 or whatever it is grand a week? It's a joke. It's an absolute joke. I'm sorry, that is an absolute joke to keep him at the football club on that wage.

13:48And whoever's writing these checks, they're just idiots, in my opinion. Apps, that deal only made sense if it was a big wage reduction. You know, you sort of do a Johnny Evans thing where you keep them around the club because they're experienced. They're there to help the next lot come through. You don't give them a wage that is more than most centre-backs in the Premier League. But this is my problem. This is not about a Johnny Evans role. This is about Maguire starting every week next year. This is about Maguire being a starting centre-back next year. This is what this is about. This is not about, I'm going to be a bench player that helps develop the youth.

14:24You don't give a bench player that's there to develop the youth £150 ,000 to£190 ,000 a week. That is about him starting games next year. And whoever's made that call, and if Carrick's involved in that as well, I think that's just so naive. To think that Maguire should be starting games next season in a back four. I mean, what are we going to do? Just park the bus, sit on the edge of the box. I just don't get that at all. I really genuinely hope that it comes out that there is a pay cut because I've got no idea why we would keep him on the same wage. His contract was literally up. You do not need to pay.

14:59And he was never worth 190 grand a week anyway. Moto Casino, America's social casino. Welcome to Moto Casino, where the excitement never ends. With thousands of the hottest free-to-play social casino games, fastest payouts, and the best promotions in the industry. No tricks or gimmicks. Owned and operated in the USA. Moto Casino is a free-to-play social casino. No purchase necessary. 21 plus to play. Void worth prohibited. Sign up today for a generous welcome bonus. Moto Casino, America's social casino. Download the Moto Casino app today. never so we've had this opportunity to take his wage down to like 120 100 grand a week and we've actually kept him on the same wage and you look at the you look at the people writing these checks and you go no wonder this football club never does what it needs to be done i mean that's just wild what we're going to do next give luke sure a lifetime deal maybe we'll do him maybe we should do a renewal for mount as well i mean i just everybody that wanted to keep maguire said with a wage cut, it's a clever deal.

16:03But if there's no wage cut and it actually is a pay rise because of the Champions League boost, I mean, that's just wild. Absolutely wild. And you know what makes it more irritating is that the Guardian this morning are reporting that Chelsea are now in talks for Murillo from Forest, who is a left-sided centre-back and, you know, he's about 23. They're also in talks with Van Hecke at Brighton, who is another good centre-back. So here we are, Man United, right, about to get in the Champions League in a better position than Chelsea. And we're keeping a 33-year-old centre-back whilst they go out and buy good centre-backs.

16:41And this is why we will fail in the long term, because we always make the money decision, the business decision, and we never make the football decision. The football decision would be build on the opportunity, go and get a really good Premier League centre-back like Murillo, like Ben Heck. And what do we do? We keep Harry Maguire for another year on the same bloody wage. And I'm just sort of like, I don't get that at all. And that's why you get people like Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt saying we should loan out Lenny Oro. Maybe they don't rate Lenny Oro or maybe they're looking at it and going, well, Lenny Oro's never going to play, is he?

17:17You've just kept Maguire on a full wage for another year. you've got De Ligt and Martinez. I mean, Jorre won't even bloody play. So I think it's just confusing. As I said, I don't, I mean, look, can we have a minute's applause for Harry Maguire? I mean, if he's got the same wage as he's on for another year at Man United, I mean, you can only applaud it. I mean, I'm going to stand up as well. I mean, you can only applaud that. That is, you know, no issues with that at all. I mean, that is a golden ticket. that is a golden ticket and I tell you what fair play to Harry Maguire and his agent for saying to Man United I could have earned money elsewhere because who on this planet was going to give Harry Maguire more than 190 grand a week I mean can you tell me where he was going to earn who can we find can we find actually can we do that which football club was going to pay him more than what he's on at Man United let's say let's be generous and say he's on 150 grand a week at Man United Who was going to pay him more than 150 grand a week at 33?

18:22But he's gone into the boardroom and said, I will stay on the same terms because somebody was going to offer me more. And United have gone, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, like a bloody clapping seal. I've got no idea. Maybe into Miami, maybe Saudi. There has been talk of Turkey. but I mean we couldn't negotiate our way out of a paper bag could we when it's raining yeah but look it's worth talking about it's nothing to do with Maguire it's just this football club and ultimately I think the thing that frustrates me is one Sir Jim Radcliffe is always talking about saving money and we literally could have let Maguire go and brought in another centre back and it looks exactly like what Chelsea are going to do and the reason I said it was papering the cracks at the start of the week is if you if you tell a 33 year old to stay at the football club for another year or two they're only going to get worse they're just going to get worse whereas if you buy me a 23 year old Premier League proven centre-back at least I know for the next five years they could things might get better and that's what it is sometimes it's as simple as that it goes back to standards again if you keep a 33 year old, factually, it's only going to get worse.

19:38You give me a 23 year old or a 25 year old centre back, factually, it's going to get better. So, and that's what United do. They just, they do the business decision. They don't do the football decision. They never have. Gummy says, Ricky has about the same ball knowledge as the management team at Man United, Luke Shaw and Dan James' obsession and he hates Bruno. Well, look, I want to talk about this Tonali update, but just to drop in what that might be to do with, Ricky did his combined 11 for the Leeds game on Monday. So we've got Le Mans in goal, Maguire and Martinez at centre-back, Deleuhe and Shaw at full-back.

20:17I would actually put Justin from Leeds over Deleuhe. So I think he's wrong about that. Justin at Leeds has been brilliant this season for them and Deleuhe has been crap for us. So I think he's wrong there. I'd put whoever plays at left back over Luke Shaw for Leeds as well. Any left back will do. He's got Maneu and Casemiro in the midfield. I actually think Ampadu is a shout probably in there as well. But he's put Aronson over Bruno in the number 10, which that's just, if I speak, I mean, that's just, that's bait. That's just bait. I mean, Bruno Fernandes is arguably the best number 10 in world football at the moment, and you're putting in Aronson.

21:00So absolutely not. He's got Cunha on the left wing, Ahmad on the right wing, and Mbwemo up front, which again, Mbwemo up front has been crap. Ahmad on the wing has been crap. So I don't disagree with half of what Ricky's done there, unfortunately. But the Bruno thing, I mean, it's just got to be bait at this stage, hasn't it? It has to be. Let me give you the Tonali update. So this has just come in this morning. and it's coming in from iPaper through their Northern correspondent, Mark Douglas. He says that Newcastle want the future of Tonali resolved early in the summer as part of their plan to overhaul the club's ageing squad.

21:38They are adamant the player trading model has to change with the mantra buying well and selling well, but will not sell below their 100 million valuation. The door has been opened for Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City, but any deal must be on Newcastle's terms with early interest declared. Tonali has never expressed the desire to leave and will stay and knuckle down if no deal is met. A sale would free a significant squad cost headroom to fund their summer recruitment. In the meantime, there's a feeling that Tonali owes Newcastle. I mean, I think that's a very fair and very thorough update of the situation with Tonali.

22:13I think Newcastle have to get real. It's the same thing Aston Villa have had to do. Aston Villa have had a brilliant time under Unai Emery, but Douglas Luiz, Jacob Ramsey, that they have to sell most summers because they are restricted by these current financial regulations in the Premier League. And I think Newcastle are going to be in the same boat. They don't have the revenue streams that the big clubs have yet. So they'll have to sell, especially not being in the Champions League. Tenale is a player that they probably feel they can sell. And then you go and buy a João Gomez or a Scott or a James Garner.

22:52So that's what Newcastle will do. in some ways it's clever isn't it you know you you take 100 million for tonali and then you go and buy one of the many other good midfielders in the premier league and and maybe get two of them so newcastle are basically saying that they're going to sell tonali uh they want 100 million pounds and uh they want to get it they don't want to mess about like they did with izak so i think that's that's a positive if you're arsenal if you're man city or you're man united they will do a deal for Tonali, the issue that we've got is that we just will not want to write the cheque.

23:26We won't want to write that cheque. We won't want to pay the£100 million. What we will want to do is sit there through May, June, July, negotiating with Newcastle, trying to get the price down, and Newcastle are just going to go, no,£100 million or nothing. So he probably ends up wearing an Arsenal shirt, doesn't he? If we're being completely honest. And that is not Tonali's fault. That is not Newcastle's fault. I think this is a real big positive. You know, if we were a proper football club, that update would get me really excited because what that update is, Newcastle will sell. They just want to get the deal done quickly and they want£100 million.

24:05And I'd be like, well, they want to sell. That's a positive. They want to get it done quickly. That's a positive. And£100 million is fair. Let's get, let's go. But you know, I don't want to pay that money. and I don't mind bartering and negotiating when somebody's, you know, if a house is worth a million and they want 1.5, then you'd be a fool to pay it. But if a house is worth a million and it's on the market for a million, you might offer 90, 900 grand or whatever. But, you know, if Tenali's 100 million and they want 100 million, I might go 90 million. Do you want to do the deal? if they say no I'll pay the 100 million Eugene says 100 million is too much for Tonali but it's not though is it Eugene I mean again it comes down to your understanding of football maybe you've got a better understanding of football than me maybe you haven't but Caicedo went for 100 million pounds from Brighton to Chelsea Declan Rice went for 100 million pounds from West Ham to Arsenal and Enzo Fernandes went for£100 million from Benfica to Chelsea and whilst they were all younger that was a few years ago so inflation would knock the price up anyway and on top of that Tonali is at 26 proven Champions League and Premier League midfielder and he's one of the best ones available at the moment so£100 million for me is spot on and for a 26 year old Tonali and I think he is I think I'm right in saying he's 26 I might actually have this wrong so Tonali is actually 25 so he's 26 at the end of the season so you get all of 26 all of 27 all of 28 all of 29 and all of 30 so you get five seasons before he's 31 five full seasons for 100 million pounds that is absolute value but the problem with man united is if i'm in charge i go i get five seasons before he's 31 for 100 million pounds five years um absolutely i'm signing that deal that is that's an incredible deal for that player but man united look at it and go in five years he's 31 and there's no resale value and that's how we're thinking as a football club now it's how chelsea think as well They don't want to buy players who, when they're 31, there's no resale value.

26:36Although we're more than happy to keep a 33-year-old on his current terms. So we are contradictory. But I think he's worth£100 million. I think he's better than Anderson in relation to what we need. I do want Anderson, but I think Tonali would drop into that Casemiro role, conduct that midfield and run our midfield. He'd be brilliant. For me, he's the perfect signing. I think he's the number one signing. I'd be very happy with Anderson, but I think Tonali's on a different level as to what we need because of the experience and quality on the ball. I think he's a conductor, but I don't think we're going to do it.

27:13So it's an interesting update with Tonali because basically, as has been rumoured for a long time, Newcastle want to do that deal early and Italy are not in the World Cup. So it's a brilliant deal to do, whereas Anderson might be heading to Man City, also might wait till after the World Cup. So I think Tonali is the right deal to do. I find it strange that people don't think£100 million is the right price when literally multiple Premier League midfielders have gone for£100 million in the next few years. Hi, Mark. Would you have challenged... Hi, Mark. Who would you have challenged Sesko? I mean, I don't think we will, Robert.

27:55I don't think we're going to buy a striker. I don't think we're going to buy a left-back. I don't think we're going to buy a centre back. I think this summer we might buy as few as four players. You know, Ferdinand's on the payroll of Man United and he's already done his little bit of PR saying that four signings are enough. I mean, you know, if you listen to Ferdinand, he wants Carrick and he thinks four signings are enough. I mean, and this is a guy on the United payroll. It's crazy. It's absolutely crazy that that sort of mantra is being put out there, Carrick and four signings. But I think there might be some truth in it.

28:29I mean, two midfielders and what else? I can get us up to eight. I think we need eight signings, but I can see Man United, you know, limping their way to four. You know, two midfielders. Who will the other two be? Four is a joke. It needs to be at least six, but I can see them struggling to get to four. I mean, who's it going to be? Two midfielders and what else? Maybe a winger? I don't know as Jim said could be a left back a left winger and two midfielders that's only four though isn't it Sebi3909 says I asked chat GBT what our five summer signings would be and it said Stilla, Chalgomez Brown, Diamonde and Calamundo backup striker is a 6.5 out of 10 yeah I certainly don't think they'll sign any more than five John United thanks very much for your super chat this morning.

29:27He says, we're such a strange club. We keep Deadwood and some fans spin it as experience. It's a weird nostalgia that holds us back. We can never move forward. Thank you very much, John.

29:39Inu says, keeping Maguire on the same wage is hypocritical and this cannot be planning for the future. Slow Sports News says, we even buy players that Man City don't want. And Inu, we've done that as well. Dazzo says, Luis Enrique is not coming to United. PSG can sign any player in the world he wouldn't be saying Keith Maguire I think that there is we spoke about this the other day didn't we, there is a very big hint with regards to what United are doing that we know who their manager is going to be because they're already doing things that maybe a new manager wouldn't even want to happen you know what are your thoughts on Van der Sar calling Inan a world class I think that comment's a little bit old, Marlo.

30:27And obviously, it's total nonsense.

30:57download the moto casino app today um one thing i wanted to talk about was bruno a lot of people reacting to bruno's interview that he did this week while united were in dublin basically saying about being settled in manchester and they felt that there was hints that he was going to stay at united um somebody on the show last night said why haven't you reacted to bruno's comments because i just don't i don't value them beyond um i don't value them in the sense of it gives us an indication of what his decision in the summer is going to be. It's a little bit like asking Ahmad who the manager should be and him saying Carrick.

31:33I mean, this is a player that's being picked when he shouldn't be picked. He should be on the bench, who is also a serving player of Man United. I mean, what is he going to say? Of course, he's going to say, give it to Carrick. And also, if you sit down with Bruno Fernandes at the moment, what is he going to say? He's not going to say, yeah, I've had enough of the football club. Don't like the owners. There's a lack of ambition. So I'm out of here as soon as I can. I've just got to wait for people to put a bid in. And if they don't, I'll have to stay. I mean, he's just not going to say that, is he?

31:58So it surprises me how naive some people actually are when interviews go out and people hint about being happy or wanting Carrick or they're going to stay. And then people don't have the intelligence to think about the situation. It's the middle of April. You're never going to sit there and say I'm leaving, or you're never going to say that I don't think this manager is any good because that would be, well, for one, the interview wouldn't go out. I've done interviews with Manchester United and I know that the questions are screened. So it wouldn't even go out anyway. But a modern day player is never going to say that.

32:33I think with Bruno Fernandes, I wouldn't say be surprised if he leaves, but I think he will stay because we've qualified for the Champions League. I think player power is back at the club and players probably feel more listened to now than they did under Amirim and Ten Hag. So that makes them feel like they're involved more. um i think that's a big thing by the way um if you listen to what bruno had to say and i i will read this quote because i think this was the most important bit um i'm pretty sure i did write this down let me just quickly come back to it but look i think with regards to bruno obviously he should be in a position where he can sit there and say i'm settled in manchester let's see what happens in the summer um but i think he should also be in a position where he is sort of saying well look if you don't deliver something in this summer uh i might be off and um i think that's really important um here it is so bruno fernandez on carrick and the changes that he's made michael came in with the right ideas of giving the players the responsibility giving the players the freedom on the pitch making the decisions um that to me is terrifying by the way so basically what bruno is saying is that karix came at come in and given the players more power um and he's given them freedom on the pitch to make decisions so that might be something that's really appealing to bruno because i would imagine under amirim and maybe ten haag you're a player and you do what you're told in relation to the bigger plan and the tactical setup of the team it feels like we've gone a little bit back to oliball where it's about freedom and expressing yourself and you know having more responsibility as a player um let me tell you that doesn't happen in a pep system it doesn't happen in an enrique system and it doesn't happen in an arteta system and it didn't happen in a Klopp system.

34:38So I don't like it when I hear players saying, oh, the current coach has given us more freedom and more responsibility to express ourselves. This is high-end football. There isn't a manager that's been successful in the last 20 years that has let their players go out and express themselves and play with more freedom. So look, that could be a real positive for Bruno as well in relation to wanting to stay if he feels there's a manager there where he can have more responsibility and more freedom. What that means for the team, I don't know. But look, I think with regards to Bruno's interview, the reason I've mainly avoided it is because it's a PR interview in mid-April and he apparently isn't going to make his mind up until mid-July, after the World Cup, after we've done most of our summer transfer window business, after we've named our manager.

35:30I'm hoping with Bruno that if it's a crap summer, he leaves and says up yours and leave the club in trouble. I'm hoping if we deliver a good summer transfer window, he stays and says we're actually building something here. So, yeah, that's what I'm hoping. But I think with Bruno, if it's Saudi or Champions League football in Man United, I would expect him to stay. But as I said, I'm hoping that he also has the ambition that this is his last major decision in his career. And if United don't do anything decent in the window, he does decide to go. Hi, Mark. Based on the current United ownership, how can a manager like Enrique work when all they want is yes men?

36:13It almost feels like he'd be washed, says Ayo. Yeah, I don't think we're getting Enrique. I don't think we're getting Enrique. And I think going back to what Romano said, there's somebody within the football club who is a big, big fan of Enrique and would love him to be my United manager. that by process of elimination can only be well it can't be wilcox and he's the guy who makes the decision there's no way that jason wilcox i mean i'd love to be wrong on this by the way so let's not say no way but jason wilcox makes the decision on who the next manager is going to be he's there in dublin you know talking tactics with bloody carrick i mean let's not forget our last director of football was John Murtagh.

36:58Was John Murtagh turning up to training in his tracksuit doing this sort of stuff? Why is Jason Wilcox on the training ground talking to Michael Carrick in the first place? I just don't know why we've allowed this to happen. He's never played for Man United. His previous job was at relegated Southampton for one year, and then he was a Man City youth coach, and he is Man United's director of football. I mean, it's madness, absolute madness and everything he's ever done at man united has gone wrong but now he's on the training ground choosing our next manager and also getting involved in tactics i just don't understand what we're doing there so it's very very unlikely that he's the guy going i want luis enrique because if he walks on the training ground with luis enrique he gets booted off within seconds and he can't mix it up with enrique so wilcox strikes me as somebody that wants to be involved in everything and to do that he needs puppets and Enrique is not a puppet Nagelsmann is not a puppet so I don't think Wilcox is there saying let's go for Nagelsmann let's go for Enrique Berada might be a CEO he's not on the training ground the CEO he's probably going I'd love to have somebody like Enrique so it won't be in my opinion it can't be Wilcox who wants Enrique because you bring Enrique into that football club and it destroys Wilcox.

38:16He can't be as hands-on anymore. The unfortunate thing is that Sir Jim Madcliffe still listens to Wilcox. And therefore, I think by process of elimination, I think we all know the type of manager that Wilcox is going to go for. He will want the manager where he can go on the training ground and tell them what to do. He will want the manager where they look up to him and respect him. Gio says it's Favell I'd say Favell might be more pushing Nagelsmann Because of his RB connections I saw Beth this morning saying it'll be Berada It could be Berada I mean it could be Sir Jim Matliff Could be the actual owner of the football club That wants Enrique

39:04But yeah it won't happen I think we all know what's going to happen In relation to that okay um we have got a saturday night eight o 'clock show tonight always like saturday night live so get your questions ready for that uh big day on that's football as well premier league is back arsenal against bournemouth 12 30 liverpool against fulham 5 30 i think we could really do with fulham sorting liverpool out tonight um i mean we've i think we've got champions league football anyway but there's some cracking results before we even play. Liverpool play Fulham tonight. Villa play Forest away tomorrow.

39:40And Chelsea play Man City tomorrow as well before we play Monday night. So we could be in a great position before Monday night football. And hopefully we get some results going our way. So if you want to join me on That's Football for the Watchalongs, you're very, very welcome. Thank you very much for that. Thanks everyone for tuning in today. Don't forget to get your comments in. Oh, finally, there is a press conference at two o 'clock. We, I might do a little video to that. I've got to be honest, Carrick's press conferences are boring. Like, they are. Oli's were boring. TenHog's were boring.

40:12Like, it's nothing to do with Carrick. Amirim, Ranić, Mourinho, Van Gaal were quite interesting. I find the press conference is really boring now. Nothing ever gets said. It's just really club safe, isn't it? And that's because we've got an interim that's desperate to get the job. So Carrick's never going to say anything of interest, is he? because he's desperate to get the job. Maybe when he gets the job, we might get better interviews. But at the moment, I find the press conference is really quite dull because he's not going to say anything, is he? If I was Carrick, I wouldn't say anything controversial.

40:49I'd just be like, you just got to keep it on the download. Plus, we've had a week of interviews out of Dublin anyway. But we have got the eight o 'clock show. Finally, I just want to say this. I'm not missing this. I'm not letting this go. So there was a there was something on Talk Sport today on their Twitter saying who's the greatest ever left back in Premier League history? Ashley Cole, Andy Robertson or Patrice Evra. Right. The Premier League started in 1992. Do not say who is the greatest left back in Premier League history if you're not going to remember that it started in the 1990s. Ashley Cole, Andy Robertson and Patrice Everett didn't play in the 1990s and the Premier League started in the 1990s.

41:43I'm fed up of stupid chuff monsters doing social media posts about Premier League history when they're up their mum's chuff when the Premier League started. Don't put the word Premier League history in there if you don't know your Premier League history. Because Dennis Irwin is definitely one of the top three left backs in Premier League history. He won multiple Premier League titles. He also won a Champions League. He scored goals. He got assists and he was a brilliant defender. There is nothing nuanced about Dennis Irwin being in the top three category for best ever Premier League left backs.

42:24I'm tired of this. The Premier League started in 1992. Stop pretending it started in 2002. Absolutely terrible take and it needs calling out. Thank you everybody for watching. Thanks for sharing my gold devil's work, Mark, says MN Arts Design. Thank you very much, pal. Really appreciate that. And I will speak to you on the eight o 'clock show tonight unless anything happens there, but I'm on That's Football Before. Also, we've got some big announcement coming next week. so get ready for that very early next week big announcement get ready speak to you in a bit

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