Pressure On Amorim But Grealish & Dowman Both Star

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1:16There's no excuses now for the man to the season. He's got to start getting results and get results quickly because once you start getting into October, November, then I think if the results don't change drastically then that's where the pressure comes. I signed a deal with Ford and used to give me dad a Ford Galaxy but I didn't realise that in the contract when I passed my driving test my first car had to be a Ford so yeah. Yeah there used to be these garages and you'd use one of the garages at the door and you're just messing around with your mates and I'm sure I'm sure you'd be doing something similar or or whatever at that age.

1:54But yeah, you're just trying to be a kid because sometimes that gets taken away from you. This is the Wayne Rooney Show. Manchester United have just drawn one all away at Fulham. The fans are angry. What we want to know is how is Wayne feeling? Yeah, it was a disappointing result. I thought the start of the game was really positive, you know, really taking the game to Fulham, some nice interplay. And then, you know, from getting the goal and then second half really passive again, too easy to get onto the back line and obviously Fulham getting equalised and it looked like Fulham were going to go and win the game.

2:32So thankfully they never come away with a draw, but I still think there's a lot to be worked on. It's early on in the season, of course it is, but I think United really need to hit the ground running this season and one point from six now is obviously a bit of a worry. Go on, Kay. You're like a coiled spring. Go on, just go. Just get it off your chest. I think what Wayne said there was really important. We needed to hit the ground running this season. And with his record last year, he really needed to get some wins under his belt really quickly. And I think he's got a worse win record than Gary Neville at Valencia.

3:11And it's just the same errors keep cropping up, the same players making the same mistakes. And I feel like the lethargy that you see with a lot of the players is sort of starting to creep in with players like Kunia and Bumo as well. They look sharp at the beginning of the game and then it gets towards the end. I think just from me on that, I think the one thing, players are getting moved around to pitch and into different positions. You see Mason Mount playing two or three positions, Kunia and Bueno, Ahmad. Players are moving into different positions and then from that you can't get a settled run in the team of doing the same thing in one thing.

3:48so I know from a player who done that myself, that can be very frustrating and all of a sudden you become fed up of it and that shows through body language as well and I just hope that doesn't start to happen with these new players because I think there's a lot of ability in there and already early on the worry is, you've got three centre-backs but it's too easy for forward midfield players to get onto the centre-back so if anything, you should see at the start of a new season United saying right last season's gone let's you know make sure we have a good start let's stick together and already they start and see them gap so that's a big concern for me what would you do Wayne if you were if you were manager I don't know my staff record isn't great as well so um no listen I think the first thing you you'd want to do is say right we need to be hard to beat that's the first thing um let's be hard to beat let's be hard to you know concede chances against and today again I think the goalkeeper off corners every corner you worry when the ball goes in the box but I think you just have to say let's do the basics right and I'm sure we'll get on to Tottenham in a bit but Tottenham have started the season well because they've got the basics right and I think that's the first thing as a manager you really need to try and make sure you fix.

5:06It's funny how things can change in a week though wasn't it? You two were fairly optimistic, fairly positive after last Sunday but is that what is so frustrating, Kay, the fact that you saw some kind of green shoots of what Amorim was trying to do and then it feels like another step backwards and back into all the problems that you had last year? Well, yeah, because you can play well against Arsenal because it's Arsenal and they've come second three years in a row and if you play well against them, it's quite encouraging. But this is, no disrespect, but it's Fulham. Do you know what I mean? And it's just like we were expecting a promising result but that just didn't manifest.

5:41and I don't know what can change right now. We're screaming out for a midfielder and he doesn't fancy Kobi Meynu to come on and he puts on two central defenders when we're trying to get a goal. I'm just confused as to what he's thinking. Were you surprised as well, Wayne, that maybe they've spent all that money on Cesco and then he doesn't start? Does he need to be starting? Yeah, you'd say so. I think that's what will end up happening. and that's what I was saying before when he comes on Kunja is going out wide so where Kunja in both games has looked more dangerous from when he's played that central role so then when he goes out wide it looks like he doesn't really want to be there if that makes sense but Sesko I think will become the starting forward I don't know how many minutes he's played in pre-season so maybe he's just easing him into the team Wayne from a player's perspective how important is pre-season because I know people talk about it but how important is it really it's hugely important I think to to get everything you want of course your fitness but you know the manager has the opportunity to put all his you know his tactical now Cynthia and and we've seen that he probably needs this pre-season going into the season he's had he's had this pre-season he's spent money brought players in so you would have just liked to have seen a bit more and seen the players understand the roles a bit better and even like with the changes, pre-season allows you to look you know, if we're chasing a goal this is what we're going to have the teams and look the last 30 minutes and I think at the minute what we're seeing is off the cuff really towards the end of the game so yeah, I think there's no excuses now for the manager this season, he's you know, he's got to start getting results and get results quickly because once you start getting into October, November then I think if the results don't change drastically, then that's where pressure comes.

7:38You mentioned the stat before, Kay, about Gary Neville. I know you absolutely love that stat, but this one has been doing the rounds as well. Ruben Amirim has managed Manchester United in 28 matches against current Premier League teams. He has overseen four wins. That's a win percentage under 14.5%. And two of those wins came in his first month in charge. Do you still have faith that he's the right man, Wayne, to lead Manchester United forward? it's difficult obviously to sit here and say yeah 100 % I don't think anyone could do that I don't think Ruben Amren would probably say that himself with what we've seen over the City's being the club but I think the recruitment has been good in the summer I still want to see two or three more players be brought in I'd like to see that but yeah it's difficult to say right this is going to be our manager for the next five years on what we've seen and we'd love to see him turn that round and sometimes we might be going too quick on this because Manchester United brings a lot more attention, there's only two games into the season but Kay said it before, the worrying sign is we're seeing things, what we were seeing last season and that's a concern I would like to have hoped that all them mistakes and players walk and easy to play against at times would have been gone, but today that was a bit of a worry.

9:05The one good positive is they all look fitter and they all look like they could run a lot more. So if we enter all the players into the London Marathon, we might have a shot at winning that. It's April so we've got a bit of time to get them completely ready as well. Okay, well that was a nice light start thanks to Manchester United. Let's try and move on to one of your other former clubs. Much better day, Wayne, for Everton. I know originally you were hoping to be there, you haven't been very well this week, so you weren't able to be there. at the big opening but it looked incredible didn't it yeah it didn't obviously a lot of family and friends at the at the game today and um you're just hoping that the football's in Runa that was the one thing you hope please get off to a good winning stand there's so many positives around the stadium and you know all different new gadgets around the stadium which um I'm sure we'll start to see around the country over the next few years but um I think the most important thing was was when the team go out onto that pitch and try and win the game.

10:03And listen, Everton went at the best today, but they got the win, a good win against a difficult team to play against in Brighton. So no, I think overall, after losing the first game of the season, getting the first win at the stadium was so important because what you don't want to do is drag on and then over the next three, four, five weeks, you're still trying to get that first win. So I think today's result was massive. Go on, Kay. I know what, Kay's desperate to not talk about football. He wants to talk about the way you get your food and drink at the stadium because when we came on the call, that was the first thing he said.

10:32Did you see how you get a beer at the stadium? Go on. Yeah, no, I saw the self-serving pints machine. I thought that was amazing. All the important stuff. Yeah, I was like they've got the best stadium in the country now. It looked insane the way people were getting it. I thought it was a nice little touch. But I was impressed with the atmosphere. I thought being a new stadium a lot of people probably don't know where they're sitting. Friends might have been separated and that sort of stuff. but it looked like the atmosphere was amazing as well. The fans made a conscious effort to make sure that was the case because I think we've seen in new stadiums in the past that, as you said, the atmosphere is a bit flat and then you're still holding on to, obviously, the previous stadium.

11:13And moving from Goodison, where it was always a good atmosphere, I think the fans really made a conscious effort to make sure that it was a bang straight away. And from listening, obviously watching on TV, listening to Zed cars and then the images of the stadium, above the stadium, right on the Mersey and stuff, and then it cuts into the stadium. The fans are all there with the singing and the atmosphere look great. So no, I think the fans played a massive part today in making it a historic day for the club. What I like is, it's not like if you look at the Emirates, which is a lovely stadium, it's just the same the whole way around.

11:45And this has got a bit more character. One end is a bit different to the other end behind the goal, and it just gives you that little bit of twerkiness, which makes it a little bit different and stand out, I suppose. Before we move on, we spoke about him on the first pod, I think it was, Wayne. Jack Grealish, someone that you know well. You said it was a brilliant move, him going to Everton. He looked mega up for it today and he produced, didn't he? Yeah, he did. And I think obviously getting the two assists on his home debut, first start was great for him. But I really liked, you know, I think it was the first few minutes of the game when there was an opportunity for him to get the full-back and the full-back tackled him.

12:20And he come back and he put an aggressive tackle and won the ball back. and you could see the reaction from the crowds. You know, the crowds are all up on their feet and they're big moments. They create the atmosphere at stadiums and from there, he obviously worked his way into the game and got us two assists, which I think is good for him because it'll give him a lot of confidence as well. He hasn't played a lot of football of late and to get that game in his belt and two assists, I think that'll only benefit him and obviously moving forward. Okay, so not a great weekend for United. Really good weekend for Everton.

12:53Even better weekend, arguably, for Spurs. What a win at Manchester City. Did you see that one coming, Wayne? I think what I'm really liking, what I'm seeing about Tottenham and Thomas Frank is you can clearly see he's absolutely drilled them in getting the basics right. And a bit what we were talking about Manchester United before, and if the basics aren't right, it becomes very difficult. And they do everything right. And whether that's pressing high of the pitch or defending deep, staying as compact as they can to make it difficult for teams to play against him they're getting all the basics right and they're getting rewards for that so I've been really impressed with the start Thomas Frank has made at Tottenham and the buy-in from the players sometimes we say players don't buy into a new manager's shape or tactics I think the players have all bought into what he wants and of course that helps when you win games but I think it's quite refreshing to see him I think Jed Spence was on Instagram saying then bring your favourite winger.

13:52They're all hyped up and they're confident and they've all bought into that system. It's amazing how he's got them to play and it didn't require 25 games or so. It's like one pre-season and he's drilled it into them. And Richarlison, I mean, everyone was talking about potentially was he going to move away from Spurs and in a summer where Manchester United have spent big on a striker, potentially Liverpool might spend big as well. Arsenal have as well. Well, look at Spurs. they've had a gem all along Wayne yeah no Richarlison's a good player and if you play to his strengths then he's a handful and similar to what I was saying before about the basics if Tottenham get the ball out wide there's no thought it's going in the box and so for the forwards the difference that makes in terms of you know you know you know before the ball reaches the wide man or the fullback you know you might start pulling off the centre back to get across him so you know knowing the ball's going to come in the box so it allows you that little bit more time to adjust your body position or readjust yourself to get that little edge on the defender.

14:52So it makes it so much easier for a forward if you know that ball's coming in. All you've got to do is work on your timing and he's aggressive, he will put himself in there. So yeah, I think the change tactically which has happened is certainly going to bring the best out of Richarlison. Pop quiz. What's in your kid's lunchbox? At Whole Foods Market, they've already done the studying. Over 300 food ingredients are banned from their shelves. No hydronated fats in the peanut butter and no high fructose corn syrup in the cookies. And for sandwiches, there are no synthetic nitrates or nitrites in any of their deli meat.

15:28So you can pack lunch boxes with peace of mind. Get back to school ready at Whole Foods Market. Sure.

15:43sure Wayne which which team would you have liked to have played in if you were playing right now given that's a tough question yeah because you've seen how they're all playing which teams do you reckon you would have slotted into and just caused havoc I do like what Arsenal are doing and I think we've seen that over the last few years and I think they have the solid they have defensively to play through and they've been crying out obviously for number nine and you've got that now with Dukarez but I think the way Arsenal are playing at the minute it's not over playing but also you know as we've seen the working on set pieces they are getting balls in the box as well so I think the way Arsenal play at the minute it probably suit me more.

16:24If we're going to talk about the Spurs side of things and give them plenty of praise we probably should dissect City now as football fans we get carried away don't we we probably all thought City were back after they beat Wolves last weekend perhaps Wayne, did we see that maybe we all got a bit carried away and potentially there's still a few of the same issues at City? Yeah, no, I think there's some of the issues there, of course there is. But I think, and what we were talking about Manchester United before, you can overthink things. I think after two games, it's very difficult for anyone. I think with Thomas Frank, it's different because we've seen him at Brentford.

17:00We know how his team's playing. He's just carrying that on with better players, really, at Tottenham. but at Manchester City obviously Pep's changed his assistant coach he brought some new players in against Wolves I thought they were fantastic and then obviously against Tottenham not so good and he'd lose the game so yeah I still think there's a lot to figure out for Pep in which he watches best 11 he's lost some big characters out of that dressing room into Brunner and Kyle Walker and players who have ran that dressing room early for the last few years Okay the other big story from the weekend then that we have to talk about I think is Max Dalman for Arsenal There's been a lot of hype about him over pre-season.

17:3715 years old, came off the bench, won a penalty. What a player he looks, Wayne. Everyone's waxing lyrical, I'm sure you agree. Yeah, he's obviously not seen too much of him, but to play at that age in the Premier League is crazy. I know I played when I was young, but I think he's like 150 days younger than I was or whatever. More, whatever. So I was sat there actually with my son watching it yesterday and my son is older than him. Is this your son, Kai, that's obviously playing? Yeah, so I went to watch Kai yesterday, he played for the under-18s, and got his first goal for them, which is, again, three years above himself is a great achievement.

18:18And then we're watching the Arsenal game and Dalman comes on and Kai's played against him and I said, is he your age? And he went, yeah, Kai is two months older than him. So I was thinking, it's absolutely crazy that he's playing first team football in the Premier League. Wayne, how did you feel when you were 16 getting put into the first team dressing room and stuff? What's that like? It's a massive confidence boost from the manager just to have him on the bench and then to bring him on and you could see it's clear the players all around him and making sure they're protecting him and whatever because he's going to have some difficult moments as well but it's just refreshing to see a young lad get his opportunity and you know and even though he's playing for Arsenal every time he come inside I'm going go on shoot you want him to put it in the top corner and whatever unfortunately he didn't but then he wins the penalty and I'll be honest I was thinking please don't give him the penalty were you?

19:19yeah I didn't want I just if he gets it and scores it's great but I was thinking you know if he misses that the difference in being an absolute success story and coming on to then he misses the penalty and then all of a sudden you get everyone not everyone but online people having a go with him so I was really pleased he didn't but no it was such an impressive debut for him It feels like though a young Wayne Rooney would have gone and taken a ball and said I'm taking this penalty Yeah you would I'm sure he would have wanted the penalty as well and sometimes that's where your senior players have got to have got to look after them as well because at that age you're not always making the right decisions but I was glad he didn't take it but it's at that age you know I think Guy Neville said it on the comedy that he still hasn't started his final year to do his GCSEs so he doesn't have to worry about that at the minute so it's crazy I'm sure that's not what his parents are saying his parents are saying probably still get your education I'm intrigued as to what Kai said about playing against him because he's obviously got a unique perspective that we won't have yeah no you can clearly see he's a top player and that's what for any young player you see you work hard and you put the effort in you never know sometimes you could be playing under 15 and the next time you're playing 18s or Premier League that's how quick it can happen so you always have to be ready and I'm sure for Max and his family and his friends you know seeing him just go from here to there I'm sure they're all living in a dream a fairy tale where that progress isn't at home yet, but you can see his future is so bright, he's going to have a massive future, and everyone you speak to in football, the same name keeps coming back in Max Downman, so I think his future is very bright.

21:07How do you stay level-headed, Wayne, at that period? Because, like, obviously, you still can't even drive a car yet, but you're the talk of the town, everyone's talking about you up and down the country, TV, radio, internet, whatever, but still you're 15, and how do you let that not get to your head? Yeah, it's difficult for anyone, I think. I think the first thing you'll do is just, you know, stay around your family and friends, close friends and listen to them really because there are going to be people out there who are trying to, you know, be your friend or trying to get in touch with you for some for good reasons, some for not so good reasons.

21:46But, you know, you just have to make sure the people who are closest to you, you stay around them and listen to their advice rather than you know outsiders trying to you probably don't know you that well trying to give you advice which mightn't be too helpful so stay close to your parents that's it do you reckon they're gonna give him a Ford Ka as well yes we got it in yeah that was yeah that was an interesting one go on Wayne explain it no I swear I think I was 14 I signed a deal with Ford and used to give me dad a Ford Galaxy but I didn't realise that in the contract when I passed my driving test my first car had to be a Ford so yeah nothing wrong with that I had a nice like purpley 4Ki with a personalised number plate and I remember then a few months later I was driving a Ford and Cleen was in a BMW X5 what was that realisation like I bet you were going through like I'm going to get a Mercedes I'm going to get a BMW and then your agent comes out and goes, actually, Paul.

22:50Yeah, no. No, listen, it was a nice car. I actually upgraded it after a couple of months to a Ford Ka convertible as well. Oh. I never thought this was something we'd have in common, Wayne. My first car was a Ford Ka. Was it? Yeah, so. As well. Mine was a Ford Fiesta, so it looks like we've all got the same. The same taste. The difference is that was a wicked Ford Ka and we had no choice. Listen, when you're that age, you pass the driving test you just want to drive any car so I don't think did you pass first time Wayne? I passed me yeah I had three lessons three lessons you passed a driving test?

23:29yeah what? I've never heard anyone do that I'm sure the fella who took me test was at Everton Fenn oh okay so you couldn't actually drive but you had a driving licence so yeah no I could drive I could drive it was okay on a serious note though I imagine this is probably taking you back to that time in your life. When you see a player, I know you were a little bit older when you came, when you burst onto the scene, but has it taken you back a little bit, remembering when you came through at Everton and how your world literally probably changed overnight? Yeah, it's surreal. It's so strange that, you know, one minute you're, as I said before, you're in the youth team and then next minute you're in the first team's restroom and with some of your heroes and for me you have some of your heroes going up I'm in there training with playing with becoming friends with um I was around at Duncan Ferguson's house he lived on the same road as me just chilling with him and Alan Stubbs and you're like what is going on here this is surreal um so for it's it's something you need to get get used to very quickly because um it could be overwhelming and it can you know really it can really get you if you don't get used to it and you're from the luxury Max Diamond looks like a very level-headed love from everything I have seen and you hope he manages to deal with it and understands what's coming his way very soon Wayne you're famously on record saying you were surprised that the step up wasn't as hard as you thought it would be I'll put it in nicer terms than you put it but what do you reckon Max Diamond was thinking do you think the step up's harder now he made it look effortless didn't like Yeah, no, I think obviously Max is going into a team who are challenging to win the Premier League and challenging to win Champions League.

25:19So I think that the step up for him is clearly with better players than what we had when I come in. So, yeah, it's... And sometimes you find it's actually easier playing first-team football or playing... Because you're going up, you're playing with better players. You'll see your run or when you're cut inside. like he does on his left foot, they'll make him run, which you might maybe get at a new team level. So sometimes it can actually be easier to go up and to make that step up and play with better players. So he certainly made it look that way as well yesterday. What's the one piece of advice you'd have for him?

25:56Enjoy it. I think what's coming to him now over the next 20 years, 25 years, I'm sure we're going to see so much of him and so much of his talent and goals and assists, whatever. and Alan Stubbs always said to me years ago make sure you enjoy it because it goes very quickly when you're young you don't think that but you sometimes forget that but no, enjoy it and make the most of it You've mentioned Stubbs there a few times and a couple of players who in particular at that period in your career really helped you put their arms around you I know your family will have but in that Everton dressing room because I imagine at the moment you can imagine the likes of Declan Rice, Odegaard the senior players at Arsenal looking after Max Dalman I was just wondering who did the same for you.

26:39Yeah, it was probably Stubbsy and Duncan, who were the two who helped me settle in. And obviously I couldn't drive as well, so they normally give me a lift home. Who gave you a lift? Duncan and Stubbsy, depending on which one, either of them would give me a lift home. So yeah, that was strange, just travelling through Croxtap, where I'm from. And, you know, everyone in Croxtap loves Duncan Ferguson and there he is pulling in to give me a lift home. Yeah, so that was strange. The only thing I kept thinking about last night was I thought about it a lot after he came on and played so well because I haven't seen loads of him because I think only the Arsenal fans have really seen him during pre-season I kept thinking I wonder what he's doing tonight like when you've just made your debut for Arsenal like the club that's the thing that you've always dreamt of can you remember what you did like after your debut after such a big moment?

27:30No but normally I'd go back and we'd just be on in the street and get the ball out and I'm just with my mates and having a kickabout. That was what I'd normally do. No way were you scoring goals against Arsenal and putting the ball in the back of the net against David Seaman and then just having a kickabout in Liverpool. Yeah, there used to be these garages and you'd use one of the garages as the door and you'd mess around with your mates and I'm sure you'd be doing something similar or whatever at that age but yeah, you're just trying to be a kid because sometimes that gets taken away from you.

28:03But all the other kids must have been like, hold on, he was playing for Everton earlier. He was playing for Everton and now he's playing with us on the street. That's wild. They're probably waiting for me to get home because they're a player down. And they know you're probably half decent as well. So I want you on their team. What do you do on a night's out when they have like team night's out to bond or whatever? How do we always get back to this? No, because I just like, you just don't go. You can't go, you're too young. We went to Spain with Everton and David Moyes made it clear that I can't go.

28:31I was 16 or maybe just 17 so I stayed in for a little bit I think I sneaked out I shouldn't have but yeah but yeah no yeah you stay in and enjoy your time at home in the hotel okay I think we'll swiftly move on from that because I don't think we need to get into it too much a reminder this podcast comes out on a Monday you're listening now and also on a Friday and I just wonder Wayne do you reckon by Friday there could have been a couple of managerial changes in the Premier League there could yeah you hope not I think Potter you know you wouldn't be surprised if something happens there and with Nuno if he doesn't it's a wild situation he doesn't deserve it but there's clearly something not right between himself and the owner and if that's the case I think there's only going to be one winner so you hope not but you never know with football that's where we'll leave it guys thanks as always for listening as we said we'll be back with you again on Friday you can listen to the Wayne Rooney show on BBC Sounds you can also watch us on the iPlayer and across the BBC sport channels including YouTube so we'll see you next time bye bye

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