Roberto, a draw in the end, but it feels like there was lots of positives to take from that performance. How did you feel about the way your team played today? I think we play very well against one great team.
Uh in the first half, uh we we had total control of the game. We had a chance to score many chance for a clear chance. we didn't score and in the second half is normal uh um suffer in the stadium against this uh qualities of the players but I very happy because I I've seen the the the right spirit the the right character and they want to to start from this character this reaction this uh behavior how pleasing is that as a manager to see as well, especially going down to 10 to be able to keep on pushing to get that equalizer which you did with through Dominic Sanki.
Today we show to be a team for the first time this season. We play as a team. Uh we suffer, we dominate the game, but every situation of the game we we were inside of the game and football is like this.
I think this character I I I like the the situation with Rodrigo red card. We need in this moment this situation no to to bring a red card but we need uh we have not to accept the defeat. We have not to accept accepted to conceal goal.
We have to react in all ways we we can uh is a bad way. It's not a right way. But I kissed the betangur in dressing room because we need this reaction this type of reaction with with character.
Football is character. Is this what you need to see as a manager as well? the fact obviously you're still looking for that first Premier League win but you've got lots of positives to build on that seems to be happening in each performance and now it feels like tonight that's happened again we win the game if we play as a team today we didn't win the game playing as a team I think if we if we become every game like uh today we going to win many games I'm sure it was a proud moment as well for for Dominic Saleni to get that goal.
Just how pleased were you for him to score the equalizer? I'm pleased for him. He deserve everything.
He's a good player. I think for uh for Tottenham uh there are not too many striker better than uh Solani and um today was a captain because he deserve to to be a captain especially in this moment because uh um he suffer because the Tottenham didn't score Tottenham uh didn't win any game and uh and he's our striker is a great I great player and we are uh all together behind him. You mentioned there you saw the team playing as a team today but there were so many chances.
Were there moments in the game where you thought you should have been three or four nil up here? Yeah, we have to believe in ourself, we have to believe in this um in this um way uh football way because if we believe if we improve if we if we play as a team we we will score many goals and we will uh win many games. If we don't play as a team we it's impossible win.
We you can win one game because you are you're lucky by the end you can't win game. Thank you very much for your time. Darren, I don't know what stood out to you in that interview, but I was very interested to hear Roberto Deserby say that he went into the dressing room and kissed Rodrigo Bentonor because he showed the kind of passion and spirit and character that he wants to see from his players.
It's all well and good when you go and get the equalizer after his sending off. Yeah, that's what I thought. I mean, if the result had been a bit different, he might not have said that.
But I quite like the fact that he's almost galvanizing the players and the fans and made Benor feel a little bit better as well because he knows he would have made a mistake. He might have cost his team three points. It would have been rock bottom again for nine days.
But I like that interview from Deserby because he was he was honest. He said that they played really well first half. The second half went how he expected it.
Manchester United to come out because they're a good side, but they showed great character at the end to get that equalizer. So I think he will get it right. I think he showed today with that first half performance what he's trying to do with Tottenham Hotspur.
There was so many different reactions from that I liked. Every single time they missed the chance, it was almost like looking up at the gods like what have we got to do to get a chance or get a goal, shall I say? But if it continues like that and they play like they did first half, I've got no doubts they'll get themselves easily out the bottom three.
Is that a problem you think that Spurs have have needed to fix, Jamie? The fact that maybe they've been thought of as a a bit nice to play against, maybe I want to say quite as strong as soft, but maybe just a a bit lacking in in the kind of fire and temperament that he wants from his players. What?
Yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean. But if you go through the managers they've had of late, you've obviously had like Sour Mourinho and Conte.
They're winners and they they drive the team. I think right now it's just a case of him just embedding in the players. They got a lot of new players, a lot of talent, but that has also puts a bit of pressure on them.
I I I can He's going down to 10 men to be fair. Yeah, that doesn't help. But I can only see him improving.
I can I'm with Darren. I can only see and I've said this and you know I I am still and I feel like I'm talking like a broken record right now when I talk about Tottenham. I still would rather them seeing buying players to try and improve the squad.
Now are they short of areas? Of course they are. They played Savio on the left hand side.
Is he a left-handed player? No. Darren made a great point at the start.
He said really they had you know Cudas on that side. Did they need him? They need to find a left winger.
Mud will come back in the next few weeks I guess depending on how bad his ankle is. He'll give you something down that side. Dominick Salane getting that goal today.
So important. Marmush needs goals. But they've got to find that balance in midfield.
You know, I think Fernandez has to come in. You've 75 million or whatever they spent on him. You can't leave him on the bench forever.
But there are still a lot of positives. I like Sessi. I think he's a good player.
He had a little bit of trouble towards the end of the game um as he got tired. But I think he's a really good signing for them. But there are a lot of good players in this squad.
It's just about turning them into a team. Talking about turning, we we talk a lot about momentum in in football in in sport in general. And often we talk about it over the course of seven, eight, nine, 10 games.
This is over two full seasons and the start of of this season. And this is of all the everpresent teams in the Premier League, how many wins and how many points they've got. Now, Spurs are the lowest number of wins.
But look at that points differential to anyone else. They're at least 20 points worse off across two and a and a tiny bit of of one season and that indicates the size of the job that Derby has on on his hands. Yeah, I I you know that's absolutely incredible when you think about it and how where Tottenham Hotspur should be in the league in terms of the players they league win in there as well.
Yes. So certainly that mask a little bit but they you can't you couldn't carry on in the manner they were. People don't like maybe they've spent money but they were sleepwalking to a relegation over the last two years.
It was only going to happen. So they they've had to change it. Maybe it's been a little bit I I don't think scatter gun is the right way to put it but maybe in terms of their recruitment they've gone for players and maybe could have done things slightly differently.
But at least there's intent to be to act like a big club like Arsenal have acted in the window. There's a reason why Arsenal found themselves at the top of the league. And it isn't because they necessarily got a great manager.
They have, but they've also bought big players. You buy Declan Rice and you buy players that are going to make you a better, bigger squad, people will take you seriously. And I think in time Tottenham will get it right.
And if you look at the fixtures coming up, they're still tough fixtures, but that that one against Commentary, they've got to make sure people talk about, oh, it's a relegation fight. I don't see Tottenham in a relegation fight this season. No.
But it will be a game, particularly at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Spurs fans will not just expect Tottenham to win, but expect them to win. Well, that's where the fans will be expecting them to get their first win of the of the season, regardless of of whether you mean you look at some of Coventry's performances. And yes, they don't have the points on the board, but but they've not been out of a lot of those games at times.
No, they haven't. But the players have got to embrace that playing at that stadium. They they have to at some point make that place a fortress because teams are going there and winning games far too easily.
And as you said there with commentary, I think their performances have been better than the points suggest. But at the same time, Spurs have got to take confidence from this performance that we shown today away from home and take that into that home form because the Spurs fans are a little bit unforgiving. They do expect a lot.
So you've got to go out and put a performance in and I think as Jamie said earlier, they'll be so proud of their team coming to Old Trafford with 10 men and leaving with a point, fighting to the very end. They can't waste that. The last thing they can do is have put this performance in today, go back home against commentary and then capitulate.
That just can't happen. But they need to build on the confidence. Take they take one step forward now.
They need to kind of embrace it and go on and and try and get their first win of the season. Sometimes Kelly as well, it's easy when you're struggling for confidence not winning games. Weirdly, bizarrely, it's easier to go away from home because there the pressure of the crowd is not on you.
There's not that, you know, initi initiative is not on you to go make things happen. But tonight, they did. They started the game really well.
But at home, they've got to start taking initiative. They start making their chances count. And if they do that, then everything is so good there.
They got a great stadium, a big massive fan base. They can turn things around. But they've got to start to get that belief.
And the belief will only come because it's all right saying playing in pretty like pretty for nice 60 minutes of a game. You got to win football matches and you got to score goals. All being really stubborn with the ball and and pinning them in and making them work.
um we probably turned the ball over a little bit too too easy at times and leaves it leaves the game open and then you know it's it's obviously a bad goal to which kind of sums up um things. So um very disappointed to be in a position like that to not come away with a game you mentioned there in terms of the differences in the second half. What were sort of the key areas that you were looking at that you thought that actually worked quite well in that second half then?
I just thought in general really it was it was there there was a number of things first half that that we wanted to improve and look at and then for the boys to feel kind of the the way into the game that little bit better that like I said towards the end of the first half we were starting to look like our normal selves and and we weren't like that earlier on in the game and and certainly second half I think just in general everything went up a level and and we look much better for it. Brian Burmo getting his third goal of the season as well. It was a really well struck goal.
So, how pleased are you with his performance? Yeah, Brian's done great. He's um it was a fantastic finish.
Again, he's he's obviously played different roles for us, but um we know we know what he offers Brian and um he's got them he's got good quality and he's you know, obviously more goals he scores the better and he's um he's doing really well for us. Just talk to us about the the late equalizer Dominic Seni. How did you see it from your perspective right at the end?
Um, yeah, I was just disappointed to concede like that. I think it's it's not it's not no goal a good goal to concede and it's it's a it's another late goal really that we we've we've managed to to um to concede you know in different ways when we've been up in games to to not take all all the points and then everything looks very different. Everything feels a lot different and um you know make making it a little bit more difficult for ourselves but um the goal is a goal.
We got to accept it. you know, we we can defend that the whole phase a lot better as a team um and be a little bit more well a lot more stubborn and a lot more ruthless and um and seeing the game out. Terms of the Rodrigo Benton red card, there was obviously lots of things happening.
You're right in the mix of it as well. How did you see that play out? I was just trying to get all players away from it really because it can escalate quite quick and um you could see obviously it's from from what I seen down the touch line it looked like a red card if um I'm not seeing it back but at the time I thought that and I just was wanted to get our players away from it especially Luke as quick as we could that was all I didn't get involved anymore.
Obviously a really busy period coming up for the club now. So when you're looking back at a game like this what are you taking from it to try and work on in the next couple of games? Yeah well I think we we definitely had a tough spell in the game early on.
Um, I think that's pretty obvious and and and the positives I think working through that and and and the second half um was much better was was much better and um as I said there there's certain things that we can um we can improve on for sure, but this there there's certainly fine lines as well within that. So, we got to stay positive. We got to keep doing the right things.
We need to do better. We need more points. Of course, we do.
We got games coming coming up and we got to be be ready for them and embrace it. It's a it's a big challenge. which is a great challenge and um we're more than capable of winning games.
Thank you for your time, Michael. Cheers. Thanks.
You could argue that Manchester United have shown that they're capable of winning games, but what they've also shown, Jamie, is that they're they're fragile from from winning positions. And it's happened more than once this season. And look, we're only looking over a sort of selection of of of games so far.
It's not a hugely significant sample, but it has happened on more than one occasion. It was a late goal conceded against Everton. They were 2-0 up at home to to Brighton in the in the Carabal Cup.
You were you were keeping an eye on that game here in the in the studio. And then again today against Spurs, you know, Spurs down to to 10 men and they managed to equalize against Manchester United. Even the City game, City down to 10 men for for large parts of of that game.
And I know the goal was subsequently apologized for and acknowledged as as an error. But is there a pattern emerging, do you think, of game management, poor game management? I I think so.
There's a there's a pattern that I don't really like when I watch teams and that's when every time the stats don't lie and the other team runs more than you. Now I feel in Premier League football right now there's a couple of non-negotiables. You got to run more than the other team if you want to win or at least you know get close enough that it doesn't make that much of a difference.
Tonight I think they run 5k more than Manchester United Tottenham Hotspur. Now there's an argument to say okay we had 10 men but that's every game pretty much every game that you should be thinking right what we if you outrun the player you're going to play against you will win matches and in terms of how they play today I think [snorts] you know I think they have an issue with with Tielemans and Mayu in midfield I don't see enough energy in there Baver will add a lot he will give him a tremendous amount of energy but right now when things aren't going well and Tottenham knew it they knew they could go and every time they played the ball out from the back they pounced if it wasn't Tanali or Ben or um Swedish boy uh Bergal. Yeah, B.
Thank you, Kelly. Yeah, Berg Val or Gallalagha. They pressed them because they knew they would didn't have the pace to get away from you.
And if you haven't got the pace and the speed in midfield now in in isolation, one of them is absolutely fine. Two of them together, it just doesn't work for me. They haven't got the pace or the energy to get around the pitch for 90 minutes.
And that stat that it doesn't lie. It's every game. The Brighton game I did it again are getting outrun.
It's I don't know what the reasons are, but if I was Michael and I'm looking at my squad, I'm thinking I've got to get more energy into this team and we have to run more because if you run more, you normally win football matches. If you don't, you will get chinned and you will get found out like they did against Brighton towards the end of the game. And that's exactly the same.
It's not a coincidence that. Is it also a perception thing particularly at home if you're fans watching from the stands and you see teams running for the for the club running in the on the on the pitch? I know it's I know it's very basic but is it something that kind of transmits a a message to the supporters to the stands and that's something that can create the energy that they can feed off and you have to be very careful.
Yeah, you're exactly right, Kelly, that you're saying they're not trying, they're not right. That's that's not what I'm saying. I'm just actually saying it's just that physical battle and those ability to get around the pitch and just win individual jewels.
The amount of time in that first half especially where the ball would bounce and it would go to a Tottenham Hotspur player and it was the same against Brighton and I I just see for me that can't happen. I just don't I don't know how you feel about that Darren. No, I agree.
I mean you you make a good point about the Spurs player because even the goal that Spurs got today, he's got Believer there and there's one other Manchester United player and neither go to the ball. Whereas where's the the Spurs player, he's on the front foot. He wants the game winning and he he picks it up and I know you're talking about one instance but these things that's cost them three points.
Spurs have got a point out of that because one of the Spurs players are willing to go and get the ball as opposed to the Manchester United but I think there were countless times in that second half where as I said Spurs are down to 10 men but yet they're the ones flooded through that midfield and I'm in total agreement with Jamie. I think when you play May who's a lovely footballer, great on the ball, Tieleman's lovely range of passing, I don't think they can play together because when you play against a a midfield that's got dynism and and they're dynamic and they can run forward and they've got power, energy, I don't think that midfield can live with it and that's something Michael Carrick's going to have to look at. I know believer will make a a huge difference, but playing them both together, I think that's a problem.
I know they've had City so far this season, but relatively speaking, it's been a kindish set of fixtures so far for Manchester United. It's not necessarily the case in terms of what they've got coming up. And there and there's not many tougher physical challenges than taking on a Diego Simeone side in Atletico Madrid.
Then of course there's always that huge the emotional battle against against Leads United. I know Bournemouth haven't been getting the the points on the board, but again that that's a a tough game when you're when you're looking at it. Chelsea come.
Yeah, Chelsea coming up and there's tough games in that. Yeah, but my you know that's and I think that was at the start of the year when the fixtures come out everyone was going well these fixtures are so kind to Manchester United they could be top after seven or eight games and they're languishing in the bottom half of the table. So Michael will be thinking we have to turn this around really quickly.
Now I do genuinely believe that Carlos Bourber will add so much to that team. I'm not saying one player can make the team but he can give them that energy and the focal point in midfield where he's got a real presence. He makes things happen.
A lot of pressure because he's only a young I think he's 23 24 years of age. Big signing, but he will give them so much more than what they what they have right now. But those result, those fixtures look daunting.
But you play over Manchester United. That's that's how it works. You're going to have great games.
And if you were top of the table now and you we we put those fixtures up, you go, look at them great fixtures, but that's how it can turn. They need to find a win somehow, don't they, Darren? I think you go back to the first game in the season as you spoke about their fixtures.
that whole City performance went oh I thought okay I didn't expect that because I thought they'd win that game and it's almost been that kind of a knock on from that I mean one clean sheet all season as well against in the Champions League that's not good enough but then when you look at these fixtures coming up as well I mean Atletico Madrid's going to be hard but you even look at lead's performance earlier where yes they got beat by Arsenal but they've been absolutely outstanding so far this season and they were on top against Arsenal for for long periods in that in that game as well. Exactly. And I think the the thought process around Manchester United always used to be, okay, if we can get anything from this game against Manchester United, we've done well.
But it's almost flipped now and you go, well, hold on, they're not as good as they were. We can actually go and beat that team. So the fear factor's gone.
So for Michael Carrick, he's got to somehow find a way of getting that kind of ruthlessness back into Manchester United where people go to Old Trafford or Man United are coming to your home patch and think it's going to be a tough game, but at the minute it's not. And as you've said, the the midfield is at the absolute heart of of all of that for Manchester United and sorting out that problem of of balance in there. And that's what Gary Neville's been talking about in his podcast after commentary.
Tielemans and Manu, I think we've seen enough of it now. I'm not calling time on it because I think that's probably too drastic, but I've seen enough of it to think that's not a midfield that's dynamic enough to play at this football club in the Premier League. And I think they're both good players by the way individually, but sometimes you just have players that don't quite sort of knit together and don't quite sort of suit each other.
And I think when Believer came on with Mayu, that's certainly looked more like there was a lot more energy. But there's going to have to be something done in there. The rest of them are going to have to get a grip because honestly, they're going to Atletico Madrid, a Diego Simony, Atletico Madrid, and they're going to Ellen Road.
And if you're not quite right there from a mental perspective and a sort of physical perspective, you're going to get found out. So they've got a couple days to recover, pick themselves up from this and get going because if they're not going to get going, it's going to be a worrying few weeks. Jamie, having outlined the problems for Manchester United in in midfield, why is Bela, do you think the solution?
What what would he change? Well, he's got a great profile. You can see he's about 6'3, a lovely left foot.
He he's press resistant is a modern day word that they use now, but he's so hard to get off the ball. He's got that ability to to do the the details that Manchester United haven't got with the other ones. And I'm including Santos into that.
All very one-paced. He is very quick when he gets the ball that even there going in Dominic does actually great there. But he is the sort of player, not so much one of his best moments that, but that will come, you know, and he gives them a different energy completely because he's pacey, he's aggressive, you the sort of player you wouldn't want to play against.
He has, I would say, nine out of 10 potential as a Manchester United player. He could be one of the best in the world, but that's that then that comes with a butt. And the butt is he has to become consistent because when I saw him at Brighton, I loved his performances four four out of maybe seven times.
I go, how good was he today? We do Saturday Night Football and we normally look at him, but there were games when he would look sloppy, a bit lethargic, would give away the ball too easy. Now, if he can take that out of his game, he can be absolutely brilliant for Manchester United.
But it's got to be consistent every single game and especially because when you play for no disrespect because Brighton are doing so well and I don't want to underestimate what they're doing but when you play for say a slightly lesser club that doesn't get the scrutiny that what Manchester United gets. You can get away with that but they won't you won't here. He's got to be on it every game and he's got to get fit because I think a lot of those players and they need to get fitter stronger but he will definitely add something to them.
Darren. Yeah, agreed. Powerful I said middle of the park as well.
Lovely left foot can get on the ball and can score a goal. We saw him score a couple for Brighton as well. But from a defensive standpoint as well with the four center, whatever sister Michael wants to play, having him sitting there now all of a sudden there's a little bit more trust there because I think with the two at the minute, Mayu and uh if it's Santos or Tielemans, you give them the ball, you're pretty confident.
But defensively, you're thinking, oh my goodness, like they're not quick enough, they're not strong enough. So then you're a little bit apprehensive. But if you saw the label that that small cameo that he showed, there was even one we didn't show on that that video there where he chased someone down the wing.
I was van got his body in as well. got his body in strong, powerful. They're going to need that, but it's going to take time.
Darren's exactly what what the point that Gary makes is spot on. So, if you're you know what I spoke about the two midfield players and they're going to press because it's much easier to go and press Tielemans and Maynu. But if I'm going to press him, Bourba, I will be nervous because if I don't get it right, he will roll you with his presence and all of a sudden he's at your back four.
So, you can't do it as easily. But with the other two, and this is what what Gary's saying, and he's spot on, they haven't got that ability to sort of run roll you and run away from you. So that was why it was so easy for for Tottenham to put them under pressure to ask questions of him.
Okay, you're going to play out from the back. We will see. And that's why they didn't have any success doing it.
And that was also credit to the manager because I think um Herzler in the Brighton game, he he identified that you can get after those midfield players. Yeah. And we'll see if Balaba does start against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in midweek.
