Previewing the upcoming Liverpool rivalry match

Well hello everyone welcome to the Gary Neville Podcast. We're live from the Gantry at Old Trafford. Having just watched Manchester United edge past Brentford by two goals to one. For much of that contest it didn't feel like they were going to edge past it, but at the end it it was a little bit too close for comfort, was it ? Yeah, a little bit. Just that goal coming obviously very late on meant it was uh uh the crowd the loudest they were in the second half was actually the worry um that existed for probably three or four minutes after Brentford scored. I actually wasn't expecting the change at half time that we saw, but it made sense the more you saw the game in the second half sort of play out because it was uh it was really a pragmatic, safe . Um you know, we won the game already. Brentford are creating a lot of chances, they look quite dangerous going forward, so we need to nullify that and sort it out and to be fair they did that in the second half Manchester United a little bit cheeky going to Ruben Amrium's system the 5-2-3 uh but these players have played that obviously quite a lot this season, they know it, and I think the extra player at the back paid off. I mean Manchester United didn't concede the goal because of the extra player at the back. It was more like the midfield didn't quite get to to Jensen. So I think the five at the back um they seemed to had a lot of balls in the second half, they got quite a lot of blocks in and it looked like a r really and it has been a really good move by Michael Carrick 'cause I think that he felt maybe punch for punch, we could go punch for punch second half and end up coming out sort of the wrong side of it because Tiago could have had two or three in the first half, Brentford definitely could have been level. That goal on half time was the killer goal really allowed Michael Carrick the sort of what would be the Yeah the grace to be able to go and do what he did . I think the Manchester United fans I think understood what he was doing in that second half. I think they they realised in that first half that obviously you know their team were winning 2-0, but it could have been 2-2, and that you know it was a sen sible move to make. I think that you would you know Michael Carrick would have wanted them to play better football in the second half, I think, and score goals on the counter-attack. That didn't happen, but yeah, they got over the line. The most important thing tonight, ahead of Liverpool on Sunday, was just to be in a place of risk free. Manchester United are in the Champions League now, they're there. That's it's just not going to be taken away from them. So they can go into this Liverpool game with a little bit of freedom um knowing that the pressure's off . I say pressure's off, it can never be off the liver pool game, but pressure off in terms of the bigger and wider sort of context of when it getting into the Champions League, which is the biggest goal. Just to rewind a little bit, it felt like after the defeat against Le eds here, and then the perhaps backs to the wall nature of the performance at Chelsea, where they they got across the line but faced an enormous number of shots, that they had a bit of a point to prove they came out of the block so quickly here and Brentford seemed seemed a little bit caught out by that. They didn't know how to respond at the start. Could easily have been more than one nil in the first fifteen minutes. Yeah I think it's been a very good response since Leeds and getting two victories. But you're right, they were really quick. I thought the first seven or eight minutes, ten minutes maybe, Manchester United were breathtaking at times in their attack and could have been 2-0 up . And I always it it's the old adage, I always thought Old Trafford, you know, it doesn't sometimes happen, but we should always start quickly . This crowd are expectant. The 75,000 people that are coming in here and they want to see electric football and they want to see speed. So when Manchester United start like they did today, there's a real sort of lift they get the goal um but brentford you know that was fifteen minutes and brentford come back into it for the next fifteen minutes so that was the unexpected bit but it was a really quick start after the Leeds game a couple of weeks ago, which was a it was a difficult night, Leeds played really well and Leeds deserved the victory. Um to go to Chelsea without um Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez was a big clean sheet and a big victory. That was a big moment because you lose that all of a sudden there's a little bit of a what's going on. Um, but no, that's been gotten rid of now, and I think Michael Carrick will feel quite comfortable tonight. But you're right, the quick start tonight was helpful. Um, and overall, I think Manchester United just shaded it and sort of the chances, but they just had those moments, didn't they, where Brentford looked like they could have scored. I mean, Wattara has a guilt edge chance at the back post in the second half, which is probably the best chance of the second half. I guess what happened between the two United goals right at the start of the first half and right at the end of the second half worried Michael Carrick and the coaching staff enough to play the second half the way they did. Yeah, and look, I I think if Michael Carrick was speaking honestly, I think what he'd say is at the moment that he's getting the absolute maximum out of this group of players. Is it twenty nine points now in thirteen games since he came here? That's a brilliant job. It is a really brilliant job because they played fantastically well in those first two games against City and Arsenal. I mean it was absolutely amazing those two performances. They really were fantastic. But they've not really hit that height since and they really are which is really should be respected they're getting over the line in games now where they're not playing as well um and that's something that you say you you you've you've got to do that but I think you'll realize when he looks at the group of players out on the pitch. He said before the game I thought I heard him say in the interview with uh Dave Jones and um and Jamie Carrigan that he's been inf influencing the sort of what would be decision making in terms of the squad for next season, which is something that you know he wants to he thinks about the long-term future of the club, even if he's not here at the end of the season, which I think he's more than likely to be, but if he's not, I think he'll think this still needs another couple of transfer windows, this squad, to get to a point whereby I like everything that I see. There's a lot of things in there that you'd want better. There just is there's some good bits, there's some lively play, but obviously, I mean Casemiro one more year, he's not gonna be here one more year, he's gonna leave and and and there's gonna need to be a new midfield built. And the back line still isn't right, it just isn't. So there's a lot of work to do still. I think Michael Carrick will recog nise that, but I think he'll be happy with the job that he's doing with this group of players right now. There's this strange uncertainty that that hangs over the club in that will he get the job, will he not get the job now that Champions League football's as good as secured the the noise is probably gonna become bigger. Do you think or to what extent do you think that what he did in the second half was just look, I I've got this tactical now to do this. It's not just about doing it one way. I can shut down a game which he very nearly succeeded in doing and this will will you know I'm I'm I'm a serious manager in other words. Oh no I think look he I think he's proven that he's been agile in games. I think to be fair at half time tonight to do that. I mean if Brentford had got level , you know, he'd have come under an enormous amount of criticism for going to that system. And when I say get level, I don't mean maybe late on with two late goals. I mean if let's say for instance Brentford have scored after five minutes in the second half and then gone and scored after 20 minutes in the second half. We'd have been saying, What's he done? Why's he changed? Why's he gone to the Amarinum system? So it does take a level of courage and bravery to do what he did in the second half. But in hindsight, I think after a few minutes, I think it was fifty-one minutes, I said, this is working. It's stemmed the flow. There were they were hemorrhaging sort of chances and space and everything in the first half. There was it was there was too much. I didn't I didn't think that I didn't think and Bermo and Ahmad and to an extent Shesco and Bruno when I've seen Manchester United play well and defend well under under Michael Carrick that four at the back and that two midfield have been really connected to the two wide players and the two centre forwards getting back in so Bruno and Cesco or whoever it may be, Bruno and Cunho or whoever's up front. They that front four just relaxed a little bit and just spread themselves. I I wouldn would't say they were cheating in terms of cheating to try and get on the counterattack and thinking about attacking whilst the team were defending, but they weren't back in as concentrated and as focused as they should have been. I don't think Brentford's actual players were either Sharder and um Watara. I don't think they got back in tight enough and I think it meant Manchester United had some space at times. So I think to me United's uh compactness wasn't as good as it should have been in that first half. And Michael Carrick will have seen that, and he'll thought, right, okay, I can't take that risk. We've won this game. That second goal that we got to before half time gives us a sort of cushion to be able to protect a lead. Now you might say that's dangerous, and it is dangerous to Old Trafford to go in with the mentality of protecting a lead. Because if it goes wrong, you're gonna get some massive criticism. Because the idea here is just keep on going, get another, get another. But I don't think he thought that the team were in that sort of mood. I don't think he thought his team were in the sort of form that he could trust them to go and get a third and a fourth. So I actually support the decision that he made, not just because they won, but in hindsight I don't think they were in control of that game in the first half. They were hanging on for day life at times, and Thiago the goals he scored this season, he should have had at least one, probably two. I mean he had big chances and didn't even get a shot away. And finally, Gary, not finally for the pumpcast, but for this little section, they now do like Mondays, Manchester United. I've come up with the most interesting start tonight, Bill, haven't they? Manchester United have not won here on a Monday night for 9 7 days, was it? Had not won. Had not won. Yeah. Yeah, I found that out this afternoon and thought, oh bad out here was quite confident about them tonight, and then someone told me that stat and I was like, okay. And you remember the game, it was the Wolves one where Anana comes out and flattens everybody at the back post over there. Which is the first day of a season. First day of a season, yeah. So yeah, not one here on a Monday night for nine hundred and eighty seven days, only played four, but lost three. Give him the job. Give him the job. Lost three and drew one. So it's no, it's a really poor record in the last few seasons here on a Monday. So yeah, Monday night blues is over. Uh and Manchester United can relax again. They can play on Mondays. Although they don't want to be playing on Mondays too much because it means usually you're not in Europe. Well exactly, and I think they're certainly there. Let's cast it forward now to who's here next, the small matter of Liverpool. That is set up beautifully. Manchester United, I think I'm right in saying, haven't done the Premier League double over Liverpool for ten years now. Okay, it was before Michael Carrick that that win that win at Anfield. But to come here and put down, he he has a chance, doesn't he, to put down the sort of performance, the sort of marker that will see him get the job? Does he not against Liverpool? That's just it feels like that sort of game. Yeah, I look this is a massive game for um the fans, first and foremost. Manchester United and Liverpool, great rivalry. But I think this is massive for both managers. I think this is massive for Michael Carrick and big for Arneslot. I don't think either of them can afford an embarrassment on Sunday . Um a win for either would be very big. It would give them both confidence. Question marks over whether both are gonna be at their clubs at the start of next season. Is Michael gonna get the job? Is Arnest lot gonna be kept on sort of those questions keep sort of appearing on h on on the Liverpool manager. So I do believe it's a very very big manager. The game itself in terms of jeopardy of whether what's at stake, I actually don't think it's that important for either team. I think they'll both get into the Champions League. But for both managers I think it's a serious game. A serious game of basically seeing themselves against, you know, a big title rival potentially, sorry so, a big a big rival for next season, uh a big rival in terms of just generally United and Liverpool. So I think you're right, the Michael Carrick um the Michael Carrick and Arnold Slot sort of what would be face off. We've seen rip roaring encounters between the two down the years, we've seen stalemates between the two. Do you think given the way that you you've just described this one is for the two managers, it runs the risk of of being the latter? I think if I I think you're right. I think Michael Carrick will probably be look, it if Cunha's fit I think he'll go with I think he'll go with Cunha uh and Bermo , uh , Bruno Fernandez and Shesko. I think he'll go for that four potentially. I'm not sure Ahmad will play . But I think you'll see a more cautious, and I think you'll certainly see a more tighter, compact, more defensively focused Manchester United than you saw in that first half tonight. I don't think he'll start the five at the back. I don't think he'll go that far. That would be wrong. And he won't do that. So let's be clear, he absolutely won't. But I think he'll definitely get them a lot more switched on defensively and say you've got to be a lot more compact and tight and it will be I think a case of not making mistakes, not giving goals. Well let's go and sort of make Liverpool nervous. And Liverpool, I think likewise, will not want to basically be opened up. So I think you're right, it could be more of a game of chess on Sunday. Not quite as much as it was in the second half, but I just think it could be you're right. A bit more of a challenging, sort of a struggle of a game where both managers are going to be quite cautious in the sense of not necessarily the teams that they pick, but the way in which they instruct them to go out there and be sort of defensively compact and solid. Do you think obviously United are as good as there as we touched on already? Do you think, given the fact that Chelsea go to Liverpool they're a little bit vulnerable, they'll be feeling that they're a bit vulnerable in terms of the Champions League or is there enough of a buffer? I think Liverpool got eight points, haven't they? With four games to go. I mean look and with Chelsea to go there. Yeah, I I I don't I honestly I think Liverpool and Manchester United are in there. I think it would be an uh uh I'd be a massive shock. So United are in there for me. You know, Liverpool to be fair I'm ninety five, ninety nine percent certain that they're going to be in the champions league as well. So look I mean they won't be thinking that neither of the sort of what will be managers or the players will be thinking that. They think they've got to do the job. But I just to me now I just don't see the teams winning the games that they have to win. And Liverpool dropping all the points that they would need to drop. So I don't think there's that. It's just a case of is it a message towards next season? Is it a message towards where each club is at? Um it has been a strange last few months for Liverpool, hasn't it, in terms of where they're at? So if Arneslot was to come here and win it would be big for him. It would be be very big for him. But if Michael Carrott was to go and beat Arneslot and see Liverpool off it, it would be massive for me. As I say I do think it's the ma games are never about the managers. Of course they're not. They're about the players, they're about the fans, about the rivalry. But this one does feel very important for both of the coaches. Um and I I'm I'm looking forward to it for that. I wish there was more on the game. I wish it was a title decider. I wish it was all the other things that there was some jeopardy involved, but I don't think there will be. Okay, Gary, I think that wraps it up nicely. Thank you very much. Well done. Thank you very much.