Carrick vs. De Zerbi: The race to get sacked | Football Weekly
Football Weekly asks who gets sacked first, Carrick or De Zerbi, as United look chaotic and Spurs show promise but lack goals
The panel starts from Manchester United and Tottenham’s poor starts and debates the pressure on Carrick and De Zerbi. United are called disjointed with a malfunctioning midfield, while Spurs show encouraging De Zerbi signs but lack reliable finishers and fail to beat a poor United. The conclusion is that both managers are at risk, with one guest predicting neither will last the season.
- Manchester United look completely disjointed and have no clear idea, even though counter-attacking seems their best fit, and they failed to play that way at home to Spurs — The goalkeeper held the ball instead of distributing quickly, the crowd turned around the 25th minute, and Spurs had most of the ball while United gave no convincing sign of what they were trying to do
- Carrick is already hearing murmurs of discontent, and the coming Champions League games plus the trip to Elland Road could make the situation deteriorate quickly — He did not think United had to appoint Carrick; the team has not been convincing, and the fixture pressure is severe, with Elland Road having been where Amorim fell apart
- Luke Shaw was lucky to stay on, and Bentancur’s red card was debatable but still a reaction involving excessive force — Bentancur reacted to a shove by getting up and pushing, which falls under excessive force; United benefited from being 11 against 10
- Tielemans has been terrible so far and has not come close to expectations — He had seen Tielemans as a potential signing of the season in pre-season, but United’s midfield is not working and the player is far below his old level
- Carrick will not last long at United and could go after a defeat away to Leeds; neither Carrick nor De Zerbi will still be in their current jobs by the end of the season — The direction at United is already clear and the pressure is accelerating; he expects both managers to be gone by season’s end
- Tottenham should have been two or three up at half-time, and failing to beat such a poor Manchester United is a serious problem — United were terrible yet did not lose, while Spurs dominated without turning that dominance into a win
- Tottenham are showing positive signs under De Zerbi, but their lineup lacks reliable goalscorers and Solanke is not an elite finisher — Their passing and movement are starting to look like De Zerbi’s training work, but Solanke works hard as a forward and has size and mobility without being an elite finisher; Savio and Kudus are also inconsistent in the final third, so the three behind need more goals
In possibly the most interesting, and funniest, way, both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur failed to win... again. Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Sam Dalling and Lars Sivertsen to discuss how close Carrick and De Zerbi are to the edge. Watch the full podcast episode ► https://youtu.be/gId6RRYkV3M Subscribe to Guardian Football ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardianfootball?subconfirmation=1 We want your feedback! If you had any thoughts on our coverage of the World Cup, please let us know here ► www.theguardian.com/YTWorldCupSurvey The Guardian publishes independent journalism, made possible by supporters. Contribute to The Guardian today ► https://support.theguardian.com/ Guardian Football Weekly: https://www.tiktok.com/@guardianfootballweekly https://www.instagram.com/guardianfootballweekly/ Website ► https://www.theguardian.com Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/theguardian Bluesky ► https://bsky.app/profile/sport.theguardian.com Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/guardiansport/ The Guardian on YouTube: The Guardian ► https://www.youtube.com/@theguardian Football Weekly podcast ► https://www.youtube.com/@footballweeklypodcast Guardian News ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardiannews Guardian Australia ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardianaustralia Guardian Sport ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardiansport
Transcript
So, Manchester United's worst start for 40 years, only the fourth time in their history that Spurs have failed to win their first six games. Sam, which story is more interesting? Spurs continuing to look quite good, failed to take chances, then concede, or Manchester United being sort of completely disjointed, boos at half-time and full-time? >> It's a good question. I mean, you could replace the word interesting with which story is funnier as well. Um >> Yeah, you could. >> Uh which should we go for? The The boos weren't reserved for half-time at Old Trafford for the fans. I mean, it started badly, didn't it? That um Lo Man's mistake. They should have gone one down. Um but there was a moment I I wrote it in my notes about 25 minutes in, and I think Lo Man's claimed a ball, and he just held onto it, and he didn't distribute quickly. And the crowd almost turned at that point um because I mean, Spurs have You You watch Manchester United, and you think, "What are they trying to do?" And I know that's massively over simplifying it because uh they must be trying to do something. They must be working on something when they're training, but it's like they're they're suited to being on the counter-attack. Um it seems to be the their best way at the moment. Yet, Spurs had all the ball. It was a game where they could have counter-attacked, albeit at home, and they weren't. And I think the supporters were getting really frustrated, and it's it's getting to a point, isn't it, where there's going to be I mean, there's I suspect there's already a bit of a split, murmurings of about Carrick. And maybe that's a bit harsh. I've said before how I I didn't think they had to appoint him. They did appoint him. And the problem is now they're going to get into the European football again. They've got Champions League games this week. They They go to Elland Road, um which is where it all fell apart for Ruben Amorim as well. I I can't imagine Carrick having a a similar sort of press conference-based meltdown, but it it just wasn't very convincing from Manchester United at all. When they get the They get the the man advantage when Bentancur gets sent off. I I Luke Shaw I think Manchester United are lucky that's 11 against 10. I'm I'm not quite sure the the Bentancur one is obvious, but he is reacting to a shove, right? And I I know it changes because it's the use of the head like in our narrative and it changes when you you're striking the head and things like that. But I mean, the laws talk about um use of a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or and and if by definition that was excessive force because he got up and shoved him and he and he didn't need to do it. So, it it is excessive. So, and I I haven't seen that talked about like I I think Luke Shaw was lucky to stay on and then, yeah, not being able to hold on to that lead. Uh I there was probably a sense of inevitability in Old Trafford amongst their supporters which probably shows where they are right now. >> Mhm. I mean, there was no sense of inevitability from Tottenham fans, I can tell you that, that they would get anything from this game. Um I I like I'd like Luke Shaw trying to make the argument that he needed to do that. Uh you know, I'm sorry, I just needed I really I hate Rodrigo and I needed to do that. Um if we stick on United, Barry, like it their midfield like it is so we as we both thought Tielemans would be a brilliant signing. We, you know, it's not yet. >> Well, it's not working so far. He's been terrible. Um I mean, my I I I cringe when I think cuz the predictions I made in our pre-season previews for various reasons, I think Brighton doing well is the only one that's shaping up to be even remotely accurate. But yes, I I had Tielemans down as a potential signing of the season considering how good I think he is or how good he used to be and the relatively small amount of money United paid for him, but uh it's not happening for him. Um of the two managers uh De Zerbi and Carrick, I think Carrick's already on the conveyor belt inching towards the meat grinder. He's He won't last long at United. We can all see what's going to happen there. Possibly when they get beaten by Leeds at Elland Road next week. Um and I feel neither of those managers will be in their current positions come season's end. But it's difficult to know what to make of this game as a neutral. It's just quite As Sam says, quite funny because United were terrible. They didn't lose. But as bad as they were and Spurs, as you say, played quite well. Should have been at least two if not three up at half-time. Played quite well. Couldn't beat them. So like if you can't beat that something's badly wrong. >> Yeah. I mean I see you just think I don't know if you lads with your Spurs head uh I watch it and I think well eventually they'll just kick the ball in the goal a few times. Like like they're playing they're playing with energy and with pace. And not for 90 minutes ever but like I just when Buemo scored I was like you can't be This can't be happening again. Is how I felt. But maybe but I'm I'm slightly concerned that I'm over hyping how well I thought Tottenham played. >> No but I think it's fair cuz I think when you have we're still in the pretty early stage of a new managerial regime with a manager who has a very specific way he wants them to play, what you're really looking for is signs that this is working. Signs that this is happening. And I did think in the first half there were periods where like yes, they are passing the ball around in the way and in the manner of Roberto De Zerbi. Like this is this is what they worked on in training probably and it seems to be happening. And that makes you feel very optimistic. I I just think they're a little short on goals going forward. You know, Solanke is an admirable forward in the sense that he works really hard and he has a good >> Solanke Nobody Nobody wants to be called out today as a center about that. >> [laughter] >> No, but you know, he he he has a good combination of size and and and and mobility. He works hard. They they pulled him up on Match of the Day for not making the smartest runs he could be making and and and maybe that's true, but he's someone who, you know, but he isn't the sort of elite sort of top-class finisher. He never really has been. So, if you're going to have him leading the line, and he will do a lot of good things for you, you probably need more goals from the three behind him. And and and and Savio, as much as he's a really good dribbler, his end product has always been a little iffy. Kudus very much the same. Like so, I I I worry that they just don't have a lot of like reliable goal scorers in that lineup. And I'm not entirely sure what the solution to that is. >> A good combination of size and mobility. It does sound like, I don't know, Tiff Needell reviewing a Renault Espace on very old-school Top Gear, doesn't it?