"Spurs ran 5km more than Man Utd!" | Redknapp & Bent analyse Man Utd problems after Spurs draw

Sky Sports Premier League

Redknapp and Bent on Man Utd's problems: poor game management, midfield imbalance and no fear factor

The discussion centres on Manchester United's draw with 10-man Tottenham and the issues around their game management, running power and midfield balance. Both pundits see the Tielemans-Mainoo pairing as a problem and Baleba as a potential fix, while Bent argues United have lost their fear factor and must defend better.

► Subscribe to Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWPremierLeagueYT Jamie Redknapp and Darren Bent discuss the problems at Manchester United after they conceded in stoppage-time to draw against 10-player Spurs. premierleague football manchesterunited spurs ► Premier League highlights: https://bit.ly/PL2627HL ► MNF, FNF, SNF & Super Sunday analysis: https://bit.ly/SkyMatchAnalysis ► Gary Neville Podcast: https://bit.ly/GaryNevillePodcast ► Saturday Social: https://bit.ly/SkySaturdaySocial ► Buy this season’s shirts: https://bit.ly/SkySportsShop More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkySportsFootball ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skysportsfootball ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsfootball ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsPL ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage

Transcript

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 think so. And 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 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, you know, I think they have an issue with with Tielemans and Mayu in midfield. I don't see enough energy in there. Bela 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 Tali or Ben or um Swedish boy uh Bergal, yeah, Berg, 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's 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 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 I think it's Believer there and there's one other Manchester United player and neither go to the ball whereas >> where's 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 were 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 flooding 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 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. no 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 there. >> 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 although 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 Ba 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 for 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 be 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 I thought, okay, I didn't expect that cuz I thought they'd win that game and it's almost been kind of a knock on from that. I mean, one clean sheet all season as well against Sab 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 is going to be hard, but you even look at Le'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 Mayu, 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 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 I honestly they're going to Atletico Madrid, a Diego Simone 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 of 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 Bel, do you think the solution? What what would he change? >> Lee 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 this 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 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 half whatever system 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 have you saw the label that that small cameo that he showed there was even one we didn't show on that video there where he's chased someone down the wing. I think it was Vander got his body in as well. Got his body in strong, powerful. They're gonna need that. But it's gonna take time. I mean, he just got himself fit. Darren's exactly what what the point that Gary makes is spot on. So, if you're, >> you know, when I spoke about the two midfield players and they're going to press because it's much easier to go and press Tielemans and Mayu, but if I'm going to press him, Ba, I would 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.