"IT COULD TURN TOXIC FOR MAN UNITED ON SUNDAY" | Premier League All Access Podcast

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Manchester United crisis leads weekend Premier League preview as Villa, Brighton and Chelsea are backed

The show begins with Manchester United's heavy European defeat and Bruno Fernandes publicly questioning Michael Carrick, arguing that United's problems lie in dressing-room culture and club governance rather than just the manager. It then previews Aston Villa vs Manchester City, Chelsea vs Spurs, Liverpool vs Brighton and Crystal Palace vs Newcastle, backing Villa to trouble City, Chelsea to beat Spurs, Brighton to take something at Liverpool and suggesting the Palace manager is close to the sack.

Another midweek of Champions League football and another bombshell interview surrounding Man United. Sam, Crooky and Troy unpack Man United''s defeat away in Como and the interview afterwards from skipper Bruno Fernandes who questioned the tactics of manager Michael Carrick, Crooky tells us the atmosphere at Old Trafford this weekend has the potential to be toxic when Bournemouth come to town. Elsewhere can new look Aston Villa end Man City's 100% start to the season? The guys have been very impressed with how Unai Emery has rebuilt his squad after a turbulent summer. Plus, we ask if Spurs can build on their first win of the season away at rivals Chelsea, are Brighton in the title race if they beat Liverpool? And who will prevail in the battle of two under pressure managers when Crystal Palace play Newcastle. Subscribe: https://youtube.com/c/talkSPORT?subconfirmation=1 Enjoyed this YouTube video? 😍 🖥️ talkSPORT's Website: https://talksport.com/ 📲 talkSPORT's X/Twitter: https://x.com/talkSPORT 📷 talkSPORT's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talksport/?hl=en 👤 talkSPORT's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talkSPORT/ 📱 talkSPORT's Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talksport ? 🔴 Download the talkSPORT app HERE! - https://talksport.com/apps/ 🔎 Want to see if you feature on our YouTube channel? Check out our Best talkSPORT callers playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFVMnSsi04LGLa9pS9xDvme-Gjmlu2 talkSPORT PremierLeague

Transcript

Why would anyone of sane mind think, "Ooh, that looks like a fun project. It's where managerial reputations go to die." It's still a huge club. Still got massive potential, but as you say, it's sick. It's sick from the inside and at the moment, it needs some real medicine. said if this game starts to go against them as you fear it will with Bournemouth picking up their first Premier League win last weekend and actually performances maybe better under Marco Rosa than results suggest I think it could turn very badly very quickly and Bournemouth have the capability to run all over Manchester United the United players don't put a shift in Bournemouth have players who do hello and welcome to Premier League Eagle Access with me Sam Massace talk sports chief football correspondent Alex Crook is here and the former Watford captain Troy Deany. Now, attention please, boys. Just a little bit of attention. I'm just going to call this to order right from the very start. I don't care if you think you've got the biggest pay packet out of the three of us. I don't care if you think you're the better performer out of the three of us. I don't care if you don't agree with the way that this show is run. But let me tell you now, I'm not having anybody doing a postpod interview calling out the host, the producer, or anybody else associated with this program. All right, we we it's a threeline whip here. Okay, everybody behaves. Do we understand? We know we have done this story to death before and Crook, you will be having your say all over the station. So, we'll be quick. We'll get Troy's view on it. Let Crook have a couple of minutes and then crack on with a proper weekend preview. Uh where the big questions are, can Manchester City go eight from eight? Um a resurgent Villa are going to entertain them and they've got a good record against Manchester City. Spurs, can they back up their first away win at the bridge? Let's start with Manchester United though. Uh Manchester United spanked away in Europe. Rashford injured, Martinez injured, Shaw out, Cesco absent, Bruno shouting his mouth off a week after Martinez got fined for doing exactly the same thing. Tenhog has done a rangik. The club has got no leadership. Michael Carrick might not be the second coming Troy of Fergie, but Manchester United are ungovernable, aren't they? You can bring in Narglesman. You can bring in Conte. You can bring in a Nobel Peace Prize winner if you want. It will still be a mess. This ownership is poor. The hierarchy is average. And they have neutered every single manager for the last 15 years. Troy, why would anyone of sane mind think, "Ooh, that looks like a front project. It's where managerial reputations go to die." Yes, but every manager, every coach thinks they could be the one that can turn it around because it would be such a huge story for them, huge career moment to get Man United, that that Phoenix to rise from the ashes, you know. Um, it's still a huge club, still got massive potential, but as you say, it's sick. It's sick from the inside. And at the moment, it needs some real medicine. And I don't know what that medicine is. I don't know where that start point is, but the biggest thing for me is, and I'm sure Cookie will go into more detail, these players, I've I've said it for a couple of years now, they'll show you who they are in their hardest times, and they do it in their hardest times. They they throw you they throw themselves under the bus. It's everybody else, but they're It feels like the Spider-Man memes, Sam. Whose fault is it? And they're all pointing. It's like, it's not me, it's you. But yeah, it's um I I I had a bit of a rant yesterday on our Champions League cover coverage. I'm not in the I ain't got skin in the game like like Alex does, but I am an English proud Englishman. I am a proud Premier League uh captain. I'm proud football fan that wants all of our teams to do well. And they were embarrassed yesterday. Didn't even lay on anybody. So, I let Croo go and then I'll follow on after that. Yeah, I I feel like I'm talked out on this topic to be honest. But my overriding emotion today is is not anger, it's more sadness. Uh because I look at what Michael Carrick did at the end of the game and I think it was quite pointed. He ignored the players who'd let him down again. That suggests to me that he holds them with the same disdain that a lot of the fans do. It was an oystar gesture similar to what Solar did after his last game at Troy's old club Watford, apologizing to those fans who' stuck it out of the bitter end. And there weren't many, you know, that away end was pretty much empty even before Joshua Xerxes scored what was only a consolation goal. And he's another manager who's been let down by the same group of players. And you know, Bruno Fernandez has been brilliant for this football club. The best signing of the post, Sir Alex, no question about that. At times, he's carried the team almost on his own on his shoulders. That doesn't give the captain the right to come out and chuck his manager under the bus so publicly. manager whose tactics helped him set a new Premier League assist record last season, helped him win the PFA player of the year award. I thought it was classless from Bruno Fernandez. I thought it was self-interest, self-preservation. I think he's had enough and you can say rightly so. I think he regrets not taking the opportunity to go to Saudi Arabia or a European club when he had a clause this summer and now he is feeling sorry for himself, but he's not stepping up as a leader. He's turned up in one game this season as I switch when he got the hattick and an assist. Apart from that, he's been dreadful. He'll say he's been played out of position. I don't really understand why Michael is trying him as a false number nine. Doesn't bring the best out of him. It upsets the balance of the team. But I look at people who've been there. You know, Harry Magguire has survived so many managers now. I suggest he's a big part of the problem. Luke Shaw wasn't playing last night, but the same, you know, if these players keep getting managers fired, then in the end, you need to cleanse the dressing room. Marcus Rashford has come back, and I've been very critical of his lack of contribution since he returned. His people will tell you he's carrying a hip injury. I call that an excuse. You know, you look at his performances on the pitch. Again, I don't think he wants to be there. And unfortunately, that toxic culture there at Tenhog spoke about in the Athletic this week is still in existence. You look at what Martinez did last week. You look at what Fernandez did last night. You look at the new signings. Andre Santos 50 million quid. Was running in trial at one stage last night. He had a two-y head start on one of the KO players. Couldn't keep up with him. Fouled him. got a yellow card, didn't come back out for the second half. Carlos Believer comes in, gets himself booked for an offthe- ball obcation is at fault for one of the goals. Tielemans, no legs. So, even the new players, you know, they're being afflicted by this sickness that has been hanging over Manchester United for too long. You can change the manager. They will change the manager. Michael knows that. He knows his race is run. But until you change the culture in that dressing room and until you get proper people in positions of power and authority, nothing longterm is going to change. There'll be an uplift because there always is because these players turn up when they fancy it and then they revert to time. >> Yeah. And it's obvious what is going to happen now. And so it is pointless sort of trying to >> come up with a solution to a problem that hasn't been solved for 15 years. But ultimately, if Louis Van Hal tells you there's something wrong, if Jose Mourinho tells you there's something wrong, if Ralph Rangnik tells you there is something wrong, if Eric Tenhog is telling you there is something wrong, at some point you have to start believing there's something structurally wrong with this football club. They're not all idiots. I mean, Ruben Amarim as well, you know, look at the record he's got at AC Milan and Sporting Lisbon. The only place he's failed is at Manchester United. Um um we will do a lot more on Manchester United, I'm sure. I will be at Manchester United's Old Trafford on Sunday for the game against Bournemouth. Who else will be? Uh we will find out in the fullness of time and we'll have a look at that game very shortly. A quick reflection on some of the other Champions League games. Arsenal held away in Munich by Bayern. I think it's two good teams that are obviously going at it. I did see Harry Kane take a goal kick at some point this week which did perturb a little bit but it it was a fantastic goal kick it must be said. Um but more concerningly Saka picks up a very tough looking injury Troy Deini which is not great for him. >> No it didn't look good. And also I I always hate when a player goes down with no one around them or no contact. It was it was a simple pass that to me looked like it was like a quad popped to get. I'm not a a medical expert, but to me just seemed like he's he'd passed it and his quad had gone. Worrying for him. I wish him nothing but you know the best in terms of his recovery. I also think would it be interesting to see if Arsenal fans now um you know appreciate him more? That's probably the question I'd say cuz I think he gets a lot of unfair criticism. Saka, but he's is the heartbeat of that team and it's a shame for him and a shame for Arsenal. >> Um, away from that, all English teams won Villa City and Liverpool. Uh, that Liverpool game was a fascinating one, but they were playing Villa Royale. Aston Villa absolutely superb, very professional against Viking of Stinger and City. Um, I think so there was some people there although there were a lot of empty seats. uh played AEK Athens on Tuesday night and actually played quite well. Um I was doing the PSG Barcelona game. Great fun. In my opinion, the winner comes from those two. >> Agreed. Yeah, I think I think we we've all said that, haven't we? And um I look at Arsenal and actually it was a really good performance away at Bayern, but I just still think from a attacking perspective if it if it came to it, I think they get knocked out by either Barcelona or PSG. Yeah, I think there's a level that those two teams can go to, is it now? That the others can't. There's just like a I don't know, a level of quality, a level of pace, level of just finesse that the other teams don't have. Uh, okay, that's it for the Champions League. Let's talk Premier League now, kicking off at Villa Park. All right, boys, here we go. This is the Premier League and it is back this weekend kicking off on Friday night with live coverage on talk sport of the game at Portman Road and then Saturday we decamp to Villa Park. It's Aston Villa against Manchester City and Manchester City taking their 100% record to Unai Emory and his team to face a Villa side who have won four of their last six against Man City. Villa really kicking into gear after a turbulent summer. Troy recruitment has been fantastic and Emory I think is enjoying the challenge of rebuilding the squad even more than he did the previous time cuz this is a proper refresh isn't it? Yeah, with a with a lot more unknown quantities. I think that the ability to look at like a Manzambi, a Suzuki, these type of players would have gone wrong. I can make them so much better. Everyone will know that this is me that's made them good. I think a Morgan Rogers doesn't he doesn't really get the credit he deserved for the work of Morgan Rogers. It feels like everyone says, "Oh, he was a Man City graduate. He he played really well." At Middlesbrough was nailed on, but no one was going to get him. I think Gunnai has been brilliant. And I think Aston Villa have been fantastic and they've got a little bit of Arsenal in them in that even after the the the Champions League, they just grind a win out the way at Newcastle last time out. They just grind a win out. Just get it done and I I think Villa win this one. I've been really really impressed with that squad. Um Tyrone Ming has said the squad churn has sort of refreshed the entire club as well. It's changed the atmosphere too. No surprise that Emory has managed to do it yet again because he's got such a track record. Do you recognize that, Troy? That feeling of like, you know, when you feel a little bit stale, you've had a lot of players for a long time and all of a sudden there's an influx of new blood and that gives the whole club a lift. >> Well, I wouldn't know cuz I was at Watford, so we turned about 4,000 people over a week. But I I I have heard that's what could that's what could happen. But, you know, in in all honesty with myself, obviously, I was at one club for 13 years and and you need that new blood, that that new excitement, that new challenge just to be like, okay, can we still do it again? And and that internal motivational clock goes again every time a new player or a young excited player comes through the door. So, been really impressed. And also, they got the the new stand being built as well. So, it does give you that kind of what's more to come at Aston Villa. It may may have fun for a few years and they hit a ceiling but now I feel like they're going to go again. >> Talk to me about Manchester City. Crook know Anton Smeno for eight weeks. Um upsteps Phil Foden midweek scored a couple of impressive goals got a hat-tick. Um big opportunity for him to show what he's made of in the absence of Semeno but it's okay doing it in the Champions League against Tim you're expected to beat. Doing it against Aston Villa is is is a different kettle of fish. He needs now to just make almost remake that step up again to be doing it against the biggest teams on the biggest of occasions. >> Yeah, he does. And and especially with Rayan Cherky being left out last weekend as well. I don't think uh Enzo Moresca was particularly enamored with his performance in the previous game. So it does feel like there is an opportunity for Foden. It also feels like Enzo Moresca has a lot of faith in him to to get back to where he was. But feels a long time ago now, doesn't it, that he was winning the the PFA player of the year award. Semeno is obviously going to be a massive loss. You can get away with it. As you say, when you're playing inferior opposition in the Champions League, but at Villa Park in a lunchtime kickoff, I think you need your best players on the pitch. Will Erling Harland be available? The suggestion is he probably will because they don't really have a a plan B when it comes to the Premier League. So, I think this is a fascinating game for for Manchester City and will give us a barometer as well of just how big a corner Aston Villa have turned from the start of the season. Are we going to see history repeating from this time last year? >> Well, listen, I I I thought they were really professional actually in the game against Viking, a Viking side that had really given Bayern Munich a test the previous week with big set pieces and you know the odd rampage on the counterattack. None of that existed during the game. And to be honest with you, Xiao Gomez was deployed as a nominal right back. He was supposed to play as a right back when they were out of possession and in possession he was moving to midfield. The fact is is that Viking didn't have the ball at all. So he just stood in midfield for the whole night. Troy, >> yeah, he was. I thought that's a very cute pickup. Two years ago, I was saying Man United, he should have got J Gomez. I think the way that he um just dictates a midfield. He's got a little bit of spite, a little bit of nastiness in him. I thought he could go there. Yeah. I also think as well, we're not really talk about it. Man City are terrible defensively. I know they keep winning and they keep scoring goals. Defensively, they are terrible. We did. We did mention this on Sunday, didn't we? >> Yeah, we do. I mean, just the wider media just kind of keep brushing over it, but I feel like Mark Gay looks like he doesn't know what he's doing at the moment. They just keep the ball so big, so wide, so expansive against the Villa team with Nicholas Jackson, who I've become a massive fan of. I think they could cause problems. A potential upset on on the cards here. Is it a potential upset though after two wins in a row against Manchester City? I suppose Manchester City haven't lost three in a row against Villa since the 1960s. We will see what happens. Live Talk Sport 1230. Looking forward uh to that one. The big one obviously is Chelsea against Tottenham. Uh Chelsea have won each of their last six Premier League matches against Tottenham Hotspur. Uh but finally a win for Spurs on Monday night. Troy, you must have been delighted for them. Is this the start of the rise of Spurs under Deserby? I have no no skin in the game, Sam. I don't care. I um >> you do tend to enjoy it when they lose. >> I just enjoy being right. That's the problem. Um when I when I get hammered online for being not being right and being a hater as me being crooy are always called. It's interesting when we are right that no one comes back and go sorry about that stuff we said there lads. They just pile back in a bit more until they're changing it around. But um no, I I think they they did well on Monday night. showed you that they could do little flashes. This is a game they never win though, right? Am I right, Sam? In my research, Chelsea always beat Spurs. >> Uh, yes, you are right. Actually, no, you're absolutely right. I I've just mentioned that Chelsea have won each of their last six. In fact, Spurs have won just one of their last 36 visits to Stampford Bridge in the league. >> Yeah. So while it was good and they've done well and you can see signs of improvement and what they're working on, this is just a game I feel like Chelsea are ready to go. Maybe maybe not having Emmy Martinez and Penders is what you think. >> Yes. Um but Penders I thought struggled a little bit with crosses into the box against Everton came to claim some stuff that he wasn't going to get. Sometimes got a bit bullied there. That was a bit of an issue uh for him. Um but should we focus a little bit on the return of James Madison Crook because he came back with a goal excellent bit of quality and one of the reasons I think that they ended up winning the game against commentary because it wasn't the perfect performance was because they did have that extra bit of quality in front of goal that has been lacking Madison with that brilliant strike and of course Omar Marushu who came up with a very good effort as well and those things have been rare over the course of the early part of the season because they haven't had that quality available. >> Yeah. Um, listen, Madison is is is a real driving force when he's fit and I hope he can stay fit and get back to his best because I think he's a great player um to watch. Brings something a little bit unique. I'm still not sold on Marmush to be honest. I still don't know what he is. And actually, I thought Rushworth in goal for Coventry didn't cover himself in glory with that one. I think he should have saved it. I think he probably should have saved a couple of the the Tottenham goals. So, again, I'm still not convinced this is a corner turn by Tottenham. It's a great win. If you didn't watch the game, you look 3-1, you think, well, that's fairly routine. wasn't really, you know, at 2-1 they were hanging on a little bit. They've scored on the on the breakaway and I think Chelsea going forward are going to have far too much for for a Tottenham team I think is still transitioning under Roberto Deserby. >> Um, usually they start quite fast Tottenham Hotspur. The first 30 minutes they come out of the trap, they put you under pr