Manchester is RED | Hojlund scores twice | Manchester derby preview
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Hello and welcome to the Manchester is Red podcast. My name is Stephen Ralston. We're recording this episode on a Friday morning. I'm joined by Samuel Luckhurst, who's currently in the airport in the Czech Republic. So if there's any interference across on the airwaves, that's the reason why. Samuel, first of all, how are you? Have you kept warm in the last few days?

Yes, yeah, plenty of layers, thermals as well. It has been very cold out here, but it's a pleasant city, Pilsen. It's about an hour away from...

from Prague and got to have a look around the sites. The Christmas market was quite lovely and the cathedral right there as well. So it was a very picturesque, it felt more of a town, but obviously if it's got a cathedral, it's got a city. If it's got a cathedral, it is a city.

but went into the cathedral, went into the synagogue, which is the second largest in Europe as well. So we tried to take in as many of the sites as possible, but it is quite enclosed and small. And I suppose it helps as well that the game was an early kickoff last night. I think you tend to take it for granted when those ones come along, but they are pretty handy for all manner of reasons.

Sounds like you've enjoyed some culture. I imagine the supporters who headed across, they've probably just been drinking the cheap beer. It's very, very cheap out there, isn't it, in the Czech Republic. Sammy, when it's such a cold, cold night, you really want the game and the football and the pitch to warm you up.

That first half, it was absolutely dreadful, wasn't it? It was so poor. It was 0-0 at half-time. Obviously, Pilsen score three minutes into the second half because of that Andre Nona blunder. Ruben Amorim makes multiple changes, which changed the game. Those substitutions were really good. And Rasmus Hoyland scores a brace. What was your immediate takeaway? Because like I say, the first half was really bad. But fair play, they showed character and knuckled down in that second half to come back and win the game.

It was a bigger win just because of the circumstance of it, where they got an 88th-minute winner, where the goalkeeper made another cock-up. And it wasn't until, I think, we were in the press room before the game, it was Simon Peach who said it, that United only won once away from home all season. And I thought, really, could they have done that? And then, of course, it turned out that it was just that one win at Southampton who obviously...

at the poor side in the Premier League this season, but in the first half hour of the game that day, they were the better side. And you don't get surprised watching United play the way they did for the first hour yesterday. And I'm not talking about modern United. I remember United playing the Czech Republic, watching it on telly 20 years ago. And I shouldn't remember it, but I do for whatever reason.

And it was drab. It was dreary. Between 2003 and 2006, United didn't win a game away from home in Europe. I think it was from Panathinaikos in November or December 2003 to beating Benfica in September 2006. So it was almost three years. And they had some real...

forgettable nights under Ferguson after that period and before that period and I think a lot of United fans remember that and they never I don't think there's ever it's difficult to recall the last time there was real confidence about watching United on the console where they'd go away somewhere and you thought they were going to really pummel the opposition it just seldom happens happened very very occasionally under Mourinho

I'm not sure it really ever happened under Solskjaer. Obviously, there was mitigation there with a lot of the games being played behind closed doors. Everyone's well aware of United's record in Europe since they got to the Champions League final in 2011. But focusing on the game last night, watching Amarim, you are seeing someone who is starting to suss out the players and the squad.

because when it's 90 seconds in and he has to literally pluck his hands to alert Joshua Zergsy to press the goalkeeper and Zergsy is by the halfway line, you know that his message isn't getting across and it probably is never going to get across.

get across because that is just not Xerxes' style. And I think it was Rob Dawson who tweeted that the in-game stats showed that Xerxes had lost possession some like 11 times in the first half an hour or first 35 minutes. And there was an occasion where he got the ball and he must have taken about six touches.

and he lost the ball, of course. And that just immediately made me think of what Amram said about him after the Everton game, which was that he needs too many touches. And I'd noticed that before then.

And Lars Leipzig, at the post-match press conference, was critical of the lack of pace, he said, about United in the first half and specifically high up the pitch. And when he says that, you know who he's referring to. It's Xerxe and it's Marcus Rashford because they both came off early in the second half.

and of course Rashford was the first to come off. At the time when that happened I noticed that there was no acknowledgement between Amarin or Rashford and you're conscious because some idiots online will see if you put that out and they think oh you're trying to stir trouble or something like that because they are poor

something that's actually happened. But then when Xerxe and Milasic came off five minutes later, Amrim did acknowledge them. At that point, I thought, well, look, this is absolutely fair game here. And in fairness, Amrim was to the left of the technical area. There was a little bit of distance where Rashford came off. And I think Rashford coming off, maybe that foul early in the second half influenced the decision-making as well. But

His performance last night was not what you would want from someone who I think the majority of Manchester United fans would like to see sold, if that is at all possible, if there is indeed a market for him next year. And when that team dropped last night as well,

United fans aren't darby they'd have probably known that there were certain players who are definitely going to be starting the derby on Sunday because they've been held back for it Boylan would be one, Granaccio is probably another and I'm sure there's another story to be told there given what's going on with him and his brother which was going on last season as well

But the difference, the complete contrast with Hoyland and Xerxe was a problem before Amram came in because it's two completely different styles.

And Hoyland, when he scored the equaliser, Amram was demanding they get the ball. But Hoyland didn't need to turn to his manager. He didn't need a directive from his manager to do something. He scored, he got the ball. They had a job to do. They had to get the win. And they got the win. It was a really well-taken winning goal as well. A real pressure situation. Not an easy chance whatsoever as well, as inventive as the free kick was. And really, in the end, it was a very well-managed game by Amram in that

the three changes, the three main changes he made, Boylan, Anthony, Benistrom and Mason Mount, they upped the tempo, you know, were a hell of a lot better in the final half hour than they were in the first hour. Mount, I probably would have started him earlier

And I think that there were certain selections where you thought, well, maybe that player would be disappointed because he possibly expected to start. But it was a good attitude from Mount to play as well as he did. I know he missed a couple of chances. But in the end, as I said, you don't watch Manchester United and expect them to...

to Pummel teams because they're 13th in the Premier League and as I said their away record in Europe just in my lifetime in general it's never ever been compelling it's not like you're watching a team that play Carpe Diem football and every fan in that region comes to see the great football that's showcased by Manchester United that has honestly never ever been the case in my lifetime the amount of times United have won European away games

by driving him through 90 minutes I've lost count of and that was another example last night When I interviewed a former player who had worked with Amaran last month and a Portuguese coach as well they mentioned his in-game management both of them and kind of just praised it to the hilt really and one of them mentioned his final game in charge of Sporting obviously against Braga and Braga were 2-0 up at half-time Sporting turned it around to win 4-2 and Amaran made changes and I think he tweaked the structure as well

We saw that again, really, didn't we, last night, Samuel? When a manager can look at a game, analyse it and make the correct changes to influence the direction, it's a very, very good trait to have. And those changes did change the game. Hoyland was excellent. Mason Mount was good. I actually thought Anthony did a few good contributions as well, which was a surprise. I was kind of wondering what we were going to see from him when he was preparing to come on the pitch.

but I think when Eric Dernard took over we praised him for that as well but it is a really promising thing to have a quality to have any coach isn't it what in game management and the ability to change yeah

Well, Amarim was more intense than some of the starting players last night. He was constantly turning to the dugout and essentially just lamenting the decision-making that was going on. In the first half, there was one shot on target between the 31st minute. Rashford had that.

where it was a poor pass by Amad. He was forced too wide. The shot was even worse. It was a dreadful first half and unfortunately it did get better and it was at least watchable.

in the second and it's not a particularly good United squad because they're 13th in the Premier League but there is some depth there and they've only got one player out injured at the moment in Luke Shaw so that does mean the coach has options I think the way they're playing also in this system in some ways he has more options in certain departments because of the shape that United are taking

when they start games. And I thought Mount Martin, a reasonable contender to start last night, but the fact that Ahmad was playing as one of the two behind the striker, one, it highlighted his importance to the team, but also,

you know, somewhat ironically, if you look ahead to Sunday, you do wonder whether he's actually going to start on that because he's, I think he played 90 minutes against Forest, played 90 minutes again last night. I mean, it's 90 plus minutes effectively given the added time in both games. There was seven minutes added on against Forest and it was, might have been seven minutes last night as well. So it's actually two pretty,

pretty taxing shifts for a wide player, for an attacker. And of course, Ahmed didn't start against Arsenal, who, you know, they are in City's slipstream. Those two clubs, even the state City are in at the moment, those two clubs are levels ahead of United.

So although I imagine that Amarim has probably decided more or less on what team starts on Sunday, Mount coming in would have been the one where I'd look at and think, you know, is there a case to go with him in that game? I suspect he won't because Fernandes has to start.

Maybe Garnaccio. That's the one way you could make a case for it because I don't think Garnaccio has necessarily been set in the world like recently. And as I touched upon earlier, there is quite clearly an issue with what his brother is getting up to in terms of who he's dealing with on social media. And that's nothing new either. I mean, that was...

That came up last season. I mentioned it in the big piece, the O-bit I did after Ten Hag. It was sacked as well, this suggestion that Garnaccio's brother leaks teams. It's pretty common knowledge, I think it's fair to say. I don't know how widespread it is on social media. Maybe you can fill people in on that.

Yeah, there was a bit of that last night. I'm not sure whether he is the actual league. Someone at the club earlier on in the week was kind of saying they weren't sure where it was from specifically. And then we're praising Gannaccio and actually saying he's quite a shy lad, introverted lad, etc. Whether or not it is coming from him, I'm not quite sure. But we've seen some activity, haven't we? From liking tweets to...

Yeah, it has to be looked into the bud.

a rich plc who own all the titles manchester even news liverpool echo etc are running a kind of nationwide survey for the best player in the calendar year of 2024. ironically we're kind of pushing as a desk or we were for andre and honor to be championed it was four players nominated it was andre and nana amad and alejandro ganacho it's it's really difficult though because it's the calendar yeah so it's based in 2024.

and you've got to pick four players. So those were the four players put forward. Inanna had a really consistent year. He'd made a lot of improvements. He was looking a lot better. Then he makes that mistake against Nottingham Forest. We obviously discussed it. And he has another brain fart last night. He just seems to have these errors in his game. I thought they were gone. I thought he had eliminated them. But here we are again talking about an Inanna mistake. What was he doing with that pass?

Well, I looked at the fact last night because a colleague had tweeted quite critically of James Ducker, who's not out here. I think he might have been in Shurin during the City game, but he was quite critical of De Ligt. And I thought, maybe, of course, these ground snow monitors, it's difficult to...

Thank you very much. So that was my coffee, my much needed coffee that's arrived in this airport terminal. Is it a latte? Is it a cappuccino? What have you gone for? It's a latte, Stephen. It is a latte. Yes, this is like Alan Pogs and Sidekick Simon. I was laughing when it got placed down. Continue. But yes, Simon Peake did the ordering, so I need to thank him for that.

and he's in his sidekick Simon as well so yeah we're both working here at the moment but I've lost my trail of thought which I'm sure we were talking about Inanna Samuel in his mistakes in the lit positioning for the goal yeah James

James Ducker said, you know, De Ligt was quite questionable there, or words to that effect. I looked back at it, and I thought, it's maybe a bit of a stretch, because it is just a stretch of decision-making by Inama, because he literally has got a clear view of Sunch, wasn't it, who got the assist. He's got a clear view of this guy, and this guy's thinking, is he really going to do what I hope he's going to do? Yes, he is. I'm going to be there to get the ball. Granted, De Ligt is toes,

But in that situation, it's an undercut pass. The pass shouldn't be coming to him at that pace if there's a guy there. And it's a goalkeeping error. I think you can look at other aspects of it, try and put the minutiae or what have you, but it's just a goalkeeping error. And look, I go back to Arsenal last week and I thought he was really poor on corners. He was more rooted to his line than David De Gea on corners last week. The

The Gibbs-White goal was a clangor. Last night was another error. Nobody, I don't think, is seriously suggesting, oh, you've got to drop him for outside Bayern. You've just got to let him ride it out. He's had a mental capitulation of the week. And it was quite amusing after Hoynes were the winner. And he has done this before. He charged.

up the length of the pitch to celebrate. And on the way back, he was probably even more overjoyed when he was just celebrating on his own. He just kept on punching the air, just like, yes, yes, I've been bailed out. Thank Christ for that. And you can understand that because I think if anyone was in that position, they would be absolutely relieved because if United had lost that game last night, three defeats on the spin going into a derby and three defeats where the goalkeeper was heavily culpable or

or blameworthy in all of them it's just horrific it's horrendous preparation for any game never mind going to the Premier League champions so but

That was the highlight of his evening, as it would be, because Hoyland did bail him out there. But I think for the time being, you can dismiss it. He has regressed to the first six months of last season. Hopefully, if he's been united, this is the end of it. He's kind of been quite diverse in the last...

the mistakes he's made it so I can't come for that cross because it was such a good cross and whatever reason but Gibbs Wright

shot was just inexplicable and last night it's failing to pass out from the back and um you know i'm really did touch a little bit on that in the the embargoed section as well and that's that comes out at half one uk time so leave readers to um to see what what was said on that on the site but i i i'm not

saying that you've got to take him out of the team or anything like that I think it'd be far too premature if he continues to do it for another three games I think there's a case to say yeah you should give Brian Deer a go but you just hope it's just a very it's regression but you just hope it's an aberration of an

an aberration is obviously one that should really refer to one game but if you keep looking at it as a week or an eight day period hopefully it just it stays at that Pilsen's manager said after the game that he told his players to target and honour it's quite damning to hear that out loud but you're not surprised to hear those kind of comments which results

Which was odd because it was almost as if he was looking to give a quote because Pilsen did not actually say something like, you know, didn't he say something like, you know, just have shots from anywhere? But they didn't really have shots at all. They might have had one attempt on target, which was the goal. They were very, very reticent. So it was, you know, I think what he said about what he told them to do, it kind of, they certainly didn't execute it. Anyway, I didn't think...

Well, that might have been his big moment speaking in front of the press and the eyes of the world are watching. We'll end this part. If you do want to go vote for Andrea Nona, I'll get the producer, I doubt it, but you'll get the producer to put a link in the YouTube comments below. Just don't vote for any of them. Well, that's the problem, isn't it? We're in a difficult position when we're trying to promote this United serving. You've got to vote for four players, but really, none of them are that deserving. We'll leave it there for part one. We'll be back in a moment for part two.

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Welcome back to part two of the Manchester is Red podcast. Now, of course, we have the Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon. Before we get into that and who might start in that game, I thought it's worth just quickly touching upon Rasmus Heiland a little bit more, Samuel, with a view to Sunday. It feels like he's really turned the corner in the last few weeks. He obviously scored a brace against Bodo Klimt.

another two goals last night. And as you said, that second goal in particular was brilliantly taken. I don't know whether he meant to kind of take that touch, but if he did, it was brilliant. And the finish was really, really good. And credits to Fernandes as well for the quick thinking with the pass. Would you start Highlander on Sunday? Because he really feels like an informed striker right now. And when you look at Joshua Xerxe, who can't score goals, it's chalk and cheese, isn't it? Well, I said to you weeks ago, Xerxe is...

it's just a write-off the way Amarim wants United to play it's all about providing depth to the striker and Xerxe is just out of his depth just a daft signing and we've covered all the ground there

Hoyland has got the potential. I still think long-term, they are going to need a striker next year. However way you look at it, they're going to need one. And I think it will help Hoyland to actually have someone who, if they do sign someone who's actually a proven goalscorer as well, because I think that can bring more out of him. And you've seen already this season, although Xerxe is not what United need and he's not really up to it,

There has been a level of competition there and it has got a rise out of Boylan every now and then. And as you said, he got two goals in the first home game. I think what I liked about last night, in some ways, I preferred the first goal more than the second goal.

because it's an extremely good habit for a striker if they're scoring tappings regularly. And he did that at the weekend on the follow-up from Garnaccio's one-on-one. And of course he did it last night because he's in the right place. He's starting to anticipate it more. I can't remember whether it was you who spoke to him or Ty who spoke to him in the mix zone.

And he said it's all about looking ahead of me and not worrying what's behind me so much. Essentially, his directive now is to stay higher up, which is what it should have been in the first place. And he might have mentioned it around the time that Van Nistelrooy was in charge as well. But that's what Amarin wants. That's why Gokris was so prolific for sporting reasons.

Because he stays high up. Xerxes doesn't. As I said, 90 seconds in, Xerxes is by the halfway line when the director from the coach is, you've got to be pressing the goalkeeper. So he is exactly where he shouldn't be. He's

nearly as far not as far not as far removed as where he should be that would be on Andre Anand's goal line but he's probably one of the worst positions he could have been in a striker who has a directive to press the goalkeeper and Hoyland is a workaholic he does run himself into the ground Amram said after the Bodo game he was dead and

I think you knew last night that he wasn't going to start, which was sensible because logically he should start the weekend. Now, he may have a poor game in the derby. He may look like a boy against men because that has occasionally happened when he's come up against particularly physical centre-halves. But he should be going into that game feeling very bullish because he has been in among the goals recently. And also...

just look at City's form. Again, I know it was rich sometimes with the way that if it ends on

what seems like a negative note, it can overshadow it, but the tiff that he had with Ahmad at the full time was like, there's nothing negative about that whatsoever. And it was great what Amram said about it afterwards as well. Like he said, I love it, you know, we should do that, we should fight with each other. And then he said, you know, he said, you know, you'd fight with your mother, you'd fight with your father, you'd fight with your brother.

At which point, Neil Custis said, I fight with my brother, which brought the house down. Unfortunately, you can't really tell it by the press conference video because the killjoys muted. Did Amram laugh more at that or when Pichi said, long time no see? Which provoked the biggest laugh? He definitely laughed more at long time no see. Definitely laughed.

I laughed more at last night, but Amram was very tickled by the long run Lucy. He loved that, didn't he? In terms of the back three, sorry, Samuel, go on. I was going to say, that is a good sign. Amram and Boylan were both annoyed at each other because they did have clear breakaways where they should have just killed the game off and gone 3-1 up or 4-1 up, whatever. But

this is the right mentality to have if you're bickering with your teammates having just one. Remember, wasn't it, after the League Cup final, Casemiro was moaning at Fernandes because of a pass he didn't play and, you know, we talk about how broken the mentality is at United. Well, that's a way of preparing it if you're really seeking to, I

I mean, Hoyland was clearly, he was hat-trick hunting and he's still not got a hat-trick for United. And if he continues with that mentality and he continues with his form, then he will get it. It was Ahmad who obviously kind of created Hoyland's first goal. That kind of aggressiveness and good work burst into the box. Obviously, he had his shot and Hoyland was in the right place, as you said.

Ahmad just keeps on delivering, doesn't he? Every game, he seems like the biggest attack and threat. He seems like the only player who's got something about him in that sense. It's interesting, though, because as you said, he's played for 90 minutes. He played in a higher role. He's played every game until then at right wing back. For me, Samuel, he has to start. It would be bonkers for him not to start that game. I understand you've got to manage loads, etc. Ahmad Dahl has to play in that game on Sunday.

George McCaffrey is probably cringing right now hearing that you've just used the word Diallo there. And do you know what? I laughed when I said that because I've not used that at all once. I saw Rich tweet it last week and I thought, hmm. And I actually thought when I said it, why have I just done that? I've never used Diallo ever in my copy or in my Twitter. It's always been Ahmad. But we were told that a couple of years ago, weren't we?

It was always just Ahmad. Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, when I first did the story that, you know, I had an interest in signing him, he was known as Ahmad Traore at that time. And then on the day he signed, it was Ahmad Dejano. And it was just Ahmad. The reason I've said that, I've got A.Dejano up on my screen here, like the team shoot from the weekend, which is why I've said it. I've read it as I looked at it. So that's an excuse. So anyways, go on.

No, well, I mean, people probably don't know, but George McAfee is obviously one of the press officers and an extremely helpful press officer and a really, really good lad. And an avid listener of the podcast as well, Samuel. We believe so. So, yeah, he's probably chucking away, listening to this. Carrington, I hope he's not listening to it at home because he puts in enough hours that his girlfriend deserves some downtime with him.

But I would start Ahmed at the weekend, but I've just had the chance. He did start 90 minutes. Sorry, did complete 90 minutes against Torres. 90 minutes last night in freezing conditions. Tricky pitch as well. It's quite the workload. And you look at the probable changes at the weekend, those who would probably keep their place, the substitutes that were made. And it is strange because it feels like Ahmed has been the strongest player since the Ipswich game.

But he may not start, or there's a pretty decent chance it feels like at least that he won't start on Sunday. But I hope for United to say he does start. I think he should start. As you said, he always seems liable to make something happen. He wasn't particularly having a good game last night before Anthony played the ball to him. But in the split second, it's a meat little mug Meg.

Paul might have been going in if it hadn't got blocked and it ends up going in anyway through Hoyland. I'm not surprised how well he's been playing under Amin because he showed promises earlier in the season. I still think his performance against Southampton is one of, if not the best individual performance by a United player so far this season. I know there's not a lot of competition there but

Is he on the 2024 player of the year? Yeah, he is. He's one of the four. Yes. Well, maybe he'd get my vote then. Just maybe for that Liverpool goal alone. I think that's...

That would probably earn him a few votes. For the sake of variety, given you went with Inanna and you've maintained Inanna, maybe I'll go with Ahmad just to share it around. I suppose if he doesn't start on Sunday, there's an obvious game-changer to turn to. But he has to start. I think the issue they've got there is that

logically Masraoui would be in the back three but you think do you bring Joro in and then if you bring I think Masraoui has to start Masraoui probably not going to play on the right wing because would Emma play there but would you play Masraoui on the left wing I don't think he's actually has he played there I can't quite remember if he has not on Dan Rim no I don't think so but

Feels like Masorori's played almost everywhere apart from in goal, but he's done a very good job of it as well. But there are some things to consider there anyway. It might be the easiest XI in some ways to guess because of the players that he rested last night or the rotation that he exercised, which was completely understandable. But I still think there could be one or two calls where you think, oh, that's quite interesting. Maybe he's trying something different there.

Have you seen the photo of Jose Mourinho, Samuel, with his hair messed up after a Fenerbahce game recently? Did you see that? I saw, I saw, I think I saw it thanks to someone called Stephen Ralston. I was going to say, well, I tweeted that Inanna was my player of the year before the game for a bit of context. You're ridiculing my friend there.

Very disrespectful. What have you done with that? Have you framed it? You got it in your office? I will have it framed. If you want me to have it framed somewhere where I can do podcasts... I think that would be appropriate. It's a pretty good backdrop, isn't it, to have? We said on the last podcast, Samuel, we talked about Harry Maguire and we talked about how bad United have been in the defending set-pieces. City don't exactly come into my mind as a side who are excellent from set-pieces, but they've got some taller players.

United have struggled in that area. We thought Maguire would start at least one game this week. Obviously, he didn't start. He didn't come off the bench. Does he start in the Manchester derby? Does he get thrown in? It wouldn't be a complete shock, would it? Because you talked about Jorgo there, but he's still young. He's made one start, one substitute appearance. It would be quite big to throw him in the deep end at the Etihad.

Yeah, and Amrim is probably thinking, because I thought that team last week, he said that pretty much press comes, he's more or less close to settling on his best line-up. And I thought that side against Forest was maybe one player shy of his best line-up.

And of course, it had Yoro in the back three with De Ligt and Marces, which I think most would consider would be the ideal back three go forward. But of course, they lost. They got done on a set piece. They got done by a cross in the second half for Chris Wood's winning goal.

And Amrim has started to say with some regularity how small a team United are as well. And there'll be some people out there, some fans who absolutely hate the prospect of Maguire coming in just because of something that happened two years ago. And the fact of the matter is, since he came off against Arsenal, United have become worse at defending set pieces. And I know Arsenal scored the first goal with Maguire on the pitch.

And, you know, there was a clip that tried to lampoon his defending. But they are better defending them with him on the pitch just because he's taller. And I wouldn't be surprised if he did come in. But there's just perfect sense in it just because he's experienced and he does offer them some presence there. I thought De Ligt had a better game than he has recently last night, albeit not against testing opposition. I didn't think Thorsen would particularly...

What about the expected goals, Samuel?

Do you know what's quite reassuring? I saw a friend out here who's in the away end and he was also ridiculing XG. I hate XG, stick around. It does reassure me. I keep good company on these trips, Stephen. Not in the away day trips, more locally.

But I'm just saying, did Maguire come on against Rice? Probably did, didn't he? Yeah, he did. And Amberham praised him as well, Samuel, when he came on. He said he made a big difference. He made quite a few clearances. I thought Phil Jones' analysis was quite interesting on Sky because he talked about the desire and the aggression. I know that kind of dumbs it down, defending from corners. But a lot of it is about that. And Maguire really does have that about him. He's got aerial presence, doesn't he? He puts himself about in the box.

Yeah, and of course you've got Harland in 10th way, then I know Harland isn't operating at the level that we know he's capable of and that goes for pretty much everyone at City, but

He has also scored a hell of a lot of goals against United in a short space of time. I'm not too sure Maguire would even have... I don't think Maguire has probably even started a monster derby against Haaland. It's obviously ten hard-bombed him out. I mean, I'd have to double-check it, but... Yeah, I'm not going to know. Maybe last season?

Maybe last season at home when they lost. I was thinking that all trough of the three now. Yeah, he did. It was Maguire and Jordy Evans in defence that day. Yeah, for Varane, obviously, and was rather controversially benched that day. So, yeah, and Haaland, he scored from ahead of that day. The aerial sickness, it's been a long aerial sickness for United.

But I think part of me also thinks, though, that United should go to City and be quite bullish just because it's one of the weirdest build-ups to a derby in a long, long time. I mean, it's got to be the lowest position United have been in going into a Manchester derby since 2007, which sounds weird because they were the champions that year, but the context there is that the derby was the third game of the season and United drew their first two games, so that's why they were as low down as they were.

it's a bit different going into it being 13 after 15 games they could be even lower than that come kick-off on Sunday I personally go with Jorah Martinez and and

I'd have probably said Maguire last night with a view to him starting on Sunday. But the dynamics have changed there because of the fact that he didn't even get a kick last night. And, you know, I think he had a pretty reasonable game, but it's going to be a step up in quality on Sunday. And sometimes it's a toss of a coin. I don't envy Cameron with some of the decisions that he'll have to make.

We'll just wrap up pretty quickly then, Samuel, because you've got a flight to get on. But the midfield, because we've kind of glossed over that a little bit, it's the presumption, Cobby Mayne and Emmanuel Ugarte start. They started against Nottingham Forest, lost that game. We've not really seen the best of them gelling together as a pair yet, I don't think. And it would be a big statement again to start them in such a massive match, wouldn't it? And...

Additionally, as you've said, City have won just once in the last 10 games. So it really does feel like a derby that's really just difficult to predict. And I guess that adds to the intrigue ahead of the game. It certainly does. I wouldn't be surprised if he, maybe if he was to keep Fernandes in midfield and with...

with Ugarte, because Ugarte has certainly looked fresher and more impactful than Mainu has. Mainu is still really, his season is still not going, partly because of injury, partly because of tiredness. He was not playing well before he got injured in October, but it's also Manchester Derby, and I think these are games where you can't underestimate the importance of actually having Mancunian in the team, and the

saw that in the FA Cup final I mean it was in this day and age it's pretty significant for a lad from Stockport to be deciding an FA Cup final between United and City given and he'd help keep the ball as well wouldn't he Samuel when you think how well City retained possession me and you would be brilliant at that yeah I'd be starting him and just hoping that you know this

You grew up the City stronghold, you won the FA Cup for us in May, gave supporters the best day of the year, the highlight of last season, the highlight of possibly the post-Ferguson era. Sorry, just a minute. I'm all right. I'll get them.

he's just uh i've got to pay some beach back for my hot chocolate at the uh christmas market yesterday yeah he didn't realize that uh or he forgot so um but yeah from from but this i'm getting delirious after having about six hours sleep as well dropping expletives left and saying so you've got no excuses not to come to the christmas bash there it's it's absolutely well that

Do you know what? I've barely had any beer out here as well. I think I had one beer after the game last night because I've been pretty unwell and I've had the worst couple of two or three nights sleep I think in my whole life. It feels like I've slept about six hours out here all in all so I've been playing through the pain barrier out here but

that's a copy mania anyway as I said I think with he knows just the significance of Manchester Derby is more than most others because of where he grew up and

it does there is a specific meaning of those games to players who come through the academy and who were born in Greater Manchester and you certainly saw that with Rashford in his first derby when he got the winner and Lingard started that game as well I know Jesse Lingard wasn't born in Greater Manchester but won the Youth Cup came through the United Academy was with United from a very very young age and

In United's heyday, sometimes Ferguson would even start players or squad players like Phil Neville or Nicky Butt in derbies. So you'd think, well, they're not first-teamers, but there's a specific reason why they're starting because it's a Manchester derby and he wants that steeliness in his side for football.

for the occasion and of course football has evolved a hell of a lot since then but I'd be starting Man Utd at the weekend and just throwing down the gauntlet for them to say look it's time for your season to really get going now it's December I'm not for a single second suggesting that Man Utd is dying off the FA Cup or anything like that I think we've covered it chapter and verse that

He has been overtaxed by United just because of the issues they've had and continue to have in midfield. But I also thought that the injury was probably a blessing in disguise because he did need a breather. He played a hell of a lot of football from November last year to when it was in early October. So nearly 11 months as an 18-year-old turning 19 with a European Championship and all the

the mental strife of United season last season and the mental difficulties that come with and challenges of representing England at a major tournament as well.

Yeah, he was on the go non-stop after making his full debut at Goodison Park. What a brilliant performance that was. And I agree, it was probably a blessing in disguise, that injury. We'll leave it there, Samuel. You've got a plane to catch. Fortunately for Simon Peach, he's not getting in my Renault Clio. He's getting on an aeroplane to go home. He caught a lift on Tuesday night after the under-21s, or the under-19s, I should say. Safe flight, Samuel. Pleasure as always.

thank you very much yeah it's on time there's it's been a little bit of snow in Prague as we were as we were coming in but it looks like everything should be should be okay and the queues have even subsided as well so that's that's a bonus happy days you can finish your coffee now and peace thanks to the listeners we'll be back on Monday enjoy the weekend and enjoy the game take care