'I'm worried' - Gary Neville reacts to Man City 3-0 win over Man Utd | The Gary Neville Podcast

Welcome everybody to the Etihad Stadium where the sun has come out for Manchester City. It is a sky-blue Ambience here beautiful evening and Manchester City have beaten Manchester United by three goals to nil It's the Gary Neville podcast and Gary Manchester City have put on a display here Which will presumably convince a few doubters that they're in it. They're in it

Maybe yeah, maybe maybe a little bit too early for that. I think that this is not the Manchester City of the players that are in the game. They're in the game. They are in the game. They're in it there in it. Maybe Yeah, maybe maybe a little bit too early for that. I think that this is not the Manchester City of 23 years ago when they were

absolutely incredible. The levels aren't the same, even in

this game where they won three

nil and they were comfortable winners. But they have a world class centerforward and they have a world-class goalkeeper and they have some good players in between but it's just yeah it's not quite the Manchester City of a few years ago but they were dominant today they were dominant in the big moments as well and they scored at the right times they were deserving winners I think a couple of the goals were really really good and they were

far better than United. Well let's deal with the individuals then because there were two or three standouts as you've already implied. I mean Haaland, there was a point when it was almost funny how often he was winning the ball in his own penalty area never mind what he's actually paid to do. As an all-round performance from a

centre-forward that was a bit special wasn't it? Oh yeah he's the best centre-forward the best thing to forward in the world. I won't change my mind on that. Obviously sometimes doesn't get involved in the game enough and actually said in the second half, I feel there are moments where actually

what Sergio Aguero here for a number of years is a completely different striker, but he was special, different level special Aguero, and I always thought you could score 40 goals in the

Premier League. You could score 45 goals in the Premier League. You can score 45 goals in the Premier League. You're that good. And I always feel that about Haaland as well, and he does, and he scores so many goals. But I always think you could do so much more. You could hold it up. You could ragdoll defenders. You could chase things down. You could defend it in your own box. You could win headers. You could do everything because you're that good. You're that good a player. And today was that performance. He was absolutely brilliant. The start the second half he cleared

about three corners and second phase sort of balls that came into the box with his head with his feet. I think he had five or six clearances the most in the game. Um and he had more

touches in his own defensive box at one point more than in the United box. But then when the big moments came, he took his goals brilliantly. The first goal he scored was the way he's got the ball. He's got the ball. He's got the

chance. He's got the chance. Came. He took his goals brilliantly. The first goal he scored was special special all the way through Nico Riley's little nutmegs on a garter.

Then I think Phil Ford just popped it around the corner Docu's little role of euro and then a little pass down the side, which I think is amazing. the ball. You know, it's a little bit difficult sometimes with the amount of players that play behind the ball against

city to get it through in one for him, but where you can get it through to me is those little passes down the side and he just holds offshore and he's explosive. Explosion Sorry off

the mark of that first three or four yards and that sort of aggression aggression in his run. And then to all of a sudden change that The subtlety, the little dink and they're just

the best players, the ones that can use their strength, the physicality and then also slow everything down in the heads up here and be cold and just little dink over. It was a brilliant,

brilliant goal. And then the third one was a classic Highland goal. You would say from a few years ago, you know way he's going to be. He's going to be a bit short. He leaves McGuire a bit short McGuire's passes poor and then

he's through on goal and you know that no one's catching him. McGuire is never going to get near him on sort of chasing back and he's just one on one and he just slots it into that far

corner. It was a brilliant performance from Highland today. Look if city you're going to win the best team in the world. I think that's the best team. I don't think the best team in this league. I think that Arsenal Liverpool are better

currently, but what they do

have if somehow they can Get done aroma Diaz. Rodri and Harland at the best. They have a world class spine. They have a world class spine there. They have an unbelievable

center forward who can destroy teams, but I just feel like their own. They're not going to be able to do it. I think it's still United. You know, weren't the team to do it today, but I think with the core, Riley left back, who thinks a big talent

Kusinoff at right center right back. There's just something not quite. As dominant as you when you watch it for years. I've sat up here and been bored watching them. They were that

good because they were just the ball. They're not going to give it away. They're not going to give it away. They're not going to give it away. They're going to give it away. They're going to give it away. They're going to give it away. They're going to give it away. They're going to give it away. They're concede shots on the goal but they've now got a shot stopper. Pep's gone and acted. He's again got a broader shot stopper and we saw the stats before the game of Donnarumma versus Edison. I like Edison as a goalkeeper as well. He's a brilliant

goalkeeper but I think what City have now is a brilliant goalkeeper who can maybe stop a lot of those shots that they're letting in on the goal which will make them more competitive obviously but I think it's yeah, Haaland was amazing today, he's a brilliant centre-forward. You've covered Donnarumma there, who's saved from Mbumo by the way,

was beautiful and we had a great view of it. The other one we were picking out in the game was obviously Phil Foden, and any great player over the course of a long career is going to have dips and rises,

but are you seduced into believing that he's showing us now he's ready to come again? Well, I like Phil Foden for a start. I think he's a brilliant football player and there are question marks over him There are doubts I do think that if you're a great player and a prolific title winner and you're someone who's gonna play at the very top Level for 15 years you have dips. That's a guarantee. You look through back through every players in history the most difficult part of any football match, usually for a team that's going to go on and win is the first 30 minutes where there's real

competitiveness, particularly in

the Derby. I thought he was brilliant in that part of the match, and he's good all the way through the game, but in the in the most important part of the game where city were

establishing their offensive line, and they've been doing that for a long time, and I the game. I thought he was brilliant. I thought he was brilliant in the first 30 minutes where there's real competitiveness, particularly

in the Derby. I thought he was brilliant in that part of the match, and he's good all the way through the game. But in the in the most important part of the game where city were

establishing their authority and control and obviously needed to get that first goal. I thought it was really good. So this the game. I think he's got a bit of a. He's got a bit of a thinking. So we looks a bit jittery. He's played his way

into the game, and he's got better as it's gone on. He started the game really, really well. Thought he's touching the early parts. It's positions in the sort of areas where Bruno

Fernandez and the Gati were trying to pick him and rind us up. We're really clever. I the game. It's a game of confidence. It's a game of confidence. It's a game of confidence. So I always think sometimes you can play yourself out of bad form. Or a difficult moment by getting sort of a win

and then later on in the game when the game opens up, it's easy for everybody to look comfortable. But no, I thought he was really good in the early parts of this match when

actually, it's most difficult for city to establish but what he needs now is consistency and to stay fit and perform at that level. I saw Pep Guardiola at the end of the game, I don't know if you saw on the walk around when they were obviously doing the lap of honour, Pep Guardiola had his arm round him, and even questions have been asked about that, haven't they, about whether Pep Guardiola and Phil Fordon sort of get on with each other,

but whether he's having him or not. So that was I think a good moment as well for City fans to see at the end of the game.

Into the last five minutes of the game I asked you the sort of burning question that you probably dread around Manchester United and what they take out of it. I was asking you to give and you did give a constructive answer or tried to. So let me ask you it again now you've had 10 minutes to think

about it. Look I think if I start with the football side of things I think United had moments in the games today particularly in the first 20 minutes where I thought they They counter-attack three or four times and they should have done better with it And at the start of the second half for the first few minutes when Harlem was heading those corners out and those sort of deliveries into the box out They look promising, but they just weren't enough. And I said it was a bit of a nothing. There are certain things that I look at and I think the system is the system. And you know, United fans will like it or they won't like it.

But Amirim's not going to change his game, but I'm really

was not going to change. He's

going to die in his own ditch if he's going to die in terms of losing his job. Um. But it does mean there are challenges at times whereby to try and make when you are chasing a

game, he still plays that's waving at Grimsby away. You had Mason Mount at left wing back. I think he's always changing his back three. Always it seems in every single match. Yoro comes off or someone else comes off and it just doesn't seem to get any better. Changing the back three,

I always think you need stability in your back line. And I say back three, he changes the back five regularly as well. So the two wing backs and the back three. The goalkeeper is the goalkeeper. I don't think he did anything

particularly wrong today, but I don't think he will be strong enough to be able to manage United goalkeepers that will come back and buy at some point . The midfield is a massive

problem, and we've known that United fans know that you know Gatti and Fernandez today. I think you mentioned it early. An hour before the game. You know, I think it's a bit of a pattern. I think it's a bit of a pattern. I think

it's a bit of a pattern. I think

United won the game. But that is not good enough. Bruno's not a player who plays the deep line midfield in a two particularly can do. I think if United are at home and the playing against the

team where the dominating possession, you can maybe bring him a bit of a pattern. Bruno is always going to probably struggle in a midfield to. What happens is a bit of a pattern that exists. You can. You can cuddle Bruno

with Ahmad and then Burmo and Cisco and they sit in front of him and provide a shield. What happens is when the game opens up a little bit of the game players get a little bit more

fatigue or United go one nil down. They end up then sort of the back of the net. And then they end up then sort of chasing it a little bit. The front three stay a little bit higher, and then that those spaces start to appear in midfield. And then

Bruno starts to get pulled around a little bit and Bruno's United's best player by a mile. But this system either has to have him as a one of a two in midfield or one of a front three

of which is neither of these two positions. So you've got an the back of the net. It's a special. It's an issue there. It's a specialist system. Wing back to specialist position. Masraoui didn't have a good game today. Short is poorest

game of the season by a mile. He was well off it first two goals. He was poor for the second and the third goal. He didn't cover himself in glory. It was just a nothing today for

me. It was just table. I'm not

jumping up and down. I'm not

screaming. I think I've gone past that. But. Ruben Amrim is going to come under big pressure. He's going to come under big pressure. Manchester United, the 14th in the league.

Now it's only a few games and it's four games in. But next week, if managed United losing the goal to 15th and 16th, it's five games in and before you the bottom half of the table. You know it. You're in October and Manchester United are in the bottom half of the table,

and that's where they couldn't be. I've been spent £200 million having him out of preseason. Yeah, they might be 7th 8th 9th. They could be in those types of positions, but they can't be in

the bottom half of the table. So there's got to be a quick turnaround pretty quickly, and the game. It's a game that's going to be a lot of fun. But you've got to land very quickly with the players. Now I'm not saying here today. I don't think there's any suggestion.

I'm not suggesting that all the players have down tools on him. They've not. But they're struggling a little bit. They're struggling. They're struggling against Burnley at

home. I was at the match.

They're struggling with it. They're struggling to get to find rhythm, to find tempo, to find performance levels. I thought I was really heartened by the first game this season against Arsenal. I thought it was a really good performance. But maybe that was just they

had a good preseason. They built this sort of, but maybe now, couldn't you get injured? Mount gets injured. The old sort of scar, the old wounds the old scars are starting to open up and I'm worried I'm worried about the manager I'm worried about what's gonna happen in this next

few weeks I don't think it's a time for panic but I've seen this before with you know we've seen this film haven't we quite often and so what would you do may

ask exactly Chelsea next sorry to interrupt but they have to carry on operating and as we mentioned in the game, they haven't got that many games this year, they're out the League Cup, there's no Europe. So they've got from now until next weekend when they play Chelsea. What would you, if it's not too facile a question, what would you be doing tomorrow and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday? How can it be better next week?

Yeah, I wouldn't change my preparation. I'd like to think he's going to be a serious professional Ruben Arriman, so are the players in terms of how they prepare. I wouldn't change anything in that respect. But they've got to come out of the blocks next Saturday night against Chelsea, 5.30 kick-off.

Atmosphere, it'll be fantastic the team, always be with the manager. And Chelsea play midweek in Europe, so United have got a free week to prepare for it, so they should have more energy, more legs. No, it's early in the season, so it's a small thing, but they should be in a position whereby they can really go for it, be really aggressive, and I think they have to,

in that first 15-20 minutes next week go and get a goal. I'm not saying that's going to be the be all and end all, but they have to start quickly, they have to get a goal. They can't go 1-0 down against Chelsea and then all of a sudden Chelsea are passing it around, the crowd goes quiet. And before you know it, you're into a sort of spiral of another game. I think they have to be really really good game. I think that

they have to be really lightning quick out of the blocks next Saturday night because it's a really important match. You're losing away from home from city is never going to cost you your

job because the relative is a lot of teams lose here. We start to lose games at home. They just beat Burnley in the last minute. It is going to the owners in the box and Omar Barada and Jason Wilcox and Jim Ratcliffe and everybody else used to start to see more of those images appear so Manchester United have to find wins. They have to get wins in this latter part of September, early

October. They cannot lose games because if they carry on losing games there's going to be an outcry in the next few weeks and we don't want that. I mean United don't want that. There's no benefit. There's no sort of plus sign today here at Old Trafford. Sorry at the Etihad because

managed United have lost reunited fan. The only smile that you could possibly have is around Ricky Hart and thinking that he's somewhere watching this game and his beloved Manchester

City have won this match because to me today, I feel sick in my stomach from the moment this morning, late morning when that news broke through that is the only thing that's really sort of taken my mind today. Someone who is an unbelievable Mancunian, someone who carried Manchester all around the world to America in massive fights, lit up the city and the arenas of the city with his boxing.

Someone who went in and literally fought like everything hung on it every single time. A warrior. You talk about football players and do they care? You never doubted that about Ricky Hatton when he went into a ring. And then I've met him a number of times in my life and sort of you know grounded, earthy, family man. someone who basically, you know, you'd say, what a good lad, what a good lad. I remember two or three years ago, and it was our Christmas party, have a Christmas party every year for my businesses, and Ricky turned up. He wasn't invited,

he just turned up. And I remember we were having a drink with him, and, you know, that's the sort of lad he was, you know, whether you were blue or whether you were red, he cared about Manchester a lot and he cared about his country. And today is a devastating day, it really is, when you think of the love he had for this club and the support he gave to this football club. He would have absolutely loved this afternoon, he'd have been out tonight in Manchester with his mates, having a beer, having a laugh, and to think that's not going to happen again,

honestly, it's heartbreaking heartbreaking it really is. It's terribly sad and Gary I know how much the city of Manchester means to you, you genuinely are proud of this place and I know you're saying that he felt exactly the same

and red and blue doesn't really matter. No, no today honestly I look I'm a United fan I wanted United to win But the only potential sort of smile you could give that result is the fact that Ricky would have enjoyed today and like you say, 46 years of age is no age. And it'll take quite a bit of time, I think, for the city to get over that news because,

like you say, he was a very, very popular man. He was someone that United fans loved, someone that City fans loved, and all Mancunians loved, and he did an awful lot for the city. He was a champion, champion in the ring and a champion out of the ring. Well, that's a beautiful tribute, beautiful.

Elsewhere in football and the Premier League, you watched all but stoppage time of the Liverpool Burnley game. What did you make of that?

Yeah, so I'm watching this game in the little truck that we have in the broadcast compound and it gets to 90 minutes and I'm thinking they're definitely going to score but it's getting to like 338 or something like that, 340 and I'm thinking I better get up to the gantry. You know it's a little bit sort of noisy around here so I better go up to the gantry and I'm walking up with someone and I'm thinking I better get up to the gantry. You know, it's a little bit sort of noisy around here. So I better go up to the gantry and I'm walking up with someone

and I leave this sort of, the little truck that we're in. I see the board go up and it's got five minutes to go. And I've got absolutely no doubts that by the time I get in this lift to come up to this fifth floor, third floor here, and then out onto this, they're going to be able to get a goal. They're going to be at the moment, and that's great

and most of the time that they would do that, but they can also when they're going through periods of time of settling in players like votes and Connecticut and other players

that got Kirk is who went off

after 30 minutes today. Um. Frimpong, you know the settling in a new sort of wave of players into the club, the setting a new wave of players into the and they're not at their absolute purring best, but they've got something, and they've won.

And that's a really important thing to have. Now obviously you can't go on and keep on winning by playing below your best and performing like they did today, but they keep getting over the line, and they've demonstrated that in the first few weeks of this season, and they've carried it on after the international break.

So it was a big win for Liverpool, heartbreak for Burnley. I was at Old Trafford a few weeks ago in the last minute when obviously they conceded that penalty. They just literally lost two points against United in Liverpool which would have been great points for them. But it'll give them

heart maybe to go into other mistake. But. Yeah I just knew that was up. Yeah, of course, it struck me, Gary. I didn't obviously watch it as closely as you did, but whenever I looked up and watch the game

Burnley weren't defending desperately with I thought I thought they seemed to be

defending really, really well with Paul. They played well. So yeah, Liverpool just work at the best. It was a scruffy game defending well and Liverpool just couldn't break them down. Liverpool are obviously the better team so you can't deny Liverpool at the end of the game. But you always know they're going to be the better team against Burnley. But they'll be gutted tonight, Burnley, Scott Parker and the boys who played,

the fans who obviously came to watch. Yeah, but that's where Liverpool are at this period in their development. They can get through games. At the end of the game I saw, when I finally got up here, their own. They've got a lot of time. They've got a period in their sort of development. They can sort of get through games.

You know, at the end of the game, I saw and I got when I finally got up here. It was Salah and Van Dyke doing the interview. Coming out and talking about not being at the

best but getting over the line because they've got two world class players and operators there in your auto in leagues. the players that are in the dressing room, where. The likes of votes, Nekotika or others that are settling in can just

be carried a little bit by the experienced players that got Robinson Robinson Robertson came on. Sorry for. Kirk is after half an hour again. That's really important to have someone

to come off the bench. Who's got that sort of ability to be able to know what's going on and not panic. So yeah, their own. I think it's a fantastic place. Arsenal

yesterday was strong against

Forest. It was a good day for them as well. And you watched all of that game. I had a blitz of football yesterday. It was Arsenal, Salford, Tottenham,

West Ham and then Chelsea

Brentford. Yeah, starting with Arsenal. Yeah. Mad wakey as a when you think about Martelli and Saki thought they would dominate the left and right wing of Arsenal for the next 5-10 years and yet you're watching two players yesterday and obviously Saka will come back in and so will Martelly play games as well. But Maduike is a lot better than I imagined and thought he

would be and certainly a lot better than Arsenal fans thought he would be. A couple of runs that he made for England on Wednesday night were a Tuesday they're not going to be able to get a chance to win. I mean, you know, I'm not saying that

because on Wednesday night

where it were Tuesday night, so it would be a different level. Their runs. Them runs. You know, I am Robin used to make those runs against me. I'm giving you players of sort of like a level

where you think, Oh, I'm up against it. This is a different type of player. Sometimes you you've got players who are like a step above a level above. I'm not saying my break is there yet, but he's not, but his movements and the things that

he's doing. Are very, very good. And I'm talking from a full backs perspective playing against it, and as a looks like he's got a little bit of something. We has got that

something. So you look at those

two now. Jac Rez, good day for him. You know, he's the problem is with Arsenal, they've got so many silky players and football players in Zuberman, the Urdu guard and Maduaki, Eze, Declan Rice and then you look at sort of Jacques Rez and he's a misfit. He's a misfit for that group of players in the sense of he's not, you know, sort of like technically amazing but I actually like that sort of the way he's playing. He's playing. He's playing. He's playing for players in the sense of he's not, you know,

sort of like technically amazing. But I actually like that sort of. Contrast the idea of having this battery in Ram moves a little bit sort of ungainly and he sort of I think

he'll beat up small teams whether you'll do it in the big games and score in the big games'm not as sure. I think that. The best defenders might handle him. We'll see. But I think he'll beat up smaller teams for

Arsenal, which some that's not a bad thing. Scoring loads of goals and getting 20 goals this season, which he could do necessarily all have to be against the big teams. Now you

want the old one or two against them. But just early on seeing seeing him be a real threat, a real handful, and I think Arsenal need a bit of imperfection in their attack, maybe someone that they can get it into the box a little bit quicker. It was a good day for Arsenal, Forrest, no, Angie's first

game, not quite at it. I was just gonna mention because you did briefly, Zubimendi, who actually he's not a big fella is he? No, no. And yet he looks like he

carries real authority in that midfield. I actually thought he was as important to sign as Jocares because I think that when I saw Arsenal last season I actually thought there were moments where Jorginho played where he just pops those balls through lines and I'm not sure Declan Rice and Partey, it's interesting how Declan Rice is now being used by Mikel Arteta but also by Thomas Tuchel and in that advance role and the ball. It's a bit of a difference. I think it's a bit of a difference between

Schuylkill and in that advanced role in Anderson, Elliot Anderson played deeper for England, obviously in the mid week, I actually think that's where Declan Rice should be up

in top of the game up the pitch not receiving office back for us. Let's say you can't do it in certain matches. But zoom and I thought they really the ball. He's got a great technique. He's got a great ability to get the ball quicker. Break the lines. So

not quite. So I was expecting wasn't expecting to sign for bullish from outside the box or headers at the back post, which is what we got yesterday, but that's the quality of him. He's

got great tech, great technical ability. He showed us something I think that. Was watching it on obviously the television and the other players. I think they're going to be a little bit more of a bit more of a defensive player, but for me

as you men, if he can start to

just know it's not been a Explosive start from him. If he can start to grow and get better. Build that sort of relationship in midfield with rice and Urdu got obviously

went off yesterday and then you can start to get soccer back and a couple of the others and their own. I think they're going to be a bit more competitive. I think they're going to be a bit more competitive currently. But mosque era's done well since he's coming to

Arsenal got real depth. I think Martelly and Trosser came on sort of like really late on, and that's like almost like fifth and sixth wingers. Now it's amazing where I saw right with

the wide players and your creative ability, So, yeah, they I think Arsenal, even yesterday, just a bit more risk. Just lift it by 5% in terms of your expression and your risk, because you've got the players to do it.

Well, that's what you said at Anfield the other week, isn't it?

Just lift it. Win games, keep clean sheets, be pragmatic, be great at set pieces, but just have that little bit more freedom, that little bit more something that might just be the spark

and that edge that gets you over the line. So we'll finish on Chelsea in just a second because you saw them yesterday as well, but since you're on Arsenal and based on what you've seen here and what you saw yesterday, just preview in that context, Arsenal vs Man City next week.

If I'm looking at that from an Arsenal perspective, I'm thinking it's a game I've got to win. Yeah, I think it's a game I've got to win. I think it's a game that's going to be a game that they've got to win. I think they've got to win. Yeah, I think it's a game I've got with the gasler, a better team currently in the more all round team than this managed to city

team. But they're gonna have

problems in the game. You know, there's no doubt that Manchester City going to cause them problems because they've got that individual ability to be able to create moments. So there's

you know, the arse looking enough to play really well in this game next week, but balancing that defensive sort of pragmatic solidity that they have, and we know they can

deploy in big matches. And then having that ability to think we've got to win this match and that mentality of winning the match, and that starts from the the players. It's not just going for the title. It's not just going for the selection.

It starts them with the players when they get on the pitch with that sort of element of just going for it in moments where they can. Not holding back, you know, and having that real

expression in that sort of. Yeah, that's something different that they need to win big matches, and they've been good in big matches. This Arsenal game for City than it is for Arsenal. But for City, if you really want to let people know that you're back in the title race and you really want to shake it up, then go and win. Go and win at the Emirates next Sunday because that will

sort of shake things up and rock things a little bit. Should be a fabulous game. Quickly Chelsea, what do you think? It was a great moment to score late on and you think there you go, what to score. You know, you're going to of realizing that getting that and yeah, just Brentford have been fantastic, haven't they? Mainly under Thomas Frank over the last few years, they've been one of the best at set pieces. But you know, to get that late equaliser was a brilliant moment for Brentford,

it would have sent them all happy. And I was sort of half drifting off by this point, I was four games in, and like, oh, it woke me up, you know? And I wasn't expecting them to score but yeah just caught that before I went to sleep hoping that the Manchester derby would be a better game for me but it hasn't been. And I wasn't expecting them to score but yeah just caught that before I went to sleep hoping that the Manchester derby would be a better game for me but it hasn't been. Hey ho! Thank you. Them's the brakes. Thanks Gary. Thank you.