Anthony Martial WILL NOT stay | INEOS visit Carrington | Transfers latest

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Hello and welcome to the Manchester is red podcast my name is Steven Wiston I’m back again I’m sure everyone is relieved to here um after a mini Hiatus from the podcast and we’re here today Jo recording on a Friday afternoon I’m joined by Samuel luur uh Samuel how are

You I’m very well thank you you’re you’re back where you you normally belong but if anything you should be in the Northeast this weekend you you’ve left at the wrong time I think given the uh the huge game tomorrow the time is it time we is it time we Derby it’s not tin

Te’s is it when it’s at the stadium they like yeah I believe so that’s the correct the correct way to put it um nobody wants FA Cup upsets this weekend Samuel put it that way and Manchester United fans or any of our fans up and down the country because of course

United have that game against Wigan h on Monday after the weekend but uh I believe you and Rich already kind of looked ahead to that game earlier in the week so we’re just going to have a look at a few transfer bits to start off the

This podcast today h have a look at the situation with jayen Sancho and bruad Dortmund look at the contract situations with Rafa Varan and Anthony martial and look ahead in part three at the visit of sergean Ratcliffe and Dave brills fed to caring as well I should say sir I’m

Denying of his privileges there as well because sir dord is a sir um Samuel are you getting your KN anytime soon I don’t think so no and I think we’re probably both on the same page in um the the honor System it’s it’s it’s not for me I

Think you could I don’t want to spend a whole podcast going on about the wrongs of it but when uh when when Kevin sinfield isn’t getting um the ultimate acolyte then there there is something fundamentally wrong I think s javid’s got a Knighthood and he once said that

Um ticket TOS were entrepreneurs so uh that’s that’s just one example of of the the floors the floor I was laughing watching the 10:00 news last night when David Cameron came up and at the bottom it said Lord Cameron almost SI which wasn’t a good way to go

To bed anyways jayen Sancho and Samu let’s get into the football cuz the listeners are probably about to turn off obviously Bruce toan are closing in on a green a loan deal H for Sancho um he’s been frozen out the team since September obviously a very public dispute of Eric

Tonog when he took to social media essentially called him a liar um it took him a while to delete that post he eventually did but the situation it hasn’t been resolved the janary window was always going to be an opportunity for that resolution and it finally seems

Like we’re going to have one with Dortmund kind of inching closer to securing him on a temporary deal yeah I I think I even wrote back in September not long after it happened that Sancho was was quite keen on returning to Dortmund and Dortmund it

Seems Keen to have him back as well um various colleagues have done those stories in the last 24 48 hours I’ve I’ve been off for a couple of days but given it the transfer window and then United rearranged press conference I’ve ended up doing a bit of work here and

There but United have confirmed that the discussions are progressing with Dortmund over Sancho it it had to happen they were never going to sell him this month uh because there’s just not a market for someone who’s who’s not played since August the 26th I think it is so he’s gone four months without

Playing very public Fallout with the manager to the point that he’s been banished from the first team squad he’s been in exile for nearly four months he’s been getting ready getting changed in a locked with with the door locked in a separate building due to safeguarding issues uh because he’s been getting

Ready in the in the academy building at Carrington so that that’s an extremely hard cell for a player who also has has not particularly played well in his two and a half years at United he’s he’s had maybe a couple of reasonable spells of form but his time at United has been one

Of extreme failure two very lengthy spells on on the sidelines for very different reasons uh one one period when he had the support of ten hog and this time when he’s not had the support of ten hog and I think I think we all sense that that the likest outcome would that

It would be a loan this this month but but really from ten hard’s perspective he couldn’t allow Sancho to be at the club when when the janary transfer window closed I think it would have been extremely telling had both manager and player somehow still been at United um

Been at carington come February the 1st because that would have immediately undermined ten Hogs position so this is essentially the the first public backing if you like from from Minos that they’re happy for for Sancho to go elsewhere on loan it was strange yesterday that one of the

Questions in relation to Sancho at Carrington it was does this indicate that he has a future at United and you’re asking the manager who’s who’s banished him um from from the first team squad no it doesn’t I mean it’s very obvious that because there’s not a market to sign someone that United

Bought for 72.9 million two and a half years ago and and nobody’s going to be paying 30 million for him nobody’s there’s not a rush to get Jaden Sancho in the J uh in in the January transfer window on a permanent um on a permanent basis of course it was always going to

Be Al loan and it’s a problem for United that Sancho vanderbeek there’s there’s still every chance that those two could be back at Carrington on for the first day of preseason in in July I mean hell of a lot’s going to happen between now and then but it’s it’s still it’s a

Possibility that that that could be the the scenario and we’ll have it would be fascinating to see um what happens between now and then but ten har also um just in terms of his communication at press conferences and it’s becoming clunkier it feels like as well because

He he said last month if you took his quotes at face value when he was asked about Sancho he said he knows what he has to do now anybody who hears that or watches that or reads that would think oh Sancho’s got a future St United when there’s been no inclination from either

Side to come to a resolution there unsurprisingly and it’s it was strange yesterday that ten ha said there’s there’s no news on Sano well there is news I mean people at United have have confirmed that discussions are progress progressing when a manager talks like that he’s he’s not really he’s

Undermining his own authority there when actually he’s in he’s still in a pretty authoritative position despite the results in in recent months or in fact fact throughout the whole season who is it Samuel when you asked Tena question was it regon that he replied but the way

He said it it made it sound like Sancho and everyone in the in the in the press conference room kind of just jolted for a second and I think you followed it up and you asked about Sano didn’t you I can’t remember exactly how it went I I I

Um when he was giving me this uh answer to uh Sergio when and I I genuinely did think he said Sancho but I thought if I if I acknowledge that it’s it’s Sancho he said I just thought I can’t say Sancho’s name you know I could look like

An idiot here because I can’t be certain that he he had said sano’s name so I I think I came up with something like kind of mely mouth like and and what prompted that development it was it was nothing deniability there wasn’t it that’s the thing in a difficult position and

You I I I think I did okay in it and then the with the Press officer afterwards he said no it’s definitely definitely um uh Sergio is in regon and and apparently tenh when it was put to him that oh people thought you said Sancho I don’t think he was best pleased

By that either and this was this was back in October so that that gives you um an idea of of what tenh har thinks of sancho at the moment he’s he’s still not referred to Sancho by name as well whenever he’s been asked about him he’s

Never refer to Jaden or Sancho that was the one time where we thought and that was probably partly why a few of us all of us in that press conference room um were jolted by it because it did sound like Sancho but he definitely said Sergio so uh yeah sometimes the the

Waters can get muddied and I think the well that day it was on the rolling it was on the rolling tick on Sky Sports News Jane Sancho is back in the Manchester United Squad and um I’m sure we’ll get onto it shortly but sky yesterday seemed to be the only ones who

Under the impression that Anthony Marshall was in line for a new contract when that that really is not the case uh and the transfer Morning Show is interesting now on Sky Sports but that’s a story for another day we’ll stick with Sano briefly then uh Samuel I mean an

Assessment of the situation I think reports in Germany suggested it’s going to be around3 million EUR the loan package overall um it’s a very lowrisk high reward move I think for Dortmund because they’re getting the player who they do know who yes he has regressed

And his y United but if he hits the ground running and can return to the levels he produced when he was playing in the Bundesliga then it could be a very good move for them um he’ll be there for 6 months until the end of the

Season um what do you think about it can he return to that level um because he’s just he’s just not performed in a in a red shirt unfortunately we’ve got into him a LMS on this podcast over the years I had extremely high hopes from when he

Came to England I mean he was fantastic playing for Dortmund he established himself as as quite literally one of Europe’s finest young talents along alongside erling Harland at the time in in Jude Bellingham you look at what they’ve done with their respective career since then but it just hasn’t

Happened for Sancho um and also Sam I think the point is to make I think United are probably making the best of a bad situation because you’re getting a player off the boooks that is earning High wages he is going to have friends in the dressing room and naturally a few

Sympathizers of his situation it’s not healthy to have him around car is it so the needed to to get him out there in the janary window the last time he’d have possibly no not quite the last time I think it would have been um cuz he he

Started in the Dublin friendly but I think he did start against Dortmund in the the Las Vegas friendly and I think the Dortmund social media team got some decent Clips out of him reuniting with Marco Roy and other players and staff he knew from his from his his time at the

Club but it’s however way you look at it for Sanchez it’s not good look Jude Bellingham is not going to be going back to Dortmund erling Harland is not going to be going back to Dortmund Dortmund who really bottled it in the title race last season on the final day when they

Should have actually won it Hadad of B Munich they’re they’re fifth this season they’re not going to win the the title um again I think they’re something like might be 15 points off top I think obviously B Leverkusen is still the team that the top chabby Alonzo is doing a

Brilliant job there but it is still quite early in the season I don’t think they’re quite even at the halfway stage in in the Bundesliga while they’re having this winter break at the moment but for him to go back to Dortmund with his with his tail between his legs um

Although he may find happiness there and I’m sure he will and Dortmund will be happy to have him back and they’ll see it as a bit of a coup but really it it it doesn’t reflect particularly well on on Dortmund or or Sancho that they’re trying to rekindle something there and

Very much the priority for them of course is going to be to to qualify for the Champions League which is is still doable even though they’re they’re fifth in the Bundesliga but trying to it’s it’s not even you know harking back to past glories because I think the only thing

That Sancho in Germany was the was the German cup um I don’t think they ever during his time the club got really close to l a glove on on on Bayern Munich in terms of going for the Bundesliga title either uh so it’s it’s a marriage of convenience and it suits

United that one of these clubs who Sancho was you know Keen to join I think if Steve Cooper was still at Forest that might have been a goer but when Cooper was was sacked by Forest last month month I think the Instinct there was that that was that that that door had

Closed so that was probably his only route back to a or or route to a Premier League club but that in itself says it all I mean you know there’s a European Championship coming up in the summer and okay Sancho the majority of his games his caps attained U with England have

Been while he was playing for brucia Dortmund so there’s still a route back into the squad if he’s playing regularly but I think realistically he’s his his goose is cooked with with England I don’t I think he’s he’s he’s got a he’s probably got 0.01% chance of of getting in the Euro

Squad even if he does play regularly and play well for Dortmund because there are so many brilliant attacking options that g Southgate has and the majority of them play in the Premier League and and while it’s good for England to have I mean their two best players arguably play for

Real Madrid and and Bayern Munich which is is brilliant given how insula generally um English footballers can be and and have been and and Sancho look he he was a Trailblazer you you only have to look at Harland going to Dortmund Bellingham going to Dortmund Jamal musala who I’ve watched him twice in

Person this season been very lucky to and he he looks he’s just tremendous he’s he’s brilliant to watch and of course he made that Journey from Chelsea to to Bayern Munich um you’ve got blo is it blino gens I think at Dortmund as well who’s taken that same path from

City we watched it at Le Sports Village actually Samuel I think you we did and he was he was he was terrific against United’s um under 19s in the youth league I was really impressed with him and he’s he’s making waves at Dortmund so um you there’s there’s possible

Mentoring that Sancho could have there but that that area of Germany and gsen Kirk and it’s it’s got quite High I think the average age of um of residents there is quite high it’s not a place where young young people really settle so it’s it’s not ideal for Sancho but

It’s it’s not a bad get out at this stage of of his career and um at this stage of the Season given the the first four months have been an absolute write off and I do hope for his sake that he he rebuilds his career and he does well

At Dortmund but um it’s and and also it’s in United’s interest that he does well at Dortmund because then that does create a market for him in the summer whether he rejoins Dortmund permanently or he moves to another club yeah it can only help his his resale value con if he

Performs well at Dortmund and a little bit of transfer housekeeping then as well for K of pestry bit loan interest in him if you want to expand on that D go as well yeah interest from Preston on loan he’s obviously made his debut just in September and Charlie mcneel has just

Returned back from stevenage as well we expected him to be recalled um after he’s been left out a few squads unfortunately the move hasn’t really worked out I think he’s played since September no I think he he scored on his debut and then his last his last start

May well have been in September so I’m not too sure what happened there but as you just I mean I don’t think Steven were expected to perform as well as they have the season or actually flying at the top of the division in and about to the playoff position so that’s obviously

Made it difficult for McNeil to get a game yeah and uh you sometimes that happens in certainly at the football league uh level that a club will come out from nowhere and suddenly they’ll be the Pace Setters or they’ll be right up there I mean ipswitch having a tremendous season in the championship

That they’re second still I think to to Leicester and they only got promoted um they only got promoted season and there’s every chance they’ll get back toback promotions which of course reflects extremely well on the job Kieran McKenna is doing there I mean this time of year there are always some

Academy players who head out on Loan in the case of Gore United have got midfielders coming back in January in casemiro Mason Mount is back on the grass as well cobby mayor is fit momany has obviously been fit for most of the season I know sophan amrabat has has

Gone to to afcom with Morocco uh Christian Erikson is fit again so that’s that’s five senior midfielders I think it’s fair to regard Mayu as a senior um Squad member now who are ahead of Dan Gore so I think there’s a chance that does happen but we did see with James Garner

About four years ago that I think it was Garner and Le Dylan Lev at the time they were eager to go out on loan but United said no it’s not quite right for you this is not the right time and it was delayed and look it’s worked out well

For G he’s having a terrific career and in didn’t L it although he’s not reached the same Heights he’s still a Wales International and he’s he’s doing pretty well and having a decent career elsewhere um if not in the operons of of the English football uh Joe hugle is

Another one uh We’ve we’ve spoken about at length um I think at the moment it would probably be remiss of United to let him go because Anthony Marshall’s been out of the fold for for three and a half weeks Rasmus hland is the only out andout Striker available to United he of

Course was Absolut not and Forest so United always maintained they will do what’s best for you the interests of the club come first even though it’s they they’re conscious that Academy players need to go and get game time it’s important for them hugle is now 20 as

Well which just seems to have you know it doesn’t seem that long ago that he actually joined United from from Sunderland and he was he was excellent in his first season in the academy but all of a sudden it seems like he’s he’s turned 20 quite quickly and he’s still

Not had a um a kick in senior football and he’s going to be chomping at the pit um understandably it sounds like he’ll get a new contract as part of any Arrangement as well which happens quite often with Academy players when they go out on loan I think it did happen with

James Garner happened with desan Bernard as well U 10s indicated that there’ll be a goalkeeper who goes out on loan where Andrea n is of course about to head on to afcon I’m sure we’ll get into that a little bit shortly United will probably not be as inclined to send

Out two or three goalkeepers on loan this month uh sometimes that that does happen there are a number of Keepers that that head out but but radic vitek has has done a lot of training with the first team but he’s he’s I’m surprised to see that he’s not actually played

Very often for the under under 21s this season I mean I’m sure you can shed some light on that it seems like it’s been Eli Harrison and and der me who’ve um had the bulk of the games there but I’d think of I think Harrison will probably

Be the youth cup keeper or Remain the youth cup keeper should say and one of me or or vitc will will go out on loan as as tenh har indicated yeah Harrison’s really highly regarded just 17 and he’s it was impressed me he’s good of his feet as

Well that kind of modern ball playing goalkeeper and at this rate I think um VC might make a debut before Bay theread comes from Turkey and’s just playing more games isn’t he doesn’t want to go to afon as soon as we thought he would anyways we’ll leave it there for

Part one Samuel sorry go on just sorry just I forgot pelist there I mean with pelist seems like every month there is interest in taking him on loan because from what we’ve all seen he he looks a pretty good footballer and he’s a starter for Uruguay and I think he would

Have probably gone on Loan in the summer had Ahmad not got injured where he got injured I think in against Arsen in New Jersey that was late July and pelist did quite well in the final friendly against um against atletic Bill BAU in Dublin from that point on it seemed like he was

Definitely going to stay but um he’s I don’t think he’s had a start in September he had he had a few starts in September and the last was against Crystal Palace in that that defeat but he’s everyone you think you think of fundo pelri at United you just think

He’s a he’s an impact sub and he has done he has fulfilled that job quite well um and I still think United given that Sancho’s going when you look at their forwards it’s it’s not it’s not the case that they’ve they’re teaming with with forwards now there is a case

Of of keeping pelist and keeping ammad especially when the the other right sided forward is is Anthony uh I suspect that when you know the fans do their panel on our websites they do for every game there’s every chance that ammad will be um in in the fans 11 for for the

Weekend game on Monday I feel like pest’s big chance was against Bayern Munich at the alian arena he got that start didn’t he and I don’t he probably should have scored shouldn’t he as well yeah he definitely should have that that nil nil where he Alonso Davis did very

Well but pelist needed to commit that little bit more than if he did do the ball hits him goes in and then it’s maybe a slid indoors moment in his United Career as you say ironically I think ten said Alonso Davies was a poor Defender before kickoff on that game and then Davies

Goes and pulls out of the fire which was an excellent clearance um anyways that’ll be it for part one we’ll be back in a moment for part Two we’re launching a brand new bite-size midweek Audio Only podcast bringing you the latest happenings from Old Trafford in a much more informal format covering topical news online gossip transfers and personal tales as a Roundup of everything you might have missed surrounding Manchester United join host Tyrone Marshall and myself

Rich Fay as we go inside the club separating the fact from the fiction and giving you an edge on your mates down the pup welcome back to part two of the Manchester is red podcast now as promised Samuel we’ll get into the contracts situations uh in a little bit

More depth obviously we discussed martial and veran there um martial is obviously still expected to leave the club and veran is not guaranteed to be offered a new contract and as you mentioned tag was asked about that yesterday’s press conference which took place on Thursday we’re recording this

Podcast on a Friday morning um but ten said that United this is a direct quote are talking with Rafa Varan and with Anthony martial um I presume your eyebrows were raised when that was said I don’t think they were raised as such it was just um why why why why is

He saying that because that that has become another one of his stock phrases he was using it about I think when I asked about the players who had these extensions um extension options last month he said we’re talking to them and at the time I’m thinking why are you talking to them you

You don’t have to you can just literally pull them pull a player to side in training and tell them we’ve extended your contract and till next year you’re a valuable Squad member of course um and and we’ll reassess your future in the summer we we’ll go from there I mean you

Shouldn’t even take five minutes it it can be done in possibly 5 seconds if if you talk quickly enough it’s it’s United’s right to extend these contracts if they want to keep a player and the the maximum these are the maximum expiry dates in the players contracts as well

Then United should do that they are protecting their asset um there is resale value in Aran basaki Victor Lindelof and Hannibal Meb as we all know I I wrote in October that the plan was to extend those players contracts and also the plan was to um release Marshall

If if there wasn’t a taker for him in the January transfer window and it looks like it’s going that way but then the waters are muddied by what ten hog says and some people in that room some people watching will take him at face value and think that oh Anthony Marshall’s in line

To get a new contract and as I said earlier skyports news thought that was the case and appeared to dedicate a segment to their sheer surprise that someone who’s not completed 90 minutes in the Premier League for nearly three years someone who’s scored 18 United

Goals in the last three and a half years could and and is coming out of contract at the end of the year and won’t have his current contract extended could get a new contract um I mean sometimes you’ve just got to you know do it’s it’s not it’s not even educated guesswork

It’s just you know look at something sensibly um rather than taking the man face value but ultimately they they they saw and listened to what tenh har said and took him at face value and that’s where the confusion came and in the end that I think Sky had had tweeted a video

Of it but they they deleted it because someone at United flat it to them like no this is not the case but it really shouldn’t have to be spelled out you shouldn’t need a a guide book for contract exensions for dummies but it feels like that’s the way it’s been I

Mean at the start of this week United will have known that there’s no game it’s January transfer window uh the inos stake is being um is a wayed regulatory approval Ratcliff is coming over brownford is coming over we also knew that it was inevitable these contracts that they extended the

Three that they um they Trigg the extensions in that that was going to happen so just tell us those three players having their contracts extended those two players aren’t here’s some context on it um January transfer window Region’s going back to Tottenham uh Vander be’s going on low and they

Were quite prompt with that In fairness as well on on on New Year’s Day um Sancho of course they’ve they’ve you know they’ve been helpful with as well but it just felt like with the contract extensions they’ve they’ve been so opaque about it when as I said I did a

Line back in October which made it pretty clear what was going to happen and that is what’s happened with the three contracts extended and what is almost certainly going to happen with Marshall and United’s point with Marshall is that because he is one of two out andout Strikers which I mean

Just again it just highlights the the bad decision making that goes on at the club um they they don’t want to essentially cut him down to size uh when he could have a role to play this season yes technically he could have a role to play uh once he’s fit again because he

Is the backup Striker to holand and we’ve seen already how um overburdened holand has been and someone needs to shoulder that burden and unfortunately for him nobody has and I don’t think anybody is expecting Marshall to either and it’s just United’s luck that like in the summer he is unavailable when the

Transfer window is open so as it stands he’s unsellable and even if he was fit there are a very small it’s a small percentage of Clubs in the genuine transfer window who are going to be in for Anthony Marshall who want to sign Anthony Marshall on a permanent basis

And it’s really got to be a permanent basis because this is the last window United have to obtain a fee for him um Varan is different it’s a bit more like dea in the united do not believe that he he is worthy of the current salar is on

Um Beyond this season so that’s why they don’t want to trigger the extension otherwise he would stay on the same salary but as it stands I mean United are eighth in the Premier League table if they don’t finish in the top four um if they don’t qualify for the Champions

League then never one is gets a salary reduction next season that’s just the way it works that that was one of the reasons why Ronaldo wanted out because his his salary was um cut by by 25% and that’s common place with other clubs as well of course if if players stay at a

Club that gets relegated there’s going to be a salary reduction there because it’s written into the contract um but with with Varan I don’t think it’s necessarily more surprising that United haven’t triggered the extension in his deal because he’s he his his brittleness is a problem he’s had five he’s missed

Games for five different reasons already this season he had a couple of spells on the sidelines last season he was particularly injury-prone in his first season as well he turns 31 in March United will sign a new center half in the summer and there are other players in

In that department who who are younger than him but veran can also look at it and say well you know Victor Lindelof is only he’s something like 16 months older than than Varan and he’s not a World Cup winner he’s not won the Champions League

Uh he’s it’s been a while since he was considered a starter for Manchester United when Varan is fit and and playing well he’s a starter for United we’ve seen that in the last month since he came back into the team against Bayern Munich and Liverpool so you can I can

See it from both sides with with the veran one um where do you personally stand on it then Samuel if you had to give your opinion on it I mean you just laid it be there unfortunately it’s probably 50/50 at the moment of the last 180 months or so when he has been

Available he has struggled for Fitness a lot of the times he’s picked up little niggles different injuries um he has returned back to the team in recent weeks obviously was out ommitted for tactical reasons or that’s what tag said anyways um and you’re right he has performed Liverpool who’s fantastic at

Anfield but it’s probably the right decision isn’t that when a player is on so such high wages he turns 31 in April um to not to not offer another contract I think I think when you weigh it up it it is it is logical what United are doing

Um I think it it may be it possibly looks strange because the Liverpool performance is so fresh in the memory and on his day he is still United’s best defender and last season he was one of I’d say was one of their top five performers you saw what happened um in

The running when he got injured against s in the first leg United were two-nil up um in that first leg when Varan went off they end up losing it 5-2 on Aggregate and all the all five goals come with bran off the pitch of course

And when he came back into the team they they they won quite um doggedly at Bournemouth they they got the job done in the games they needed to and and they were a much more Resolute defensive side when while he was out they were they

Were a bit shaky and they lost a few games that said Luke Shaw came in and did very well although Shaw was more of a direct replacement for Martinez because he was coming in as the the left footed Center back uh so I I can understand where it’s come from it’s

Just you I I think the problem that United have got there is that and this is a very big problem um if you’re in the comm’s department there when he signed they communicated the wrong expiry date on his contract which is what they did when mati signed a new contract in 2020

It begest belief that the biggest the most valuable I suppose now the most valuable sports entity on the planet can um miscommunicate the expiry date of a player’s contract and that’s what happened with nanu Matic and it’s what happened with ran when he he signed for

The club um so that that’s where United don’t come out of it particularly well but the process they’ve gone in terms of deciding not to extend his contract even though I mean I don’t think Van’s going to toss it off for the rest of the season because he’s he’s probably far

Too professional to do that but you do run that risk of him being demotivated for the run in if he knows that he’s not going to be there next season especially after the the first six months that he’s had I mean Johnny Evans has been

Starting over him for a lot of time and then if you add that into the equation as well it it’s almost the perfect yeah absolutely I mean he would have well I know for certain he was affronted by that period where I think he started one game in 30 and he he was

Available for the vast majority of those matches as well I think he only may may have missed a couple of them through um I think lack of full fitness was one reason and illness was another one um but In fairness to Evans he’s he’s the way it’s going at the moment that he

Could actually have the samat Busby play of the year statue on his mantle piece in the summer he he has he has done well for United this season and the pair of them did very well in the draw against Liverpool they’ve they’ve shown you know reasonable I think promise is probably

The wrong word for a partnership that um has a combined age of of 66 now that Evans has just turned has just turned 36 uh but as as you said that’s that’s something else that comes into the equation and I think the weights going he’ll he’ll just leave on a free in the

Summer but he certainly does he wants to stay at the club Beyond the the closure of the January transfer window even though he is free of course to um um you know agree a pre-contract with overseas Club regarding any potential incoming then Jan is always usually quiet window

As far as Manchester United is concerned isn’t it really I mean the loan Market will be considered but it looks unlikely to get a permanent signing uh this month because but frankly that’s just not how the club operates and they’ve spent a ton of money in the last two

Summers well In fairness the the most POS possibly three most consequential or three of the most consequential signings United have made in the last 10 years have have come in January uh Juan Mata 10 years ago was a club record sign signing Alexis Sanchez in 2018 there was

Yeah that was a huge story especially as um everyone expected him to go to Manchester City and in 2020 piano playing skills sorry s his Pi that was the story of of that janary window described by Richard Arnold as iconic um yeah yeah we’ll leave it there

On that one and of course with with Bruna Fernandez in in 2020 and and whatever you think of of him he he has been United’s best signing since Robin van pers in 2012 so um they are always I think they’re more open to doing business than than they make out United

Always downplay um things I remember in the summer when we were going into the last week of the transfer window United said that they weren’t expecting to do anything and then they signed four players on Deadline day um I think the interesting thing looking it up the

Other day is that on on 10 hars watch United signed six players on loan they signed six players on Loan in the I think something like the 25 years before tenh har was appointed that that was how rare they went into um the loan Market but they’ve been a lot more active there

Um with with ten hog obviously one of those players has already gone um their loan has already ended in in Sergio regon uh I found it very strange the whole you thank you Sergio I mean someone ated told me he did well when he came in he I I don’t think anyone would

Agree with that whatsoever I mean he was he was game certainly but my God he was getable he was a dreadful Dreadful Defender he was he was he looked like exactly what he was didn’t he like a backup Spurs he he well it’s it’s worse than that he’s third choice Tottenham

Tottenham left back maybe maybe worse than that if you were to um to to put Paris in there as well uh given that that he can play as a wing back but he he was not a good signing but then again United needed a l hour left back and um

He he was an option but he the writing was on the wall for him quite some time ago when Dio do was starting over him left back which has been an experiment that has not not gone particularly well but I think there’s you when youve I think when we’ve watched reggy on play

In his last couple of starts was I think his last two starts for United might have been Bournemouth um and Newcastle in the League Cup uh two two 3 n defeats and he was he was really poor in both of them so with with Shaw not out for the

Long term also United say and Tyrell massia supposedly coming back soon although there’s I know I know well I was just about to say as well there’s noty there’s not been any imagery or footage of him on the grass and training so I think the uh the mid January return

Date is is looking quite optimistic and and unrealistic yeah he’s obviously had two rounds of niss surgy so hopefully when he comes back he can return to some sort of form cuz it is always tricky to return from from those problems um we’ll leave it there for part two then Sam

We’ll be back in moment for part Three no one C was Manchester United quite like the Manchester Evening News and through our mufc Pro app you can support our journalism and become part of our United Community getting the best experience ad free popup free and distraction free as well giving you the best news reviews great features and

Much more now is the perfect time to subscribe as we’ve just launched a special New Year offer which includes mm premium for just £12 for 12 months download the app and get started Today welcome back to part three of the Manchester is red podcast now Samuel a nice little visit to cenon uh was it today or yesterday you you’ll keep yesterday with Serge rackliff and and ser billford obviously going into car meeting staff Etc um some lovely

Photos with tag and the players and if I can get a girlfriend the way that sergeon rackliff looks at Rasmus Highland I think I’ll be a very happy man uh because he had a big wide grin on his face rack lifted looking at hland thinking you’re going to score a lot of

Goals for me in the future um but look in all seriousness I mean the glazers have been um awful custodians very absent the never really communicate and it’s just really encouraging to see rat cliff and brils fed just about the play Samuel I think that’s that’s a huge

Thing for fans they obviously had a meeting with staff as well I think it was at Old Trafford so it is really early days and still a long way to go but there is some really encouraging signs and they’re making some positive steps yeah I I think it was sorry it was

Um Wednesday that they were there not yesterday I mean the the press conference room did did change to uh this it’s a bit of a broom cupboard really in um in the main building so I I half wonder if if something was going on up in the the usual room in the the

Jimmy Murphy Center that that overlooks the the training pitches but as as you said I think the last the last file on photo of Joel Glazer at Carrington is dated um March 2013 so it’s so far back that Sir Alex Ferguson was still managing United um Joe glaz has not been

To Manchester in coming up to five years I think that whole the annoyance that fans have had over Joel Glazer that can that can end now because he’s not overseeing football operations it’s it’s of course it’s going to be the inos group and that’s why Ratcliff has has

Been to Manchester this week and whyer Dave bford is uh becoming a more frequent visitor um at the at the training ground and it’s you know I I was told earlier in the week that you it was just kind of like a way of introducing um themselves to The Wider

Staff at carington Old Trafford which is essential and of course when we when we were told that they were going to Carrington then logically you assume that they were going to meet ten hard meet the players and they’ve they’ve done that um men’s players and and women’s players as well

It’s it’s an it’s an open goal for United and it’s an open goal for Ratcliff as well I mean I’m I know I I don’t think I’m the soral expert that I I I could be but his his scarf does look like it might be a a Paul Smith United

Themed scarf it’s it’s got United Colors on it always we record there Samuel so you may know better than me I’ve I’ve I’ve got some psmith items but may maybe not as modern as your one so you might be the the expert on that and uh it just

You know we we need to obviously once the the you group have received the regulatory approval then I’m sure ratliffe will will speak on the record because it’s in his interest or braford will I’m still it’ll be curious to see how bford goes about his job I was just about to

Say that Sam because we don’t really know yet what his role is going to be in terms of a defined role it’s going to be interesting because obviously Jean CL Blanc yes the CEO and you kind of see the structure that way there will be a sporting direct jeene Jean

CL French you must only got to be French come on you must have you must have had posters of Dava up on your wall or yan yan kabai no I I I also got a be at French gcsc as well yeah um but no it is an interesting

Point isn’t it because he is obviously very visible at the moment he’s at games he’s at not Forest um he’s been at Old Trafford um but we don’t actually know what his defined roles going to be H could that murky the waters a bit well that they’ll bring Clarity to that

Eventually when they appoint a a sporting director and let’s face fact braford is not going to be the guy in charge of recruitment at United he’s the inor sport and director he’s obviously going to be on the United board that was confirmed in those very lengthy biblical filings that were

Published um at full time on on boxing day of the of the Villa match so I think he’s essentially just going to be you know if it’s Dan Ashworth who comes in or whoever comes in they’ll report to to Dave brownford and of course you know it’s logical for a sporting director I

Mean it it it does feel extremely Niche that a petrochemicals company have a sporting director but of course inos have all these sporting ventures in cycling football um sailing as well dabbled in Marathon running uh even so uh you braford is is clearly you quite familiar with how football clubs are run

From nce and um is it San Loan in in Switzerland as well who who um in yourone but I mean this is a completely different level and as I said to Dave brailsford the reason why he he got a Knighthood is for his work in in cycling

In making team GB um you know these gold medal specialists at the Olympics it’s fascinating when you look into all the tour of Frances all the 1% marginal gains things that that was so popular in the mid kind of I mean 2010 2011 a run up to the the London 2012 Olympics he

Was credited with a lot of the success but I think a bit further on after that Brad Wiggins came out and kind of rubish the theory and and played down bruford’s influence which is really interesting so uh it’s not always been as straightforward as it seems cuz it it

Was bigged up quite a bit no and obviously uh Wiggins received a therapeutic use exemption to to win the Tour to France in in 2012 uh with with Team Sky after I think was it that was it the fancy Bears the Russian um hackers they they discovered that info

And of course brownford has been embed in the the infamous Jiffy bad cave regarding what was sent and what was in it and Dr Richard Freeman who used to be the doctor at team’s guy he was struck off um but but braford is is this great Survivor and it’s it was interesting uh

That David Walsh who is obviously the chief sports writer of the Sunday Times he was ushered into the fold at Team Sky to do a book on them about 10 years ago and he wrote a lasting piece about braford in October I think it was I

Think he felt a bit you know duped um given that Wiggins had a t Tue uh Chris FR won a number of tour he won what was it four or five tour of Frances I think it was and you know there was there was suspicion over that um a lot of

Observers were skeptical of it given the history of of the tour to France as well and particularly Lance Armstrong that’s not to say that team Sky weather you know found have been doping at all that’s that’s not been the case whatsoever but there has been a lot of

Suspicion around Stave braford and he was before a select committee I think just over five years ago where he was you he had been very well trained in a PR sense to give the right responses and here he is now rubbing shoulders with Jim Ratcliff and overseeing the the possible

Transformation of of Manchester United but I as I maintain I I’m fascinated to see how someone whose willhouse is cycling is going to uh transform revamp do whatever phrase you want to use Manchester United into a credible Force again in a completely different sport it’s I mean Ben anley

Who’s obviously you knows knows Ratliff from financing his uh his quest to win the America’s Cup he he referred to United as the greatest challenge in sport possibly which is is a pretty good description it’s it’s quite a honorous one as well um it’s an honorous challenge for for Stave bford but I

Maintain you know this going back to David Walsh’s piece in in October it was scathing also of what’s happened to the inos grenadiers which is the cycling team that used to be known as as team Sky I mean it sounds like the wills have fallen off there and now this guy who’s

Overseen that is about to take on the challenge of of of trying to get Manchester United back to the top so um you know the marginal gains and everything as you said it was on Vogue in the um early 2010s and I think some you know I think there were probably a

Few people who were a bit skeptical of it at the time I mean team Sky used Dr Steve Peters um who was then used by Rono Sullivan and and the England team as well used him and I think in 2014 it was a bit of a Anis ribless because Ron

O Sullivan went out early in the snooker World Championships and England of course went out of the World Cup at the groups stage something like that and of course he was he was also um I think Steven Gerard was a great advocate of him and that was the year where Steven

Gerard said don’t let it slip this does not this does not slip and then he he let it slip for for Denver bar what a moment that was at downfield um I suggested on a podcast I think two months ago maybe that there could be a little bit of friction coming about

Samuel with rat cleff and the kind of transfer control and how it’s going to work with ten and I think you and Tyrone kind of played it down when look at the end of the day they both want the same thing ten want to succeed R cliff to

Succeed it should be a perfect marriage but he is probably going to have to relinquish a little bit of control because we know he’s had quite a lot of influence over transfers obviously does work with John murder with sigin but we’ve said it multiple times that Squad

Is very much his Squad his fingerprints are all over it and there’s a lot of Dutch pedigree in that Squad at the moment when you look back at all the players I think six of the 10 players he signed on permanent deals have played in ersy and obviously tags had a meeting

With ratliffe he said it’s been very positive but could we see that down ling a littleit bit do you reckon that has a bit of potential because I I definitely think it does I me I think that could happen there’s no way they can operate

The way they have in the past two summer transfer Windows because you only have to look at the the success U rate of the signings i’ I’d say there’s been one one truly successful signing in Leandra Martinez and this it’s been a right off for

Him um this and this season has been a right off for him so if you were going off that traffic light system Gary Neville did of green Amber red of United signings um uh post Ferguson you probably wouldn’t put him in green just because he’s he’s not had a second

Season yet Martinez and I remember Ed Woodward telling us about four and a half years ago that United’s aim was to get have a 70% success rate with recruitment I I I finally I’m surprised maybe someone else hadn’t done it sooner but I got round to actually doing the

Calculation for it and and being objective as possible and of course with signings it can be subjective they’re going to be some people who think how can you put Paul Pogba in red which sounds sounds crazy but some people think he was quite good for United he he

Was quite good at times he was not a good signing um you know it goes beyond the pitch in terms of a player’s impact and influence at a club but the success rate if we are to be really kind is something like 7% and Woodward was talking of 70% I

Mean that in itself is re is cause for a number of people at the club if they are still responsible for some of those deals to pack up their desks and clear off and go elsewhere because they’re not up to it and they have not been up to it

Now John merto has overseen these two summer transfer windows and I was told last month that he never saw himself as going into Recruitment and I thought well perhaps he should have told United that or perhaps United should have done more due diligence and hire an external candidate rather than someone who’s on

Their doorstep and the irony is the one outright signing that M really pushed for was casemiro and he was his influence last season was was huge it’s it’s gone badly it’s gone all right this season for him but that reflected well on M at the time even though when he

Signed you thought KY look at how much they’ve paid for a 30-year-old look how much he uh his wages are going to cost United as well and this season it’s kind of panned out as a lot of us feared it would have in the first season for

Casemiro but you look at the other signings um Mason Mount has not turned up he’s been a mismatch with with whoever he’s played with the Midfield he was dropped in September or October he’s been played on the right he’s been played with different players he he he’s looked wholly unsuited to Manchester

United he’s he’s an England International who joined United in the summer when so many England Internationals got major transfers James Madison was probably the best player in the Premier League before he got injured Harry Kane is probably still the best striker in the world Jude Bellingham is

Probably the best player in the world Declan rice is one of the best players in the Premier League HUD unit to get they get the guy who um who’s already been bombed out the England squad and and has been dropped by United and had two lengthy layoffs through injury this

Season it’s not a coincidence this always happens with United and that’s why has to be a root and Branch review of Recruitment and really you have to get to the root of it and and possibly rip it all up and and ten har cannot have the control that

He’s had and fair enough he wanted Harry Kane in the summer and United took this you rather peculiar principal decision not to go for him and then sign someone who was 10 years younger and there’s every chance that Kane will end this season with more Club goals in this

Season alone that Rasmus hland has scored in his entire career that is just bad planning they needed a proven goal scorer they got a potential goal scorer in and they were talking in the summer about he might come out the team at times and Marcus rashford would play up

Front as if they think that ra Marcus rashford is is a Dependable um Center forward when two games into the season tenh har decided right you’ve got to go back to the left because it’s not working there and anyone could have told him that as well uh anony like we’ we

Discovered we’ve discussed him chapter and verse I mean the guy is just a right off United and um they they overspent majorly I I I I think that that line about oh he’s valued at 25 million by the recruitment staff I think that reflects badly on the recruitment staff because there’s no way

That aax would have let a Brazil International two years into a four or five year contract who’d won two titles coming up in a World Cup year no way they would have let him go for25 million I mean they let vaner Beek was um his valuation came down because of covid but

United still committed to paying 40 million for him I think 40 million for Anthony was fair enough and I people at ax at the time were talking about Anthony being valued at60 million EUR which I think was fair enough and then of course United end up paying or

Committing to um pay 100 million Euros so how a way you look at it it’s it’s it’s not been a good process under 10 hog it’s been a throwback um to to Ferguson’s days and Ferguson’s days were abolute freak as we all know because the

Man was a genius and he’s he stayed in the position for 26 and a half years ten ha is not going to stay in in in United for for half that time um I I would venture to Guess that and I found it amusing on boxing day that who should be

In in in the director’s box when s Dave bford was going to be in the director’s box but Keys Voss and uh I think if you’re Dave as we call him on this podcast I I think if your Dave bford you’ve um you’ve got to be giving that

Guy a swerve and um you know limiting your interactions with him to say the leas well rler famously called the 50 million invested in the Fred is Dum money so it be fascinating to get his opinion or his private opinion on uh 86 million pounds spent on Anthony I

Imagine his language would be pretty colorful he would never go and record with that would yeah that that was that was that was worse than dumb I think it’s safe to say and again when that money was spent obviously you don’t want Hammer a player straight away before

He’s even played for the club but we all thought at the time we all said like you this really needs to work for United because they’ve really overspent on this player this player has played for ten hog as well he’s coming from um a league that nobody’s going to watch in in their

Down time there are there are some really big issues with this and look how it’s look how it’s panned out I mean he’s he’s still not got a goal or assist this season it’s it’s that that is an embarrassing embarrassing transfer and um unfortunately for Anthony he could

Well be remembered as as the worst signing of this post Ferguson era he has been so bad he’s made uh spending nearly 100 million pounds on Paul Pogba look like money well spent and that is a huge statement well end there then Samuel thank you very

Much for your time thank you Stephen and just before we go just a little note from the podcast producer I want to turn your attention to a special Sunday show this week with United playing on Monday of course we’ve got Wigan in the FA Cup SE Parkinson and Tyrone Marshall our

Esteemed colleague are going to get together and true over the fat and the latest United news over the weekend and we’ve also got a special guest a wigging athletic journalist Nick Sedin he’ll give us Insight from Behind Enemy Lines into what to expect from hosts at the DW

Stadium so uh after that we’ll be back in the studio on Tuesday to review the game of course me and Samuel will be on then and we report any latest updates around the club as usual so thank you very much have a great weekend and hopefully enjoy the game