Steve Bruce explains the demands of being a Manchester United player | Retrospect Podcast

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On the latest Retrospect Podcast Steve Bruce discusses what the demands are of being a Manchester United player, the current recruitment at the club and the latest on Ivan Toney and his future.

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Hello there welcome along to retrospect the podcast from Sky Sports News which brings you detailed analysis from across the Premier League in the company of our reporters and special guests as well joining me Rob Jones this week is our senior reporter Tim Thornton just before

You jet off on holiday very good of you to join us yeah looking for a bit of winter sun I’ve been picking Steve’s brain yes expert on that an expert on that and an expert on many things as well the former Manchester United captain Steve Bruce is with us is just

After the Christmas period the time when you may be glad you’re still not in there as a manager about 25 games in 10 minutes well it’s the most difficult time of course it is because everybody’s celebrating and all you do and is playing football regularly and uh but

It’s a tradition of ours in the country we you know we play lots of games over Christmas it’s a difficult it’s a difficult time to manage because the games are coming so thick and fast are the pangs there at the at the moment is this desire to get back into it yeah

Well I haven’t worked in 23 which was the first 19 20 no 14 years nearly 40 years that I haven’t been involved for a period of 12 months so looking to do something we’ll see we’ll see what happens we’ll I’m not drastically looking for it but yeah

Could do do something what do you miss the most what do you miss the most I think it’s like anybody when you when you’re thinking retiring you’ve done your work and you’ve been at it I’ve been at it since 1978 it’s a long time ago bloody L um

It’s your everyday routine your life then all of a sudden it changes and stops now I’ve been building a house which is you know it’s it’s helped me enormously to fulfill part of the day and I think that’s the big thing when you you’re coming up to retirement or

You think you’re retiring or whatever you’re doing is just fill in your day and what you do with your time and uh that’s a difficult part especially when he used to go to work well we’ve got lots to get through with Steve as you would expect we’ll talk about a fair few

Of his former clubs we’ll start with Manchester United We then talk Everton Vino Conor will join us to give us the latest on their ownership situation we’ll recap most of the FA Cup weekend as well a big win for Liverpool at the Emirates and we’ll talk transfers as

Well could Jordan Henderson be heading for a return to the Premier League the likes of Calvin Phillips and Ivan Tony we will discuss as well but not surprisingly Steve will’ll start with Manchester United I know when you spoke to Tim earlier in the season he you said

About getting back into the game you said look I don’t necessarily need to be a manager whether it could be a director of football so let’s put you in a consultancy role at Manchester United and S Jim Ratcliffe and S Dave brailsford come to you and say look not

Going brilliantly at the moment where do we start well I would like to think in football terms anyway if he ask me any question I’d be able to answer it whether it’s the right answer the wrong answer that’s that’s the to decide but after being in it so long I think when

You look from the outside and you look at it anybody buying a football club whether it’s at the bottom end at at Salford or where my son’s M Mel my son’s managing M field at the moment it’s all to do with the finances and how the clubs run and of course the biggest

Thing when you’re a big big Club I’ve always thought is recruitment is buying the right players especially when you’re at the profile of Manu because you can analyze it as much as you like you can analyze the player as much as you like the big thing can they come to

Manchester United and handle it casemiro last year was a prime example being there done wore the T-shirt unfortunately he’s been racked with injuries at the minute but really showed his class and could handle Manchester United you could see that straight away same for me with Hernandez over the

Years you know he’s he’s proved that he’s H he can handle the big stage it’s the ones that can’t handle the big stage and the demand of what Manchester United brings and that brings its difficulties you can be a fantastic player not quite handle it and I’ve seen

That so many times at Manchester especially over the last few years recruitments are really interesting one and you you touch on on casemiro there who came obviously with a pedigree someone like Raphael Varan he arrives and we know exactly what it says on the tin I guess the question with

Recruitment about Manchester United and you compare them to their great Rivals Liverpool maybe over the last six or seven years where’s Manchester United Mo Salalah or sadio mané or even someone like a genie Waldo that really clever bit of business where they clearly have underpaid when you look at what they

Eventually achieve well I think there were hoping that Sancho was going to be one of them a bright young Talent who was playing very very well in in Germany there is proof of the pudding of what we talk about and you’re right we haven’t seen Manchester United have a bargain

Like what we’ve seen at Liverpool or city and the great strength of Sir Alex was his eye for a recruitment you know when I think back at schmeichel to play for 10 years he was 500 Grand Dennis Irwin 600 Grand myself for 800 Grand there was stacks of them and

Unfortunately at the moment we H we haven’t seen enough of them of that shrewd piece of business and um let’s hope that improves there’s a lot of top young players there that are underperforming though what about the role of the senior players go back to when you were at Manchester United there

Were a lot of senior figures in that team well there’s times yeah there was times when Sir Alex wouldn’t have to to do anything I’d like to think if you asked the the beckhams of this world or the skulls or the Nikki but when they were breaking through we used to make

Sure that they had to knock the dressing room door before they got in and then if they didn’t they were in trouble little things were they went and on when their generation they managed that and the senior player now becomes crucial to the club of the involvement of it of what

It’s expected is there enough of that in this current squad though Jaden Sancho for example did did he need an arm over the shoulder and say come on Jaden well whatever it happens the one thing it if it gets in the public domain and the one thing about Manchester United everything

Seems to get out everything gets out everything these days if you have had a Fallout with a manager you have to have the ability to apologize otherwise wi you’re in trouble and that we always had sir Rouse with Sir Alex Ferguson regularly you know but

It used to stay in the dressing room and if you if you did say anything over the top first thing you did Monday morning knock on his door Sorry boss I was out of order no problem get on with it get train we’ll see you in half an hour it

Was it was put to bed straight away but do you think that that sort of bleeds into a wider question about culture you’ve mentioned that about apologizing you said a couple of other bits and Bobs but even the recent results great comeback against Villa really good

Second half you and you think where have this lot been but then in the back of your mind you’re also thinking I know what’s coming at Forest and exactly what you thought would happen happened against Forest that they were back to where they’ve been so often this season well you’re right against Astin

Villa it was arguably the best 45 minutes we’ve certainly seen this season and then they go away to and and that inconsistency is the big big problem they’ve got we’ve seen them often enough play well and they and when they play well they’re a match for anybody but

When you consider they’ve lost something like 14 games now 14 out of 28 14 out of 20 it’s simply not good enough for the standard of Manchester United and it’s never going to be never whether you’re player there manager own 14 games out of 28 is is not going to be

Accepted where do you see the manager in all of this then because I think he got a lot of things right last year he handled or seemingly handled a lot of situations pretty well some would say he overachieved you know he got to two Cup finals was it and finished in the top

Four you can’t ask for anything more than that and you can’t keep changing the manager you’ve got to give him time to get there’s no doubt at all he’s a wonderfully talented coach as we’ve seen and last year everybody’s saying well this hope this could be the man they’ve

Been racked to be fair to him they’ve been racked especially defensively every week I’m seeing a different back four that’s never healthy um because the platform you work from is defensively and these big players too many of them have not been on the pitch

To be fair to them but um they’ve got to improve and stay at the level but I don’t think changing the manager would for me be the right CA because they’ve had five in the last decade but we all know of what this football industry is now in management

You don’t get time but I hope to see through it and um and back the manager which I’m sure they will and have a stability at the top which will stop the this excuse just just to stick with the manager then and come back to Steve in

Just a second but one of the the criticisms labeled at him Tim Thornton is is culture not culture identity what a Manchester United trying to do and you would have spent a lot of time covering leads under Marcelo beelo and you always knew what they were trying to do now

Sometimes it didn’t work and when it didn’t work it looked a little bit of a mess but at least it you knew whereas sometimes you watch United and think what what’s the game plan here yeah to be Elsa leads had plan a if plan a

Didn’t work he used to say make plan a better that was his philosophy he would stick to his principles no matter what but you look at this Manchester United side and you don’t know what the identity is you’re guessing it seems to change as well so a forward step last

Year a backward step this year and it’s very much a case of what next for Manchester United I was just going to ask Steve actually when you’ve overachieved as a manager as you you say say that perhaps ten hard did last season do you then go away your on your

Summer holidays and you sort of lying there in the sun thinking KY I’m in trouble next season because I’m not GNA be able to repeat that I called it last summer on Eddie how he’s done so well you know if they ever have a blip get a few injuries whatever you the the

Overachievement of maybe last season kind of come and bite you haunt you whatever you think um and when whether he overachieved last year nobody’s quite sure it’s quite I’m fascinated where you hear about identity everybody knows or should know the identity of what Manchester United require and want you

Have to play a certain way you have to play exciting you have to breed a a few young players of course because that’s in the DNA have have we seen enough young players we’ve seen a few of them on The Fringe you’re never going to get the

Class of 92 again I wouldn’t have thought but the identity for Manchester is pretty straightforward we have to win you have to play in a certain way and you have to get people off their seats in an exciting way and so many people have asked me about Sir Alex of course

In every conversation ultimately Sir Alex is a gambler right so he gambles to win and that reflects on a football team as well how many times do you see him making changes even in the biggest cup final of them all he’s got five of Strikers on the pitch I mean where

They’re all playing I’m I’m not so sure but the gamble pays off wins you know and and that’s the way you’ve got to be we keep talking about identity and it’s funny now I watch the young coaches of today and it looks from The Outsiders that everybody wants to be Pep Guardiola

I’m I’m looking at everybody wants to play and improve the players of course but if if you’ve got center backs who can’t handle the ball and I’m looking at the center backs thing and I thought I was okay for a while keep getting this balln the six Shard box is like wow you

Have to be some player to handle that and it seems the young coach of the day have all got to play that way play the same sort of way this is the way forward um but ultimately you’ve got to win you know Wayne for example is part’s

Philosophy he’s fell on his s B with it because he’s tried to change and won’t change because this is the way I want to play and unfortunately didn’t get the results to go with it what would your advice have been to Wayne Rooney would you have said you might need to well I

Understand why you talk about Phil Phil philosophy because belela is arguably one of the most extreme best coaches we’ve ever seen when you hear about Postino and pep and all saying he’s the the top man then when he comes over and you see the way they were I’ve never seen a team

Transform like leads did whether physically whatever the whatever he had I’ve seen a bang average leads Team all of a sudden go wow the manager in charge has done something with them so an elite coach when with with when he’s Tred to have his identity this is the way we’re

Going to do it we’re going to play out from the back and we’re going to try be expansive be something different can’t get the results even though he signed a three and a half year deal they’ve pulled the plug after two months and and that’s the young coach of what they feel

Today so young coach is yes got to have an identity yes have a philosophy but you’ve got to win a football match or you don’t stay in charge as a young coach then do you also have to be braver with those above you and that Wayne Rooney sat there in his first press

Conference as the Birmingham manager and Gary Cooks it next to him and says we’re going to play No Fear football and maybe you want to play out from the bat but if you get to the training ground at Birmingham or any of the other clubs that You’ to manage and think on the

First day this lot can’t do that so we’re gonna have to park that until at least January if you’re going to play that possibly you have to have the people who you know can do what you’re asking to do until I get those people then I’m going to have to

Get the best of what I’ve got play a certain way and get a few and get a few results otherwise the young coach unfortunately disappears and in the lower divisions we never hear about these Lads you know they come and get their job they’ve done all their badges done all the preparation and

Unfortunately the Fallout in the lower divisions is horrendous and and I see so many people fall in that way and my advice to young wers assess your squad you’ve got how can I get the best me going to Newcastle I knew the what Newcastle fans wanted they wanted to play exactly the way

Eddie’s got them now up and ATA press from the front I didn’t think we had enough and my predecessor before me Rafa Bonitas obviously didn’t think that way either so I went on the blueprint of what ref I put in place was we’re going to be difficult to beat we weren’t very

Good on the eye but I’ve got to do everything I can to keep Newcastle in the Premier League and that was the sort of situation we were in um you have to try and adapt to the to the to the players you’ve got the squad you’ve got

And the best way of making sure that you win on a certainly do you think Wayne will come again I sincerely hope so because the kid loves footb I’ve had many conversation with him and uh disappointed for him but he’s always had the ability to bounce back he’s a

Resilience so and so as tough as they come I hope he gets another crack at it because we all want Wayne Rooney to succeed Steve Roose and skyports news senior reporter Tim thornson are with us this week let’s talk about Wayne Rooney’s former Club Everton Mery side

Reporter Vino Connor is uh alongside us as well Vinnie good to have you with us before we get into Everton on the pitch let’s talk about Everton off it and and where we are with potential new owners new investment yeah well we know that Triple 7 Partners have put in an extra 150

Million pounds now that’s basically to cover operating costs on the build of the new stadium at the moment I think if people were thinking that maybe it would help sha dice to move in the transfer market during this window that’s probably unlikely I think what would be interesting thing would be if Everton

Were to sell players we know the interest of course in in players like Onana Jared branway who’s been outstanding so far this even even Ben Godfrey because obviously Ben Godfrey’s situation at the minute he would love more regular first team football so if everon were to sell players it’d be

Interesting to see whether that money would be reinvested but what sha dce said to us last week was when it came to the potential for for moving in in in this window um he he spoke about it said look when it came to the potential for players leaving and I mentioned on I

Mentioned bran weight there uh he obviously doesn’t want to start dismantling what he’s put together at Everton particularly when you look at the performances overall which have generally been good but what he did say was that that potential decision could be out of his hands so while he wants to

Keep his Squad together if offers were to come in then it could be the powers that they have different ideas and would look to uh to cash in on on those big names that they’ve got so that’s a difficult situation kind of sums up the the financial predicament that everon

Are in at the moment but for now obviously with as expecting a decision um as regards that potential takeover by Triple 7 Partners in the not too distant future at least Everton is able to maintain themselves as a going concern because there is that money there to

Cover the operating cost and to cover the latest on on the on the stadium build as well we’ve talked a little bit Steve about ownership and you said that sometimes look it does filter into the dress room does filter into the players what was the club where you found it the

Most distracting stuff that was happening in the boardroom oh dear me um when I first started management one of my first jobs well all my first job as the reason why I left after 12 months was was shaffield United it taught me a really really good lesson harsh lesson

But there was a boardroom fight above me between mcab and another guy from Manchester and uh it was really difficult she’ll be communicating with this one or that one and that one didn’t let me talk to this one and it was a real eye opener into management um it’s

It it it gives an excuse to the player and the dressing room if stability up above the best run clubs where there’s no excuses for anybody is obviously the ones that succeed and uh we see it too often now about you know boardroom interference it’s now it’s now huge

Unfortunately you know the the job of a manager does that really exist anymore or are we all head coaches you know and that sometimes that it it can be great don’t get me wrong head coach okay I’ll just want to coach the team but when it comes to January in the summer

If you’re not in alignment with the sporting director technical director who’s bringing in the players you must have a saying so therefore did you think there was a sort of almost direct correlation from the time you in the game the longer you were manager whacking my microphone all over the

Place the longer you were a manager the less influence you had on exactly who you signed well to be fair at Newcastle you know we’d have constant dialogue with myself Lee on and Steve Nixon and it would have to be unanimous out the three of us um so there’s never

Someone there there was never in a in it and I don’t think I would let it happen that if I didn’t want him if I didn’t want a player I’d have to say to to Le look he’s not for me and that happened a couple of times said fair enough you

Know the the the job of the chief Scout is to identify the players and then for me the head coach or the manager would go and have a look at what this player is if you can can you go and see him live because I always always wanted to see

The player live if I could um that’s more and more difficult now because of the demands on the manager or head coach and how far I guess you’re looking how far you look the other side of the world which need be so then you need people in

Place to um to to mark your card about these players Vinnie we’ve been talking about identity this morning has Shawn D given Everton their identity back absolutely it’s back I suppose to the days of of David Moyes in many respects they simplified the game plan he when dori’s been fit

Obviously he’s got an engine on him that gets him around the pitch able to put pressure on the ball when ever don’t have possession and of course he’s been able to weigh him with goals as well there’s been a bit of bit more up and at them I suppose rather than um Tippy

Tappy football Everton fans have have responded to that um it’s been more entertaining at goodison Park even when they were struggling earli in the season they were creating chances and as I say apart from probably the Arsenal game at home they’ve been in in the faces of the

Opposition a little bit more again the crowd at at gooderson has been able to respond to that uh the wide players in particular Dwight mcneel and Jack Harrison it’s the work rate from them that again uh endear them to to aonian and it I go back to the two Center halves

Talkowski and branway I mean talkowski with his experience brane as well just has been absolute Revelation at Center half and provided Everton with that solid platform it’s no surprise that there are uh you know teams interested in taking someone like Jared brre but if you want to get a real measure of the

Improvement that there’s been under Shawn D at Everton then just look at the former Vitali moleno at left back last season you’d have thought he shouldn’t really be a regular St this season he’s been one of Everton’s best players he’s been absolutely outstanding he put in a

Lot of work through the summer as well to get himself up to speed that little bit more he’s obviously taken on board what sha D has said to him as well and he’s been absolutely outstanding for Everton so far this season uh just when you said it was more entertaining this

Season Vin would take issue with that on the FA Cup game against Crystal Palace that might well be the exception the one thing we did see in that game though was a red card for Dominic Cal Le we’re going to speak to Steve about v as a

Whole in just a sec but from your conversations and we we saw a detailed one with Shawn D last week with Jurgen klopp as well that patience is waning a little bit W with v or at least managers in the Premier League want to see significant changes heading into next

Season I think Everton feel that a lot of decisions are going against them and they can’t quite understand why I think you’ve seen the fans group the fans Forum this this week right into the pgmol and Howard Webb asking for explanations over certain decisions and asking why going against everan and then

Giving other examples as to uh when uh where there’s been inconsistencies in in how those decisions have been reached and I still can’t get my head round that red card for Dominick calber Leen because as far as I’m concerned looking at the force with which he went into the

Challenge he’s not endangering an opponent is his foot is obviously over the ball but he’s only made slight contact with Nathaniel Klein he’s not out of control it’s not Reckless and for me it’s not endangering an opponent and there was a a nice bit of footage that I

Saw on uh on on social media that someone’s taken from the crowd and you can see referee Chris kaver looking at the V Monitor and there’s Everton players behind them uh behind him talkowski is one of them and then Sheamus Coleman comes into shot as well

And you can see the reaction when they see the replay themselves go no way no way no way I when as soon as he went to monitor we always know what’s going to happen but I was just incredulous and I don’t know what Steve says but cin there is

Absolutely no chance that it’s going to be a red card isn’t Steve there there’s one Vinnie why why bother going over to the monitor when we know what the outcome is I’ve only seen it once where the referee you know every time every time it’s going to be overt yeah yeah

It’s crazy I’ve seen it understand why the referee can’t have the courage I think Vin’s got over this year I know Vinnie I know Vinnie you have to calm down son I have to tell um but I I can’t understand that one and we’re talking about V far too often

We’re over complicating it it’s the same when we see the off sides and we have to put the lines in surely if we just have Implement something where you can tell whether he’s offside or he’s not if we’re now talking about an inch here or there then we’re in serious trouble with

It and we have been since day one now for me we’re just over complicating the whole the whole thing and I’m waiting for a referee to show some and say well I’m going to go with my onfield decision because what I see is right the referee

Was right the other day when he went over to see Calvin Le’s challenge he should have had the courage to say as far as I’m concerned it’s yellow at best I’m going to stick with me decision and therefore when you went from a v world

Then you go back to West braw in the championship do you actually think you get to the end of the game think okay well referee might have made a mess of that but that’s part of the game we move on stew on it over a glass of red for 20

Minutes and then when it’s in marginal offside and you either get one or you done for me V I was brought in was for the tieron rean ball the Diego maradon hand ball the ones Frank laod scored against Germany where it’s a yard over the line all of them what things are

Very very easy and get them once we start now complicating and asking for everything to be Drawn Lines whether the lines should be here then we should bring the rule to say look if he’s offsite and we can see through the camera he’s offsite he’s offsite fair enough should they engage with somebody

Like you who’s managed so many different clubs should the PGM Mo speak to I’m hoping that the PGM does that it doesn’t do it enough and there seems to be now it it seems to be an Us and Them situation and let’s be fair the referees have got it really

Difficult too and the lads in the v Studio when you having to draw lines and this is not quite correct and it’s for the clear and obvious mistake we’re looking for and every goal now seems to be we’re waiting for V it’s we’re trying to find something try to find something

And it’s for that we’re over complicating It Go Back to Basics it’s brought in you know the the the watch that the referees have when the ball’s over the line great we all know that it’s over in 10 seconds great this this V is doing everybody in

With it I think we’re all tired of it already it was such refreshing at the weekend where the FA Cup and there’s no VR thank the Lord you speak to a lot of managers Steve is the general consensus that they don’t want they’re not they’re not having it because they can’t see the

Benefit of it we all want the L thing where as I’ve just SE give you a few examples that eradicated of course get the right decision but we’re over complicating the whole thing and we’ve got to stand up for ourselves and say hang on a minute we’re the Premier

League we’re going to set our own rules here and go buy it we’ve got all the technology in the world but we seem to be making an ass of it which is which is pretty evident for everybody to see whether you’re in football or not Vin

Conor is going to stay with us because we’re going to talk Liverpool in a second Tim Thornton and Steve Bruce alongside me as well we’ll do Liverpool we’ll do Newcastle we’ll do transfers as well we’re back in a Sec you’re listening to retrospect from Sky Sports News Tim Thornton and Steve Bruce with me this week Vin Connor our merys side reporter is still here as well because we’re going to talk about Liverpool into the FA Cup fourth round after a 2-n win at the Emirates on

Sunday Steve it felt like the performance of a a proper team that soaked up a bit of pressure struck and into the next round I think Arsenal be disappointed with a a couple of chances they had and they didn’t take them but we’ve now seen the emergence of

Liverpool again you know where last year there weren’t anywhere near it they’ve bought well you could see a confidence in them what the lost two games now is it two three games the one one didn’t one was a dead rubber yeah they look a very very good team again don’t they and

Uh and they’ve got a little bit of swagger about them difficult for me to say this about Liverpool I have to tell you but they look proper title contenders again to when I when I look at them now and the the options they’ve got up front what they’ve got in

Midfield and then again you said at the top of the podcast they’ve bought well and recruited well H and uh the kid at the top end of the pitch looks not a natural goal scorer but by God you’d have him in your team wouldn’t you for

The for the effort and the Endeavor and The Bravery shows he’s a he’s a real handful yeah we’ll get to the recruitment in just a set but Vinnie just to talk about the manager who we both chat to on a fairly regular basis you just get the sense his juices are

Really flowing at the moment like he’s really relishing where this new look Liverpool team are heading absolutely I think he has been since the summer he’s been very excited about the potential within this squad as well and and not surprisingly but it’s the fact that they’ve got this mentality already and

We saw it Steve touched on it there as well the fact Liverpool were far from perfect yesterday and you know look at them early doors I thought they were going to be in for a TD afternoon actually without Virgil Van djk that long ball there was a lovely pass as

Well from Aon ramale that set ree Nelson away and caught out Trent and and canate and you know again that probably Su up Arsenal’s afternoon as well set the tone in terms of finish him because he didn’t really in the end get get much of a shot

Away but um Liverpool I thought in that first half were and I kind of agreed with Trent alander Arnold as well in his postmatch interview where he said they were kind of causing themselves problems at times you saw mallister caught in possession uh probably just getting back

Up to speed after his injury Gomez got caught in possession as well and but for a brilliant block from canate he was kind of dug out of a bit of a hole before o odard of course hit the crossbar but Liverpool kind of served a warning towards the end of that first

Half when Trent Alexander Arnold hit the bar basically told Arsenal if you don’t take the chances Liverpool are going to create something that’s what what came about in the second half there was a tactical tweak obviously from from Jurgen klopp um but again and I think he

He enjoyed it even more yesterday the fact that he was able to introduce Conor Bradley and Bobby Clark Liverpool was still tied nil nil at that point and then they go on and score two goals after that but the interesting thing for me is part of that bringing the two

Young kids on was obviously the fact that they’re pretty Savvy in StreetWise when it came to it Bobby Clark I think probably learning from his dad as well great yellow cards that as well yeah yeah a great yellow card yeah yeah yeah it was one of me first early

Fights at Newcastle was Jurgen Nick and clarky son right yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah what’s your uh best touchline disagreement with another manager oh you must have you know do you know something sometimes when you’re when you’re when you’re watching from afar and you see them get involved and you think wow how

Petulant time there’s times where I look at myself and think what a you just made yourself you know and uh and then you look at it afterwards but you get caught up in the emotion of it all um I suppose I’ve had one or two or three but not

Really ones where I’m I’m usually fighting with myself you know um but I’ve had one or two with with uh the the best one I ever had when I was young was with with arson Wenger remember when Sheffield United back in the day where we got a replay where they were supposed

To throw the the ball back to us and unfortunately threw it down the wing to um and they went on to score and Win the Cup tie and uh here’s me shouting and ball and balling at one of the great managers I’ve already been in it six

Month and uh it’s funny arson Wenger after that maybe had that little bit respect and helped me out so many times with young players especially was at Birmingham me bner and Lon and mamber and helped me enormously was was instrumental to me getting Wilson palasio um did really well so maybe you

Should have a row with them few the bigger ones even more Ju Just on touchline Jules then a different kind and Vinnie was talking there about Jurgen CL working something out at halim he went Nunes and Diaz wider in the second half to try and drag the two

Center halves out a little bit more who were the cleverest and smartest managers that in game changing something particularly if you thought game plan working here they just switch it yeah they switch it I mean you’re always looking for something tactically of what you can do to change and um when it

Comes off of course everybody patch you on the back there’s nothing quite like a sub who comes on scores after two minutes and what a wonderful masterful change from the manager the great ones are or whenever you play against Pep’s team it was always how do you set up against them

Because you know the introverted fullbacks they were the first and then he’s done away with that to have John Stones playing in the Midfield area you could never set up your team I always think with a lot of teams you can you know what to expect to what they’re

Going to be the greatest strength of man city is you could never and if you thought you would get it then you’d change it again and Away would get and what am I going to doy here you know with that one so I would think out of them all for me

Pep has been absolutely incredible just one for for you first and then Vinnie can come on it as well um there an old saying in American Sports offense wins games defense wins championships and we’ve talked about some of the forwards that Liverpool have got but it looks as

Though Virgil Van dijk who didn’t play obviously against Arsenal back to his best this season and they have a wonderful goalkeeper something you would know about with playing with schmeichel well this is what I’m saying I mean Sir Alex I mean I was bought all these years to replace Paul mcra because

He had a horrible bad knee Paul mcgr left Manchester United went to Aston Villa and for four years on the spin trained on a bike so I’m led to believe and won player of the year for the four years he was there but he had injury

Problems with his knee and I think Sir Alex wanted to have a team where and I think it stood with me especially defensively and that’s what I said about Manu myself and Gary pister missed five games between us in five years we were never injured and then we of course we

Had schmeichel behind us who never missed a game in five six years so right down the spine it’s the basics down the spine of the team we had inen Keane and Robson and Hughes and Canon our up front I mean starting to see why you bit it

Doesn’t it doesn’t get much better you know but it’s the basics of saying I’m going to put I’m going to build from the back because if you have to score two and three to win a game every week it’s not going to happen so it’s a principle

Which is I’ve always tried to stay with defensively you’ve got to be right before you try at the top end of the pitch CU that’s the most difficult the top end of the pitch defensively if love fit week in and week out it’s the easiest part of the game to get right

And Vinnie that has been a thing hasn’t it this year that van djk back to near his best and actually Endo in front of the back four has given Liverpool a lot yeah it took him a bit of time to settle but I think he’s been coming into

His own it’s a shame that obviously from Liverpool’s perspective he’s had to go off to the Asia cup but the impressive thing about this Liverpool defensive record is you know we saw the problems that they had last season the fact that they’ve got now the meanest defense in

The the Premier League and they’re doing that with injury problems as well Andy Robertson been out Simas currently out of course they’ve got Trent playing in the uh in the kind of hybrid role but also Joel mati has been out and yet the players that come in obviously canate a

Man of the match performance against Arsenal in the FA Cup jel K Quanza whenever he’s called upon is for me being outstanding as well I had a chat with Jurgen Club when I was there training a few weeks back he probably saw it but what he said to me about

Because I said I’d seen England under under 21s good Parker a few days before and he his immediate reaction about Quan was Van djk 2.0 and that’s how highly he he rates he rates Quan and he’s beginning to show that in his performances as well Quant himself had the ambition when he knew

That he was going to be part of the first team setup this season that he wanted to be a starting center back his aim was to get ahead of Joel mati and be a starting center back okay it’s not happened in the Great circumstances he’s getting more of an opportunity because

Of matic’s injury however as I say he’s really pushing canate and and suppose to a certain extent not that you take van djk out of the Liverpool side but’s he’s he’s coming on and helping uh certainly being helped in his development challenging someone like like Virgil Van

Djk as well so you know you just got to give them an awful lot of of credit I think the fact that even with the changes with the injuries that they’ve been able to be so solid defensively says an awful lot about the way this squad is working together bit of the job

That that endo’s done also mallister earlier this season as well having to play a number 10 role uh sorry having to play the number six role that he’s not uh he’s not renowned for obviously so um Jurgen klopp has got an awful lot right so far this season Vinnie thank you very

Much we will leave it there we’ll talk about things from an Arsenal perspective in just a second let’s move on to to Newcastle though another of the Steve Bruce Derby from the weekend beating beating Sunderland beating Sunderland a little bit of a cancer given the form they were in given the opposition does

That go down as one of the biggest wins of Eddie House tenure so far well I think the enormity I think Eddie alluded to it that it was a big result for him um and especially under the circumstances they’ve had a difficult Christmas December they’ve

Gone out of both cups within a within a week and all of a sudden there was a bit of pressure on in the league so to go to the close rivals in terms of location and for those who don’t know it there’s a bit of nastiness about the uh the

Northeast Derby it’s a bit passionate to say the least I have to say in the game they they Cruis the game I mean I didn’t say the last 15 minutes um I went to watch mfield but it was it was easy for them and I think the manner of it the win the

Whole it was vitally important to him to get it and um I just think we’ve seen the gulf really between a really decent young Sunland team and a and a very very good Newcastle team with a few of the injuries starting to get back which is important for them Steve it’s great to

Be manager of Newcastle when things are going well I would imagine but what about when it’s Ed Ed learned just how difficult it is over the last six weeks no matter how well he’s done um look it is it is difficult is a clamor for you

I’m so glad I’ve done it there’s no doubt at all it was the most difficult job and when I had people like um greme sunas Kenny dag leash one of me big mates and Alan Sher saiding do you know what you’re doing um then of course

You’ve got to you’ve got to listen to these people but nobody was going to change me I was desperate to take do you have any regrets from that period no no um look me remit was to keep Newcastle in the Premier League and and then when you’ve got a restricted budget because

Of covid um but I have to say Mike Ashley was one of the better chairmans I’ve had to work for or owner he never interfered he let you get on with it he didn’t interfere with trying to say well I wouldn’t have picked him or would you

Get some times um he was straight to the point um and and let you get on with it of course what we wanted was to open his wallet which he was never going to do he did it on a couple of times for me we wanted come on these pocket your pockets

Are deep Mike come on you can you can have a go um but he was never going to do that is there one player that if he’d open the wallet for you that you would have signed for Newcastle there was no there was we lost out in the boy casso

Who went to Chelsea for a 100 million you know it was me persuasive powers and Lee Charley helped me enormously to get Callum Wilson Callum Wilson was against everything Mike wanted 29 year old bit of a dodgy knee but I knew that he could score enough goals for us to keep us in

The league and stay fit enough and what a great saying he’s been I have to tell you but 20 million large large amount that Steve and more importantly he was going to come in as the highest W Jer you know at Bournemouth year we’ve gone from Bournemouth and we’re

Struggling to mach’s wages so you know it it was it was difficult but something which as I said I’ve managed them for two and a half years and and I believe did me job to keep them where we could have been a bit more exciting you know

But we were quietly we decided with Lee that if we we’re not going to have enough money we’re going to try and just identify one player we can’t buy four or five but we’re going to die we can we can get one in so St maximum Callen

Wilson alaron Joe Linton I had the makings of half a team and of course they’ve gone on now and bought extremely well and added to them and uh and they look a really really good team when they’re when they’re back fit and back playing one question to you before we

Talk about the current owners and what they might have in mind obviously it’s my job Tim’s job to stand in tunnels with you and ask you questions press conferences the same about why you put him on or why this didn’t work or whatever and you’ve always answered them very

Forthrightly was there ever a time at Newcastle where you felt this is getting a bit personal now this isn’t about me as a manager this is this is not fair look from from day one and I’ve said it there was one particular journalist who made it I remember the

Headlines when I first got the job surely not was the headline The Daily Mail and then I don’t like to give their time anymore me first game in charge against Arsenal at home I just put a sub on and not give him any instructions where he wanted to play these was the

Headlines and I’m thinking really am I going to send on a sub where he doesn’t know he’s playing the third game we had norch away I couldn’t take a warm-up right the warmup was poor it was it was look I knowah wasn’t everybody’s comp I certainly wasn’t his but

There when it comes personal then of course it becomes very very difficult and everything you do in management in Newcastle is the microscopic is is on you you make a change what you make that CH didn’t make it any better it’s part and parsel of the demands of gone with a

Job just one final one on Newcastle then and n on the owners because you were there in the crossover when when the new people came I don’t know whether you spoke to the Saudi side whether you just chatted to Amanda but there is this perception that they want success but

They want it quickly did you ever hear of a sort of time frame we want to have won a trophy by X point or we want to have done this by y point I have to say they were so respectful when I first met them with

Amanda and her husband and the and there was about four or five of them when they first take over the club the first question they asked me is how can we help you and I had to reply back and found it very difficult was to say look I think

My time is done here because the excitement of you guys coming in I was the only negative thing at the club so with really difficult to have that conversation was really you have to get rid of me and have something in mind I have to say the things that were putting

In place Dan Ashworth appointment darel’s appointment above is exceptional for me the way and I’d like to think that they listen to me I put two people forward to them both young English Steven Gerard and Eddie um and I’m pleased that that they went with Eddie

In the finish and and he’s and he’s done really really well and um because Newcastle still means a bit of something I’m born and bred there I’m a Jordy who’s managed one of the great clubs let’s finish with a few transfer stories then and stay with a son of the

Northeast in Jordan Henderson who you know very well from your time at Sunderland lot of reports about the fact that he might want to come back to the Premier League does it particularly surprise you that that someone like him with his mentality wants to get back to

The cut and thrust of the Premier League well is it is it family related is it football related has he just missed the Premier League I would think a combination of all of them things he’s a wonderful leader Jordan and the reason why I played him and uh

Unfortunately had to sell him to to Liverpool but even when he was a kid he showed the leadership skills when I first worked at the door at Sunland he had the mentality to be a top top top player and as a boy you don’t you don’t get any better so he’s

Obviously missing whether it’s family Premier League back of his mind wants to play in the Euros it looks from the outside that he wants to come back any club who wants who who can sign him you sign in a diamond because there’s not many like Jordan in the way he conducts

Himself as a pro as a leader as a player that’s why Gareth picks him every week and um I hope he gets his wish because you know the rumors are that he’s he’s not quite happy over there for whatever reason Steve if you were still the manager of Newcastle oh and took him

From Sunland no no no no no I’m not going there come on that would be a bit too controversial that would be a bit too much even for me would you sign Calvin Phillips because he’s been linked with Newcastle in this window is that a good

Fit well it the kids are really really talented player does that does that mean then Bruno gimz would play as an eight that’s a question that you would have to ask Eddie you know because what I seen at the weekend giman was Head and Shoulders above anybody on the pitch he

Was fantastic is he one of the best players in in the Premier League is he what sorry is he one of the best players in the Premier League well certainly what I’ve seen at the weekend and me matu still go to watch Newcastle think he’s the best player and he certainly he

Showed me the other day some of his U Ranger passing and the onws so is he going to play in that six or does he prefer to be a eight and higher up the pitch there is the the conundrum that they’ll have there’s no doubt Phillips will improve any squad because of what

He is he’s young tenacious and as we’ve seen for leads in England it hasn’t quite happened for him at Man City for whatever reason I have to say he’s got rodri in front of him for me he’s arguably as good as Midfield player there is in the league so all of them

Questions you’re going to you you weigh up before you dive into get him and uh I’m sure that’s the big question can I play gimmer Asian an eight and bring Calvin Phillips in and Steve makes the point Tim excuse me that for both Henderson and for Phillips it’s not just

About playing more Club games maybe getting back to England they both have this carrot of being in the England squad for the Euros in the summer to to try and strive for I think what’s interesting here is that actually one of the two has got a good chance of

Starting in the Euro so it might be whoever makes the right move in this January transfer window Henderson of course played more at the World Cup but Calvin Phillips was coming back from an injury so he didn’t really have the impact he wanted in that tournament at

The World Cup because he’d have this problem and Gareth included him even though he wasn’t fully fit so I think this will be a tournament he’ll be looking at to make a B I think also it it’ll be interesting to see how Gareth has going to set up is he going to play

One is a holding six or is he going to play two and and Jude Bellingham looks as if he’s a stick on in the 10 roll so all of them questions I’m sure Gareth will be asking himself but you’re right one of them one of them I believe will

Play is J Bellingham by the way just just to finish on this Jude Bellingham for you is he W the best player in the world at the moment well to go to Real Madrid we’re talking about expectation when you play for Manu to go to Real Madrid that must be something similar

When he’s starring like he is and when you’ve got people likening him to zedan and all this then you have to Simply applaud the kid we’ve got a superstar on my hands and he could be for me the difference that England could go and win this tournament because this kid is something

Else let’s just finish with one of the man who might have his eyes on a place in the Euro squad for England which is Ivan Tony in exclusive interview to Sky Sports News uh coming out this week just give us a bit of a summary of what Ivan

Tony’s been saying yeah it’s interesting this because this was a discussion point I was on the transfer show last week and we were talking about where he might go next but he feels as as though he owes Thomas Frank something he feels as though he owes brenford something so

There is a suggestion there that it looks as though he could stay at brenford in this transfer window how refreshing is that because I have to say brenford have been a m towards him not many clubs would have been however they’ve supported him um right the way

Through the the odal he had to go through and how refreshing it is that players come out and said or he said that the club are in a little bit of a sticky patch for the first time in two three years he could be just the tonic

That the need certainly he’s a quality player and uh I applaud him it’s not often you get that and that little bit of loyalty it’ll not it’ll go down well for him have you had times as well because Thomas Franco said look he he’s sticking unless something ridiculous

Comes through they losing uh whis to the Africa Cup of Nations and burm is injured as a manager we touched on this in the podcast last week that you have to say to a player just give me till the summer keep us up of course keep us up

And but you know sometimes as the manager head coach is the decision made above you then it becomes difficult but yes there’s times where you have to say look it’s it’s not possible for you to leave at this particular moment so I hope you respect that certainly with

Ivan Tony for him to come out there that’s why it’s so refreshing to see and if and when the time comes Arsenal had another day yesterday where they couldn’t find the back of the net do you see him as being the sort of player who would be maybe a final piece in the

Jigsaw for Mel arteta will it be interesting to see now when he comes back he’s been out a long time it’s been it’s like getting over an injury if you like when you’re out for six seven months and he haven’t been competitive I hope he can hit the ground running

That’s going to be crucial to it I hope he can but as I’ve experienced if you’re out a long time whether it is injury or suspension or whatever it is it’s difficult to hit the ground run and I hope for his sake and brenford sake that

He can but it’ll be difficult well Ivan Tony’s Premier League return is a live Sky game on the 20th of January against notingham Forest the Saturday Night Football from 5:00 before that this week the league cups semi-finals get underway the first legs middlesbor against Chelsea and Liverpool against Fulham as

Well and a documentary across Sky Sports this week as well how Africa changed the Premier League hearing from the likes of Michael scen and D droger as well Steve thank you very much indeed for being with us I know you want to get back into football but we’ll take you here on a

Regular basis if that that’ll do on a Monday Tim thank you very much as well quick reminder that you can download this from wherever you get your podcast and watch retrospect as well on the Sky Sports News YouTube channel we’ll see you again next week bye for Now