Latest / Let's Kick It Off! / Ep 52: 2025 Christmas Special (Pt. 2) | United lose to Villa, Bruno Fernandes Injured & Kobbie Mainoo's Brother!

Transcript

Ep 52: 2025 Christmas Special (Pt. 2) | United lose to Villa, Bruno Fernandes Injured & Kobbie Mainoo's Brother! · Let's Kick It Off!

0:14
Let's kick it off. I'm Steve and I'm joined by Ash
0:18
and us and we're here on the back of our Christmas special
0:22
and we've just finished our quiz, so now's the time to talk
0:26
football. So we've had two games, I think
0:29
since our last part, and those games were United for
0:32
Bournemouth 4 in a crazy game on Monday night last week.
0:37
And then we've had another game since that, which was a defeat
0:41
at Aston Villa 21 on Sunday. So one point from those two
0:45
games. So as I'll come to you, since
0:48
everyone's saying that we played so well against Aston Villa,
0:51
just want to get, yeah, your thoughts on how we played in
0:54
that Aston Villa game specifically to begin with.
0:57
I didn't watch it. I've been really busy with
0:59
family. So literally I've watched
1:01
highlights, I've watched, you know, YouTube clips, I've
1:04
listened to a lot of commentary on the game.
1:07
I didn't actually see the full game, the full 90, so I'm going
1:10
to be commenting a bit blind, but based on the highlights, it
1:15
looked like we had the better chances.
1:17
Based on what everyone was saying in the post match
1:19
analysis, we played really well. I can't confirm or deny that
1:24
though, so I'm hoping all of that's true.
1:27
It looked like we should have won this game and given that, if
1:31
you think about who we're missing from our first team
1:33
right, we're missing the two main centre backs.
1:36
McGuire, Delict, Casimiro was suspended.
1:39
Our best player by miles. Bruno gets injured at half time
1:42
when it was one one right at half time.
1:46
We've got Mazrawi, Ahmad and Imbumo all away at AFCON.
1:54
Roscoe's been injured most of the seasons, just come back from
1:57
this. Was it food poisoning that he
1:59
had? So he's he's just just come back
2:02
in the team. Given all of that these I want
2:05
to put the two games together because I watched the
2:07
Bournemouth game properly. You won a performances, Steve.
2:10
I'm hearing. I saw the Bournemouth game and
2:11
that was a brilliant performance.
2:13
Like in, in all of the I watched that full game and I watched the
2:17
Villa game. We've been really unlucky with
2:20
some amazing like amazing goals, like wonder strikes, like class
2:24
moments. But in terms of game flow, you
2:28
won the performances. Haven't we got performances?
2:30
Sounds like it. I'll have to agree with that on
2:32
the performances. I think the performances have
2:34
stepped up a level in these last two games, but it's just
2:39
frustrating to say, oh, we played well when we come out
2:41
with one point. That Bournemouth game was just,
2:44
yeah, a bit of a crazy one. Obviously going forward we were
2:46
a lot better, but Ash at the back, so open right on the other
2:50
side of it. Yeah, attacking has actually
2:53
been good. The Bournemouth game was nuts.
2:55
Like we actually should have scored more goals.
2:58
We could have killed it before half time and before Semenyo
3:02
scored. And I think that's the
3:03
frustration is that even with the Villa game, we should have
3:07
got a draw as a minimum. Like Kenya's got to bury that
3:09
header in the second-half at 21. And I think that's the
3:13
difference as in like we haven't collected 6 points or 4 points
3:17
because those crucial moments with the attack, like we haven't
3:21
put it in the back of the net. But in terms of attacking
3:25
performance, you can't complain. All the problems are at the
3:29
back. Because it's tough.
3:31
It's tough, right? With yeah, it's hard on head.
3:33
In heaven you can see. Yeah, yeah.
3:35
I mean. The time he's playing really
3:37
well, but then there's the odd mistake.
3:39
I think Euro as well, like watch the again, I didn't watch the
3:42
villa game, but I watched the goals he should have.
3:44
I don't understand why he doesn't get tighter to Rogers
3:47
and he lets him have that. It's a crazy wonder shot like an
3:50
and Rogers is probably they're talking of Rogers basically
3:53
taking Bellingham's place in the England team.
3:55
That's how good he's been. But you, you just can't let him
3:58
shoot on his, on his. Face, you know what he's banging
4:00
him in the the the disappointment with the first
4:03
goal. First of all, amazing strike,
4:05
but he's got to run and see that ball out.
4:09
He allows Morgan Rogers to get to the ball on the touchline
4:13
like. He goes, he goes right to the
4:14
touchline, right. So then why doesn't he get right
4:16
up against him? He sort of lets him turn, then
4:19
run at him and then get the shot away.
4:20
And it's just like that goal doesn't need to happen.
4:23
And the only thing is Dallow doing like Oh yeah, Dallow
4:26
doesn't even try and block the cross.
4:28
He doesn't even stick out a leg but just quickly on the first
4:31
goal. Like This is why 3 centre backs
4:34
is sometimes a problem if you're not used to it because as a full
4:39
back that will get cleared where the balls going towards the
4:44
touchline. Morgan Rogers, you know, he
4:47
might get there, but the full back will be on top of him, even
4:50
if they're being sluggish like Luke Shaw sometimes is on on the
4:53
left side, you'll clear that. But there's no excuse that he he
4:57
he's played enough at right centre half to see that ball out
5:00
for on the. 1st But wouldn't you agree even let's say you played
5:03
a back four often the the full backs got forward.
5:06
That was a long hit from Villa, right?
5:08
I think it was John McGinn long ball.
5:10
It's often the full backs ahead of the game and then the centre
5:13
back has to come and cover. That yes, we, but yeah.
5:15
Yeah, and he's going to be more aggressive.
5:17
Yeah, and more aggressive. I think it's just a combination
5:19
to be honest with you. Euro has been playing well for a
5:22
little bit. It's a little bit of rustiness.
5:25
You know, he's been in and out of the team.
5:28
So look, you can you can give him some light slack.
5:31
But I think that's the other issue, right?
5:34
Like even with the Bournemouth game was the same thing like
5:36
these details that Steve loves to, you know, hone in on.
5:39
We got punished every time. Like Bournemouth striking was
5:42
just unbelievable. Like those goals in the
5:44
second-half, like they're, you know, probably if you look at XG
5:48
in terms of like those chances, like, you know, they hope that
5:51
they over performed or even Morgan Rogers, his goals,
5:53
certainly the first. One the the the the first
5:56
Bournemouth goal as well, don't you?
5:58
Was it heaven in this this central centre back?
6:00
He could have come and he just doesn't.
6:02
He just sort of doesn't come out to challenge the menu and Mason.
6:05
Mountain is actually telling him like as as the menu is tracking
6:08
going with the ball like come out, come out.
6:10
But this is the problem, like is that is a 19 year old uncertain
6:14
in that if he comes out, the guy behind him who's the Bournemouth
6:19
centre forward, he's free because I think Yoro has two
6:22
players to deal with. And I think in both of these,
6:24
like a deluxe who was really good at the beginning of the
6:27
season, I think they both he stops those goals.
6:30
So it's it's tough on the back 4, but they have made mistakes
6:33
and we've conceded too many goals and the forwards still
6:36
haven't been able to. I think Cesco had another chance
6:39
from like just lift it. Why didn't you just lift it?
6:41
They're just rusty. They're just still not there.
6:43
But I'm happy that the kind of we always talk about, you know,
6:47
coaching, I want to see coaching.
6:48
But from what I saw from the highlights and the analysis is
6:52
that the patterns are there, the pressing is there.
6:55
It's just individual mistakes, which, you know, that's player
6:57
quality. And I'm I'm a bit worried now
7:00
with Bruno out and we've got Newcastle, that's hard, hard
7:04
game, our best player out. Yeah.
7:06
What are we going to do? And copies out as well, I think.
7:09
Has anyone like seen anything about Bruno, right?
7:14
Has never had an injury like this?
7:18
OK. And then all of a sudden in the
7:21
season where we have one game a week, we don't have a fixture
7:25
pile up. And then he pulls his hamstring.
7:29
Like I've done a few hamstrings even in the last like couple of
7:33
years, like it takes a toll in order to for that to happen.
7:38
So I'm wondering, and I don't I haven't looked at X or seen
7:41
anything but like Bruno's running distance this season
7:45
because he's playing the deeper role.
7:47
Has he been running more? And I'm just wondering
7:50
accumulation that way because if he's playing 10, I don't know if
7:54
that's happening. I'd love to get the physio.
7:57
He used to run around a lot for sure.
8:00
But that was more chaotic running in like the advanced
8:03
positions here he has to cover a lot more ground as in like play
8:07
deeper and track and all this even running, you know, to get
8:11
opposition players. So under 10 hog, I think he was
8:13
still running a lot. I just think the issue is, as
8:17
someone who is, you know, getting on in years myself, at
8:20
certain age, your body has to give up on you.
8:23
You're going. It's his.
8:24
His level of lack of injuries is unnatural.
8:27
It's almost weird. Scary.
8:28
Was it 3? Three games in since he's joined
8:31
United, he's missed yes. If if Optus stats or pro zone or
8:35
whoever could get us to start. I just like to know.
8:38
I'm not blaming anyone, I just want to know because it is the
8:42
most random anomaly and yeah, now we're screwed.
8:45
It's I think it's more random that he's never.
8:47
I've had an injury when we're playing twice a week.
8:49
It's crazy. Yeah, but Steve, like this, this
8:53
is the oh, actually as as well. You remember I said like a long
8:57
time ago, like, like I've given Reuben a lot of stick.
9:00
But the one thing I have always said is he just never seems to
9:03
get that luck. And then on his watch, he picks
9:07
up a hamstring injury, you know, just as the Afghan players go
9:10
away as well. I mean, you cannot write that.
9:12
You cannot write that. Yeah, yeah, in a game as well
9:16
where Casimiro is suspended. And probably injured.
9:19
He's left nothing left. Bones And then yeah, I heard we
9:22
still played OK in the second-half.
9:24
Like I I heard we were still the better team in the second-half.
9:28
And Kunius, Oh my word. How he's not buried that I have
9:32
no idea. Yeah, that chance, right.
9:36
So, so the concern now is obviously we've lost the Afghan
9:39
players. So we've lost Ahmad Imbumo,
9:42
Mazerari and now Bruno is injured as well.
9:45
So for the next 3-4 weeks we're going to be out with all of
9:49
those guys and the fixtures are pretty tough on paper because
9:54
we've got Newcastle home Boxing Day as it leads away after that
9:57
I. Think the the games OK, I know
9:59
Leeds are a kind of direct rival right?
10:03
But I think we've got 3 winnable games after that, so you would
10:08
hope if we can still. Be beating wolves.
10:12
I'm sorry, they are. This is not and isn't Burnley
10:15
maybe as well in there. Yeah, I think it's a way.
10:18
I'd say, you know, those are games where we could still, even
10:22
though we're very light squad wise, we should still be able to
10:26
compete. And then you just need Cunha to
10:29
produce a magic because the Mahdi was really good.
10:33
Yes, scored a really good goal. Interesting celebration.
10:37
Not sure I'm a fan of the little bum wiggle.
10:39
But the the Bournemouth farm was a bit of a weird one as well.
10:43
That was a tummy. That was a tummy like part,
10:47
yeah. But because obviously In Boom
10:49
has gone to AFCON and not taking FPL that seriously this season.
10:54
So I actually brought Kunya in and he got me a goal.
10:57
I'm pretty happy about that. I saw a story that United would
11:01
be willing to change their formation for if Semenyo came
11:04
in. But I guess irrespective of
11:06
that, like Speaking of changing formation, there's been a lot of
11:09
talk over the last two games about tweaks to Ruben system.
11:12
So, Ash, have you noticed anything in terms of that slight
11:16
system change? Yeah, you do see a a
11:20
distinguished shape because of Lenny Yoro's positioning in the
11:24
last two games. So Bournemouth and Villa, he is
11:27
playing wider and that's like creating like this, you know,
11:32
back four that everyone's wanted.
11:35
But it's it's not a classical, you know, we're playing a back
11:38
four like with Dallow as the left back right.
11:41
We're still on rotation. So it's actually probably what
11:45
we wanted from Reuben at the beginning.
11:48
And you know what, I've been listening to a lot of the
11:52
inquests that the Ashes with Basbo and and Rob Key over the
11:56
last like couple days and they've admitted about their
11:59
mistakes with like preparation and like, you know, the team
12:03
having to adapt. And I just feel like actually,
12:06
look, if Reuben is going to stick around, he's actually very
12:11
slowly, but he is adapting, which is like a positive.
12:16
It's too slow for my liking, but he's done it.
12:19
If he had done this like, you know, last season or even at the
12:22
beginning of this season, like, you know, I think there's like
12:25
more legs to come in terms of development.
12:28
So, yeah, he's shown that he can do it, which is good.
12:32
Is it too late? I don't know, in terms of like,
12:34
you know, because of all these injuries, etcetera.
12:38
But yeah, I I saw a change in the shape and also against
12:43
Villa, the wingbacks pushed up really high, which was
12:46
encouraging because I feel like they're too deep just generally
12:50
in his time. But what about you, Steve?
12:52
Like, have you seen like a distinguished pattern like over
12:56
the last couple games? Yeah, similar to what everyone's
12:59
noticed really. Like it's, you can see a slight
13:01
tweak. I think me and you spoke about
13:03
it on the pod that we did together probably like 3-4 weeks
13:06
ago now because they were starting to like lay the
13:08
groundwork for possibly changing the formation.
13:11
I think you know, Jason Wilcox spoke about it as well.
13:14
So yeah, I've seen the slight tweak.
13:16
I have enjoyed the more attacking football over the last
13:19
two games. I told you both, I've been
13:21
struggling to watch us like, you know, prior, so it's actually be
13:25
more entertaining and more enjoyable to watch.
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Store. Did you see what Kobe's brother
13:55
did? So in the Bournemouth game, Kobe
13:57
came on for the last 30 minutes. He came on around the 60th,
14:01
which is probably the earliest he's come on.
14:03
So like, that was good and, you know, got big, you know, the
14:05
crowd gave him a big cheer. Obviously at that point, we
14:07
didn't know his brother was doing what he was doing, but
14:11
you'd think that like, just yeah, I was.
14:13
He was stupid. That like, I hope Kobe didn't
14:15
know that was happening. I think in this day and age, I
14:20
wouldn't be surprised if if he didn't know about it because
14:24
yeah, you see this in other sports and other stuff, you
14:26
know, like people doing their own things in support of others,
14:30
you know, like Casimiro's wife, right?
14:32
Didn't she like tweet last year when Reuben dropped him and
14:36
stuff like that? So.
14:37
But yeah, I guess on the point, he generally should he should
14:40
get more minutes even irrespective of Bruno just with
14:42
the AFCON players out like, you know, to to attacking players
14:46
out of the team. So you'd think Kobe will get
14:49
more chances as do you think, can you?
14:50
Do you think Kobe will or do you think he's just getting ready to
14:53
leave in January? Who else are you going to play?
14:56
I mean, he's got to be given more chances.
14:58
Agarte hasn't been good enough. I don't know about this small
15:01
experiment of Lisandro Martinez in midfield, but you know, if
15:05
Martinez gets in front of Kobe in the midfield position,
15:09
definitely needs to leave, right?
15:10
I was always sympathetic to this idea that he was up against
15:14
Bruno because you do have two midfield spots and one of them
15:17
should be more attacking and one of them more defensive, or at
15:20
least have defensive attributes to cover Bruno, right?
15:23
Bruno's going to play. And Kobe, that isn't the
15:26
strength of his game. And I have to say, Casimiro for
15:30
me has proved me wrong this season.
15:32
I think he's been really good. He hasn't been the level that
15:35
you would expect in terms of top, top, top level or I would
15:40
say actually correct correction. He has been the level you
15:43
expect, IE the guy we signed, but with maybe an extra 2 years
15:47
on the on the clock, right, but not useless.
15:50
He's actually been really good. He's actually especially like
15:54
we've been really good on set pieces again, good coaching,
15:57
defensive and offensive. He's always a threat.
16:00
We've lost if you think about it.
16:02
And Bumo, Ahmad Bruno, the three set piece takers and Casimiro
16:06
McGuire and Dilek, the three set piece attackers.
16:09
We're left. You know, one of the big threats
16:11
has gone it's squads down to the bare bones.
16:15
Kobe will have to have to get games if he can get himself fit,
16:18
but he's got to get himself fit. You know, it's ironic as well,
16:22
Castamero, because I think it's probably a year since we got
16:26
battered by Newcastle Old Trafford, where Castamero
16:30
started with Ericsson. And now, yeah, as Brightly
16:34
points out, like, well, he should be back because I think
16:36
he was just suspended. Suspended Castamero will be back
16:39
and. But I do.
16:41
He's deserving to call. Yeah, he's deserved his spot.
16:44
And I think Casimiro and Kobe would be the strongest midfield
16:47
too, because Agate just just never really done it for me,
16:51
just gives the ball away too much.
16:53
Great tackler, covers a lot of ground.
16:55
I understand why Ruben brings him in, but I feel that when he
16:59
brings him on that we lose flow in the game, lose momentum,
17:03
right, Because we we, we don't keep the ball well enough.
17:05
And I think that's what Kobe's, you know, strength is.
17:09
But then again, even in the Bournemouth game when he came
17:11
on, we just was still not able to keep the ball.
17:14
And it was a crazy game, but it was still fun at least.
17:17
I mean, the save, the save at the end from lemons as well.
17:21
Oh man. Yeah.
17:23
But the one with his legs, I did the Haya one.
17:25
I just couldn't. It was just, it was just nuts.
17:28
Just quick question, anyone free to answer Like, you know, we've
17:33
I think, well, actually with the second strike against Villa and
17:36
I think there was one against Bournemouth, Lamons goes with
17:39
his right arm. And I've I saw on the community
17:43
group like some people question it and, you know, he never uses
17:48
this expression. Sometimes it just didn't look
17:50
quite right. Any thoughts on like, yeah, I've
17:53
been really technical here, but like, yeah, any forwards or just
17:57
like great strikes? Nothing the keeper could do
18:00
about it. The Villa goals, I feel like
18:03
they were great strikes. I think a couple of the
18:05
Bournemouth ones you could possibly say the free kick.
18:08
Definitely the free kick. Yeah, if he just stands there,
18:11
he just. Yeah, saves that.
18:13
But none of them are proper howlers.
18:14
They're. Like, no, they're not howlers.
18:15
It's more the tech. It's kind of like goalkeeping
18:18
coach. And I don't know if like As for
18:19
example, we would have seen anything from the.
18:21
Goalkeeper used to do that as well.
18:24
Sometimes that's what I mean, like, because you know, like.
18:26
When people used to question that that that he's going with
18:29
the with the wrong arm. Yeah, goalkeepers have their way
18:33
and their preferences and that could be a weakness.
18:36
But at the end of the day, you've got to judge them overall
18:39
on their body of work and is body of work so far has been
18:42
good and I. Yeah, yeah.
18:43
Now he's been look, any, it wasn't difficult to beat an
18:48
honour, but like in terms of base level, he's been fine.
18:51
Yeah. It was just more kind of like it
18:53
would have been good to see a goalkeeper's opinion on, on some
18:56
of those like, you know, more marginal ones.
18:58
But yeah. So just young.
19:00
He's got a lot to learn. Just quickly just touching back
19:04
on the youngsters. Obviously Reuben's quotes
19:07
against some of our youngsters. So was it Harry, Emas and Cheeto
19:13
as well? He had a little pop up and
19:16
Collier. Collier as well.
19:18
Fletcher's son, actually, he came on.
19:20
So yeah, this is the thing that gets me actually, is like people
19:23
have credited him for bringing on Fletcher.
19:26
And obviously we know what's happened with Kobe over the last
19:28
year. But yeah, he's he's kind of, you
19:31
could argue throwing some of these young kids under the bus
19:34
with his comments because he called them out basically and
19:37
said, you know, they haven't done much this season, even
19:39
though he he played them last season.
19:42
I. Think though also Steve, you
19:45
know, he, he called them out and then I think a couple of the
19:49
players reacted. I think Harry, Harry Amas put an
19:53
Instagram post up or something saying player of the month,
19:57
right? That's not good, right?
19:58
Because obviously the players are, you know, the players are
20:00
entitled to react, but obviously some people think it's like,
20:03
well, why, why react? But yeah, humans but also the
20:07
follow up comments the following week where he says like, and
20:13
he's right to an extent. And I think we've discussed this
20:15
before. So he said like there's a
20:18
culture at United and the I guess he's pointing at the
20:20
Academy as well, as well as the club about.
20:23
Entitlement and obviously that's something any us right from the
20:27
beginning have trying to change at the club, like just
20:30
generally. But obviously, you know, he's
20:32
brought it up again. But yeah, I think the problem is
20:35
that he thinks he's Mourinho, so he says these comments and maybe
20:39
it's a Portuguese thing, I don't know.
20:41
Because like, you know, Nino Gomez, he says random stuff like
20:45
this as well, like in public, like these guys just don't seem
20:49
to want to keep it in house. And like, Reuben's just very
20:52
honest, as as pointed out at the beginning of his tenure, like
20:56
even when he was saying like, I actually didn't want to come to
20:59
United, he but he's too honest for his own good.
21:01
And you know, he gets all this noise.
21:03
As any any defence for those comments?
21:05
Like, did you agree with them? No, I mean, I prefer the
21:09
honesty. So I like that he's open and
21:12
honest in this. Case.
21:14
Yeah, in public, I prefer. I'd rather that than the than
21:17
the fluff. And yeah, some people just talk
21:19
in circles. I prefer his honesty in this
21:21
case, don't agree with him. And I think it was unnecessary.
21:25
I think you should be encouraging the youngsters.
21:27
I think it was a little bit of a reaction to the fact that is
21:32
this constant barrage of Kobe main.
21:34
It's so boring. You know how boring.
21:37
I find it's like, guys, get over it.
21:39
He's not as good as Bruno and Casimiro has been has played
21:42
really well. Where do you want him to play?
21:44
I'll change this, the system, blah, blah, blah.
21:46
And it's like it's it's boring. And I think he's fed up of like
21:50
having, I heard that after the, I think it was a Bournemouth
21:56
game in his press conference, rather than asking, you know,
21:59
about these tactical tweaks that you guys have talked about, they
22:02
asked 4 questions on menu and it's like it's an obsession.
22:06
So I think it's just a bit frustrated.
22:08
Sometimes you say things when you're frustrated that aren't
22:11
the right things. I don't think this was the, you
22:13
know, the right approach to go after with some of these
22:16
youngsters. I think Maynie's camp as well.
22:20
Maybe it's gotten frustrated when you've got, you know,
22:22
Rupert, I think a bit frustrated with the melt that it's Kobe,
22:26
Maynie's brother and all the sort of the chatter around it.
22:29
And I think he's sort of unleashed a little bit
22:31
unnecessarily. Steve.
22:34
Yeah, I didn't like it, the comments, obviously, because,
22:38
yeah, just like we've said, young youngsters, you need to
22:41
encourage them, inspire them, and it just felt a bit harsh.
22:44
One thing I was thinking about actually earlier was it's not
22:48
his first language, as good as his English is.
22:51
And you know, you can tell the same about other managers when
22:53
English isn't your first language, communication is
22:56
always going to be a little bit, you know, not as good as an
23:00
English person speaking. So I was actually thinking about
23:02
like, for example, if Southgate was our manager, his
23:06
communication would be a lot better.
23:08
You'd think with the media even even thinking back to like Louis
23:11
Van Howe, you know, wasn't the best.
23:14
The Joes are obviously pretty strong, 10 hog, you know,
23:18
communication a lot of people said wasn't great.
23:20
Ruben. Now, although people say is
23:21
honest, which is fine. You know, it's one thing being
23:25
honest, but again, being able to communicate like articulately, I
23:29
don't know, maybe there is a, a slight language barrier there
23:32
possibly that like someone like Southgate wouldn't struggle with
23:35
as much. Like, oh, I couldn't, I could
23:36
never see Southgate making a comment like that, for example.
23:39
That might be more character based.
23:41
But yeah, I don't know if there's an element of like, you
23:43
know, language. There's definitely language, but
23:44
I just think he's not political right he.
23:48
Has this reputation. He had this reputation in
23:51
Portugal. You mean Southgate's not
23:54
political? No, no, no, no, Ruben isn't.
23:56
Yeah, he is. Southgate plays the politics
23:58
really well. He's quite what you.
23:59
Mean Southgate would be I. Think with Southgate you could
24:02
take lots of lessons in leadership as per the title of
24:05
the book that you've kindly given me, The Chilled.
24:09
Version. Yeah, Carlo as well.
24:12
So Carlo, if you ask Carlo, and I wonder if it's in the book,
24:16
he'll say that the person he, he answers to the president
24:19
basically that's his job. So he's all about keeping a calm
24:22
environment. I think for for Ruben, it's you
24:25
know, he'll say how he how he sees it.
24:27
He's got he'll he's quite emotional as a character.
24:31
I think he's just fed up of this whole question around him and
24:34
youth because at the end of the day, everyone wants him.
24:39
Everyone's asking him to win games.
24:40
So for him it's like like, OK, these these kids, Shay Lacy I
24:44
think came on as well. It's great.
24:45
He wants to give them a chance, but fundamentally he's under
24:48
pressure to win football matches.
24:50
So he's going to play the players he thinks are going to
24:51
win games. He's less concerned at the
24:53
moment about the path of development, the policy.
24:56
The politician would be like, ah, but Manchester United's DNA
24:59
is about youth and youth development.
25:01
I need to be clever in how I answer this and say no, there
25:05
are going to be opportunities for these guys.
25:07
We're building a pathway, but they're a little bit early in
25:10
their development. We're still, you know, working,
25:13
you know, in the case of some of the players are out on loan, for
25:16
example. So we're we're working to to
25:18
build them up slowly to give them the best opportunities.
25:22
And have you read this book already?
25:24
Too much pressure and then introduce them at the right time
25:27
when, you know, when they're ready for that environment.
25:30
We don't want to expect too much of them.
25:33
You know, Collier as well. I think Collie's on loan, isn't
25:35
he? Is he?
25:36
Yeah. So like, you know, you give that
25:38
kind of political answer to kind of say, yeah, no, I'm really,
25:41
I'm really excited about the crop of youth coming up.
25:44
Like, he's just like, look, I'm fed up for this nonsense.
25:48
These guys aren't good enough to start for me.
25:50
Can't you realise that I am playing the best 11 players?
25:54
Yeah, I'm playing a Mason Mount or a Cunha or a Casimiro
25:57
International quality players. That's why Kobe mainly doesn't
26:01
start. Or whoever other name you want
26:02
to come up with. I do agree with us also.
26:05
He is very emotional. Obviously you know the examples
26:08
from last season about smashing the TV in the dressing room.
26:12
He actually has a policy of at half time he doesn't actually
26:17
say much and like full time. I think what he does is he lets
26:21
the players go in and like they all talk and then after about I
26:25
think it might be even as long as like half an hour later.
26:28
That's actually normally when he comes in.
26:30
But after the Brighton game last season at old trap, we lost
26:33
three one. He went storming in and was just
26:35
like, you know, he obviously smashed the TV and and done
26:38
whatever else. And you see his reaction even in
26:41
the last two games, right, We score good goals and like we we
26:45
get momentum in the game and then we'll can see the shit
26:48
going. You see his body reaction, he's
26:51
just very emotional, right? So I think Steve, you've said it
26:55
plenty of times, like you signed the guy, you know what he's
26:58
like, right? So any us, they know what they
27:01
got, but they should have known. Final point then to wrap this
27:05
up, some pretty sensational quotes coming out from Bruno
27:10
Fernandez over the last week. So I think he did an interview
27:14
with Canal 11. Is it Portuguese station?
27:17
It sounds like the interview was done a couple of weeks ago, but
27:19
the quotes only came out this week, so I'll just read part of
27:22
the quotes. So the club wanted me to go in
27:25
the summer. I have that in my head.
27:28
I told the directors this but I think they didn't have the
27:30
courage to make that decision. I decided to stay also because
27:34
of family reasons, but because I genuinely like the club.
27:38
The conversation with the manager also made me stay.
27:41
But from the club side I felt a bit like if you leave, it's not
27:44
so bad for us. It hurts me a lot more than
27:48
hurting. It makes me sad because I'm a
27:50
player, they have nothing to criticise about, I'm always
27:53
available, I always play good or bad, I give my all.
27:57
Then you don't see things around you, players who don't value the
28:00
club as much and don't defend the club as much, that makes you
28:04
sad as reaction to that. Fair enough from Bruno.
28:09
I think we all acknowledged in the summer that Ineos were
28:15
prepared to let him go. And it felt like the decision
28:18
was on Bruno basically to to decide either way.
28:22
And if you're a player that or an employee of any organisation
28:27
where you, your manager or your, you know, your chain of command
28:31
isn't saying no, don't go anywhere.
28:34
We desperately want you to stay. You're going to feel a little
28:36
bit like, yeah, I'm not really wanted.
28:38
And I do think there probably is a sense that from a financial
28:43
perspective, because the club is not in good financial position,
28:46
that he's our most valuable asset.
28:48
And either next summer or the summer after that, it might make
28:54
sense for us. I think Scott, for example, has
28:56
come in and said, oh, we should have taken the money, should
28:59
have pushed him out. So I can understand what how he
29:02
feels like, feels like that. I'm glad he stayed and I'm glad
29:07
that he's still putting out the performances.
29:09
I haven't seen any dip in his effort, energy levels,
29:12
commitment to the club and he's been brilliant this season.
29:15
Yeah. Goals, assists, chance is
29:17
created. I've always been the biggest
29:19
defender of him and fan of him. So yeah, I can understand where
29:22
he's coming from. Be interesting to know, yeah.
29:25
What does happen in the summer? Let's see.
29:28
Yeah, Ash, final word on these Bruno quotes.
29:32
No surprise. I mean it's it backs up a lot of
29:35
what we agreed on Steve in the summer.
29:37
Like, you know, we fought any us were bottling the decision in
29:41
terms of like, you know, strategically, do they know what
29:44
they're doing right? Because like I think the
29:46
argument was like, oh, because of Bruno and what he's given to
29:50
the club, he should decide. But Sir Alex Ferguson would
29:54
never have done that. And like, yeah, it's not about
29:57
going back to past years old, but it's just knowing what you
30:01
want to do as a club. And obviously they ultimately
30:05
allowed him to make the call even.
30:08
And apparently Reuben helped with that in terms of laying out
30:11
his plan. But yeah, it was it's clear that
30:14
Elios were prepared to let him go.
30:16
And I think it's for the reasons that, as mentioned in terms of
30:19
PSR. Yeah, I'm, I'm glad he stayed
30:23
because yeah, we would be in a right mess.
30:26
What's interesting is obviously, yeah, effectively the club
30:30
accepted the bid and then, you know, put it on to him.
30:34
But they tried to do it in a way where they didn't make it look
30:36
like they'd outright accepted it.
30:38
But I guess the wider point is now that we know Bruno was like
30:41
really upset by that whole on top of the fact that he actually
30:45
moved position. So, you know, a lot of people
30:47
were saying Bruno can't play a deeper in the team.
30:50
It's actually quite amazing how well Bruno has done this season
30:54
considering both of those factors.
30:56
Like I think chance creation, he's like top of the league.
30:59
You know, we know he's scored so many goals already for us.
31:02
So it's actually I guess he missed.
31:04
Two penalties as well. He put the two penalties away.
31:08
Imagine now we know why he was so pissed off against Fulham
31:11
when you know he went mad with the ref.
31:12
It's all of this in his mind, thinking he's been, you know,
31:14
let down by the club. But I am going to be a little
31:16
bit of a party people especially.
31:18
I think the Ashes has has hurt me more than I thought or I've
31:21
been listening to it too much in the last day or so, right.
31:24
Entertainment wise, obviously the goals and everything and all
31:27
these like stats about like top chance creator.
31:30
But you go through the games, there's about 4-5 goals that if
31:35
he was a proper midfielder, I'm not blaming him.
31:38
I'm talking about the type of midfielder that you've got in
31:41
they stop the opposition goals. So it's this Ying and Yang in
31:45
terms of like, yes, you're going to get all the attacking stuff,
31:48
but we are being hurt defensively.
31:50
You know the stats bear that out.
31:52
Yeah, so we've got two home games coming up now.
31:55
So Newcastle at home, Boxing Day and then yeah, as we touched on,
31:59
Wolves at home. So yeah, I know I've said this
32:02
on every part, but I'm not, I'm not even going to bother saying
32:03
again, Newcastle is going to be a tough game at Old Trafford on
32:06
Boxing Day, so we'll have to see what happens there.
32:08
Your man Eddie Howe, Ash, coming to Old Trafford and then, yeah,
32:12
Wolves at home. Surely I can expect to win in
32:14
that game, but again, not going to bank on it.
32:17
So yeah, let's see how we get on in these next two fixtures.
32:21
And then, yeah, it'll be 2020. And yeah, we kick off 2026.
32:24
We'll do our New Year's resolutions, Steve.
32:27
Yeah, we'll do our we'll do our best moments of 2025 as well.
32:30
We have had a few like the five for Leon game, the winner
32:34
Anfield, the trip to Bilbao outside the football.
32:37
So yeah, lots to talk about. So we'll wrap it up there.
32:41
Thanks for joining us on this episode.
32:43
Thanks for joining us all through 2025.
32:45
It's been a cracker.