Manchester United in trouble! | The Nutmeg
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00:00 with the increased amount of action that footballers have to deal with
00:04 and how it affects the collective.
00:06 Of course, teams in Europe are having a hard time,
00:09 some having a good time,
00:10 and we're going to be looking at all of them right here in this episode.
00:13 The likes of Real Madrid, the likes of Ewan Brighton and Newcastle
00:17 playing in European competitions is pretty new,
00:21 and we're going to discuss all of that right here in this episode.
00:25 Again, I bid you welcome to The Nutmeg on Guardian TV.
00:29 My name is Ayomidi Shutzbo.
00:31 Always good to have James in the studio,
00:39 and of course, this time I would like us to start the conversation
00:42 with teams in England,
00:44 and of course, where better to start from than Arsenal,
00:48 who are on the European scene.
00:50 Of course, they are making their return to the Champions League
00:52 for the first time since 2017.
00:54 A fantastic four-nil victory,
00:56 and of course, Martin Odegaard was man of the match,
00:59 but then they returned to the domestic scene.
01:02 A little matter, maybe not a little matter,
01:04 but a big matter, a little matter, however you want to say it,
01:06 of the North London debut, and it was a 2-0 draw at the Emirates.
01:10 Yeah, the game against Spurs,
01:13 I think the midweek Champions League game,
01:15 I think it kind of affected them.
01:17 That's the way I saw it.
01:18 They looked a little bit pathetic.
01:20 That flow, that speed and everything that we've come to know,
01:24 the Arsenal team under Ateta was not there.
01:27 I think they played against a smaller team,
01:30 and the midweek would have gotten their groove back,
01:32 but to play against your rival,
01:34 and a team that...
01:36 I mean, Spurs, for instance, don't have European competition to deal with.
01:40 So they had every opportunity to prepare well for this debut.
01:45 So Arsenal never had that opportunity.
01:47 After the Champions League, they had to prepare for the North London debut.
01:50 I know what the North London debut is,
01:52 - a very feisty, big clash. - Absolutely.
01:54 And I think Spurs, I can't remember the last time they came all out against Arsenal.
01:58 - At the Emirates. - The last time they won at the Emirates was 2010.
02:02 So they had the opportunity.
02:04 At a point, it became a 50-50 game.
02:07 So for me, I think the European exertion affected Arsenal a bit.
02:11 So let's just see how it goes, whether they were able to recover.
02:16 With games still coming up, and of course, Champions League action
02:20 still right up there for them to compete in.
02:22 But also Brighton and Newcastle United.
02:24 Newcastle United, by the way, a goal estimate at San Siro last week.
02:30 But then they return and they hit eight past Sheffield United.
02:33 It doesn't look like they are particularly strained by European competition as of now.
02:40 Yeah, I think just like what I said about Arsenal,
02:44 they went away to San Siro, got a very good 0-0 draw.
02:48 Then they played against Sheffield United that you expect them to beat.
02:51 But I didn't expect them to score that amount of goals.
02:55 So for me, the opposition too matters.
02:57 I think maybe they played against Man City now or Liverpool.
03:00 Even the Chelsea that are not really doing well.
03:02 I don't think they would have gone away like that.
03:05 Just because it's Sheffield United.
03:07 I was surprised to see that Sheffield just collapsed.
03:10 But how about Brighton?
03:12 A.K. Athens, they outlasted them in the five-goal thriller 3-2.
03:16 That was their European debut, by the way.
03:18 It's not a familiar thing for them to deal with.
03:21 But then they return and Mitoma started the game in midweek,
03:24 but then off the bench and he's got two goals.
03:26 And it looks like Brighton are still very much that top team in the league,
03:29 above the likes of even Man United and Chelsea.
03:31 Yeah, I think they learned something in their European adventure.
03:35 That the European League and the Premier League are two different ball games.
03:38 Because nobody expected...
03:40 This is a Brighton team that defeated Manchester United.
03:44 They give the big teams hell of a run.
03:46 But losing to A.K. that is not even one of the top teams,
03:50 one of the most decent teams in Europe.
03:53 So I think it was a high opener for them.
03:54 And they didn't allow the defeat to affect them in the next game,
03:57 which they did well to win 3-1.
03:59 Speaking about Man United, just with teams in England,
04:02 even Chelsea now, you look at the long absentee list
04:04 that they've got some of in Man United.
04:06 Now you know Jadon Sanchez is out because of disciplinary cases.
04:09 And so is Anthony, who is trying to sort out some off the pitch cases.
04:12 We don't want to discuss right here.
04:14 But then we have also in Man United a long injury list.
04:18 And they are in Europe, they have to contend with Bayern Munich.
04:20 They went to the Allianz Arena and got three goals.
04:23 And that's a big positive for them in the middle of a poor season so far.
04:27 But then how do you think things like Man United
04:30 will navigate it with that long injury list?
04:32 Of course, some of them are coming from injury.
04:33 But then Chelsea is also a thing.
04:35 A long injury list, new manager,
04:38 they're having to deal with acclimatising to his system, to his methods.
04:42 What do you make of all this?
04:43 Man, it's so unfortunate that...
04:45 In the early part of the season, you are now up to part two injuries.
04:49 To get to a point now, they start bringing players from the academy
04:53 to make up the numbers.
04:55 They're already doing that.
04:56 I mean, Anibal Mesri got a chance, got a goal against Brighton.
05:00 The most important thing now is to pray that
05:03 the medical team is not with the injured guys.
05:05 Because these are key guys who are out.
05:07 Varane is out, Luksho is out.
05:09 Like I said, Sancho has his disciplinary issues.
05:12 Anthony too has his own.
05:13 At Chelsea, despite the fact that they spent a lot of money,
05:16 most of these guys are out injured.
05:17 A billion pounds.
05:19 So, I mean, it's not looking good.
05:21 The earlier these guys come back,
05:23 because when you have your key guys out,
05:25 there's no way it's not going to affect your performance.
05:29 And hopefully, you will not be so way off,
05:32 start chasing the pack when you get into the tail end of the game.
05:36 But look at Atletico Madrid now.
05:38 They were triumphant in the Madrid debut at home in front of their own fans.
05:41 And in the Champions League, that set with a 1-0 draw,
05:44 of course, it was a heroic one from Lazio's goalkeeper, Providel.
05:48 But the week before, a couple of days before,
05:52 they had lost to Valencia.
05:53 I'm talking about Atletico Madrid now.
05:55 They had lost to Valencia.
05:56 And you're looking at how, you know, all these things,
05:58 the rotation of the squad, the team,
06:00 and for Diego Simeone, who is really looking to make a huge impact.
06:04 I mean, he needs to.
06:06 In fact, I was being asked somewhere today
06:07 if Atletico could be in that conversation for the time.
06:10 But do you think they could be in the conversation for La Liga
06:13 based on the competition?
06:14 Real Madrid there, Barcelona there,
06:16 with the start Barcelona have had as well.
06:18 Yeah, they've always been in the mix,
06:19 apart from when you take out Barcelona and Real Madrid.
06:22 Because if you check, if Barcelona and Real Madrid are not winning the title,
06:25 the next thing that always comes to mind is Atletico Madrid.
06:27 They are the last team, aside from these two giants,
06:30 that have won the La Liga.
06:33 You know, so for me, they will always be in the mix.
06:37 But I'm not tipping them to really do that well this season,
06:42 because you have a Real Madrid team
06:44 that they want to wrestle the title away from Barcelona.
06:47 Anyways, still in the Spanish division,
06:50 talking about Madrid as well,
06:53 you're looking at injuries to Vinicius,
06:55 particularly they look toothless in attack.
06:58 In fact, they had, watching that game,
06:59 they had to resort to shots from distance.
07:01 And they are not so potent in attack anymore.
07:04 You're having Jude Bellingham having to come up with the goals
07:07 and all of that.
07:08 But do you really think, how do you think this affects their season?
07:11 How do you think this can, you know, blight their season?
07:14 Because it's already doing that, but how do they also plot a recovery?
07:18 How does Caluani-Cellotti do that?
07:21 Well, this is where he has to earn his money.
07:22 He has to earn his pay now.
07:24 Because I think the game against Atletico,
07:27 it kind of exposed them that if you come up against a big team
07:29 and you don't have your full squad,
07:32 they are going to kick you out.
07:33 And finally, they did well and they've been doing well.
07:37 They've been escaping some games.
07:38 And just like what happened between Arsenal and Spurs,
07:41 when you play against your rival, they will come all out.
07:44 Any mistake will be punished.
07:45 So I think that's what happened between Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
07:48 You played against your rival and you went away.
07:51 Not with all your full squad.
07:53 I mean, they're going to pounce on you because they know that
07:55 the key guys are not there.
07:56 So that's what happened against Atletico.
07:58 The season is there for the taking for all of these sides
08:01 in the middle of a match congestion, a fixture congestion, by the way,
08:05 and also injuries.
08:06 But then we'll see how it pans out.
08:07 We'll be here to always talk about them
08:09 and the very best around the world of football.
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08:24 My name is Ambitious World.
08:25 Thank you for watching.
08:26 And James, thank you for coming.
08:27 It's a pleasure.
08:28 I'll see you in the next episode.
08:29 Bye for now.
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