A full version of the ManchesterWorld Q&A with Michael Plant.
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00:00 I'm here with Michael Plante of Manchester World on our weekly Manchester Catch-Up.
00:05 Michael, let's start with Manchester United.
00:08 Obviously, MartÃnez, a player who came back into the side and has really sort of changed that solid solidarity and defence,
00:17 and offers a lot more in terms of passing through into the midfield, feeding the likes of Bruno Fernandes to start counter-attacks, for example.
00:26 I mean, he's now out with an injury. What's the latest you can tell us, and what impact will that have on Ten Hag's current side?
00:35 Yeah, it's a big blow for United because, obviously, he's been out for the majority of the season so far.
00:40 I think he missed 18 games without foot injury.
00:43 Obviously, injured his foot at Brookes Metatarsal against Sevilla in April.
00:47 Came back from that, but still was feeling complications with it, so had to go and require surgery again.
00:53 So, he's been out. He was out from September to January.
00:57 Kind of came back into the team and started the last two Premier League matches.
01:01 Obviously, United won both of those. They're starting to build a little bit of momentum.
01:05 I think MartÃnez is crucial to the way they want to build up from the back.
01:08 They just look so much more confident with him on the ball.
01:11 He's obviously a fantastic defender as well.
01:13 And so, you're thinking, from a United perspective, happy days, fantastic.
01:17 This is all starting to build up and look a lot brighter and more optimistic.
01:21 And then, of course, a completely separate injury, picking up that knee injury against West Ham.
01:26 It's really innocuous moment because Soufhal fell on him.
01:30 And I think everyone thought he was play-acting.
01:33 Certainly, all the West Ham fans did, and I have to be honest, at the time, I did as well.
01:36 But then he came back on, tried to continue and couldn't.
01:39 And he's now, I can't remember the exact phrase, I think it was his medial ligament or something like that.
01:46 But he's hurt his knee. That's the easy way of putting it.
01:51 And he's going to be out for at least eight weeks, which kind of brings us into April.
01:57 That's a big blow for United.
01:59 And as I say, and also Ten Hag, he likes to have his two centre-backs, one right footer, one left footer.
02:05 I mean, he's got four other centre-backs, all four of whom are right-footed.
02:09 And, you know, it's a big talking point earlier this season about the fact he didn't like Varane in that left slot.
02:13 And he didn't like Varane and Maguire together.
02:16 He's even played Luke Shaw at left-back at times to get a right-footed and a left-footer.
02:19 So, yeah, it's a big blow for United.
02:21 I do think that now they've got the options and the players back, I mean, they've got all the other four centre-backs fit and available.
02:27 So you would hope from their perspective that they should be OK to soldier on.
02:30 And they don't actually have too many injuries now in general, which they did obviously in the earlier part of the season.
02:34 But at the same time, it is quite a significant blow for United.
02:39 And up next in the Premier League, Aston Villa away, eight points between the two sides.
02:44 Could this be another fantastic away performance from United?
02:48 Or could you maybe see this match sort of showing the gap between the two sides this season?
02:56 Yeah, I think it's a good point that it will be a game that will really underline either potentially how far United are away from,
03:05 let's say, the top four at the moment or from a Villa perspective,
03:07 to underline that they are real challengers if United can come to Villa Park and they can manage to beat them.
03:14 I mean, United really enjoyed playing Villa, certainly in the second half of the meeting at Old Trafford.
03:20 I mean, Villa's tactics are so rigid in the way that they approach things.
03:27 And they play that high line that United really, really enjoyed.
03:30 United enjoy playing against teams who will give them space to attack in behind.
03:34 I wonder whether that will change United's thinking in any way.
03:37 I don't think it will really. Obviously, Villa have had a big blow.
03:40 It looks like Ezri Conso is going to be out of the game.
03:42 And they're actually struggling with a couple of injured defenders at the moment.
03:46 Pau Torres is out as well.
03:48 So I think from United's perspective, they've got to go there.
03:50 And United's away record hasn't been great recently.
03:54 They obviously had that win against Wolves last time out, but particularly under Ten Hag,
04:00 that away record at the top seven or eight clubs has been horrendous, to be honest.
04:06 And I mean, he even managed to lose at Villa Park.
04:09 And no man United manager had done that in the Premier League since 1995,
04:13 when Ten Hag lost their last season.
04:15 So, yeah, it's a big game.
04:16 As you said, eight points between United and the top four.
04:21 I mean, I think if United have any chances or hopes of challenging for a Champions League place,
04:26 they've got to start drastically reducing that gap pretty soon.
04:30 Obviously, this weekend is a perfect opportunity.
04:32 You could, you know, if they were to win, they would at least close the gap to Villa to five points.
04:36 I mean, Spurs, I think the gap is two points off Villa.
04:40 So I'm trying to do the maths off the top of my head.
04:42 But anyway, reduce that gap anyway.
04:44 But yeah, an important game.
04:46 And I think that United will have to look to replicate the second half performance at Old Trafford earlier this season
04:51 and really attack and play with the same sort of vigour and gusto that they showed at times against Wolves.
04:58 Certainly from an attacking sense, they showed against West Ham and try and replicate that from their perspective
05:03 across 90 minutes against Villa.
05:05 Michael, moving on to Man City, there's one man at the moment who is on absolute fire.
05:10 I mean, Phil Foden, let's just give him a mention.
05:13 I mean, eight goals, seven assists for Manchester City.
05:17 I mean, firstly, what have you made of his spell this season and how mature he's looked?
05:24 And secondly, how much of a sort of bit of pressure it takes off the likes of De Bruyne and Haaland?
05:30 And how pleased will Guardiola be with him this season?
05:34 Yeah, it's a good point that, you know, so much of the talk is always about Haaland and De Bruyne,
05:39 especially coming back from injury, that you forget that in the midst of that, they have some fantastic players.
05:44 I mean, Alvarez, Silva and you, of course, have mentioned Foden, who was fantastic in the 3-1 win against Brentford,
05:51 of course, getting the hat-trick.
05:52 And look, Foden form has been superb this season.
05:56 He's played every single Premier League match, started all bar two.
05:58 I mean, those games were against Bournemouth and Sheffield United as well, which, I mean, no disrespect,
06:02 they're not the biggest games of the season, but he's been brilliant.
06:05 Foden, he's playing obviously a bit more central, although he did technically play it wide against Brentford
06:10 and kind of cut inside, but I think he's really enjoying playing those central areas in that attacking role.
06:15 I think he's enjoyed as well probably a little bit this season, the fact that with De Bruyne and Haaland out,
06:20 a lot of the responsibility has fallen on him and Alvarez, and he's really enjoyed that.
06:24 And I mean, I think Guardiola said yesterday that, along the lines of he's in the best form that he's had,
06:29 you know, he's in the best kind of run of performances he's ever had at Man City, and I would certainly agree with that.
06:34 You know, Foden's been around for so long, you forget just how young he is.
06:38 I mean, still only 23.
06:40 I mean, he's won, what, four Premier League titles, five, I can't remember off the top of my head.
06:46 But he is such an important player for City, and I mean, Guardiola was talking yesterday about how he's a player for the future,
06:53 for Winsilva and De Bruyne, at least this club.
06:56 And you can already see him slowly maturing into that player, but his range of pass,
07:01 just the thing I always admire about Foden is he gets the ball, and within a split second, he's done something, he's made an action.
07:09 He's never a type of player who puts his foot in the ball and slows things down.
07:12 It's so quick, so rapid, and I think in those attacking areas, especially when City so often face, you know,
07:19 really deep defences, that his quick reactions and ability to make fast decisions,
07:24 he can be pivotal to that split-second advantage over a defender.
07:28 And as I say, I just think he's been absolutely fantastic, Lee.
07:31 And from his perspective, and from City's perspective, you know, long may it continue.
07:37 And finally on City, Everton at home up next. I mean, we've mentioned their nice run of games coming up.
07:43 You know, could it be another one just to kick-start that run that they always seem to go on around this time of year?
07:49 Yeah, they're suddenly looking ominous, aren't they?
07:51 They've got De Bruyne back, they've got Haaland back, they've got Foden and Farran.
07:54 I thought Alvarez was actually quite good against Brentford as well.
07:58 Silva is playing more of a kind of quite selfless role at the moment, Bernardo Silva.
08:02 I mean, you don't always notice him in games, but I mean, it was almost like an attacking five.
08:07 They just flitted all over the place.
08:08 You've got Jack Grealish to come in, you've got Jeremy Doku.
08:12 They're looking good, City. They're looking really, really good.
08:14 Won five in a row in the league, nine in a row in all competitions.
08:18 I think that Arsenal and Liverpool are really looking at them ominously and wondering, you know, is there any way of catching them?
08:25 Obviously, you've got Everton at the weekend.
08:26 They've got a really good record against Everton.
08:28 I think that is it seven of the last eight they've won?
08:31 And Everton, listen, Everton are struggling, aren't they?
08:32 They've, looking now, they've not won in the last six Premier League games,
08:36 although they have drawn the last three, but they've slipped back into relegation zone.
08:40 They are, they're finding things difficult at the moment, Everton.
08:43 And especially with the potential of another points duction looming over them,
08:48 I think there's a bit of uncertainty at the moment.
08:50 And City are superb at home.
08:53 They haven't lost there since November 2020, and that's before the World Cup.
08:57 That's how long ago we're talking, that's since City lost a home game.
09:00 And yeah, I can only see this end in one way.
09:03 I can only see it with a City victory.
09:05 But look, who knows?
09:07 And Sean Dyche is, you know, he's always going to make things difficult,
09:11 although he has a terrible record against Guardiola, doesn't he?
09:13 So he's going to try and make it difficult.
09:15 But I ultimately think this is a game that City will win relatively comfortably.
09:19 [BLANK_AUDIO]