• 2 months ago
A preview of the Community Shield.
Transcript
00:00Michael, on the Community Shield, obviously it marks the start of a new season in terms of the Manchester derby in this.
00:08The last time they met would have been in that FA Cup final.
00:12Is it sort of a revenge mission for Guardiola's side?
00:15Because that day they were sort of outclassed.
00:17I think Manchester United were fantastic on the day.
00:21Yes, there's not many matches that City come away from saying that they deservedly lost.
00:25But I think that was definitely one of them.
00:27That was probably one of only two, maybe, last season that City were involved in.
00:30So, yes, it's a strange scenario, I suppose, that this season begins as last season ended with a Manchester derby at Wembley.
00:40But, I mean, City have lost the last three consecutive Community Shields, which is quite a surprise and statistic for them, really.
00:48But I think from Guardiola's perspective, I mean, he will talk about how he wants to win it, how it's an important game and how it's another piece of silverware.
00:55But I think realistically, from his perspective, it is another friendly game to, I suppose, build the fitness up of his players.
01:03And just ahead of the start of the Premier League season, and he's spoken about how City are going to be undercooked at the start of this campaign.
01:11The majority of their international players only returned to pre-season training at the end of last week, at the start of this week.
01:17So I don't even know if any of them will start, to be honest.
01:20I don't know if, you know, someone like Jeremy Doku, whether they'll say a week's worth of training means that he's in a position to start.
01:26Kevin De Bruyne is in the same boat. So it'll be really interesting to see what team Guardiola puts out.
01:32I suspect it will be a team very similar to that that we saw over the summer in the pre-season friendlies,
01:39which is a kind of a scattering of first team players made up with a number of youth team players,
01:46the likes of Nico O'Reilly, Sean in pre-season, James McAtee as well.
01:50We had Calvin Phillips playing centre-back over pre-season, which actually wouldn't surprise me if we see it again at Wembley at the weekend.
01:56So, and then perhaps kind of later into the game, we see these substitutes brought on, the likes of De Bruyne, Doku, maybe Bernardo Silva, who have reported back late.
02:05But as I say, I think from City's perspective, this is another game to just build fitness ahead of the season.
02:09And we know that Pep Guardiola is the master of getting City to, I suppose, peak in those important months of the campaign.
02:16So if they start a little bit sluggishly, maybe at the weekend or throughout August, I don't think it'll be a huge concern for City.
02:23And Rich, in terms of Manchester United going into this game, they're going to want to repeat that fantastic FA Cup final, which was a very, very strange time.
02:32It's probably guaranteed Eric Ten Hag's job to continue as well.
02:35Quite a crazy end to the season.
02:38How are they looking going into this one?
02:40Yeah, I think as Michael said, if you win it, it's a trophy.
02:44If you lose it, it's another friendly.
02:45I think if Manchester United were to win this weekend, they'd certainly see it as a huge positive and another victory over Pep Guardiola's side.
02:52And quite a good hurdle to overcome headed into the new season.
02:56Pre-season has been mixed for them.
02:58The results haven't always been there.
02:59There's been a few encouraging performances.
03:02The likes of Ahmad has really taken his opportunity.
03:05But we've seen in years gone by, you know, Anthony Martial and Andres Pereira used to stand out on pre-season for United.
03:11So the real test will be when that Premier League season starts.
03:14And, you know, we head into the new season, United with a bit of an injury crisis as well.
03:19Yoro, of course, sidelined now for three months.
03:21We've actually done a piece saying that United could theoretically be without as many sort of seven defenders this weekend against City.
03:28I think that it's similar to the City situation in that you've got Luke Shaw, who's just returned from international duty.
03:34Do you risk putting him in straight away?
03:36Lindelof and Evans were taken off at half time with a Liverpool defeat last weekend.
03:41Maguire wasn't involved at all.
03:43Wan-Bissaka also withdrew in that game.
03:47So, you know, United have question marks over a number of players.
03:50And it's whether it's worth risking them against City in what is, you know, a friendly match or if you try and keep them fit for Fulham.
03:56So I think United will probably have the stronger lineup this weekend against City just because I think the game means more to them.
04:03But it's going to be interesting to see the way the United sort of approach it.
04:07Of course, Hoyland is also injured as well.
04:09He'll be out for a few months.
04:10So that is probably in a weird way makes United's tactics a bit easier because, of course, the FA Cup final was won with this false nine and playing a two-pronged attack.
04:20I think it'll be similar again this weekend, which sort of sums up where United are.
04:24They've got grand plans of being able to match City and beat them at their own game.
04:28But they still head into the Community Shield at best as a counterattacking team and a team who have to let the other teams come at them, sort of absorb possession.
04:38So it's going to be interesting to see if United really have changed or if it's more of the same really in the new season.

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