Pundits expecting derby repeat performance are 'foolish'

Don’t expect Manchester United to do that again; the fans are being realistic about what comes next if not the pundits.

We also have mails on Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and more. Keep them coming to theeditor@football365.com

Let’s hold our horses on Man Utd for now

Apprehensively waiting for the game to start on Saturday morning the last thing I expected to see just a few hours later was the Old Trafford faithful waving Haaland off the pitch as he was hooked after doing f*** all in derby. It was a brilliant day.

If you look back on Manchester derby games since Fergie left United have done pretty well when considering the gulf between the two over that time. United have 12 wins to City’s 14 with 5 draws. So beating City isn’t unusual. You would also recognise some of the tactics employed by Carrick in previous wins against City. Low block, low possession, and a counter attacking threat were all on display.

However, many of those previous United wins were either on a knife edge or involved healthy doses of fortune. Not since well before Fergie left have a United side so utterly dominated a derby game. Both in and out of possession United dictated the pace and overwhelmed City with a relentless energy.

Carrick was smart, which is a good sign, because he addressed the obvious thing first. United’s main defensive issue under Amorim was too much space in the midfield. So he made the team narrow, closed the space in between the lines, and put more men in the middle. Simple right.

In particular playing Dorgu as a defensive winger who tucked into midfield really helped. It gave Mainoo the cover he needed to follow Foden/Cherki as they roamed and meant Amad and Bruno could jump out to press with Mbeumo when the opportunity arose.

Going forward it wasn’t a case of playing it long and chasing through balls. United played out from the back and held possession in their own third with relative ease, then a straight pass through the middle, usually by Martinez or a very good Casemiro, triggered quick and aggressive attacks.

There was a moment too when Mainoo received the ball then quickly turned the pressing Semenyo and passed out wide to start an attack. It was lovely and exactly the type of thing he needs to more of. He played well and looks so much more comfortable with midfield support though was outshone by many other excellent performances on the day. If he can do that press beating turn 3-4 times a game then he’ll quickly become the pivotal cog in our midfield.

City though were just bad. The derby probably came at a good time for United given the current form of Pep’s team and apparent defensive line issues. There was period toward the end of the first half where Pep altered the positions slightly and City had us pinned to our box, they were knocking it around it that familiar way when they unpick a low block but the threat never came. They just didn’t shoot. Feels a bit like that period last season when they looked lost, almost like Pep trying to make them more direct has neglected the identity that made them so dominant.

Looking forward on Carrick’s United it would be silly to take too much from this performance. Getting up for big games against rivals hasn’t been United’s problem. The comments from Shearer of ‘this performance level has to be the standard now’ just isn’t realistic and exactly what he said after the Liverpool win earlier this season. Derby games are unique because teams often find a higher than normal level. United do need more energy and urgency in general but expecting that performance every week is foolish.

Tactically too Carrick can’t really do that to other teams. They will have to win whilst dominating possession and by unlocking the kind of low block he deployed on Saturday. United have been fairly proficient in attack this season, Carrick needs to find a way to maintain that threat whilst keeping control and remaining resolute in defence. That isn’t simple.

Dave, Manchester

…What a performance in the derby, probably our best in years, and I was delighted enough to watch the match back in full and highlights on MoTD. The team looked well organised, dangerous in attack, and the energy and desire to press, defend and close down space was tremendous.

Nobody can question that we have the makings of a good squad and, therefore, there is some talent there; although here comes the b-bomb. But, these players have shown before that they can raise their game in the bigger matches, reflected in our healthy number of points gained against the top half of the table this season. Our issue has been the low-block teams when we have more of the ball – can we break those teams down and, more importantly, show the same hunger and desire to work hard off the ball to defend well as a team? Time will tell, so let’s keep our powder dry for now. (Making up 15 points at this stage is doable, yeah? Beat Arsenal and it’s only 12! Shh, they’ll say you’re crazy).

In other news, I do hope those Liverpool fans calling for Slot’s head (did he not win the league last season or was that actually a bad dream) and hoping Alonso will come in know what they are letting themselves in for. They need to appreciate that his most successful system thus far has been using 3 at the back at Leverkusen, and arguably it was a shift from this system and style to placate the Madridistas that led to his demise there.

Assuming that’s acceptable then brace yourselves, as you’re in for a treat. As soon as results start going south, which they will if even temporarily to restructure the squad, it is all you will hear about from the media, ex-players and impatient fellow fans. Until he is eventually hounded out with his 3-4-3 tail between his legs back to the Basque region and you bring in Stevie G or Ian Rush to save the day.

At least I think that’s how this thing works.

Garey Vance, MUFC

READ: Man Utd DNA ‘proved’ as club stand with ‘one foot in the past’

Arsenal have got them on the ropes

I’m using a different analogy from my last submission to F365 (attritional base line tennis for those that read it). After another week where the main rivals failed to make up ground, we’re now 58% of the way through the season and Arsenal still retain the upper hand, somehow sitting seven points clear. That gap can disappear quickly, it only takes a couple of slip-ups.

We’ve got them on the ropes but haven’t capitalised. It applies at a macro level; as mentioned the other protagonists are drawing or losing regularly and we should be extending the gap, and at the micro level; every game we have so much possession whilst giving away little but are unwilling to swing killer punches to see the opponents off.

I’m sure Mikel Arteta doesn’t think they are holding back but that’s how it appears from the outside. Now we have the capability – improved squad ability and size – to kill off a game, for goodness sake let’s utilise it, don’t let rivals out of the corner they’re pinned in (excuse the set piece pun) to let them recover.

The squad – mockers alert – is now just about back to full strength from injury so if we can’t do it in 2026, in one or more of the four competitions, then when will this ‘process’ ever be able to deliver?

For context, the George Graham teams of the late 80s early 90s, when the phrase ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ originated, actually played much more entertaining football than we’ve witnessed in the last couple of seasons. And without checking the record books, I feel many of the matches were won by greater scores than so far this season.

Come on Arsenal. In the words of an Arsenal legend, let’s play ‘with the handbrake off’ and get this done. Release me from these nail biting over tight games and let City, Villa, and a few Champions League teams ahead taste the canvas. ‘Seconds out’, as they say…..

TyA, Essex (sorry, but I’ve now lost patience with Viktor)

READ: Premier League winners and losers: Manchester United, cursed Emery, Wilson, Arsenal and more…

Can a defence win the Premier League?

Just watched my beloved Houston Texans waste a generationally good defense with absolutely horrendous offensive output, and I started thinking about the parallels with Arsenal.

After nearly 2 decades of aimless drifting, the club finally has a defense that is arguably the best in Europe over the past few years. And much like Houston, the offensive side of the team is stop-start at best (though thankfully, not nearly as calamity-prone).

I’ve been watching this whole Arsenal season, and keep saying to myself – ‘it’s OK, the defense will carry us’. But now I’m not sure anymore – after another missed opportunity for 3 points this weekend, are we just not good at putting the ball in the net? We’ve scored goals from open play, but I’ve never felt like they can be relied on.

Does defense actually win titles then? Are there examples of teams that were defensively dominant like Arsenal win nothing over a sustained period? Should teams be even focusing on defenders instead of throwing money at forwards?

Girish, AFC, Chennai

Gyokeres is absolutely fine

Oh no we drew 0-0 with the team that beat Liverpool and very nearly beat our closest rivals. Oh no we extended our lead by another point. Oh no our striker didn’t score again he must be the s***

Is he the main striker for a team top of the table, top of the Champions league and still in 2 Cup competitions? Checks notes, yes he is. Should he be scoring and assisting more? Yes. Is he part of arguably the best team in Europe right now? Also yes. He is fine, get over it.

Mikel Arteta is clearly not an idiot. He has Mikel Merino, who has an unbelievable record at no9, sat on the bench and Gyokeres starting. Maybe one of the current best managers in Europe knows something. Or maybe Stewie or Will Ford etc. know more about football? Somehow I doubt it. Only 2 strikers have more than 10 goals in the league this season, and nobody was clamouring for Thiago. I would have liked Ekitike though…

Let’s move on and talk about more interesting things like how is Thiago challenging Haaland for the golden boot? Whats happening over in Brentford, they are joint most in form with Arsenal. Everton are now in contention for a Champions League place, what? Fulham have snuck their way in too. A few weeks ago Leeds and Bournemouth were opposite ends of the table, now Bournemouth are getting dragged into relegation. Coventry are having a wobble, can Lampard fumble his chance to prove everyone wrong?

Rob A (what is with stealing the keepers towels every 5 minutes) AFC

Who is bottling this Premier League?

People go on and on about Arsenal ‘bottling’ ‘ the league but refuses to mention any other team. It’s hilarious really,! Arsenal dropped two points and we’re allegedly a disaster and complete bottle jobs for doing so . However, it turned out to be a point gained as City and Villa truly bottled their games.

Social media outlets and brainwashed followers of such sites can’t speak or see for themselves about which teams are wobbling all over the shop. It ain’t Arsenal because they drop points on a busy schedule of four away games (two won and one drawn so far) but, as stated Villa and City dropped points. Arsenal are gradually and reservedly pulling away but nobody wants to admit it.

I haven’t written in for a while because I had become too bored with the anti Arsenal inquisition about this, that and anything. It really is lovely to be hated again because it means certain people are taking note of this club again.

A couple of final points is that the only concern I have is getting Calafiori back into action as we’re looking very vulnerable down that flank. Also, apparently Raya received acclaim for his outstanding save v Brighton. I would like to mention his great charge and sliding tackle well out of his box v Forest, just as good!

Come in Arsenal.

Cheers.

Chris, Croydon

Aston Villa will drop into the pack now

Emery’s post match interview may have seemed odd. Surprising Redknapp and Young are not able to read between the lines though.

Last night Emery declared Villa had reached its ceiling. The various financial regulations means we cannot compete with at least 5 other teams. We just can’t get deals done without a heavy amount of varying clauses. The Conor Gallagher debacle really showed how bad the situation is.

Emery didn’t rant at the owners as they have been magnificent and would spend if the could but their hands are tied.

Looking at Emery last night was grim. We just lost to a team who we typically bank on a win, who were depleted with injuries, who came to Villa Park where we had won 11 in a row and where victory would have seen us 4 points off the top. And lost. And then to make matters worse another good player sold who we really could have done with last night goes and scores on his debut for Roma.

That was the first of 5 games in 14 days with a seriously depleted squad. The options off the bench outside defenders, goalkeepers and kids – Guessand (Henry he is not). Never mind title challenge, just watch the chasing pack gobble up ground on points for those champions league places.

It was fun though wasn’t it!

Villa fan Dave

…I began supporting Aston Villa in 1991, a young lad from Ireland who felt a connection with a team in Birmingham that sported Irish heroes like McGrath, Houghton, Townsend, Cascarino and Staunton. This all has come back to me as I received a book for Xmas called Nobody Remembers Second which is a nostalgic look at two second place finishes in 4 years.

The killer for me is that as I say regularly to my non Villa supporting sons, the club motto should always be “Villa will always let you down”. Here is a brief summary of the hurt over the years since we last won a cup in 1997 – almost thirty years ago by what is deemed a massive club.

Losing 3-2 to Man U in FA Cup when being 2-0 at home with 15 mins left

Losing to Birmingham home and away when they returned to the top flight

Losing a 2-0 lead at home to Arsenal in c2009 when a win would have seen us 8 points clear and close to Champs League – instead a collapse after the draw saw us miss out

Losing in final to Man U when we should have had a pen and them down to 10 early on

Losing in semi finals in Europe when massive favourites

Hiring Steve Bruce after he relegated the most bitter of rivals

Being relegated

Losing to Man U in Dec 2024 when 2-0 up against a team who were considered in crisis

Losing to a terrible Man U last May when a win would have given champs league

Losing to Liverpool last Oct when we were their only win in eleven

Losing to Everton yesterday when we could have put a slight modicum of pressure on an Arsenal who are known to be a little wobbly at times

In the aforementioned book, Dwight Yorke says that he only realised when he left that the Villa mindset was one that glorious failure was a success, whereas at Man U finishing second was an embarrassment.

I have come to realise that this is endemic in the club, and sadly a “DNA” cannot be overcome.

I look forward to a 6th place finish this season.

Paul, Dublin

Life’s a piece of spit, when you look at it…

So said comedy legend and Python Eric Idle – but apparently Pep has taken the comedic song absolutely literally – so could somebody PLEASE tell him it looks absolutely f***ing dizgosstin.

He’s doing tongue cartwheels with the flob every single time the camera pans to him & even did it in the post match interview a couple of times! I’m sure a finger rooting around for some green nose gold is potentially next.

When you combine this with Thomas Frank steadfastly refusing to shut his cake hole whilst chewing his gum with a jaw widening so vast that you could park a Ford Transit next to his molars, could this is the real reason their players are performing as if stupefied into stunned affliction.

Love & peas to all those affected.

Sesh Juan

Chelsea specialise in striker flops

I quite enjoyed Gaptoothfreak’s list of floppy strikers from the mailbox earlier, but have to comment on his observation that Chelsea ‘produce a f*** ton of wack strikers’.

This really should read ‘buy a f*** ton of wack strikers’.

Perhaps Chelsea’s problem over recent years, and the reason they have so many entries in Gaptooth’s list (7 of 13), is that they don’t produce any strikers of their own who they believe they can trust, and have had to gamble on the vagaries of ‘poor tactical fit, injuries, or pressure and proof that Premier League adaptation is brutal’.

A, LFC, Montreal

AFCON poor from start to finish

I think it was fitting that the AFCON final was probably the worse match of a terrible tournament. The tournament and the final was absolutely a bore fest.

On the final itself, the football was terrible, the ref was terrible and as for the end of normal time, whatever about the rights and wrongs of penalty decision, Senegal were discgraceful walking off the pitch. FIFA should ban them immediately from the WC.

Ken, Cork, Ireland

Lots of thoughts on many things

AFCON

Senegal should be severely punished for their actions up to and including the final being replayed, being stripped of the title and/or being banned from the next AFCON tournament.

Whether it was a reaction in the heat of the moment to some awful refereeing decisions going against them or a deliberate ploy to delay the taking of the penalty there needs to be strong, immediate, and decisive action to stop such a shameful display from being normalised.

Glasner

I like Glasner. He’s a fine coach. As a Rangers and Liverpool fan he has inflicted some very difficult days against two teams I follow while at Frankfurt and Palace.

He has done a brilliant job at Palace winning the FA Cup, creating a fascinating mix of defensive steel and genuinely attractive attacking play. I’ve no doubt he is lined up with a more high-profile role elsewhere. However, his actions this season have been incredibly selfish. I think much of it stems from the shambles Palace got themselves into over Europe – if I was Glasner I’d be furious with the club.

However, to supposedly throw a temper tantrum to ensure Guehi couldn’t be sold by linking it directly to your own willingness to remain at the club before seemingly just a few months later telling the club you aren’t signing a new contract anyway is pretty embarrassing.

I’m sure Palace would love to have kept all those players but that was never going to be the case (and no this is not a PSR or ‘EPL Corrupt as Fuck’ nonsense that some fans go on about as Palace have always sold their best players going back to Ian Wright, John Salako, Chris Armstrong, Gareth Southgate!)

Glasner is a smart man. He would know this. His subsequent complaints over the weekend about having Guehi sold from under him just before a game and how it isn’t normal for a club to sell players like Eze, Olise and Guehi in a relatively short space of time is just self-serving nonsense.

Liverpool

I speak as a Liverpool fan when I say this but my God our fans are annoying (as all fanbases are at different times in different ways). The reaction to dropping points at home to Burnley is presumably a combination of a very disappointing season, an unwelcome record at home to promoted sides, a league where no-one looks great at the minute giving a sense of missed opportunities and many other things including the new availability of a certain Champions League winning former player.

But it genuinely feels to me that a lot of fans were just waiting and hoping that things were going to go wrong for Slot because they still pine for Klopp. That they’ve never taken to him let alone fallen in love with him (as Liverpool fans tend to do with especially major title winning managers).

Often this sort of reaction is blamed on ‘Out of Towners’ or ‘Online Fans’ but it seems that the weekend’s reaction was most prevalent amongst match going fans.

I think Klopp is a God of a man and a manager and I loved Xabi as a player but I would’ve thought the excellent job that Slot had done in his first season would’ve bought him both more respect and time in what is arguably the transition year that we skipped last year while winning the title.

Lindsay, Dublin

Not too much sympathy for Palace

Must be hard being a Palace fan right now, but not that hard. Holders of 2 trophies and still in Europe with some amazing players at the club.

None of the 7 one-time FA Cup winners who came before Palace are currently in the PL (Ipswich, Southampton, Wigan, Wimbledon, Leicester, Coventry and Portsmouth). All but Leicester have played in the 3rd tier after winning the FA Cup. You have to go back to Leeds in 1972 to find the second most recent one-time FA cup winner currently in the EPL.

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