00:00Hi Michael, I appreciate you've been asked this in various different ways, but with Champions League qualification secured and the
00:05implication that that can have on recruitment through the summer, I just wonder now, how quickly is clarity needed and
00:12what clarity is needed on your own future in place?
00:16Listen, clarity is important, I think moving forward it's come the time right at the end of the season where
00:22I think we've finished strong, put ourselves in a good position and obviously the situation of my role and what
00:29it looks like moving forward, I think it's just the natural time that was always spoke about towards the end
00:34of the season, if not the end of the season, so nothing's really changed to be honest.
00:38Why hasn't it changed though? I'm just thinking because you have got that Champions League qualification sorted out now.
00:44Yeah we have, but it's a matter of days ago and we've kind of got eyes on finishing the season
00:52strongly as well, so I understand the question, I understand the timing of it, but from my point of view
00:57right at this stage it's just putting the boys in a place to finish the season strongly and as I've
01:04said all along and I'm calm about it, it'll get sorted out when it's going to get sorted out, some
01:08of it's out of my hands, so we'll see what happens.
01:11Do you have a view of what happens further down the line though? Because I'm thinking Jamie Carragher and Gary
01:15Neville were debating the other night who has the brighter future and the point was raised that the squad now
01:20has to deal with playing games every three or four days, so what work do you feel is perhaps needed
01:25on the squad or is it well equipped enough at the moment to deal with that jump in the schedule
01:29that they will face next season?
01:31Yeah there's definitely different challenges within that, I think largely the boys are used to playing more games than we
01:40have done over a period of time, over a number of years and I think this has been a little
01:45bit unique in many ways, we've not been in the competitions and extended period of no games and things and
01:52we've had to adjust a little bit, so there's going to certainly be a change and shift with it, I
01:58think that's just part of evolving the squad and growing the squad.
02:03A little bit more experience, some younger players, more experience and it'll be a natural step to take that one
02:08and as a club we'll face that and face it head on.
02:14Michael, you've spoken a lot, we've asked you a lot about the youth teams and the academy, you played in
02:21a youth cup final, you played at West Ham's ground, you played at Coventry's ground, what's your view of what's
02:27happened this week because a lot of people seem to be quite upset that the youth cup final has not
02:33been played in the main stadium?
02:35Yeah, I'm disappointed to be honest, I think getting to the youth cup final always seems to have always been
02:44a thing where you play at the main stadium and it's such a showcase event for players of that age
02:51group, you know, and so we're disappointed, I think I've had some amazing memories, some of my best memories in
03:00that competition of playing with your close mates and
03:06it's a shame that it hasn't worked out for whatever reason. But listen, for the boys to go there, it's
03:12a fantastic game, it's a great opportunity, I'm sure the game itself will be good and I'm looking forward to
03:17going and watching and supporting the boys.
03:18Just in terms of Saturday, Sunderland away, do you, whenever you go there, do you think about the Aguero day?
03:26Because clearly that was a momentous day in Premier League history but it must have been a pretty painful one
03:33for you guys stood on the side of the pitch and then there was someone kind of cheering when you
03:38didn't win.
03:39Yeah, I can remember that, yeah, I've not forgotten it.
03:43I mean, what was that experience, that experience must be quite dispiriting in a way.
03:50Yeah, obviously it was a one-off kind of feeling and it wasn't during the game, it wasn't until after
03:56the game, I just kind of didn't really know exactly where the land was lying at that point.
04:03So it wasn't until we kind of walked towards the edge of the pitch and we had to deal with
04:08what was thrown at us.
04:09So it's in the past, you know, but yeah, it definitely sticks in the memory.
04:15Michael, I'm just wondering how you keep the team mentally out.
04:18That might seem a silly question but you've achieved your main objective.
04:22You could be forgiven for a lot of the players having half an eye on what's coming up in the
04:26summer.
04:26What is the messaging to the group?
04:30Pride, responsibility.
04:32Playing for this great club, great supporters, really good togetherness within the group as well.
04:38And it's about improving and evolving all the time as well.
04:42So as I said, over the last week or so in terms of the Champions League, it's a step, it's
04:47a really good step.
04:50That's not the end.
04:52That's not the end at all.
04:53So we want to keep improving, we want to finish strong, you know,
04:57and understanding there's a little bit of a feeling of games to go and it does get right to the
05:04end of it.
05:06Maybe it does change slightly but it doesn't in terms of us preparing for the game and wanting to do
05:13well and whoever plays, play well and try and win the game.
05:15You've had a very settled side throughout the majority of your time in charge.
05:20There's been some players around the periphery that I'm guessing have been very, very important squad members.
05:25Would you like to give them minutes, more opportunities before the end of the season to show that kind of
05:30sport back to them?
05:32I think every player in the squad has been absolutely fantastic, I have to say.
05:37Yeah, some have played a lot more than others and I understand from a professional and a playing point of
05:43view it can be difficult
05:44but the togetherness and the support that the players have shown, certainly each other, is great to see.
05:51It's what we need, you know, within the group and that's part of the challenge of doing a lot of
05:58training
05:58and not having as many games as we would have liked is the balance that we've had to kind of
06:04make the most of really.
06:06So, yeah, coming into these games, it's something we're aware of.
06:11I think it's something that we're really keen on playing well and still trying to get good results as well.
06:17But, yeah, it's definitely something to be aware of.
06:20It's true.
06:21Michael, Sunderland, I guess, won't want a memorable season for them just to sort of peter out.
06:26So, I just wonder what you expect from them this weekend.
06:31Got an awful lot to play for.
06:32I think it's very tight.
06:35I think he's at 6th to 12th maybe.
06:38He's really, really tight.
06:39Three, four points.
06:40So, I think they've got a lot to play for.
06:42They've had a fantastic season, you know.
06:45Not easy to come and get promoted and to stay in.
06:49And to stay in the league, first and foremost, has proven difficult over recent times.
06:53But to be in the top half and to be willing to touch and distance and getting in Europe as
06:58well is full credit to the season that they've had.
07:02Just one on the Youth Cup final that was mentioned there.
07:04It's going to be less than 1,000 United fans there.
07:06There were 67,000 the last time we were in the Youth Cup final.
07:11They were a great experience for the players.
07:13Is that something that should be looked at again?
07:16Could be looked at again?
07:18Yeah, I was at that game.
07:19I was at that game.
07:21The Forest game.
07:23So, special, special night, you know.
07:26To see the stadium full for a game like that was kind of what you'd hope, really, for that.
07:33But it is what it is.
07:35There's nothing, from what I know, that can be done about it.
07:38But it's kind of agreed.
07:39And hopefully, as years go by, then it can be flipped into the main stadiums.
07:47Andy?
07:49As a Geordie, I won't ask you any more about Sunderland.
07:51But how differently would you operate, or could you operate, if you got the job full-time here?
07:58Are there certain things that maybe you could do if you're a full-time manager that you can't do if
08:04you're an interim manager?
08:08It's a good question.
08:09I think I've said from the start, though, that I've never approached a day here in terms of any short
08:17-term decisions.
08:20Whether that's different from the outlook of others, I don't know.
08:24But from mine and the staff, I think we've definitely made decisions for the longer term for the group.
08:31And individually, as players, and how we treat them and try to help develop them, the squad.
08:40So, I don't think, really, it would change the approach for how I've tried to go about things.
08:49Again, I understand that I might be for the people looking towards me, maybe, or towards us.
08:54Whether that's players, whether that's supporters, whether that's you lot sitting here.
08:59I don't know how that changes, but maybe we'll get to see.
09:02I don't know.
09:04But certainly from my point of view, I think I've done it, gone about it in a way that I
09:09feel is the right way to do it.
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