00:00Hello, Pat. Thank you for sparing some time for us today. I know it's a big day for you this weekend.
00:07Can I start with your player availability, please? Just in terms of your injured player.
00:13How's Nico Gonzalez? I know you said he got a big knock.
00:16We'll see. We'll see this afternoon on the training.
00:20So there's a possibility that he could be involved?
00:22We'll see this afternoon.
00:23Lovely. Oscar Bob in his hamstring?
00:26No.
00:27John Stones?
00:28No.
00:29And just as far as Omar is concerned, I know he's got a third place playoff to take part in.
00:35Do you have a date yet organised for when he'll return?
00:38When we finish the third game, we'll travel back.
00:41Hopefully with a smile on his face as well, I'm sure.
00:43Sorry?
00:44And hopefully with a smile on his face if they have that game as well, yeah.
00:48Since 2022-23 season, Haaland and Foden have scored 15 of the 17 Premier League goals
00:57that Manchester City have scored against Manchester United, which is absolutely phenomenal.
01:03Does something change maybe in them for this game?
01:06Is that always the bar?
01:07Have you noticed anything particular about it?
01:09And what makes this one such a big difference game?
01:13I didn't know these stats.
01:15If they promised me they will continue, they will play tomorrow.
01:19Michael Carrick will be the sixth Manchester United manager you've faced in your time here.
01:30Whether it's the hierarchy that you've worked with, the players you've signed or the staff that you've had,
01:36what's been the most important factor in your longevity here?
01:41Results.
01:42Results.
01:46Anything else?
01:47No.
01:48If you don't win, you are a sack.
01:51So we won a lot, that's why I'm still sitting here.
01:55There's no other secret, no other club.
01:59But here a little bit more.
02:00They are more patient I would say, but there is no other secret.
02:06But then you must be grateful that you weren't winning at stages last season quite a long time
02:11and you still got the backing from upstairs.
02:14Yeah, that defined that club.
02:16Another club last season I would not be here anymore.
02:19So they were patient.
02:21Maybe what we have done in the past as well, of course.
02:25So at the end you can have two or three months bad, like it happened last season.
02:29We had three months not really, really good.
02:31I would say really poor.
02:32The rest was more than correct.
02:34But maybe another club will not be here.
02:38But maybe because the past was really good.
02:40The numbers and the titles and anything we have done is extraordinary.
02:44That's why still we are here.
02:46And in your time here, United have never sort of managed to sustain a title challenge.
02:51Should it have been Liverpool or Arsenal.
02:53Would you have enjoyed a more intense rivalry against them on the pitch?
02:57With who?
02:58With United?
02:59It's where it is.
03:00It's where it is.
03:01I cannot control what United have done.
03:04You know, since the day one, the opinion I have on Man United.
03:08But what happened, I don't know.
03:11Because I'm not there.
03:12I was and I'm not.
03:16Andy.
03:17Hi Pep.
03:18Any reports today about Marc Gay and the club's interest in him?
03:22Nothing to say.
03:23Can you say anything?
03:24Okay.
03:25Just generally go on his position, the defensive positions.
03:27How difficult are these injuries making things at the moment for you and the team?
03:32Yeah, without John, without Ruben, without Josco, we are in a difficult situation for no one game.
03:39But a long, long period is a difficult situation.
03:44Ruben will be back soon.
03:46Josco, no.
03:47John hopefully will see.
03:49Okay, and obviously it's a big game coming up at Old Trafford.
03:51Are the guys who are going to play ready for the challenge of playing there?
03:55I hope so.
03:56I hope so.
03:57Pep, when it comes to preparing for games, obviously you're always very methodical.
04:04With this being a different manager in Michael Carrick, you don't have a lot of reference points.
04:09I'm just interested, how do you prepare and has it been quite different this week compared to other managers you faced recently?
04:15Yeah, when you have more info about what the opponent or the manager, the opponent does,
04:20you have to give more info to the players.
04:22When you don't have any info, don't give info to the players and focus on yourself.
04:26Maybe with a line-up, tomorrow you'll have an idea.
04:30You can have, you know, some idea what Middlesbrough has done or when Michael was in a few games.
04:36One of the games was his first part as a manager in Man United.
04:41But, you know, tactics are about the players and the players that have United tomorrow.
04:47It's completely different than Middlesbrough.
04:49So, make an analogy to say what are you going to do?
04:52I don't know.
04:54And in that, is there a thrill for you still that there's some things you don't know?
05:00You solved so many problems before a game as a manager, but this one's maybe a little bit different.
05:04You have to react to whatever Michael Carrick might do.
05:07Yeah, but I don't have time out after 10 minutes to tell the guy Michael want to do this.
05:11You know that.
05:12So, we have time.
05:13So, that's why when you have info, it's better, you know, focus on yourself.
05:19For example, the game we played against Chelsea recently with a new manager,
05:23the first half was completely, completely different than they played in the second half.
05:26So, that's why it's question adapt and focus on yourself.
05:31Pep, during Armourine's time at United, I think the main subject was the formation.
05:37Some people say the formation is important.
05:39Some people say the formation are just numbers.
05:41What is your stance of the formation as a concept?
05:43Formation, what does it mean?
05:44The shape or the players?
05:45The shape.
05:46Yeah, when you play with five in the back, it doesn't work.
05:49You have to play with the four.
05:50And when you play with the four, you have to play with the five.
05:53That is analysis.
05:54And always afterwards.
05:56With five, you can play extraordinarily well.
05:58And with four, you can play extraordinarily well.
06:00The argument is just with the five, you change the four and everything will be click.
06:05It will be fine.
06:06Oh my God, everyone will be manager.
06:08It will be easy.
06:09And it's not like that.
06:11So, always you can do better, whatever you do.
06:16Because the players look like the best when the team works well.
06:23And it doesn't work when the team doesn't work well.
06:25So, the ideas always are good.
06:27I never find a manager with a bad idea.
06:29Before the game, you find a manager and tell me,
06:30oh, my game plan is like that.
06:32I said, wow.
06:33Yeah.
06:34Well played.
06:35But, after some time, it doesn't work.
06:40Hi Pep, I think I'm right in saying that you described Michael Carrick once
06:44as being one of the best holding midfielders that you've ever seen.
06:47Obviously, you played in that position.
06:48You've managed some of the greats in that position.
06:51How do the skills you had on the pitch translate into management from your experience?
06:57Well, I would say central defender and holding midfielder,
07:02they have maybe for the position they've had a more global vision
07:06that maybe you play like a winger, for example.
07:08I'm not saying the winger cannot read perfectly the game, but it's different.
07:11So, all I can say, I've seen many times, Michael as a player was extraordinary.
07:16Extraordinary.
07:17Obviously, we've asked you a lot about the transfer window,
07:22and I know you've said that this was not going to be an exceptional transfer window,
07:26but given the fact you've signed Antoine Semenya, who has two goals in two games,
07:30potentially you might be able to sign a central defender.
07:33If you do that, would that make it an exceptional transfer window?
07:37He scored three goals.
07:40Yeah, three goals, two that were given.
07:43But would it make it an exceptional transfer window?
07:46Just for two games.
07:47Imagine you play two games here.
07:49That is the analysis.
07:50Make it two games and don't score one goal.
07:52Play it bad.
07:53It was a disaster transfer window.
07:54That would be the analysis.
07:56So, I don't judge.
07:59Of course, I won't score as much goals as possible.
08:02Play it good.
08:03But he came for four, five, six years,
08:05and I will be judged after these four, five, six years,
08:07not for the two games.
08:09So, having a long experience with that,
08:12when a rival player and not play good in the beginning,
08:15it's not good.
08:16So, that's why it's be patient.
08:18We'll set the embugger there for 10.30pm this evening.
08:21Someone start, please.
08:22Someone start, please.
