00:00Hello, Pep. Thank you for sparing some time for us today.
00:05I know it's a big day for you this weekend.
00:08Can I start with your player availability, please?
00:11Just in terms of your injured player. How's Nico Gonzalez?
00:15I know you said he got a big knock.
00:17We'll see. We'll see this afternoon in the training.
00:21So there's a possibility that he could be involved?
00:23We'll see this afternoon.
00:24Lovely. Oscar Bob in his hamstring?
00:27No.
00:28John Stones?
00:29No.
00:30And just as far as Omar is concerned,
00:32I know he's got a third-place playoff to take part in.
00:36Do you have a date yet organised for when he'll return?
00:39When we finish the third game, we'll travel back.
00:42Hopefully with a smile on his face as well, I'm sure.
00:44Sorry?
00:45And hopefully with a smile on his face if they win that game as well, yeah.
00:49Since 2022-23 season, Harland and Foden have scored
00:5515 of the 17 Premier League goals that Manchester City have scored against Manchester United,
01:01which is absolutely phenomenal.
01:02Does something change maybe in them for this game?
01:06Is that always the bar?
01:08Have you noticed anything particular about it?
01:10And what makes this one such a big difference game?
01:14I didn't know these stats.
01:17They promised me they will continue.
01:19They will play tomorrow.
01:20Michael Carrick will be the sixth Manchester United manager you've faced in your time here.
01:31Whether it's the hierarchy that you've worked with, the players you've signed or the staff that you've had,
01:37what's been the most important factor in your longevity here?
01:42Results.
01:43Results.
01:47Anything else?
01:48No.
01:50If you don't win, you are a sack.
01:53So we won a lot, that's why I'm still sitting here.
01:57There's no other secret, no other club.
02:00But here a little bit more.
02:01They are more patient I would say, but there is no other secret.
02:07But then you must be grateful that you weren't winning at stages last season quite a long time
02:12and you still got the backing from upstairs.
02:15Yeah, that defined that club.
02:17Another club last season I would not be here anymore.
02:20So they were patient.
02:22Maybe what we have done in the past as well, of course.
02:25So at the end you can have two or three months back like it happened last season.
02:29We had three months not really, really good.
02:32I would say really poor.
02:33The rest was more than correct.
02:36But maybe another club will not be here.
02:39But maybe because the past was really good.
02:41The 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.
02:52It's been Liverpool or Arsenal.
02:54Would you have enjoyed a more intense rivalry against them on the pitch?
02:58With who?
02:59With United?
03:00It's where it is.
03:01It's where it is.
03:03I cannot control what United have done.
03:05You know, since the day one, the opinion I have on Man United.
03:09But what happened, I don't know.
03:12Because I'm not dead.
03:13I was and I'm not dead.
03:16Hi Pep.
03:18Any reports today about Marc Gay and the club's interest in him?
03:23Nothing to say.
03:24Okay.
03:25Just generally go with his position, the defensive positions.
03:28How difficult are these injuries making things at the moment for the team?
03:33Yeah, without John, without Ruben, without Josco, we are in a difficult situation for no one game.
03:40But a long, long period is a difficult situation.
03:44But Ruben will be back soon.
03:46Josco, no.
03:47John hopefully will see.
03:49Okay.
03:50And obviously it's a big game coming up at Old Trafford.
03:52Are the guys who are going to play ready for the challenge of playing there?
03:56I hope so.
03:57I hope so.
03:58Pep, when it comes to preparing for games, obviously you're always very methodical.
04:05With this being a different manager than Michael Carrick, you don't have a lot of reference points.
04:10I'm just interested, how do you prepare?
04:13And has it been quite different this week compared to other managers you faced recently?
04:16Yeah.
04:17Well, you have more info about what the opponent or the manager the opponent does.
04:21You have to give more info to the players.
04:23When you don't have any info, don't give info to the players.
04:26And focus on yourself.
04:28So, maybe with a lineup tomorrow you'll have an idea.
04:32You can have, you know, some idea what Middlesbrough has done.
04:35I don't know when Michael was in a few games.
04:37Well, no games.
04:38It was his first part as a manager in Man United.
04:42But, you know, tactics is about the players and the players that you have.
04:47United tomorrow is completely different than Middlesbrough.
04:50So, make an analogy to say what you're going to suggest you're going to do.
04:54I don't know.
04:55And in that, is there a thrill for you still that there's some things you don't know?
05:01You solve so many problems before a game as a manager, but this one's maybe a little bit different.
05:05You have to react to whatever Michael Carrick might do.
05:08Yeah, but I don't have time out after 10 minutes to tell the guy Michael want to do this.
05:12You know that.
05:13So, we have time.
05:14So, that's why when you have info, it's better, you know, focus on yourself.
05:20For example, the game we played against Chelsea recently with a new manager.
05:24The first half was completely, completely different than they played in the second half.
05:27So, 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.
05:40Some people say the formation are just numbers.
05:42What is your stance of the formation as a concept?
05:44Formation, what does it mean?
05:45The shape or the players?
05:46The shape.
05:47Yeah.
05:48When you play with five in the back, it doesn't work.
05:50You have to play with a four.
05:51And when you play with a four, you have to play with a five.
05:54That is analysis.
05:55And always afterwards.
05:56With five, you can play extraordinarily well.
05:59And with four, you can play extraordinarily well.
06:01The argument is just with a five, you change a four and everything will be clicked.
06:06It will be fine.
06:07Oh, my God.
06:08Everyone will be manager.
06:09It will be easy.
06:10And it's not like that.
06:12So, always you can do better, whatever you do.
06:17Because the players look like the best when the team works well.
06:24And it doesn't work when the team doesn't work well.
06:26So, the ideas always are good.
06:27I never found a manager with a bad idea.
06:29Before the game, you find a manager and tell me, my game plan is like that.
06:32I said, wow.
06:33Yeah.
06:34Well played.
06:35But after some time, it doesn't work.
06:39I think I'm right in saying that you described Michael Carrick once as being one of the best
06:45holding midfielders that you've ever seen.
06:47Obviously, you played in that position.
06:49You've managed some of the greats in that position.
06:52How do the skills you had on the pitch translate into management from your experience?
06:59Well, I would say central defender and holding midfielder, they have maybe for the position,
07:05they have a more global vision that maybe you play like a winger, for example.
07:09I'm not saying the winger cannot read perfectly the game, but it's different.
07:12So, all I can say, as in many times, Michael as a player was extraordinary.
07:17Extraordinary.
07:18Obviously, we've asked you a lot about the transfer window.
07:23I know you've said that this was not going to be an exceptional transfer window,
07:27but given the fact you've signed Antoine Semenya, who has two goals in two games,
07:31potentially you might be able to sign a central defender.
07:34If you do that, would that make it an exceptional transfer window?
07:38He scored three goals.
07:41Yeah.
07:43Three goals, two that were given, but would it make it an exceptional transfer window?
07:47Just for two games.
07:48Imagine you play two games here.
07:50That is the analysis.
07:51Make it two games and don't score one goal.
07:53Play it bad.
07:54It was a disaster transfer window.
07:56That would be the analysis.
07:58So, I don't judge.
08:00Of course, I won't score as much goals as possible to play the goal,
08:03but he came for four, five, six years, and I will be judged after these four,
08:07five, six years, not for the two games.
08:10So, having a lot of experiences like that, when a rival player,
08:14you know, play good in the beginning is not good.
08:17So, that's why he's be patient.
