given how Manchester City have played,particularly since the last time that you played them in december
and I know you'd prefer to finish first,but were you to finish second as you are now behind them?Have you given any thought as to how much of an achievement that would be because of the context of their season.
Our focus is just on this one game and not where we're gonna end up.We just have to
be the best possible.Man United end up trying to improve on last season.Of course,that means moving up the table,getting more points,Hopefully
challenge or get to a final and win a trophy.
What other teams do we can't control.So we've just got to keep uh keep at it ourselves,challenged ourselves and of course
at the moment there ahead of us by by a fair distance.So sunday is a chance to test ourselves against a very good team.
Cuba Hi ali,um David has just posted on social media that has become a daddy.I'm sure you'll congratulate him on that.But you always stressed the fact that these are players,but also a human being.So kind of,what's your philosophy and the amount of time that he will be allowed to be a daddy and be away from Manchester United.
It's a fantastic day for David.Of course,when you become a dad,that's probably the best possible or feeling you can have and we've
the ones who look enough to have had that feeling,know exactly what David is going through now.I'll give him the time he needs before he comes back.He has to go home and
in the,in the old world,that's a day and you come back and you're ready again and now with a pandemic and the,the quarantines,of course it's a different world.So,but still we felt it was when David wanted to go and be there to support his girlfriend.Of course,that's a
uh there's a not even a decision to make.Dean came in and played well
and he's ready.So I'll give daddy the time.He needs of course,
a pack house,sir.
Yes.Hello?Uh It's not too long ago you and Man City were side by side at the table.But what do you think is the biggest difference between the clubs at the moment?And where is the gap from?Is it the quality,Is it time?Is it tactics?Is it luck?What do you believe?
Yeah,
I don't worry.Or I can only control uh what's happening here at Man United?
And the difference,there's so many
differences between the clubs.If it's the clubs you talk about,I can sit here and talk about a lot at the moment.
Uh They're the only team ahead of us.Of course,we wanna wanna try to claw back points on them and get closer to them.We've
they've gone through a fantastic spell at the moment.Great form.Uh 21 wins,We've had 21 away games in the league unbeaten,so one record is going to be broken.So uh
Let's see which one
it is.
Simon Stone
Higher Holy.Could you just explain why you think the team is playing
way bit,way below the standards that set earlier in the season?It seems to be quite a few games now that
you've not really picked up and impose yourself on the opposition to look a bit
well,lethargic is not the right word,but maybe a little bit tired.
Uh huh.
You know,when,when you get the results that you get you for,sometimes you seemed or tend to forget about the performances and you look back at the games.Yeah,the west broom game wasn't the best
quality but we felt this this
improvement to be made on that one.The Palace game of course if you compare that one to last year's game against Palace,
not very dissimilar,but we had two or three fantastic moments that say Marcus and
and Anthony the two goals that they scored in that game.It that was like the spark really,really top class football still
in the Premier League
when the opposition don't make mistakes like Palace never did you have to earn and earn the right with the quality and we we just lacked a little bit of that in the in the last few games
still we've gone 10 games unbeaten and it's a
ah
they couldn't say
three weeks ago,four weeks ago.We we couldn't defend then we would really well attacking wise,that's a narrative.Anyway.Now the narrative is that we can't score a goal.It's been a week without scoring goals.It's not long ago we
really
played some fantastic football against socio dad,some good goals against Newcastle's Northampton.So it's sometimes margins,you know,in football,so,
and that little step back.Now,one day extra recovery before this Derby,hopefully we can get our spark back.
Laurie went,well,
how they on those margins often it is sort of particular quality that the players possess.The investor call last night revealed United's finances.When you look at Manchester City,they've got a different model.How do you view competing with Manchester City in the transfer market?There's a few players that they've got that I think you would have looked at,there's a few players that you've got,the city have looked at.How do you view that competition between the two clubs?
I only focus on what we do.We believe?We have our our model and we uh we as a club,we believe
in a certain way to do it.We believe in a certain player to come here and make us better a certain person.Um
I don't like to,I don't think it's my my place to comment on any other clubs and compare us with others because that's
uh every club do their own business,their own way.And
uh at the moment,of course,there are in great form,they're doing really well,
but my focus and our focus is what we can control and that's ourselves.
Simon,Peach.
Hi,I'm
just wondering if martial Pogba and lindelof will be available on sunday?And secondly,give me,I can't keep up with our own regulations.Never mind spain.Will
David be available for the remaining five matches of March for Manchester United?Or was it gonna be deemed now for those fixtures?
Uh,as soon as David comes travels back,uh,we just have to follow the rules and government rules.So yeah,I expect him to be available very soon.Not,not too far.You're making making up stories that's been in the press this morning.It's not fair on are funds?
Uh,not fair on David.We allowed him to go back of course,because he wanted to be there with his girlfriend and um,
we want our players back as soon as possible,
but there's a human being in there that we had to look after and that David was there for this fantastic uh day for him and his girlfriend and his family.So
I don't know when he,when he'll be back,it won't be long before he comes.So it was easy when I,
when I got,when I traveled back from the euros,
I think noah was born on on a friday and I played against spain on the Tuesday,traveling back on a sunday.No quarantines,nothing.So the world is a different place.But still this is the biggest occasion in,in any,any parents uh,life.So we of course we allow them to go and but Dean did well against palace and I'm sure
he's looking forward to this city game as well.He,he's had that experience already this season in the Caribbean Cup.So that will stand them in good stead.
All this
Hey,all you had a really good season last year against the kind of more established teams,but it's not quite been the case this time around.What do you kind of put that,
that switch down to?
Uh huh.
Good question.And of course we've looked at it.I think we've been
in a strange sort of way.We've been more that you might not agree with.We've been more positive.We've been going high press in more or less every,every game on the front foot trying to pin the teams
back,especially when they had the ball
last year.Maybe we relied more on the counter attacks,dropped deep defended really well,maybe hung on,which as a coach or a manager,sometimes that's the worst feeling ever to be defending in and around your box because
any little quality from,from your opponent and you've conceded.So it's so we've we've tried to go more positive,
got to say we've
not been clinical or ruthless enough with the chances that we've we have,because we have had chances in these games and but they have been tight games.And uh another test and another challenge for us.Now,another opportunity to
put that right
James wonder.
Ali Ed Woodward has said there's clear signs of progress on the pitch.Is that progress happening as quickly as you would like it to be.
Uh Of course,you would like to win every game of football.You do.But if you,compared to last season,the position we're in,
we're quite a bit higher up in the league at the same stage,we're still through in the in europe and in the F.A.Cup.So it's probably the league position that you
you think,Yeah,that's that's where we've shown the progress,hopefully we can prove in Europa League and F.A Cup that we've taken another further step
for this team.
The ambitions that the ambitions are there,of course,and we have more experience to be in this position compared to last season.So,
uh we're jelling more as a team,the fitter.
So,but at the moment we're just looking at the short term and that's sunday and that's uh to get back to creating chances and taking them scoring goals.Again,
the last to the first one for David Mcdonald and the last one for randy Mitton.
Hi,ali,for quite a while,you were in the title race.And in recent weeks,that doesn't seem to be the case,you know,in danger of potentially missing out on the top four place.I know your second,but the other teams have really bunched up behind you.And unless you sort of dramatically
Turn this form around and start winning some games,did you accept that there is a battle for a top 4th place?
Well,still 11 games to go in the Premier League?And I think we've always or I have always said,let's get to uh at least March and april before we talk about the title race.You don't talk about title races in after 18 19 games.Uh
We've given ourselves a very good chance to improve on last season by the position we're in.I'd rather be in the position we're in now compared to this position we were in last season.So,
uh but of course,Premier League,there's lots of quality teams,there's lots of good teams.So we know that we what we can control is ourselves and if we do our jobs uh
and get as many points as we think we we can do.I'm sure we'll we'll be up there.
Hi,ali.
What's happened to your players to cause a dip in form?Is it mental?Physical,how did they get back to where they were?Does it come from you?From them?
It comes from from everyone.We've had a week without scoring a goal.It's not like we've gone six weeks with,with bad form.Uh it's not long ago,we beat Southampton nine mil,we beat associate that formula associated team that should have won against Real Madrid at the weekend.
Was it this weekend?So
ah
it's also the opposition you play the game.The amount of games of course can can have an effect.But for me,I'm not
buying into the narrative that we've really had such a dip in form.Uh yet we haven't had that little bit of margin with us to score the first goal in the game.We've three little nelson's not really us.That's not really what we set out to do,but we defended well,but we just Like that little spark to create enough chances to school.So,but I don't buy the without the Forum one.given how Manchester City have played,particularly since the last time that you played them in december
buying into the narrative that we've really had such a dip in form.Uh yet we haven't had that little bit of margin with us to score the first goal in the game.We've three little nelson's not really us.That's not really what we set out to do,but we defended well,but we just Like that little spark to create enough chances to school.So,but I don't buy the without the Forum one.