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Liverpool's season got off to a stuttering start as they drew 2-2 with Newcastle United, with Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak struggling. The post ‘They’re too nice’ – Neville says Wirtz and Isak must improve after getting ‘free ride’ at Liverpool appeared first on SoccerNews.
Michael Carrick was not pleased with questions he received on Saturday (Picture: Getty Images) Former Premier League striker Jan Åge Fjørtoft insists everyone involved was happy with the interview he conducted with Michael Carrick after a tense exchange with the Manchester United manager. Fjørtoft spoke to Carrick on Saturday after the Red Devils lost 2-0 at Hull City in their first Premier League game of the season. After the extremely disappointing start to the campaign Carrick was not in the best of moods and did not take kindly to one of the Norwegian’s questions. The former Middlesborough, Swindon and Barnsley striker, who now works for ViaPlay, asked Carrick: ‘I guess in management there are so many buzzwords hanging around, like passion, intensity and “go for it”. But would you accept that there was a lack of passion in the first half?’ Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. The United boss looked annoyed and snapped back: ‘Oh, come on. That’s ridiculous.’ Pushed for his own assessment, Carrick said: ‘You played football. You understand. That’s a ridiculous thing to say. Just because you get beat doesn’t mean you don’t care about it.’ Fjørtoft tried again, suggesting that Hull seemed more up for the game than Carrick’s players, but the manager was not accepting that assessment. pic.twitter.com/roQd4gKyeE— utdreport (@Burnerunitedacc) August 23, 2026 ‘No. No. The two goals came from set plays. Other than that, we had opportunities. That was where the game was,’ he said. ‘I don’t think it was passion or anything to do with that. I think it was just their moments that made the difference in the game.’ The 59-year-old, who won 71 caps for Norway, came in for some stick for the interview on social media, but said that no one had fallen out over the questions. He also pointed out that he has known Carrick – a man he shares Middlesborough connections with – for a long time. ‘To those of you who follow me—feel free to unfollow,’ Fjørtoft wrote in reply to an X user. Fjørtoft is a regular face at Premier League grounds (Picture: X) ‘Carrick, Manchester United, and we all thought it turned out well. Had a good chat with them afterwards, too.’ He added in another reply: ‘Both Carrick and Manchester United were pleased with the discussion. ‘I have known Carrick for many years.’ Unsurprisingly Fjørtoft was not the only to question the Manchester United performance, with Gary Neville saying Hull were more competitive and aggressive than his former side. He also said that the Red Devils must make signings in defence before the transfer window closes as they remain short of top level quality at centre-back and full-back. ‘Hull did everything they had to in terms of competing, being aggressive, organised and hard to break down,’ he told Sky Sports. Nobel Mendy headed in Hull’s second from a free-kick (Picture: Getty Images) ‘Manchester United fell short in those areas in the early stages of the game and they have struggled at times against teams that play deeper. ‘It’s a massive wake-up call. Hull didn’t just match Man United physically but were better than them in that area and that will be the big disappointment for Michael Carrick. ‘Too many players were well below par and he will want that to just be a blip, you can’t let it stretch into next weekend as well, they have to be at it. ‘What it did highlight is that Man United defence isn’t good enough. To be fair the club probably know that, they rebuilt the forward line last summer and rebuilt the midfield this summer with a few signings. ‘I don’t know if they’ve got the money or not but they do need a centre-back, and they do need full-backs. They just do. There’s no other way of putting it really. That was highlighted yesterday.’ Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Andoni Iraola must get more out of Liverpool’s expensive signings (Picture: Getty Images) Gary Neville feels it is time for Florian Wirtz to start delivering for Liverpool, telling the Germany international to ‘sort himself out’ after another underwhelming performance. Wirtz arrived at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for £116million and has failed to live up to that mammoth price tag since. The 23-year-old started in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle on Sunday and produced another forgettable performance before being replaced by Alexis Mac Allister on 63 minutes. That outing at St James’ Park was his 34th Premier League appearance, during which time he has produced five goals and three assists. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. Neville expects a lot more from Wirtz and from striker Alexander Isak, who was also underwhelming on Sunday, but did have the excuse last season of being injured for a significant amount of the campaign. ‘They’re going to have to start playing sooner or later or else, to be fair, they’re going to get quite a lot of criticism,’ the Manchester United legend told Sky Sports. ‘For a start, they’re too nice, and if you’re going to be nice, you’d better be incredible at football. ‘I don’t see the tenacity in Wirtz in particular. I just see a nice player moving around the pitch, not really ever looking like he’s busting a gut to do anything. Florian Wirtz is yet to justify his enormous transfer fee (Picture: Getty Images) ‘Now, that can happen. Sometimes players have that flow about them, but I want to put a rocket up him. I want to put a rocket up him because there’s ability there, there’s talent there, the understanding of his position.’ He added: ‘Wirtz, he needs to sort himself out. Enough’s enough now, we’ve talked about him enough. He’s young and he’s come to a different country – and I’m all for willing him on. ‘They have both had a bit of a free ride. Obviously Isak was injured last season but Arne Slot loses his job, and Wirtz has played like that, so let’s be clear, this has got me to start some real focus now. Gary Neville feels Isak and Wirtz must step up to the plate (Picture: PA Wire) ‘I can see a real player there, but can’t keep watching this stuff and he’s been subbed after an hour and they need a goal, but they’re 2-1 down, so no that’s not right.’ The former full-back suggested that Wirtz and Isak would benefit from the German playing in a more advanced position, feeling that he drops deep and drifts wide too much. The two could create an excellent partnership, but need to be closer on the pitch to do so. ‘Sometimes I think he moves around too much. Sometimes I don’t think he’s close enough to his striker, I don’t think he understands where the game’s going to be won and lost,’ Neville said of Wirtz. Alexander Isak wasn’t particularly threatening against his old club (Picture: AP Photo) ‘When I played football and No 10s sometimes drifted too deep, or too wide, they would get a right rollicking off our manager. ‘The game’s not going to be won out there, the game’s not going to be won back there, the game’s going to be won in the final third, in and around the box. ‘Combining with your striker, getting crosses in, getting little passes, getting little side passes down the side of the centre-backs, being close enough to your forward so that you can combine with him. And I don’t see him combining with Isak. ‘I just feel like Wirtz has got to think about being involved in the build-up less and think about being a second striker. He’s got to think about his output and what he needs to do, and that is feed Isak with little passes down the side of centre-backs. He might only get the ball two or three times in that position in tight games where teams are lying deep.’ Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Liverpool’s expensive attacking duo Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak are already under pressure to deliver after Gary Neville criticised their performances in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle United. Andoni Iraola’s side needed a 99th-minute Dominik Szoboszlai penalty to rescue a point at St James’ Park, with both Wirtz and Isak struggling to influence the game. […] The post “The biggest disappointment” – Neville points finger at Liverpool duo after Newcastle match appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Manchester United’s under-powered attack, Brentford’s £39m bargain and Dewsbury-Hall delivers for EvertonArsenal’s treatment of Gabriel Martinelli has been questioned by Ian Wright after the Brazil forward was left out of their squad for Friday’s opening game against Coventry. Martinelli turned down a move to Galatasaray last week after Arsenal had agreed a fee with the Turkish club and the former striker Wright revealed on Sky Sports after the Coventry game that no one at the club has spoken to the 25-year-old to discuss his future. “I know they might want him out, and a lot of people might say: ‘Yeah, it’s time for him to move him on.’ But there’s ways of doing that and it should suit him as well, how he wants to leave,” said Wright. “He’s done enough with this squad to be treated with a little bit more respect than he’s being treated with at the moment.” Ed AaronsMatch report: Arsenal 3-0 CoventryMatch report: Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa Continue reading...
When Thierno Barry joined Everton last summer, he arrived at a club building for a brighter future. In the years before his arrival, the Toffees had gone through a succession of managers, all of whom had faced relegation battles. Everton had also been hit with a points deduction for breaching the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
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