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JAMIE CARRAGHER lavished praise on John Stones after he performed a tactic “never seen before” as Manchester City beat United.Marcus Rashford’s 30-yard strike stunned the Etihad but the Red Devils barely threatened Pep Guardiola’s team after that.John Stones was instrumental in Man City’s win over Man UtdCredit: AlamyJamie Carragher highlighted the new way Pep Guardiola deployedCredit: Sky Sports”We’re watching something that I’ve never seen in English football before…” 😮@Carra23 evaluates John Stones’ performance so far at Manchester City 🔵 pic.twitter.com/ptghB4FxNq— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 4, 2024

Despite their dominance, they still went in at the break leading – largely thanks to Erling Haaland’s “worst miss ever” – but then Phil Foden took centre stage.The 23-year-old England attacker curled a superb shot past Andre Onana to level on 56 minutes.United remained set up to try to stifle City and were hanging on at 1-1 until Foden struck again with ten minutes to go before Haaland rounded off the scoring in stoppage time to secure Manchester derby bragging rights and the 3-1 victory.While Foden stole the headlines, it was his team-mate that Sky Sports pundit Carragher wanted to talk about on Monday Night Football.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLEngland defender Stones, 29, often performs the hybrid role for City, but yesterday he was going from centre-half into the No.10 position and “running the game”.Carragher said: “We are watching something that I’ve never seen before in English football and I’ve been watching since the mid-80s.“The only defender back then that you would class as a defender good on the ball would be Alan Hansen of Liverpool.“I then remember watching [Franco] Beresi, who was pretty similar and would come out with the ball from the back, Rio Ferdinand, I think, was another one of those…Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS“The only one I can think that was doing what John Stones is doing now is Mathias Sammer around Euro ’96 for Germany.“But John Stones is going from centre-back to No.10. We’ve never seen this before.”Gary Neville says ‘my heart sank’ after seeing what Erik ten Hag did before Man Utd clash – but Carragher loved itCarragher showed Stones’ heat map from the game which revealed that the ex-Everton man had completed 39 passes in that forward position.The Liverpool legend said: “Interesting thing at the top there is the 39 passes completed, the most he’s ever had in a Premier League game.“Why has he had so many touches, even though he has been playing this role for 12 months, and it’s because of the set-up of Man Utd and their marking system in midfield.”Carragher then showed a number of clips and stills from the game showing how United were not only set-up, but also revealing how City took advantage of a gap in front of their defence left by the lack of a holding midfielder.He said: “Whenever Pep Guardiola comes up against Erik ten Hag he always splits his No.8s wider and, at times, we’ve seen Haaland come deep to get the ball, Rodri make runs into this space and this time it was John Stones running into this space.”Carragher criticised United for not being compact last week against Fulham, upsetting Ten Hag in the process.But that did not stop him from showing another example of them defending deep against City with the key area he had spoken about once again being available to exploit.“[Kobbie] Mainoo is with Kevin De Bruyne, Casemiro drops into centre-back basically because of the man marking system that they employ.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Looks at John Stones now, he’s enticing Jonny Evans out of position. He’s not just going in there as a body, he’s running the game John Stones.“Like I said, we haven’t seen this before in English football – it’s unique.” More

GARY NEVILLE asked Micah Richards “are you winding me up” as he was quizzed by his fellow pundit after Manchester United’s derby loss to City.Marcus Rashford opened the scoring after ten minutes of the grudge match at the Etihad. Gary Neville spotted Micah Richards ‘winding’ him upCredit: Sky SportsBut Phil Foden’s double and a late Erling Haaland strike turned the game around for the Premier League champions.Neville was quick to insist that United’s top-four hopes were still intact, despite falling 11 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa. He even claimed the performance was “the best defensively from a discipline point of view in Erik ten Hag’s whole period at United”.However, he added: “In a perfect world they would be 20 to 30 yards further forward up the pitch, playing as compact as that. They were really at the edge of their box.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”Rashford and Garnacho got so deep, they couldn’t then get up the pitch.”But there is something there today that meant they’ve addressed the carnage, gaps and chaos in midfield over the last few month.”That’s when former City star Richards spotted his opportunity to play host.First he quizzed Nev about his “confidence”, then about the impact of Luke Shaw’s injury absence.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAnd, as actual Sky Sports presenter Kelly Cates tried to get a word in, Neville joked: “Is he winding me up here?”Unperturbed, Neville went on: “Some games after United, I’ve thought, ‘What the hell is that?’ Fifa President Infantino hails Scottish football thriller”At least today I saw that there was a plan and there was real attention to detail on how they were going to defend. “So today I think is something you can buy into more in terms of how they looked because sometimes in the last few weeks you think, ‘What they doing? Where are they all?'” But former United captain Roy Keane was no so impressed. Keane interjected: “But that’s where the standards have dropped. You’re almost praising them, they’ve lost. “The reason you’re at Manchester United is to perform in the big games and to compete against Man City and Liverpool. “But no, we’re sitting here going, ‘I thought they done alright, better shape.’ “They got beaten 3-1 and the last half an hour they were just hanging in there, they couldn’t get in a kick.” More

MANCHESTER UNITED legend Gary Neville admitted he was heartbroken by Erik ten Hag’s angry reaction towards Jamie Carragher’s scathing analysis.Carragher pulled no punches while criticising United’s performance on Monday Night Football following their dismal 2-1 loss to Fulham at Old Trafford.Man Utd legend Gary Neville disagreed with Erik ten Hag’s response to Jamie CarragherCredit: Youtube – The OverlapCarracher ‘loved’ Ten Hag’s response as that could actually help Man UtdCredit: GettyThe Liverpool legend chastised the Red Devils’ midfield as there was a huge gap between the middle and the back which has allowed many other Premier League teams to run riot during counter-attacks this season.Ten Hag addressed that analysis before Wednesday’s FA Cup victory over Nottingham Forest and hit back by claiming the pundit has been against his team from the start and is not always objective.The Dutch tactician’s response, though, didn’t sit well with Neville whose “heart sank” after hearing his statement.The ex-England international linked up with Carragher on The Overlap to discuss the recent incident and argued the ex-Ajax boss should have taken the high road.Read More on Man UtdNeville said: “I must admit that when I saw it appear, my heart sank a little, from a Manchester United perspective, that he was getting involved in that. “The reality is that he might be secretly or privately annoyed and think there are some points you [Carragher] made that are wrong.”But [he has to think], ‘We have conceded a lot of chances, I’m not going to win this one, we’ve just lost a game, got a big game against Nottingham Forest, let’s not look like I’m even interested in that’. That was my thinking.”Carragher also addressed Ten Hag’s response on his column at The Telegraph where he even stated he “loved” what he heard from the Dutchman.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSBut the legendary defender wasn’t at all sarcastic as he hinted that a fightback could indeed lead to a turnaround in results as well as performances.Carragher wrote: “My analysis on Sky’s Monday Night Football last week was intended to demonstrate why United are so inconsistent. ‘Oh my God!’ Jamie Carragher leaves Gary Neville and Jill Scott speechless with cooking confession”Manager Erik ten Hag had a go back for what he perceived as unfair criticism. “He felt I had been critical from day one. Actually it was from game two when his United team lost at Brentford – but it was directed at the players, not the manager.”But fair play to him for saying what he did. I have nothing but respect and admiration for managers who defend themselves and their teams. “If creating a siege mentality at United leads to positive results and improved performances, it is the perfect response.” More

ERIK TEN HAG has hit back at Jamie Carragher for his criticism of Manchester United – and suggested he has a bias against them.The leading pundit took the Red Devils to pieces with his assessment of their defeat to Fulham on Sky’s Monday Night Football show.
Erik ten Hag hit back at Jamie Carragher for his criticism of Manchester UnitedCredit: X formerly Twitter / @SkySportsNews
Carragher took the Red Devils to pieces after defeat to FulhamCredit: Rex
“Some analysts are very objective in their comments, some are very subjective – Jamie Carragher is one of them” 🗯️Erik ten Hag has hit out at Jamie Carragher’s analysis of Man Utd’s defeat to Fulham 🔴🗣️ pic.twitter.com/0QFMDyrmyn— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 27, 2024

Carragher said: “Twenty seconds into the game against Fulham, it’s been the problem for Manchester United all season, there’s space between the back four and the midfield.
“We go to the reason why they’re poor defensively and can’t cope with counter-attacks, they’ve got no pace at the back and a lack of legs in midfield.
“People say: ‘there’s no patterns of play at Manchester United, how do they play and what’s the philosophy?’. ”
But Ten Hag says the former Liverpool Champions League winner has been against United from the start and is not objective in his view points.
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Ten Hag said: “First of all, some analysts are very objective in their comments, very good advice, some are very subjective.
“Jamie Carragher from the first moment on has criticised and now he wants to make his point.”
Yet the under-fire United boss went on to agree with some of Carragher’s assessment, particularly in how United began Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat.
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He said: “Probably in the first half an hour, yeah, he had a point.
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“The way Fulham set up their midfield was a surprise and then we have to find the solutions.
“After half an hour we found the solutions.”
‘How is he our captain’ moan Man Utd fans as Bruno Fernandes spotted furiously arguing with referee after Fulham loss
But Ten Hag even admitted that his team had lacked the necessary “passion” in the first half.
He added: “I was not pleased with the performance with the defending, especially on the left side, how we did the pressing because they came out.
“Especially in the first half an hour, several times on the left side and that can’t happen and that has to do with willingness, spirit, passion.
“That was, in the previous weeks, very good for this team and therefore, we won football games.
“I know footballers are not robots, sometimes they have bad days. But it can’t be, it’s unacceptable, we have to do better tomorrow but in the weeks before we have done very well.”
United take on Nottingham Forest on Wednesday in an FA Cup fifth round encounter at the City Ground. More