/https%3A%2F%2Fgreatestshot.com%2Fapp%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F04%2FGettyImages-2153166120.jpg)
The former defender was fuming over the quality of the match, calling it “robotic”. A despondent first half was followed up by a slightly better second half, but ultimately ended 0-0. Both teams struggled to create any clear-cut chances, and neither side cracked over 1.0 xG. Manchester United had perhaps the best chance of the game through Johnathan Zirkzee, but the majority of shots were either outside the box or from low-quality areas.
There’s a robotic element we’re seeing flooding in over the last year or two. I think it’s an element of the greatest manager of all time, Pep Guardiola’s style of play infiltrating everyone else over the last 10 years. But what we’re seeing is a poor man’s adaptation of it.
He said both sides had players who were “afraid” of making mistakes, preferring to stick to their position with little freedom.
There’s no David Silva or [Sergio] Aguero’s out there of the past. I know it’s very basic to say, ‘go on and win the game,’ with 20 minutes to go. That’s the instruction a manager would give a group of players which would give them some freedom. Where’s the freedom in that football match? There was none. I can’t accept that, I’m getting really angry with it. These are fantastic players, but they’re frightened to death to move out of their positions or do anything that might cause a mistake that would cost them the game.
I think we did well. We played a different game compared to Nottingham Forest last week. I know the excitement is not the same when you are not fighting for big things, changes the excitement of the derby.
United is currently 13th in the table but has the opportunity to salvage what has been a terrible season by its standards in the Europa League, where the Red Devils are set to play French side Lyon in the quarterfinals this week. City, meanwhile, is fighting for a spot in the top-4. Pep Guardiola’s squad is currently in 5th, one point behind Chelsea.
