What about the quality you've seen today? Any budding Salford City players here?
I'm hoping out of those lads that we can see there behind, yes
because obviously they're part of our academy and
obviously the young kids were great as well so...
No, it's great to see youngsters with skill and people say about youngsters now
not being out on the streets anymore playing football, but
some of the skill we've seen and tricks it obviously shows
that there are still a lot of young people practising, girls and boys.
It was noted as well that Scholes beat you in the penalty shootout.
What did you note about. Were you surprised about that?
Not really.
You watched football for the last 20 years I don't think you should be surprised.
I actually went to I think eight tournaments as a player and coach
and got knocked out of five on penalties so don't mention penalties to me.
No, he obviously kicks the ball far better than I do...
and accurately.
He never seems to have a football more than about two feet away from him.
No and to be fair that's how he was in training every single day.
You always knew that he'd always have a ball at his feet
He'd try to kick it at somebody else's head to be fair. Like he did today a few times.
It's always the way he was but
I don't think you get that good at kicking in football
without having one with you all the time
and he is testament to practice and always being able to improve yourself.
He didn't believe in sports science and the fitness side, even though he was fit,
he believed in just playing football and technically just
kicking as many footballs as he could every single day
and always getting on the ball and playing and passing and moving.
He was brilliant really.
What about your old club? Things have been a bit up and down lately haven’t they?
Yeah a little bit. They're still in a good position though.
You know they're obviously in the FA cup and have a chance of winning that I think.
They're still in the champions league with a great chance of getting into the quarter finals.
The league has gone obviously with City
and there's pressure on them from the teams below them to keep performing, but
I think with the players we've got every chance of finishing second.
Is keeping David De Gea the number one target really for the summer?
It has to be.
I think it would be difficult to do that if Real Madrid want him.
He's obviously showing he is the best goalkeeper in the world,
and if Madrid want him you can understand David wanting to go there
as much as we don't want him to, you can understand.
He is from Madrid and he'll be playing for
a team that'll be challenging for the Champions League season after season.
But I still think they need a centre-forward.
You can't just always rely on Lukaku.
The other players don't seem to be centre-forwards, they seem to be wide players.
So I still think he needs a top centre-forward
to take a little bit of pressure of Lukaku as well.
De Gea's their best player at the moment isn't he?
De Gea's the only world-class player Manchester United have got.
You could maybe say Sanchez, but not at Manchester United yet
but I think Sanchez has been at a level for the last five or six years
that you would say is world class but...
De Gea's the only player at Manchester United at this moment in time
that I’d say has performed for the club.
We all know the quality is there.
They've shown that throughout the season just to be second in the league
to such a good City team.
If they could just lift themselves again for that final few months of the season
I'm sure they'll finish the season well.
The problem at the moment for Jose Mourinho is how you get Lukaku, Rashford,
Martial and Sanchez into a front combination that works.
You know that combines together.
That's the big question at the moment who plays on the right?
You know Martial's been out there and Sanchez out there in a couple of games.
Neither of them are ideal out there.
They'd all prefer to be centre-forward - Rashford, Martial, Sanchez and Lukaku.
So at the moment it's how they fit in to a front three
and combine together that's the most if you like interesting thing.
Not which one plays, they have to show that they can play together.
It's been difficult trying to get Sanchez into the side.
Yeah it has been a little bit.
Sometimes it takes a little bit of time.
He's new player. He’s come to a...
football club that have been playing a little bit of a different style of football
than Arsenal are doing and he's got to adjust to that.
He's a quality player. We all know that
and I‘m sure he'll be up and running soon.
Well the headline out of the game the other night in Sevilla
was that Pogba was dropped but I was delighted that McTominay played.
That Jose Mourinho has faith in a player to go into
a really difficult atmosphere in Sevilla
and give him that sort of trust and faith was a big move.
Jose Mourinho suggested he wouldn't give young players a chance
but to leave out your record signing and play a kid from the academy
in one of his first big games I would say is just an incredible show of faith.
And great for McTominay. Great for the academy at United
that young players who think they could come in
and get a chance in some of the biggest games.
That's what the clubs always been about and where I think it stands apart.
I was at United for 20 years and saw players left out of big matches.
Sometimes players probably better than Paul Pogba.
He shouldn't take it as an offence.
He should knuckle down what all great players
or great characters do when they get dropped
is basically fight harder to make their way in the team.
You know in the last 10, 15 years think of Wayne Rooney who's been dropped
who’s one of the greatest players United have had.
Other players Nemanja Vidic at times,
Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdiand, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, myself.
all players who have played 4, 5, 600 games have been dropped at the club.
I wouldn't class myself as a great player but you know...
there's no given that you're gonna play in a team.
Everyone has to accept it's gonna come to them and you're gonna be dropped
and that could be in different parts of your career.
Footballers are far more professional today than they were
even when I retired six, seven years ago.
The professionalism is incredible.
I was with England for four years and the professionalism was fantastic from the players
so I don't believe in the old player sitting here and saying
'In my day they were more professional' they absolutely weren't.
The players nowadays are fitter, stronger, faster and work harder.
Different characters, different types.
Different obviously era in the way the world is now.
They're living in more different circumstances in terms of...
We had a manager for 26 years.
Managers now change all the time
and players and clubs change all the time.
It's a lot more difficult for the players to get continuity in the coaching
They don't know whether they're here or there.
Same as sometimes the managers don't
but I think there has to be some sympathy aligned with the fact that
ultimately, it's more difficult for them in certain aspects.
But, the financials are fantastic.
They have been for 25 years.
No one can complain and...
a lot is demanded of them in terms of professionalism
but it should be for the reward that is there for them as players.
How's being a chairman going?
I don't think I'm a chairman, am I?
Co-owner yeah, it's going alright at the minute.
We've obviously had a couple of good years
and the third year is looking alright as well.
We're second in the league now, going well.
So hopefully we can finish the job off and get up this season as well.
It's been quite a rebirth of the club in recent years under you guys.
Yeah, we came in three, four years ago now and
obviously wanted to make a big impact at the club
and improve things on the pitch but off them as well in terms of everything.
we've done that so far so we've got a long way to go.
But we're proud of what's happened so far. And proud of what's been achieved.
We've just dropped off the top of the league in the last few weeks
so that's not ideal but in terms of generally the club over the last few years,
it's been really exciting.
And we're delighted obviously Vimto are an amazing company
to have on board with us as a partner because they're Salford born and bred.
And obviously they're also part of our youths,
we all used to drink Vimto and still do.