Rene Meulensteen Exclusive Interview: Man Utd, Carrick, Rashford & Life Under Ferguson

City, big spenders but are they still missing a key ingredient without Rodri – or have they solved that riddle with Enzo and Anderson?

When you lose someone like Rodri, you obviously miss a very important player. He is extremely difficult to replace, and he’s done a fantastic job for City over the years. That said, I think they’ve brought in two really good midfielders in Anderson and Enzo. Anderson is a very dynamic box-to-box player with lots of energy, and Enzo is someone Enzo Maresca knows well from his time working with him at Chelsea. They’ve bought well and replaced him well, and they’ve got other squad players who can fill those positions. The most important thing now is just making sure they keep those key players fit.

United, outspent by Hull and Ipswich and all of the other ‘big six’ have spent in midfield but are they any better than they were 12 months ago?

I think United are better now than they were a year ago because they brought in players in positions where they needed reinforcement. Securing Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and Carlos Baleba gives Michael Carrick far more options in that engine room.

Obviously, Baleba isn’t fully fit yet, so we still have to wait and see how that works out. But Tielemans brings proven Premier League experience and intelligence, while Kobbie Mainoo did very well under Carrick last season. It was a bit of a surprise to me that Mainoo didn’t start against Hull, but he started the next two games and was outstanding. He is certainly not someone you can directly bypass. Overall, the midfield is definitely stronger.

If there is a big debate or an area of concern, it’s still how strong they look defensively at the back. You have to question the fact that they’ve already conceded two goals in each of their opening games. They look a bit open at times.

Was Man Utd’s failure not to sign a striker this summer a mistake and can they rely entirely on Benjamin Sesko? If you could advise the club on any striker signing, who do you think they should go for?

I do think United are a bit short upfront. Benjamin Šeško is still young and improving – he showed his worth again coming off the bench to score that important goal against Everton, even though they unfortunately couldn’t hold onto the lead. They have other players who can operate up top, like Matheus Cunha or Bryan Mbeumo, but they aren’t out-and-out centre forwards. I would have liked to see them bring in another striker who offers something completely different to Šeško, giving Carrick a different option to play with up front.

Could Ollie Watkins have been that player? Possibly, yes. You’re talking about a proven striker who knows how to score goals and understands the Premier League. He would have offered something that helped Manchester United. But when clubs from Saudi Arabia come calling with that kind of money, it’s very difficult to hold onto a player, and it’s very difficult for the player to say no.

Are the likes of Santos and Baleba too similar?

To be fairly honest, I don’t think Santos and Baleba are that similar. I had a bit of a scratch of the head when I heard United were paying that much money to sign Santos from a direct competitor like Chelsea – you have to ask yourself why Chelsea were so keen to let him go.

While both are good on the ball, Baleba brings far more power and explosiveness. Santos is more of a link player. In the big games, I think we will end up seeing more of Baleba than Santos. When you look at the midfield combinations – whether it’s Mainoo, Tielemans, or Baleba – that’s where I see United’s two coming from, with Bruno given the freedom to express himself further forward.

Which of Man Utd’s summer midfield signings has impressed you most? Is there enough to replace Casemiro in there, and should they have spent bigger to go for an Anderson, Tonali or Bruno Guimaraes to keep up with their rivals?

We can’t really judge Baleba yet, and Santos only played the first game against Hull before dropping out of the side. Tielemans is still finding his feet coming from Aston Villa, because no matter how you look at it, moving to Manchester United is a step up with entirely different expectations.

We have to wait to make a final judgment until Baleba is fully fit, has played a run of matches, and the team gets a few Champions League games under their belt. Only then will we really see what these signings are made of.

Do you think Man Utd retaining Rashford against the board’s will can be a blessing in disguise?

I’ve always been a big advocate for Marcus Rashford staying at Manchester United. When people were asking if there was a way back for him at Old Trafford, I always believed there was. He grew up through Manchester United and has that United DNA. I remember him as a young boy coming through the doors at The Cliff when he was five or six years old, just full of beans, and he developed into one of the best prospects the club ever produced. Whatever happened or caused him to temporarily fall out of love with the environment doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.

With the changes at the club, Michael Carrick knows Marcus really well, so there will be a strong connection there. From what I’ve seen of Marcus in these first few games, he’s done very well, particularly against Everton. He’s only going to get fitter and stronger. We all remember the season under Erik ten Hag where he scored around 30 goals – that ability hasn’t disappeared. It’s just a matter of time before he opens his account. Once he gets one, I think the goals will follow too.

Which three Manchester United players can you see performing the best this season, and why is that?

If you ask me which of the three midfield signings I expect the most from, I would say Tielemans and Baleba over Santos. I really liked what I saw from Baleba at Brighton – he is a powerful, explosive player – and Tielemans brings that composure and intelligence.

If you play a midfield pairing of Baleba and Mainoo, you’ve got a very young dynamic. You can get away with that in certain home games at Old Trafford, but in tight matches or the Champions League, you probably need Tielemans’ experience in there to add a little bit of composure and calmness to the midfield.

You had a tough spell with Fulham as they struggled to get out of the relegation zone. Alvaro Arbeloa is in a very similar situation right now, do you think he can turn it around and what advice can you give him from your experience?

There is no better medicine in football than winning. My advice to him would be to focus heavily on clear communication with his players – being explicit about what you want and how you want to execute it. The players have to buy into the vision. If he senses that elements of his setup are making the players uncomfortable, he needs to address that immediately and convince them why it’s the right way forward. If that doesn’t work, he might need to tweak a few tactical things and make some changes.

It all starts with good communication. Clear dialogue pulls a squad together; if communication breaks down, it creates divisions and players fall away, which is deadly for a manager.

Could you tell that Michael Carrick would be a capable manager from his playing days?

It’s no surprise to me that Michael ended up in management. As a player, he was an out-and-out top professional who approached his job and preparation meticulously. He had a great tactical brain, understood his role, and read the game exceptionally well. He was a massive part of our Manchester United midfield, and he’s carried that intelligence straight into coaching.

He cut his teeth at a big club like Middlesbrough and did a fine job getting them playing good football. As a person, Michael just goes about his business very calmly without wild shifts in temperament. You see that exact same steady pair of hands now when he addresses the media in press conferences.

At a massive club like United, when results don’t go your way or you drop points late on like they did against Everton, the media immediately tries to create a crisis. Michael’s strength is his ability to take that heat down and keep things level-headed. He knows it’s an okay start, but he’ll quietly demand a step up from the squad. Experienced players like Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire need to be the ones driving those standards on the pitch.

Are you surprised that Wayne Rooney found the gig so tough?

Management is an incredibly difficult job. When you’re a player, you only have to manage your own personal performance and preparation for the team. When you’re a manager, you have to manage every single player, every member of staff, and manage upward with CEOs and technical directors. Every time you take a new job, you have to adjust to the organisation, the environment, and see if the squad matches your expectations.

Wayne was a generational, high-end performer as a player, so his personal standards are naturally sky-high. One of the biggest difficulties for Wayne in management has likely been expecting players to instinctively do things that came naturally to him, but weren’t normal for the players he was managing. When players can’t live up to those standards, performances drop, results suffer, and the job becomes extremely tough.

Graeme Souness says he wonders if Marcus Rashford takes any responsibility for his career falling off – what do you think?

Graeme Souness’ comments come from the perspective of how he was as a player. Souness was someone who always took ultimate responsibility for his own performances; he never looked at anybody else. So I can see where he’s coming from. Every player ultimately has to take responsibility for their career, but Marcus is back at Manchester United now, and this is a massive opportunity for him to show what he’s worth to the club.

Marcus has the opportunity to show everyone the player that we know he can be and has been for Manchester United in the past. I’m confident that he will do that and, by doing that, it will quieten down the noise around him from ex-players and the media.

Do you think Rashford can ever get back to his best at United?

Talent has never been the question with Marcus – he has enormous natural ability. What he needs now is consistency and to show people that he’s enjoying playing for Manchester United again. Having known him since he was a young kid coming through the doors, he was always a boy who couldn’t stop smiling. Under previous managers, there were times where it looked like he wasn’t enjoying himself. If he gets that happiness back, you’ll see the Marcus of old.

What would Alex Ferguson have done differently with Rashford – at the start of his career and when things went wrong?

Sir Alex Ferguson was an absolute master of player management. He knew exactly which players needed an arm around them, which ones needed challenging, and which ones needed protecting. His primary focus was always protecting the team’s performances, but if a player’s form started to stutter, he’d want to get to the root of why they weren’t happy.

Marcus probably would have been someone who needed an arm around him and a bit of protection, especially when his off-field community work took off. Giving meals to school kids was very admirable, but it moves you into another realm of fame, which can naturally take focus away from your primary job: playing football. Sir Alex would have worked very hard to protect a talent like that to ensure it didn’t go to waste. He would have reassured him: ‘You are at the right club, you belong here, and we will get the best out of you.’

Do you think Paul Pogba regrets not learning his trade under Ferguson when he had the chance?

If Paul has any regrets about leaving United the first time, it’s worth remembering that it wasn’t really his decision – it was an agent’s decision, pure and simple. We had paved the clear pathway for Paul to come into the first-team setup, he was training with us, and Sir Alex was very clear about the plans for him because we all saw his potential.

When agents get into a young player’s ear, they can paint a picture where another move offers a better financial package, even if it isn’t better for their footballing development. In my opinion, he was advised by the wrong person.

Time and time again under Sir Alex, Manchester United proved to be the ultimate breeding ground for young players to reach their full potential.

It was clear that Wayne Rooney was in decline from at least 2011. Ferguson was the only manager who seemed capable of identifying that and tried to get him out the door. Why was everyone else so slow to catch up?

I don’t like using the word ‘decline’ with Wayne Rooney – I find that a bit denigrating for a player of his stature. Players don’t decline; they just get older and have to adapt. Look at Ryan Giggs: at 35, he wasn’t the explosive, lightning-quick winger he was at 20, but he evolved his game and was still making a massive difference for us.

Wayne had incredible versatility. He started as a powerful, explosive, direct forward, but he could play on either wing, drop into the pocket as a No.10, or even play as a No.6. It was just a matter of how the game was evolving. As long as Sir Alex and I were there, I never felt Wayne was in decline. He remained a vital part of the team and a key reason why we kept winning trophies.

What is the quality from the Champions League winning side that Carrick needs to bring to this side’s European campaign?

First and foremost, belief. He needs to make the players understand that the Champions League is the platform where Manchester United belongs. Beyond that, he needs a clear game plan and an identity that people recognise – that old Manchester United authority when going away to the big teams in Europe and getting results. It all starts with belief, backed by the right tactical strategies.

What are your memories of John Terry falling over as he missed a penalty?

When John Terry stepped up for that penalty in Moscow, Cristiano Ronaldo had already missed his, having previously scored and likely thought he’d be the hero. Terry stepped up thinking the exact same thing, and the moment he slipped, your emotions flipped from pure disaster back to euphoria. It transferred a collective belief back into the team.

What are your memories of Anderson – what made him so special?

Anderson stepped up to take one of the high-pressure penalties shortly after, and he was the perfect character for it because he was a total free spirit. He was the kind of lad Sir Alex couldn’t even stay angry with – he’d just look at you with big puppy-dog eyes. As a player, his greatest strength was his ability to carry the ball and glide past people over 40 or 50 yards. His only real flaw was a bit of tactical indiscipline regarding defensive structures, but he had tremendous natural ability and great character.

How important was Ferguson to Cristiano Ronaldo’s development?

Ronaldo made the absolute right decision to join Manchester United when he did. The way Sir Alex, the coaching staff, and the environment nurtured him over those six years equipped him completely for his dream move to Real Madrid. What he has gone on to achieve – still chasing 1,000 career goals at the age of 41 – is astonishing. If I were a goalkeeper facing his 1,000th goal, I’d dive the wrong way just to be on the replay reel every week for the rest of my life!

Do you remember Jamie Carragher’s brutal foul on Nani, and were you surprised by Gerrard getting clattered by Rafael in revenge?

Rafael had that real fire in him, and I loved that about him. He feared nobody. If he felt an injustice had been done on the pitch, he reacted immediately, making him built for those feisty games against Liverpool.

As for Nani, if he cried after a heavy tackle, it was tears of anger rather than weakness. Nani was a strong, powerful lad. He was an intuitive, impulsive player who played on instinct, which made him so unpredictable. If you put Nani into a rigid, micro-managed tactical structure, you might as well take him off the pitch because you rob him of his strength. We gave him freedom in the attacking third, and the result was a portfolio of goals where almost every single one was a Goal of the Month contender. I loved working with him.

What do you make of Roy Keane’s criticisms of Carlos Queiroz given the team he left you at United?

Carlos Queiroz brought a calm personality and did a great job, but when I took over as first-team coach, I wanted to inject a different energy and intensity. We had an incredibly talented squad full of world-class players, and my task was to facilitate training sessions where the purpose was crystal clear.

I wanted to challenge those elite players, maintain high intensity, and empower them to take responsibility for their own actions on the pitch. Carlos’ approach was a bit more coach-led and structured, whereas mine was about empowering the players. That was probably the biggest operational difference between us.

When you left the club, could you imagine you’d be here today with no Premier League won since then?

If you had told me when I left in 2013 that United wouldn’t win a Premier League title for the next 13 years, I wouldn’t have believed it. People like to claim that Sir Alex left behind an aging team, but if he had stayed another year or two, we would have been right there winning the league again. The squad had vast experience in knowing how to win, and we just needed to inject a few young, energetic signings to keep pushing forward. But once Sir Alex, myself, Mike Phelan, and Eric Steele all departed at once, the wheels completely came off.

What was the biggest problem when Ferguson left?

The biggest impact when Sir Alex Ferguson left was, of course, Sir Alex himself. The Glazers took Manchester United’s success for granted without fully grasping how critical he was to the entire structure he had built around him. When you take the heartbeat out of an organisation, you are left with just the shell.

That was the primary message communicated back to David Moyes by myself, Mike Phelan, and Eric Steele. Our advice to David was simple: Sit in Sir Alex’s chair, keep the proven framework intact, let us run the daily operations, and ease your way into the role.

David had his own ideas, which is understandable, but radically altering a proven formula that delivered success for decades was a massive risk. When Sir Alex, Mike, Eric, and I all departed, the club lost its entire foundation of stability and continuity overnight.

When United sold Ronaldo, did Ferguson consider bringing in Wout Weghorst as a replacement?

No chance. No. He would have never even crossed our recruitment radar under Sir Alex – not in a million years. In my opinion, he never had the technical ability to play for Manchester United. That was a very strange signing. He was developing in the Netherlands at the time, but we never looked at him as a candidate to come to Old Trafford. You are talking about chalk and cheese; he has developed into a very potent striker for various clubs throughout his career, but you simply cannot compare him to Cristiano.

Is there one big player United almost signed when you were there that the public are unaware of?

I don’t know if we ever came close to signing Gareth Bale, but he was certainly a player we considered because he embodied United’s identity and DNA – he was powerful, fast, skillful, and direct. He would have been a massive asset.

In terms of players we actually tried to get, I was very keen on Wesley Sneijder to replace Paul Scholes when Paul initially retired. Wesley was a great player with so many similarities to Scholesy in terms of passing range, vision, and intelligence, but that move never materialised.

Ronaldinho was another around the time he went from PSG to Barcelona. If you look at Ronaldinho at his absolute peak, he was Messi and Ronaldo rolled into one. He lacked the longevity and lifestyle discipline of those two, but during those two seasons at Barcelona, he possessed a sheer ‘wow’ factor that was beyond imagination. I also loved Jay-Jay Okocha – a total free spirit who could dominate 1v1 situations anywhere on the pitch – though bringing him in was never close.

What will Danny Welbeck bring to Chelsea not just on the pitch but away from it?

It saddens me to see Danny go to Chelsea rather than coming back to Manchester United. If the rumours are true that United refused to offer him a two-year contract, it’s a big mistake on their part and Chelsea are the ultimate winners.

When you are looking for a backup striker to support Benjamin Šeško, Danny knows the Premier League inside out, understands Manchester United’s DNA, and came through our academy. He brings immense experience, technical intelligence, and above all, humility. He looks after his body meticulously, and Chelsea will benefit 100% from his presence, professionalism, and goal threat. The Old Trafford fans would have loved to see him back.

You were a technical coach at United. One player that has come in for some criticism recently regarding his technique is Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal. At 28 years old, is that something that Mikel Arteta can improve?

It is absolutely not too late for him to refine his technique. When I worked in the United academy, I had conversations with Sir Alex about Diego Forlán, who was lightning quick and could use both feet but lacked that specific 1v1 trick to beat defenders. Sir Alex let me work individually with Diego outside normal training, and within weeks you could see a significant difference as he added that skill dimension to his game.

I firmly believe every player, regardless of age, can improve their technical execution by 1% to 5%. If you improve ten players by just 1%, your entire team is 10% better at resolving difficult 1v1 situations. Gyökeres just needs dedicated attention from a technical coach to drill specific 1v1 moves, repetition, and translating those skills into final-third output – whether that’s a shot, a cross, or a decisive pass.

Is this game a blessing or a curse for Michael Carrick?

It’s not a bad time for United to play City. When Michael Carrick first took over, his first game was at home against City and everyone was impressed by that performance. Enzo Maresca’s City have made a strong start by winning games, but they are still finding their feet and playing differently than they did under Pep Guardiola. It’s a great moment for United to step up, show their teeth, and deliver a convincing performance. I’m predicting a 2-1 win for Manchester United.

What is your score prediction?

I can’t see City failing to score. They’re too good, and United are conceding. I’m still going to be a little biased though, 2-1 to United.

Could this be the year where Arsenal can deliver the Champions League?

Arsenal can absolutely win the Champions League. They’ve proven they can reach the final, and once you get to a one-off final, anything is possible. They’ve matured into real winners after persisting through those seasons where they fell just short. Winning the Premier League title gave them that ultimate belief, and they will use their European heartbreak as fuel to go one step further.

What are Manchester United’s expectations in the tournament this season?

In terms of the Champions League, Manchester United should always aim for a deep run in every competition they enter. Sir Alex always set the tone by targeting the League Cup early in the season as a statement of intent that we were here to win trophies. Michael Carrick needs to instill that same mindset: establish themselves firmly in the top four and push as far as possible in Europe.

Harry Kane has been tipped for this year’s Ballon d’Or. Could this be the year that he wins it / Who do you think should get it?

Harry Kane, wow. Scoring 61 goals in a single season is an unbelievable achievement. Moving to Bayern Munich was the perfect fit for him – he got the service he thrives on, won the Bundesliga, and proved he is a phenomenal, elite goalscorer. He should definitely be right at the top of the conversation for the Ballon d’Or.

Of course, Lamine Yamal and Rodri have a part to play given they both won the World Cup, and that could make a difference.

It would be brilliant for Kane to get his hands on the award though.

Do you think Virgil van Dijk is in his final season at Liverpool?

I don’t think this will be Virgil van Dijk’s final year in top-flight football, even if it ends up being his last season at Liverpool. He still has so much to offer at the highest level, whether that eventually leads to a move to Spain or a lucrative offer in Saudi Arabia. He’ll want to finish his Liverpool career on an absolute high.

Is Micky van de Ven good enough for a top four club, and who would he suit?

Micky van de Ven is definitely good enough for a top-four side. I would have loved to see him at Manchester United because his recovery pace allows you to play a much higher defensive line, and he can easily cover at left-back. United currently have aging center-backs and injury issues with Lisandro Martínez, so Van de Ven would have been ideal. That said, Roberto De Zerbi has a solid long-term pairing at Tottenham with Van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke, who could easily become the bedrock centre-back duo for the Dutch national team.

What does Cody Gakpo need to do now to keep his place at Liverpool with such competition?

Cody’s absolute best position is cutting in from the left wing onto his right foot where he poses a massive goal threat, even though he can play centrally or on the right. Andoni Iraola has incredible depth and options upfront – especially after investing heavily in Bradley Barcola – so Cody just needs to maintain consistency, work hard in training, and remain decisive in the final third. If he keeps delivering goals and assists, it will be very difficult for the manager to leave him out.