Shadowing Practice: Michael Carrick: His Man Utd future, the academy & managing Kobbie Mainoo | The Football Interview - Learn English Speaking with Video

What does the Academy mean to you?

There's certainly a want from all the staff to try

and produce the young players and give them opportunities as much as we can.

When you witnessed the hairdryer, were you like, crikey?

Yeah, I'm not sure I could replicate that.

If I were to ask you if you wanted it, beyond...

So the last time I saw you was after Match the Day.

Were those experiences so bad that you felt you just had to jump at a job that came your way?

I have to say, I really enjoyed it, you know, seeing it from a different perspective, different angle watching football in a different way, I enjoyed it.

But this one was too good to turn down, unfortunately.

Take us back to the process of getting here to get this

and the first phone call that you got and what went through your head.

Erm...

Well, I was actually in the car, to be honest with you.

I was driving... On your own?

Or was it one of those where somebody rings you and you have to go, I've got the kids in the car, please don't swear.

That's normally why I start phone calls with.

No, I was in the car driving on my own, on the way off to Newcastle at the time, and the message come through, so...

To be honest, yeah, it was a nice thing to hear.

Yeah, of course it was, you know.

But I was quite calm about it, actually, you know. Were you?

Yeah, I was, yeah.

I don't know why, I just...

Yeah, it just felt right, and that's not me being...

I'm not arrogant or blase in any way.

Yeah.

But it just felt quite normal and, obviously, you know, get a good feeling from it and excited.

I've been here for so long and experienced so much that

probably at some point I was always hoping in the back of my mind

the opportunity would come along and thankfully it has.

You smiled, surely, when you got...

I mean, surely you smiled.

Who did you ring after you put the phone down on that call?

No, listen, I was delighted, obviously, you know.

It's...

To be at this club is special, so I'm not playing it down, but I just mean the hope it wasn't the case of I come off the phone

and shout and scream and celebrate it on the motorway or anything.

It was...

Yeah, I just called my wife and said, you know, this is what's happening, this is where we're at.

So when you agree to do it, and you know the length of time that you're doing it for, what do you start preparing for?

Your backroom staff, had those calls already gone in?

Yeah, obviously assessing what needs to be done, what needs to be put in place, what staff, what that balance looks like, and obviously it's quite condensed into a short space of time,

so putting the staff together was something that we had to get right and wanted to get right.

So I was really happy with that.

I thought that, you know, I would come together absolutely delighted with the staff.

And yeah, of course, it's part of getting the best out of the players, isn't it?

So like you say, the first conversations and

that first impression goes a long way if I've been on the other side and someone new comes in the room.

My message, to be honest, was, you know, I'm here to support you, I'm here to help you and we're here to push you.

So ultimately, we want to get good results here, but there's ways of doing it and hopefully they've felt that support so far.

Did you think they'd been underachieving as a group?

It's not really to say whether they achieved or underachieved for me.

I think it's what, for me, walking in the door was what was in front of us.

And I knew it was a really talented group, capable and a lot of potential within the group.

So it was just about what can we do to try

and help and improve things and have three days before we played Man City.

So it was quite a really compressed, condensed game prep week with a lot of things going into it in a short space of time.

Did it help that it was Manchester City and Arsenal as the first two?

You could say it helped now.

Well, hindsight's a wonderful thing, isn't it?

Yeah, I think the fact there was two massive games, you know, City was a huge game playing at home and the atmosphere,

I have to say, was pretty special on the day.

Even building up to the game, you know, you could feel it in and around the stadium before kick-off.

It's kind of...

It's impossible to describe how much that helps, but to feel that between everyone,

but it's a real special feeling for me to be in the position to be able to share

that with so many people and that's probably the most satisfying thing

so far is getting that connection and feeling that emotion from everyone in such a positive way.

With the three members of staff that you brought in, Steve Holland and Jonathan Woodgate and Johnny Evans, how do you work as a four?

Because there was a lot of attention on the people you brought in.

Yeah, well, there's Travis as well, Travis Prinion, who was here and has been here for a number of years now, through the academy in the 18s and 21s.

And Craig Mawson, the goalkeeping coach, has been here as well.

So there's a really strong group and it feels like we've been together a long time, but we didn't all know each other.

I didn't really know Steve personally an awful lot before.

I thought it would come together nicely and there was balance and there's a reason why I wanted to bring Steve in.

Jonathan had him at Middlesbrough, loyal.

Gets me, knows me, pushes me, challenges me.

Really good relationship, I think it's important.

Johnny knew the club, been here for so long and has a really good relationship with the players as well.

Loves coaching, loves helping and cares a lot.

So there was that.

And then Travis, I think the club needs the academy.

It's a massive part of this football club.

but that's 259 players now who've made the debuts, just presented...

Tyler Fletcher was the last one.

The academy's a massive part of the club.

I think there's a really good balance

with the responsibilities of the academy young players

and then the balance with Jonathan

and Johnny being two of the best centre-backs you can come across in the last 20, 25 years.

To pass their information on Steve with his experience in so many ways.

Chelsea with changes of managers and different styles of managers and top, top players.

England, you know, and all the staff are able to cope being around the environment, and I think that's so important.

And they challenge you?

They tell you when you're wrong?

Yeah, for sure.

Yeah, yeah.

Not every manager would accept that.

I can't be right the whole time, you know, it's impossible.

100

That's why we've got a group of six in our office.

101

We've all got opinions and strong opinions, but I think we all filter it and it's important

102

that we have a connection and understanding of what direction we want to go in and we have to push each other, yeah, for sure.

103

You mentioned the academy.

104

What does the academy mean to you?

105

Yeah, an awful lot.

106

Listen, I've always kept that feeling of what it was like as a young player and it's something I've always been, had an eye on and been quite passionate about, to be honest.

107

So, you know, with the tradition of this football club, it's natural to take that on.

108

And it's just a proud moment as any to give a young player the debut.

109

And there's certainly a want from not just me, but all the staff and everyone at the club to try

110

and produce the young players and give them opportunities as much as we can.

111

And is the United Academy player, has always been in the first team matchday squad since 1930-something, isn't it?

112

Is that a sense of pride?

113

How much can it become a slight millstone if you would be the one that breaks that wrong?

114

A huge sense of pride on behalf of the whole football club, I think, to have that.

115

It's just...

116

It's really outstanding to have for such a long period of time to have

117

that and it's something we need to hold on to.

118

It's what this football club is built upon really and has been for so many decades.

119

So, yeah, I'm sure I'm definitely well aware of it and we want to carry it on.

120

When you watch the academy and you're watching the underage teams as well, is the pipeline, again, I'm not putting pressure on them, but is the academy in good health?

121

Yeah, I think it's in great hands.

122

I think it has been.

123

I think historically here it's kept producing players year after year.

124

And we always hope for the next group or the next individual.

125

And there's so much good work that goes into the academy.

126

There's so many coaches, there's so many members of staff.

127

We get carried away sometimes about the football and results in where we're at now.

128

It's wins and draws and losses that count in some ways.

129

But it's about developing young people and behaviours and helping them.

130

And there's so many players from this club that have maybe not even made their debut here, but have moved on and had unbelievable careers in the game.

131

And I think that's something, again, that as a football club we're really proud of.

132

So following on from the academy chat then, so much noise around Kobe Maynud this season and not featuring.

133

And now he's featured all the time under you.

134

What did you see when you first got to work with him mentally?

135

How was he?

136

And how have you got him to where he is at the moment?

137

I've known Kobe a long time.

138

I started working with him, I think it was 13 or 14 really, when I started to do my coaching badges a good few years ago.

139

So I've kind of only little bits and then, obviously when I was here the first time, he was in and around little bits of working with him.

140

So I think...

141

knowing him and having an experience with him and...

142

and seeing him, you know, to perform at such a level

143

and such big occasions to be able to cope with I

144

said earlier about coaches being able to cope with being here and at the level,

145

you know, to deal with what Cobby's done at such a young age is quite incredible, really, and we forget how young he still is.

146

So I was just a big fan of watching him play and knowing what he was capable of,

147

so it wasn't really a big decision to play him and to be fair,

148

it's not easy when you haven't played to find your rhythm and find your form.

149

There's things you can get better at, things you can improve on, but we haven't really got started in any of that

150

because you're just letting him go and find his flow and find his rhythm of playing football again.

151

So I've been really conscious of not really giving him an awful lot.

152

A couple of little pointers, a bit of positional things and little bits here and there, but trust in what he is.

153

He's a fantastic footballer and he's got a huge talent.

154

It sounds in many ways you rely on the human being side of things, rather than...

155

I don't mean this in a disparaging room, rather than a flip chart and a.. you know.

156

Yeah, that's me.

157

I like being around people, I like sharing things.

158

I'm not one that would be an individual as such and...

159

..don't promote the fact I've got all the answers and I'm quite happy to discuss that.

160

I think getting the best out of people, whatever that is, whether that's in the industry of TV, whether that's in the industry of sport or business,

161

I think treating people in a way and respect, but pushing, like I said, for me, support and helping, but pushing is in the feeling, the connection.

162

I think that whatever it is, the tactical side, technical side, will help and we can get better at all that,

163

but if you haven't got that connection and that buy-in and that willingness to want to come with you and follow you,

164

then all the other bits, you know, kind of lose the value and don't get to fill all that potential.

165

So I see it as a massive thing to get that connection with people.

166

Do you shout at them?

167

I haven't yet, no. I haven't had to really, no, not yet.

168

There's a time for all sorts of emotions and that's the beauty of being in the position.

169

You've got to pick the right time and tap on the right buttons to get the right reaction, you know?

170

And if that's the case, that's the case.

171

When you witnessed the hairdryer, were you like, crikey?

172

Yeah, I'm not sure I could replicate that.

173

LAUGHTER And I wouldn't try to, but, yeah, a couple of times I've seen it, and it puts you on the back of your seat,

174

trying to get further away from it.

175

But again, you're talking about Sir Alex,

176

he was the genius at using people and getting the best out of people in so many different ways.

177

Support, pushing, a bit stronger than pushing at times.

178

But it worked, you know, but it was all about getting the best out of his players.

179

Who are the managers that you played for that you look to incorporate now in what you're doing?

180

There's a few times maybe I've done something

181

and then it's not till after and I remember something that's happened years ago with different managers or coaches and you think, oh, that actually happened then.

182

So it kind of sometimes experiences a beautiful thing to kind of draw upon in different ways, you know, in life and anywhere, you know.

183

Listen, Sir Alex had the biggest impact on me.

184

I think that's pretty obvious to say because everything we kind of achieved here,

185

but I think just learning and knowing that I've never got all the answers and keep searching for more experience,

186

and that's why the staff are there to help in that regard.

187

A lot of the players from that era are now pundits.

188

In the same way that when you were playing, a lot of the successful Liverpool team were pundits.

189

Do you have to accept it and just shut it out?

190

And is that easier for you than it is for your younger players?

191

It doesn't bother me one bit.

192

I didn't think it would.

193

Generally, it doesn't.

194

I can't really fall out with anyone over that.

195

I think it's a respect thing as much as anything, really, and I'll give and take that.

196

I think for younger players, I think, in general, it's something we need to help them and look after them.

197

It's a different world now to when I was coming through, but we do that and we look after them.

198

If I were to ask you if you wanted it, beyond, I know you'll have a stock answer,

199

but I also think you're probably very much just what will be, will be, are you?

200

Yeah, it's not a stock answer.

201

So, you know, listen, for me, it's the ultimate role, you know.

202

I'm really enjoying it.

203

I love it.

204

I love what I'm doing.

205

I'm fortunate, I feel privileged to be in the position I am, but it's not the fact that I believe I can do it, you know, and I'm here for it to do...

206

I said it when I came in, there's the sentimental side of that, of understanding the role and coming through the club and being here

207

and loving the club and being a supporter and all that side of it is one thing, but actually I'm here to do a job now and to make a good team and be successful.

208

So I don't decide how long that's going to be, but I love being here and while I'm here I'll give everything I can

209

and I always plan for the long-term future for the benefit of the football club.

210

That's how I believe it should be.

211

And you're very happy, aren't you?

212

Yeah.

213

Have I smiled enough?

214

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

215

I'm loving what I'm doing.

216

Again, really good people, the staff are fantastic, the players have been unbelievable.

217

It's a really good place to come in every single day, to drive in and look forward to being here.

218

And then, obviously, running around the city and globally, the reaction and the support that you get is just...

219

It's very hard to describe.

220

It's incredible.

221

So, yeah, I'm delighted to be here.

222

But if people keep asking you that, then you might shout at them?

223

Possibly.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing Practice: Michael Carrick: His Man Utd future, the academy & managing Kobbie Mainoo | The Football Interview - Learn English Speaking with Video

What You'll Learn from This Clip

Listen For These Sounds

Say It Like a Native

What is the Shadowing Technique?