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22:44Gemma Soler:You know, that's Crystal Palace as a conference league winner. So if you want to play in some of those higher things like the Europa League, like the Champions League, you can look far beyond the British shores. maybe there's going to be something in Germany maybe there's going to be something in Spain somewhere where you know his style of football can really work and they have real ambitions as owners for example but I think the fact is he's earned the right to step away because he's made history for the club same way Irola, Hazard, Bournemouth you know he's going to be looking for work now you know it's great to have two managers leaving on such great terms because usually when a manager walks out the door they're usually being kicked out the door to be honest but for them they're being held on people's shoulders and walked out because they've changed the fortunes of their football club.

23:26Gemma Soler:But to rewind a little bit about Glasner, I think it was around the turn of the year, they played away at Sunderland and because he was upset about how Mark Gahey left and other players left, he refused to make a substitute in the game and the way he was speaking afterwards sounded like an attack on the board and it was left in his position where I thought, he's going to quit, he's going to quit. It's the same time Maresco was talking in a certain way about Chelsea and you're almost 100 % sure he's going to quit. But instead, he lasted all the way towards the end, made it to their 60th game, helped the team lift even more silverware.

24:00Gemma Soler:And again, we can forget about that little time where it thought that maybe he didn't have the best interest of the club at heart. But now, as I say, he's a legend and he could be looking for work with a CV that will be better than many others that are on the market right now. Dell PCs with Intel inside are built for the moments that matter.

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25:39Anthony Gordon:Grab a Bucked Up and feel like a million bucks. If the Conference League final was just the first course, we know what the main course is, and that's going down this weekend. The UEFA Champions League final, PSG up against Arsenal. If we have a look at the odds, PSG, the defending champions, still favorites to win this one. So let's see if they're favorites in our predictions. This is what we have predicted. I've gone with a PSG 2-1 win. So has Gemma Soler, and so has Stevie Nichol. Ale Moreno's on the show for the rest of the week, so we'll get his prediction later on. And Nadam Anua, who just admitted that he wears his Premier League goggles on way too much, is the only one going for the Gunners.

26:21Anthony Gordon:Nadam, you still having your Premier League goggles on or you're making a proper case for the Gunners? You look unsure.

26:27Gemma Soler:Let me make my case for the Gunners. Let me make my case for the Gunners. Go off, King, go off. This PSG team, obviously, thank you. We have seen the upside of PSG and at times they look unplayable. but what I think going into this game itself I think for Arsenal, Arteta and everybody involved they'll prepare for this game like no other and we've already seen this year one of the most robust teams in the Premier League and in around Europe they finished top of the Champions League table for a reason they've got one of the best defensive records and best defensive setups not just with the goalkeeper, not just with the back four but with everybody involved and I think the style of play that PSG have sometimes teams they play against and it kind of suits them to play in that manner like Bayern going man to man in midfield on the time of going man-to-man at the back.

27:10Gemma Soler:I don't think Arsenal offer those same opportunities. So I think for PSG, they will have opportunities within the game. But I think they'll have to be clinical. But they're doing that against an Arsenal side who are prepared to suffer. I think the idea of bend-don't-break is something that really suits the way Arsenal need to be in any particular game. And yes, I know that Arsenal haven't won it before. But PSG have only won it once. You know, this was last year. And I think for a team to win it back-to-back years, I think it takes some doing. I think maybe this is going to be the time for Arsenal to do it.

27:37Gemma Soler:having spent so long waiting for a Premier League title, they've managed to redeem themselves there. And now looking back at that final that Thierry played, I think it was against Barcelona many, many years ago. I think for many of them, this kind of feels like Team of Destiny. So I'm going to go for Arsenal winning the game.

27:53Anthony Gordon:Well, despite Nadam's passionate argument for Arsenal, Stevie, you don't believe the stars are aligning for them. I don't. And really, it boils down to Arsenal's front three. Or front six, if you want. You know, for the major part of the second half of this season, in the Premier League in particular, Arteta has tried everything with his front players. As I said, starting with three. By the end of the game, you've got another three on. Nobody looks as though they're capable of doing what PSG can do, what Dembele can do, whether it's Barcola, whether it's Dewey. I mean, they've got so many match winners in the front areas.

28:33Anthony Gordon:You forgot your favourite one. Kravitz Kelly. I was going to say, say it, Stevie, say it. I actually had Mamadash Vili in my head. So it's a good job of doing that. So Mr Kravitz Kelly. So you can take your pick of who PSG's matchwinner is going to be. I can't tell you who Arsenal's matchwinner is going to be. and if I was to put a bet on it, I would put my money on a centre-back. Yeah. Yeah. Now, I don't think that is what you want going into a Champions League final that you're going to rely on your centre-back scoring your winning goal. So that's where I'm at. Yes, Arsenal, probably the best defensive team in Europe, but they're playing against the best attacking team in Europe.

29:27Anthony Gordon:But where's the goals coming from? To win games, you need goals and I don't see where Arsenal's goals are coming from, really. I did put 2-1 down because I'm thinking it's 2-0. PSG, we have a couple of minutes to go. They might get a set piece or they might scratch a goal. So that's why I went 2-1. But yeah, I don't know where the matchrunner's coming from for Arsenal. So that's why I went for PSG. I did the other way. I had Arsenal potentially scoring first. That wakes up that PSG engine and then, oh, we'll see. Either way, it's going to be exciting. Ale Moreno's quiet because, like I said, you have to wait.

30:01Anthony Gordon:and continue watching ESPN FC for his prediction. But there's going to be a much more thorough breakdown of this final. Looking ahead to it on the next edition of the Gab and Jules show. You know Jules loves these two clubs, so make sure to look out for it tomorrow. Their recruitment is going to have to change. They're going to have to go and get younger players who are nearly the finished article. You know, under Pep, they've seen a lot of finished article players. And that's because of Pep. That's why they go there. Ellen Haaland would not have been going to Manchester City if Mareska had been the manager.

30:36Anthony Gordon:Do you not think so? Ellen Haaland would have been going to Real Madrid or somewhere like that. He 100 % went there because of Pep Guardiola. And so they're not going to get... I don't believe they're going to get that type of player now. Well, they've got the likes of Watsherki. He's got the potential, surely, to be one of the best in the world. Semenyo coming in as well. Again, I'm talking about your top... Your finished articles. Because the guy in the market, who everybody wants, City were getting them because of Pep. That is 100 % going to change. So their recruitment is going to have to taper the recruitment.

31:12Anthony Gordon:Nader, what do you make of what Stevie had to say there? Do you think Manchester City are going to be struggling to attract some of the big-name players now that Pep Guardiola's gone?

31:24Gemma Soler:Yes and no. Yes and no. I think the example of Erwin Harling is an interesting one because of the fact that he was coveted by so many teams and as his contract was running down at Dortmund, he's like, will he go here, will he go there? Where's the right place going to be? But I think for a lot of City signings across most of Guardiola's time, it hasn't necessarily been that same way for some of those guys. Like, say, Bernardo Silva, he was doing well at Monaco and he came to City, but he wasn't necessarily a finished article. You look at, say, John Stones coming from Everton, he wasn't necessarily a finished article.

31:54Gemma Soler:and even Kevin De Bruyne I think coming from Wolfsburg like he wasn't finished article many people thought as he arrived at City that he was obviously going to fail because it's too much money and this is a guy that failed at Chelsea beforehand so I think some of the squad makeup that I've seen across those years have been players who came in as very good players and became great the ones that stood the test of time, learned from the manager, learned from those around them and almost elevate themselves and I think for me the biggest issue is from Moresco coming in, can he elevate those players and take them to that next level.

32:25Gemma Soler:I think as a coach, you know, he could be similar to many others, but there's something about Guardiola and the way that he sets up his size and the way he teaches them about football that takes them and makes them play some of their best football that we've seen. I think people that I know, say like Aguil Klichi, Joe Hart, people like this who had him for just a short period of time, they talk about how he almost changed the way that they saw football because yes, we've all played the game, you know, played it thousands of times, some people, but all of a sudden it looks a bit different, feels a bit different, so you find a different way to play.

32:53Gemma Soler:John Stones going into midfield as a point where Akanji, somebody who was criticised in some way early in his career, was then a stalwart for City in terms of how he was playing. And Nathan Akej, a brilliant servant for the club, but again, playing his best football there. So I don't know if they're really recruiting finished article players. I don't think that's ever really been a thing beyond Haaland, beyond maybe Aguero in 2010 or 2011. So I'm with you with Haaland. I'm not with you overall. But I think the big difference that will be felt is a manager that's able to elevate players to a place that probably many people wouldn't think they would get to.

33:30Anthony Gordon:Ale? Well, it's going to test one way or another whether the foundation of Manchester City left behind by Pep Guardiola can withstand the absence of Pep Guardiola. Is the foundation of Manchester City and the club that has been built around Pep Guardiola enough to carry this club forward, enough to carry this brand forward? or is that foundation dependent upon the presence of Pep Guardiola? Now, there is no doubt in my mind that if you're a player at the very elite level and you walk into a room where there are negotiations going in terms of what club at the very highest level are looking for you, and one of the first things that you do is go, well, who's coaching this team?

34:18Anthony Gordon:and when you see the name of Pep Guardiola that if you're sitting back you go oh wait a minute, let me strain up because of what he means in the world game it's a recognizable brand, it's a recognizable name it's filled with success and to Nathan's point, players seem to get better under Pep Guardiola and so when elite players get to the negotiating table and they're going to want some clarity about what the direction is in the future for Manchester City, they're no longer going to have that clarity because Pep Guardiola is not there. So clearly it gives a chance to other clubs that may not have a manager of the stature of Pep Guardiola and may not have been in the conversation or in the negotiation, now they're in it.

35:12Anthony Gordon:And if they're in it, they have a chance to win it. And so, yes, I do think that it's going to put a premium on Manchester City selling the club as the main thing and as the reason as to why they're successful. The culture of the club, the structure of who they are. And that's how the future is going to be, regardless of the absence of Pep Guardiola. But that's a hard sell when you have other teams that were not going to be in the conversation. And now they're very much part of it. Well, in terms of Manchester City's recruiting now, we already do know one hot target and that's Elliot Anderson.

35:45Anthony Gordon:Stevie, what do you make of that one? Do you feel he is the finished article? Yeah, I think right now there would be, I think every team in the Premier League would want Elliot Anderson. They know exactly what they're going to get. He's been one of the best midfielders in the league. So yeah, if you're Manchester City, you absolutely want to get him. and in terms of the Pep leaving you know one of the other things that the best managers do they hold everybody regardless of who you are whether you're Haaland or whether you're Foden or whether you're one of the young guys they hold everybody to a standard every single minute that you're at that ground that's the difference between good teams and great teams and that's why you've got so many players at City who have been there for so long the Stonesies and Bernardo Silvers who have been at the top for so long because they know that at no stage, whether it's Saturday game day or whether it's warming down on a Sunday that they have to be at the best.

36:49Anthony Gordon:That's the biggest difference and that for me is the problem that Maresca is going to have more than anything because we know Maresca can coach all the Chelsea players thought the world of him But will he be able to keep accountability With all the best players every single time Every time he walks through a door Every single time he steps on the training field And everybody goes to attention Because that's what happens with Pep and Klopp And all the great managers That's going to be the biggest problem You know, signing players, yes They're going to be in line for signing players And Elliot Anderson would be a great start For Mureska So Oh, we just had the voice of God.

37:33Anthony Gordon:Who's that? Where did that come from? Are you there, God? It's me, Alexis. Yeah. So anyway, Elliot Anderson with a great start, but this is going to be about Maresca. Well, can I... About Elliot Anderson for a second. I couldn't help. And I'm not thinking that this is the direction that this signing is going to go and how the player may not live up to whatever the expectations may be. But when I thought of a player coming from a lesser team in a midfield position, going to Manchester City, I couldn't help but think about Calvin Phillips and how his career just went sideways, backwards and down the toilet.

38:09Anthony Gordon:It felt like he was going to have such an important role and then it wasn't. And then when it wasn't, he was nowhere to be found. Nowhere to be found. And his career, again, went sideways, backwards and gone. I imagine that Elliot Anderson will have a different outcome because it's a different profile of player. Yeah. I'm just saying, let's not get crazy. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Just, hey, it's a step forward for him. It would be a good signing for Manchester City. They need help in that area. He would address some of those issues. But let's wait and see as to whether he's able to make that transition.

38:46Anthony Gordon:Naram, what do you make of what Alain said?

38:51Gemma Soler:Yeah, I think he's going to be a good signing if he does manage to make his way to City. And I think the difference between himself and like a Calvin Phillips was like Calvin Phillips, like he's obviously a good player. He's done very well for him and like at the Euros in 21. But Elliot Anderson, he's like, he actually left the stats this season in the Premier League for most touches. He was number one in the whole division. So somebody that likes to get on the ball and to roam and to move around and to link the play, you know, between the back and the front. And considering that's for a side that's down near the bottom, you wouldn't really expect somebody to have those statistics.

39:24Gemma Soler:But also add to that, after having won, I think, the 21s championships with it, like last year maybe, you know, he then went straight into like a Thomas Tuchel side and looked excellent to the point where coming up in the weeks ahead, we're almost expecting him to start for England. So it almost feels like his play has been far beyond what we've seen from Forrest. And the times when he's thrived has been when he's been playing in Europe and it's a different sort of game. So I think in terms of him coming across the city, one thing to say about the recruitment, across all these years, the managers obviously in Guardiola had some sort of say in terms of who they signed, but he's not individually picking people.

39:57Gemma Soler:I think overall they're scouting people based on how they want the team to play. And that goes beyond any manager himself. So I think Eli Anderson coming in to be alongside some of those players, I think he's one of those who will just step up when the occasion needs it. So yeah, I think he'll come in. Calvin Phillips I think was more of like an expansive sort of passer, his long range passing was probably his strength, some of the tackling and stuff was his strength, but in terms of knitting the play together and receiving the ball under pressure, being able to be dynamic and move past people I think at times for me, Elliot Anderson feels more like a Mateo Kovacic and when you look at the Korean stuff that he's had, I could see him falling in line at City and having someone you know, being someone with that sort of impact going forward.

40:36Anthony Gordon:The one thing I would say about Elliot Anderson that Calvin Phillips couldn't do, and actually Danny Drinkwater was the same at Chelsea when he won the league with Leicester. Elliot Anderson has stepped up a gear on the England side and actually looked like one of the most important players for them. So he's kind of shown that it's not just because he's playing at Forest that he stands out. He's standing out on this England team. And City better sign this guy before the World Cup because his price might go up. His price might go up and probably will go up indeed. All right, well, we're going to have Nadam as well as Ale and Stevie back on Extra Time today answering your questions.

41:17Anthony Gordon:We have the questions. Make sure to join us over after the show on YouTube.

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42:32Anthony Gordon:Terms and conditions apply. Big news today as the U.S. squad was announced. The omissions also take center stage. We cannot talk about the players that are not in the roster because I think it's very disrespectful to the players that made the roster. Every time he talks to the press, he's talking down to these people. It wreaks up you stupid Americans. It's unbelievably condescending. There was just an email that was sent out which basically said you were in or you were out. When I was sacked, you know, in different clubs, one was in Tottenham. No, and Daniel, the president say, I want to talk with you.

43:08Anthony Gordon:What do you want to talk about me? What sort of human being does that send an email? It's like breaking up via text. You can't do that. When you don't give a phone call and you don't acknowledge the existence of these players, they're just another number. During two weeks, I didn't sleep. And today, still I can't enjoy the 26 guys that are in front of me because I am thinking in players that are out. Feel sorry for me that I've had sleepless nights. Don't feel sorry about the guys that are left out. They are not deserving of a phone call. Because if I call, it's about myself. I say, oh, I call.

43:39Anthony Gordon:I am very human about calling and not giving explanation. Come on. That is bull****. For me, it was important that I had that conversation, you know. Juergen Klinsmann called me. I had a voice call from Juergen Klinsmann. And it meant more to me than he probably ever would. Let's talk about the football cards. Should I wait for emails? I have no idea what Pochettino's doing. No matter what happened last fall, you know, before the Gold Cup, it's all in the past. It's truly been a coin toss every time a roster comes out and every time a lineup comes out. This is fine, isn't it? Where was the guts in this team?

44:13Anthony Gordon:Where was the fight? Where was the desire? I mean, how many times have we sat and said that? Too many times. When the only thing you know when you play against Paraguay and Australia in particular is it's going to be a fight.

44:23Gemma Soler:You know, if you're not a little bit nervous, you don't feel a little bit, you know, you don't care. So we care so much. I can't recall a more unlikable U.S. men's national team in my lifetime.

44:32Anthony Gordon:I really believe that this country deserves even more drive to say, you know, we can be there until the end.

44:40Gemma Soler:You were always a Tyler Adams injury wave from a disaster. It always feels like home coming back here. Are you saying I feel like home?

44:48Anthony Gordon:Oh, thank you. Not anymore.

44:54Anthony Gordon:all right nato has been chuckling and we've decided to get a little outsider's perspective after the u.s men's national team roster for the world cup was announced but nato before i get specific what's making you laugh so much about that just usually from this perspective i hear

45:11Gemma Soler:all the drama in england about these england sides you know this is the worst manager ever this is the worst whatever this is this that is that so to be able to just take a back seat and just watch another nation go through all the emotions before a tournament. It just felt great, to be honest, yeah.

45:27Anthony Gordon:Yeah, England's not the only toxic one. And may I just say, though, I've been broken up with via email, my ESPN email, all the boys here know, because I've told them the story many a time, and it sucks. So, Natom, let me ask you two, as a player, do you have any issues with this whole email gate that Mauricio Pochettino's being thrown under the bus for?

45:45Gemma Soler:Yeah, I do, to be honest. I think for most players, if not all players, They'll say the absolute pinnacle you can achieve in football is to be able to play for your national team at a World Cup And if you think you're in the mix and you're very very close to it like at times Maybe it's the hope that kills you but also sometimes those cold messages, you know if they're delivered in a way which is like Offers a bit more like humility and like warmth to it You still face the disappointment, but you can still see a path forward You can see hope and you know you can think maybe my time is to come perhaps But if you're just recently receiving an email, like this is email alongside other stuff you want to subscribe for.

46:21Gemma Soler:You're getting deals in email. Oh yeah, and a letter from the US men's national team saying that no, you're not in the squad for this World Cup. It just feels a little bit too cold to me. And I know that like Pochettino is saying, you know, I was fired by Daniel Levy. And what did he want to talk to me for? This, that and the other. But I think there is something to be said about the human side within football. Like this is an event that's happening every four years. and I think a manager or a head coach in that sort of position, you don't have to be the nicest person on planet Earth, but it helps to be able to help morale in the squad and for those people around it.

46:52Gemma Soler:Because as things are right now, especially given the stuff we were saying about, I think, Timothy Ware around ticket prices and so on, I think for some of these men's national team players, this is going to be the longest six weeks of their lives with somebody who essentially almost gives off this energy like he doesn't really want to be there. So, yeah, I would have preferred it if, for example, he would have had something more personal to offer to those players because that's probably for them as tough a moment as they've had in their careers Possibly in their lives to this point and if you're just gonna be receiving an email saying nah You're not good enough.

47:22Gemma Soler:You're not gonna make it I think in the head if anything it kind of breeds a little bit resentment between yourself and either the whole you know USA football or soccer or the manager himself and you don't really want that when everybody needs to be pulling the same direction and offering support, whether they're on the field or watching for back home.

47:39Anthony Gordon:The more you listen to his press conference, the more confusing it becomes. And the less likable that Maurizio Pochettino comes across. When he decides to say something along the lines that he has been left off teams before and he didn't want to hear about the manager or he didn't want to hear reasons from the manager, but that was his own experience. That's on you. That doesn't necessarily apply to everybody else, and just because that applies to you, it doesn't mean that automatically everybody is now in that same bucket. As a manager, it is your responsibility to communicate with your players.

48:26Anthony Gordon:And up until that 26-man roster came out, Those players that had been part of the pool and those that were close to making it, they were your players. They were your players. And you asked them to commit to your cause. And they believed in the things that you were talking about and the culture you were building. It's one of the things that he has mentioned time and time again, the word culture. Is this good culture? Not communicating with your players directly? is that in any way building any sort of good culture around a team? No, it isn't. The other part that I find trouble, well, there are many things that I find troubling about this, but when he's talking about Daniel Levy and that he didn't want to talk to Daniel Levy, and I just mentioned that was his own experience, but he is forgetting that his responsibility is to deliver the message.

49:25Anthony Gordon:the players will do with that message what they will but at the very least you have been honest with the player you're not making it about yourself that is wrong he says that that's making it about himself no you're actually putting yourself out there to make it about the players about the players it's not to make yourself feel better it's to make those players feel like they're seen like they were part of the process and that in itself there is there is value to that. And if you don't recognize the value to that, then the culture that you're trying to build, no thank you. I don't want to be a part of it either.

50:00Anthony Gordon:This is one of those times where your coaching staff should step in and help you. I can hear Maren talking to me now. If I had, I would have spoken to him about how do we relay the message to the players that are not gone? You know, what do we do? And then I go, well, I'll tell you what, I'm just going to email him. He would have been in my ear gone, say everybody, you need to speak to them. And then he would have walked away. He would just have planted the seed, wouldn't have told me what to do, but he would have made sure that I got the message. And that's where you need your coaching staff, not to be yes men.

50:38Anthony Gordon:To actually look after you. Because what they would have done is they would have looked after them. Because for every Pochettino who doesn't want to speak to anybody, there are millions that want somebody to tell them that that they're actually not doing it. And they want to hear you tell them, the person that has decided your fate, you want them to tell you which way it's going to go. So his coaching staff have let him down, in my opinion, on this occasion. And I agree with you, Stevie. But if at this point in his managerial career, Mauricio Pochettino doesn't understand that himself, then we have a bigger issue.

51:15Anthony Gordon:I understand the value of having assistants around you that point you in the right direction and that help you see the light when sometimes things get dark. I understand that. But this is a pretty straightforward one. This is one that, for me, is a non-negotiable. You made the tough decision, then deliver the tough message. And then the player who is receiving it on the other end, he will do what he wants with that information. How he reacts to it, that's on him. But your job is to deliver the message. See? Email sting. I'm telling you. I'm telling you indeed. All right, well, let's have a look at the odds for the U.S.

51:54Anthony Gordon:men's national team this World Cup. So basically, they have them favorites to get out of the group and at least win their first knockout game. But it looks like the round of 16, according to the bookies, is as far as the USA will go. Natum, what about you? What do you think? What are your expectations now that you have seen this U.S. roster?

52:16Gemma Soler:oh my gosh it's so it's from an outsider's point native not no pressure just what do you think

52:21Anthony Gordon:from the outside looking in we'll still let you in the country so this is live on espn plus in

52:26Gemma Soler:the in the usa yeah okay so it's definitely going to be going to at least uh at least the quarter finals no i think they're seeing the us men's national team roster and seeing the potential starting lineups like i can see the potential that they have there but i'll be completely honest with you. I don't know how Paraguay will match up against them. I don't know how Australia will match up against them. I don't know how Turkey will match up against them. Because that US team playing on home turf should be able to get the wins required to get out of the group and then from there in the knockouts you know anything can go as such and maybe with the passion that they have you know the dream of playing in a home World Cup for themselves that should be able to take them further than you know we've seen in tournaments gone by.

53:06Gemma Soler:But then again like you know they look across to the man on the sideline and maybe he's not necessarily the most inspirational person they've ever seen, so that could cause its issues in and of itself, but yeah, I can see them at least, I'll say quarterfinals because, yeah, I think the Tottenham probably needs to go that far to maintain the energy. He's done so well, then he caved. He totally caved. Forget it, they're going to win it all. It's going on. They're going to win it all. It's going on.

53:32Anthony Gordon:I don't think it's ever been quite... The ESPN Plus pressure got to him. Don't worry, we'll still re-sign you at ESPN. You see the walls coming in. The walls were shot. Nato, when do you come, Nato? Is it next week?

53:46Gemma Soler:Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll be traveling over next week. Yeah, I'll see you soon. All right, all right. Your hotel room will still be there now. Yeah, your flight's still booked.

53:53Anthony Gordon:We've told the border to let you in. America, baby. America, baby. All right. Well, there's plenty more reaction to the U.S. men's national team roster announcement on the latest Football Americas where the guys were joined by that man, Juergen Klinsmann. Don't miss it. Smalls here. If you're heading into summer without a medical emergency kit, you're taking a risk most people don't think about until it's too late. Summer colds can turn into sinus infections that last weeks, ruining your perfect vacation getaway. And when you're traveling, finding a doctor and a pharmacy, it's stressful. That's why I ordered a medical emergency kit.

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56:29Anthony Gordon:All right, well, that's enough fun for this edition of ESPN FC. But don't go anywhere because Extra Time is next, so we're going to have a bit more fun.

56:43Anthony Gordon:All right, welcome into Extra Time. We are back. We're no longer discussing breakup emails. Shall we just get straight into it? Go if you want. Mariner was there when I got that breakup email, actually. Speaking of breakup emails. Where have you been the last couple of days? Where have I been? I went down to Texas, baby. What were you doing in Texas? I went to the rodeo. Oh, there she is. Okay, all right. I went to the rodeo. For those who don't know, I absolutely love me some Western culture. I love the rodeo. I love country music. So I decided on a whim to book it. This quite literally was my first rodeo.

57:22Anthony Gordon:And I had a blast. Did you get yourself a cowboy or not? I did not. But don't you worry. There's many a road yet to go. Guys. That was way too long. Way too long, Sian. There was a dramatic pause there. Way too long. I found two cowboys, not just one. I tell you what, that's something. You ever ridden those bulls? Geez. Stevie, you said you got on a bull once. Not a real one. The mechanical one. Mechanical one. How long did you last? A second? Not long. Wow. Not long. I believe it's eight seconds. But the winner, actually, Ale, was from Brazil. Brilliant stuff. You want to get yourself a cowboy.

58:00Anthony Gordon:That's where you go. I know. I'll be back, Texas. Don't you worry. I'll be back. All right. First question. Nadam, Nadam, are you ready for a multi-year reset at Manchester City?

58:12Gemma Soler:A reset? For? Multi-year.

58:14Anthony Gordon:Multi-year, too.

58:17Gemma Soler:Wow. Somebody really preying on my downfall, eh? Oh.

58:21Anthony Gordon:That's usually me.

58:22Gemma Soler:I don't know. I think the Premier League, for example, is in a different position now. That clock-Guardiola era where it's like 90 plus points to win a league title, it feels like those days are gone. So in terms of what the future looks like, I think there are more teams that are potentially going to be in the mix going forward. And Houston said that City can't be one of those. So no, I'm not ready for it, because I believe the infrastructure is still there to be successful. Yep.

58:47Anthony Gordon:Yep. All right, there you go. He's not ready for it, but he's been expected. He's getting guns with the Texas thing. Yep. Yep. Texas. Brilliant accent. All right, y 'all. All right, y 'all. Next one. Palace obviously excelled in European football this year, but arguably at the expense of their league standing. With similar stories for Forrest and most notably Girona recently, has the expansion of European football hurt rather than helped some of the aspiring mid-table teams? 100%. And you'll probably see it next year with Sunderland. You know, incredible scenes at Sunderland at the weekend. getting into Europe but how are they going to cope with European football and Premier League football?

59:31Anthony Gordon:Because I think it's going to be very difficult for Sunderland initially to say right we're going to play our second string team which is going to affect them in the Premier League so yeah they need to be very careful how to go about it. The way that these teams get exposed when you think of the best teams in any league. What differentiates them from those that are mid-table and lower tier teams is that not only is your starting eleven significantly better than those other teams or more significantly more talented, the depth of your squad. That second group that comes in is also just as good or better than the starting eleven of that mid-table team or lower tier team.

1:00:16Anthony Gordon:We've talked about Arsenal this year and how they have needed their squad depth and how much Miguel Arteta has taken advantage of that squad depth and you can say the same thing about other clubs around the world at the elite level. When you think of Sunderland and you're just to think of Crystal Palace, once you get past player 14, 15, 16, now you're digging deep and when you start digging deep that's when you start finding fractures within the foundation of a team and that's when things get gnarly and that it has happened it happened with Girona it's a good example of that but it happens regularly to teams that stretch themselves to the point to where they cannot stretch any further and you cannot actually pick and choose as to what competition you're going to be competitive in and you end up being competitive in none of them.

1:01:11Anthony Gordon:Natum, Sunderland's really close to your heart. It's a good problem for them to have now, for sure, but still a bit of a problem.

1:01:20Gemma Soler:Do you know what? I'm going to see the positive side of that. And I think for some of those Sunderland fans who were basically brought to tears on our final day of the season, the thought of playing in Europe is absolutely incredible. You know, they've not seen that for potentially decades. So, yeah, the problems that might come with terms of squad depth and so on. That's something for them to deal with, say, going into the next season. I think as long as, say, the ownership is still there and the very, very ambitious ownership who said, you know, at the start of the season, they double down, they said, you know, they believe they can finish in the European places.

1:01:50Gemma Soler:So here they are. Let's see how they back them in the summer because this summer just gone, it was 150 million. Who's to say it won't be the same thing again come the summer? And then, yeah, go and enjoy that adventure traveling around Europe and being successful.

1:02:02Anthony Gordon:Now, the question wasn't whether we were going to be negative or positive about this, it was whether these teams had been affected. And the answer, I think, undoubtedly is yes, they have been affected. And how they go about dealing that is going to be a challenge, regardless whether you're positive or negative about this subject. Well, if you're Nedum, you can stick your head in the sand and just wait till next year. Let's just wait till next year. We'll see how it goes. Come on. Come on.

1:02:31Gemma Soler:Listen, ultimately playing in Europe, everybody's affected. Everybody's affected. But I just don't like talking about the negatives of it before it's even started. So yes, everybody will be affected. But don't forget, Forest did stay up and they were in the semi-finals of the Europa League as well. So it wasn't the worst season in the world.

1:02:49Anthony Gordon:Oh, Natham, one more week. One more week till you're right here. Right here for a couple of weeks. You cannot wait. Next question for Ale. Ale, yesterday Uli Hones said that Barcelona was broke. Today, Barca signs Anthony Gordon, who Bayern were actively trying to sign. So how could a broke Barca steal Gordon from Bayern? I actually think that Bayern Munich, not that physically these things happen the way that I'm going to explain it, but it's just good to have a picture. That you have the Barcelona representatives in the room, you have the Bayern Munich representatives in the room, and you have the Newcastle representatives in the room.

1:03:27Anthony Gordon:and they're having their conversations, three-way conversation here, there and everywhere. Numbers are being thrown around and the moment Barcelona threw out the number that they threw out, Bayern Munich were like, oh, well, I beat the sun. We're out. See you all later. Because it's a non-competitive offer. Not for what Bayern Munich was looking for. Bayern Munich was looking for squad depth, talking about squad depth. And these are elite level problems, first class problems for Bayern Munich that they had Serge Granaberi and Leonard Karl injured at the end of the season. And when he came to competing against PSG and they're looking for game changers coming off the bench, those options were short.

1:04:06Anthony Gordon:And so it makes sense for Bayern Munich to try to address that. And that's what Anthony Gorman was going to be. You don't buy squad depth for 70, 80 million euros. And at that point, while Barcelona may, according to Ole Honest, may not have had enough money. It didn't matter how much money they had. Once they came up with that number, Bayern Munich were out. We're no longer part of this negotiation because this doesn't make any sense for us. That, I think, is fiscal responsibility. Fiscal responsibility. Alec breaking it down, as always. So well. Next question is for Stevie. Stevie, was Vinnie Jones the most feared player of his generation?

1:04:44Anthony Gordon:Fact or fiction? No. So, fiction? No, but what you had to do with Vinnie is make sure you just knew where he was because you knew it was going to do it. I mean, Vinnie would just nail you any way possible. He could run the legs, run the knees, whatever, but you knew it was coming. So you could generally ride it most of the time. So, no. People obviously looked out for him because of that. Yeah. But no, I wouldn't say he was feared. Who was the most feared of that generation? Billy Whitehurst. I've never spoken to any player, any defender that ever wanted anything to do with Billy Whitehurst. It was like when Ale Moreno would take the pitch.

1:05:37Anthony Gordon:No, no, I was afraid of myself. I think I've told this story before of Billy. So number one, as soon as the game was finished, Billy would go in the players lounge and at home there would be four or five pints sat up ready for Billy just to do that. He would just go like that, he'd be done. Just one after the other. Oh, just... And then they were on a golf day out when he was at Oxford. and Big Billy etiquette is not his 40 okay so Big Billy would have his clubs over his shoulder so when he got to the green and the ball was on the green they go at the ball drop the bag on the middle of the green which you're not supposed to do and then just play and there was a green keeper I'd been watching him over the last two or three holes and so the green keeper who unfortunately happened to be about five foot four oh no went over to him as he was coming off a green and wagged his finger at him and told him that that's not what you do and do not don't you dare ever drop your golf bag on that green again and so Billy just grabbed them walked across the green with him and he had two hands over to the bunker and threw him in the bunker off the edge of the green

1:06:55Anthony Gordon:I mean that was just Billy. That was just Billy. So Vinny Joseph's not on that. So is it fair to say that things were not connecting quite right up here. Oh no. No. There were some cables that were not. No. The elevator. Yeah. No, no. But he got it together on the pitch. Big Billy. Big Billy. Right, next question also for Stevie. Stevie, were you ever as contentious with the media as Pochettino seems to be every time he does a media presso? We're not all. Not really. You just got to keep your cool. and you need a good press assistant, that's what you need. So Liz Summers, depending on how the game goes and things happen, she would have a good idea, Liz, what was going to be asked, a good idea if I was raging or if I was calm or whatever.

1:07:49Anthony Gordon:And so she always, in the way to the press conference, if it was bad she'd always go what are you going to do what are you going to tell elena if you get fined true and that would calm me down go i don't know if i get that yeah i'm going home and tell her i'm getting fined two grand again she's not going to be best placed so you actually need somebody to bring it down and bring it down find a way to give you a little idea of what probably is going to come and then you go for there and then obviously you can't cover every base but you got to bite your tongue at the right time. It's the moral of the story behind every great man.

1:08:28Anthony Gordon:But the best thing that you can do is that you can control the message. Regardless of whatever questions you're being asked, you take the conversation in the direction you want to take it. As I always say, you don't tell them what they want to know. You tell them what you want them to know. And you're the only one that has the mic in front of you. So you have the power to control that message. It's hard when you're raging or something. Well, that's why you need less. But the proper games haven't even started yet. Fajk shouldn't have that much reason to be raging just yet. All right, next question.

1:09:05Anthony Gordon:How many points is an elite manager really worth? We saw Manchester United fall off a cliff when Fergie left. Should City fans expect the same with Pep leaving? Nadum.

1:09:19Gemma Soler:How many points? I think it depends on the season itself Because this year we've seen basically A top three and a bottom two Then everyone in the middle was almost condensed It felt like So I think in terms of expectation for points It's a tough read I think going into this next season Coming off the back of a World Cup Some players starting late I imagine for the next season Then it's going to be tough to read But Guardiola, I think if we say that you know, Moresca is only 5 points, worth 5 points less than Guardiola I think it does a disservice to Guardiola and his legacy, you know, somebody's won 20 trophies at City in the space of 10 years, so I think maybe some of the key moments of some of the football and the ability to win maybe 10, 12, 13 games in a row that we've seen in Guardiola's day, that's probably all gone as long as Moresca just has enough over any other manager that he's playing against at any particular moment, I think that ends up being the difference and we've seen, as Stevie said that he can be a good coach.

1:10:13Gemma Soler:If he can be a good coach to these players, time will tell.

1:10:16Anthony Gordon:In the old days, you used to say that a great goalkeeper was worth 10 points a season. A guy called Peter Shelton was always the barometer. Everybody used to say Peter Shelton's worth 10 points a season. I'd have to think that a great manager is worth that, at least. Because you've got to get the team right every time. And particularly today, you've got to get the rest in, you've got to rotate at the right time, you've got to get your tactics right, you've got to make changes whether it's the 10 minutes gone or 10 minutes left. I mean there are so many decisions you have to make that will affect the result of the game that if you take 10 as the barometer it has to be at least that and maybe a couple more.

1:11:07Anthony Gordon:Yeah, and I'm going to use as an example one of Natum's buddy, Vinny, Vincent Kompany. Vincent Kompany. He's trying to get it right like our Derek Ray. Also, Vincent Kompany. And I don't know how many points he's worth to Bayern Munich, and it's hard to assess that in Bundesliga. But what I would say is that it is obvious to me anyways in watching Bayern Munich play this season that they enjoy playing together. Yeah. That they had fun playing the game. That they had fun coming to the training facility. That they enjoy working individually, working as a group, and more importantly, working for each other.

1:11:54Anthony Gordon:and that while that depends on the quality of players and the quality of human beings that you have on the team and their willingness to work together and certainly they have put a good group together you need a manager that is able to put all those pieces and make them fit in a way that makes sense and where these players are not questioning are so busy questioning your decisions that they forget about doing their job on the field for themselves and for their teammates. So I don't know how much value that has in terms of points, but when you create that sort of atmosphere, that to me is invaluable because that is where you build the foundation for success.

1:12:36Anthony Gordon:Everything that comes after that will depend on how games go individually and what kind of performance you get from players, but you have to have a certain foundation, a certain culture, a certain feeling about the group. And it was obvious to see from Bayern Munich that there is an identity, a structure, and a feeling about the group that very much was put forth by Vincent Kompany and executed by the players on the field. It's kind of like us. We love playing together. Yes, yes. For the most part. Yes. And we love our manager, too. We love our managers. Which one? We have a couple. I don't know.

1:13:10Anthony Gordon:He knows who he is. He knows who he is. The big lad. He doesn't like a rodeo, though. I'll tell you that much. No, no. He was not pleased when he found out I took off to go to a rodeo. And he didn't let you stay there either? No, no. He said forget about it. Because there's one in Nashville this weekend. Okay. Forget about it. We're all going to go to a rodeo one day. Okay, you must have had a great time. All right. Next question is also for Ale. Ale, top scorer at the 2026 World Cup goes to? I haven't even thought about it. Oh, I know. Everyone think on it. made a marinade on it. I mean... Flo Balogon.

1:13:51Anthony Gordon:No, that's not going to be it. You know, sometimes we think a name like Kylian Mbappe would come up, right? And you think, logically, France is going to go the furthest, or Spain, or Argentina, or so on and so forth. We can have that conversation. But in the World Cup, usually, you'll have, and especially in this World Cup, where you're going to have some teams that don't quite have the level, all you need is a striker to have a big day. And I mentioned this on the day of the World Cup draw. Oleg Salenko in the World Cup in 1994, he was playing for Russia, scored five goals against Cameroon. Enzo being the leading goal scorer in that World Cup because, well, he scored five goals in one match against Cameroon.

1:14:39Anthony Gordon:And I think that could happen very much so in this World Cup in which you get a striker on a big day against lesser opposition that may score four or five goals, rack it up, and they get themselves, even if the team doesn't advance, then they make it to the round of 32, round of 16. And he's going home with eight goals, and he ends up becoming the leading goal scorer. So I've given you no answer because I'm not prepared to say who that player will be. Well, according to the odds, Kylian Mbappe is the favorite and Harry Kane second favorite. Stevie? Want to throw a name in the ring? Erling Haaland.

1:15:18Anthony Gordon:Alright, Erling Haaland, he's fourth favorite. Nedum?

1:15:24Gemma Soler:Yeah, I'm not sure, but I think Ali makes that great point about, say, one of these games setting somebody up to sort of finish as that top scorer because he'll probably be done with maybe six goals or something like that. So now you look at the teams who we perceive to be weaker and, you know, there's a lot of respect to them. like how are Curacao gonna perform at this World Cup? How are Cape Verde gonna perform at this World Cup? We're not 100 % sure. With all due respect to the people from all those nations, I hold my hands up and I apologise. But, yeah, I get the feeling that top girls' goal might come from one of those two groups anyway, let's say that.

1:15:58Anthony Gordon:Ah, Curacao still at the World Cup. Why is that? Well, are you OK with that? Because Jamaica did make it. But do you know what? Curacao's first game is against Germany, and let me tell you, I am very happy. I don't have to see Jamaica line up. Actually, Jamaica played in the Unity Cup today over in the UK, and we beat India. So I'll take that. Or cricket. No football. I'll take that. I will take that. You know, you can take what you can these days. But whatever. Final question. Still not over it. Still not over it. You guys have said that this is a down year for the Premier League, but Aston Villa and Crystal Palace both won European silverware.

1:16:35Anthony Gordon:So maybe it's not so bad? Stevie? I think the consensus was that there wasn't as many good games in the season. That was the consensus. I think all the European games have shown is that the league, in terms of strength... Frank did say that the quality just wasn't there. That it was a down year for the Premier League on a whole. But Frank's also talking about how teams don't want to lose the ball anymore. So you can't have it everywhere. So it's not like they're still playing the same way they always had, but it's just not very good now. But then if you're saying that, you can't say that, well, teams want to keep the ball, so we get less attack and aggression and challenges and the whole thing.

1:17:31Anthony Gordon:So you can't have it everywhere. The bottom line is, the Premier League from top to bottom has a strength about it and that's why we're seeing what we're seeing in European competition. Because the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh best team in the Premier League are winning European titles. Crystal Palace finished what, two places above the relegation? But they've won a European title. So all you can take from that, unless you want to look at it in a completely different way is that the Premier League is strong. If the team that was second two places off getting relegated wins a European title and there's only three of them, the league can't be in such dire straits as everybody seems to make out.

1:18:15Anthony Gordon:Natum, what do you think? You're gonna put your Premier League goggles back on?

1:18:20Gemma Soler:Yeah absolutely, they do not come off. Premier League LASIK or whatever it's called. But I think it's more so a discussion around in some ways like is the Premier League defined by the strength in the middle class or the strength at the top of the league. And I think the strength at the top of this league this year hasn't been as apparent as it has been in years gone by. Obviously Arsenal are deserving winners of it, but look at say Liverpool's side for defence. Look at Man City not reaching 80 points in the league. Looking at say United having a resurgency but still not being part of a title race as such.

1:18:48Gemma Soler:But then look at that condensed middle section of the Premier League from Bournemouth going down all the way towards like a Crystal Palace that have now won in Europe. I think that middle class has become stronger and as a consequence when it goes out into Europe and it travels You know we looked at a semi-final between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest at the Europa League Like Forest being down near the bottom of the table shouldn't equate to them being so far in that competition But they're very deserving of being there So I think in terms of the Premier League it was a down year for the top of it But a very very strong year for the middle of it and that manifested itself for those teams that went out into Europe and did what they did And as we saw today with Crystal Palace like thoroughly thoroughly deserving winners of the competition not just for the final today but their run through the knockouts just to say pushing teams aside I mean no honesty Aston Villa should be beating Freiburg yeah and Crystal

1:19:38Anthony Gordon:Palace should be beating Rayo Vallecano if you know anything about Rayo Vallecano you know this is a club in which finances are not let's say abundant. Unless they pay Vallecas, sometimes they throw out the magic. But that very much so because Vallecas is, as realtors would say, charming. Yeah. It has a charming, quaint feel to it. It's giving very Sunday league. It also smells like somebody has gone to the bathroom a lot and not in the bathroom. Okay. Look, Vallecas has a certain magic to it. Let me stick up in there because they had a brilliant viewing party today. Look at this viewing party.

1:20:17Anthony Gordon:They brought out the big screens so everyone could watch. The big-ish, big-ish screens. The medium-sized screens. I think the Vallecas Tourist Balls are going to be where we'll be. Oh, listen. I would happen to go to Vallecas. The point being is that when you think of the power of the Premier League, is that financially they're in a much better position than, say, a mid - to lower-tier team in Spain. In this case, it would be Rayo Vallecano. And it may be a joke or not to some, but Rayo Vallecano is a team that is stuck in 40 years ago, 50 years ago. And there hasn't been any growth or evolution.

1:20:59Anthony Gordon:Now, that's their doing. But the finances alone would suggest that a Premier League team, even if it is Crystal Palace should be Rayo Vallecano and if you're spending your money correctly and your resources correctly in the Premier League given the money fallout that there is in that league then you should not be surprised that you're beating Rayo Vallecano and same thing with Aston Villa against Freiber, Freiber is a good solid team in Bundesliga but it's a provincial team from a great place, I love me some Freiber let me just tell you, I've been there, nice city But it's a provincial team that it's doom or, no, I shouldn't say doom, but they are going to finish mid-table forever and ever in Bundesliga.

1:21:48Anthony Gordon:You would suggest that a Champions League team from the Premier League should be beating a mid-table team in Bundesliga. I don't think we should be surprised that that's the outcome. And I don't think that this elevates or puts the Premier League in a higher level than everybody else. it's a question of resources. And if you use your resources accordingly, then you should beat some of this team. All right. Well, we're going to wrap things up now then. That's it for this edition of Extra Time. We're going to go plan another trip to yet another rodeo. I'm going to take all the guys with me. Oh, all right.

1:22:20Anthony Gordon:I'm going to put you guys on some bulls. Yee-haw. Yee-haw. Yee-haw. Oh, sorry. You have to bring on that draw. Yee-haw, Steven. There we go. That was convincing. We're going to be buying our way with more ESPN FC. We are on seven days a week. We'll be back tomorrow.

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