Are Bayern favorites to win UCL?

21:01I think what we've learned this season is that the teams have learned what happened last season. Because remember, it was not all teams that were in that comfort top eight zone. I mean, so you see a lot of the top teams now just going for an understanding. They have to be there all the time. I'm with you. We can't now predict who will win the Champions League. But I think that you're doing the basic now. Remember, they are playing two games in January too. I mean, this group stage will go on and have a look at the table now. They don't want that double thing straight after. They want to be among the top eight.

21:36And I think that's what we can learn now, how they're building up to that momentum. I think that is the advantage of this big table. But when we talk about, for example, Barcelona struggling at the moment, I had a look at their program the rest of the season. I mean, they're playing Slavia Prada. They are playing Copenhagen. So they will get 13, 14 points. I mean, they would definitely go through on that. But still, I like that format and that the clubs have learned from last season experience. All right. Well, you can bet there's a lot more Champions League talk over on one of our other shows, the Gab and Jules show and a fresh episode dropped today.

22:12So make sure to get it wherever you get your podcasts. Plus, for a lot more on Bayern Munich, well, they're back in action this weekend. all these Bundesliga matches coming up on ESPN, plus Dortmund in action on Saturday. And they'll be looking to bounce back after what was a crushing defeat for them in the Champions League. Look, the economy is a lot right now. And if you're a small business owner, you probably feel it. You can't control interest rates or tariffs, but you can control how efficiently your business operates. Automating payroll and HR with Gusto is one of the fastest ways to cut friction and focus on what actually moves the needle.

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24:17Steve Nicol:Auto Parts.

24:26All right. Well, this was a game that Craig was talking about that impressed him. Liverpool getting a 1-0 win over Real Madrid. And we know that Real Madrid may have their issues, but them in the Champions League is a completely different beast. but it was Liverpool under the lights at Anfield that got the valuable points. Jan, what did you make of this Liverpool performance, especially considering all the recent struggles we have seen from Arnaz Slot's men? I would put it into a week, a Liverpool week. We started that he was criticised for giving the boys a rest. Then he went into the Villa game.

25:00That was a good game. So he managed this week, I would say, all in all, to have his two best games of the season from the Villa game to the Real Madrid game. I think that looked more like Liverpool. I think they went back to basic. I think the position of Wirtz looked better. He found himself better in the game. It was good to get Robertson back in the game. And when you need a goal, who are you going to call? McAllister, of all people, getting the goal. So, no, it's a great, great day or a great, great night for Liverpool. and that would do them ever so good. I honestly thought you were going to say Ghostbusters.

25:38Yeah, I didn't.

25:40Steve Nicol:Just evolve. Well, Vicalis has been a bit of a ghost so far this season, but he's stepped up. But Craig, this result impressed you the most. Yeah, well, I didn't see the games because, as you know, I was away. But I caught bits and pieces of it. And what's interesting to me is, it was a bit of Jan touching it, it was a huge week. You know, they lost to Palace in the Carabao Cup, but they made a raft of changes. It was a bunch of kids. Villa was huge for them. and then Real Madrid at home, who had just won a classical over top of the league. Not playing brilliant, but playing good enough with the in-form player, you could argue, in European football in Kylian Mbappe.

26:13Steve Nicol:And then, obviously, Man City at the weekend. So, as Jan said, just a huge, huge week. And not just the fact that they've got two victories thus far, the manner in which they got Wiltz in the side, the manner in which they played, the manner in which they created so many chances that Colt Watt was man of the match. But one of the interesting things for me is, at the start of the season, you looked at the middle of the park and you said, he's a really good player, he's the captain of Hungary, but Dominic Sabozlai, he's going to be the guy to miss out, right? When Wiltz is there and Gravenberg is playing as he did last year, which he hasn't, and McAllister, which he hasn't, he's had injuries, but how are they all going to fit in?

26:53Steve Nicol:And you kind of felt Sabozlai was the guy that was probably going to miss out. But, you know, and yet he's been the man this season. OK, he's played right back. He's played midfield. He's played tennis. He's been shuffled all over the place. But you could argue, and particularly in this game, but, you know, for the bulk of the Premier League season, where Liverpool have struggled, he's been the best player. And I think what that tells me is, I think it's, you know, and he was probably thinking that himself. And the reason I say this is it's always important to keep players on their toes. And Dominic Sabozlai, who was excellent in this match, probably thought, he's coming in to play number 10.

27:30Steve Nicol:That's one less space in the middle of the park. I'm probably going to be on the bench. I need to up my game. That's to kick up the backside some players have needed. He's been playing much better than the others. And that really has impressed me. I mean, again, you know, I think Arne Slott has made some, up until this last couple of games, has made some errors in team selection. I don't think many thought Isaac should have started the United and the Chelsea games, but he did. should have been Eke-Tike so I think that was a mistake so he's kind of having to take that on the chin himself but he's figured it out thus far it's been a huge week for them if they are to beat City at the weekend mark my words they are very much back on track as quickly as it goes down the way as it was it seemed for Liverpool it can go back up the way just as quickly because of that conference and that was a huge conference booster not if you're Milos Kerk is at left back who's had a tough time.

28:27Steve Nicol:But it needs must. It needs must for Arnley Slott. He needs to put the round pegs and the round hulks to get results. And in all fairness, Villa and Real Madrid has done that very well. Well, funny you should say that. But, Shaka, all summer long, our Stevie Nichol, when the transfer window was open and we were doing the shows, he was just begging for them to strengthen that back line. And then if you, I guess, could look at it now, they didn't strengthen quite to the standards our Stevie Nichol would have wanted to. But now looking at how that back line dealt with the threats from Vinny Jr. and Kylian Mbappe.

28:57I mean, it was quite impressive. But you notice Andy Robertson coming back in. But how much realistically can Arnaz Lott rely on Andy Robertson this season?

29:05Frank Leboeuf:And that's a big question for me. And of everybody in Liverpool, I think we know their potential. We know how good they are. But did we ever think Robertson would have the kind of game in the Champions League against Real Madrid that he did or beat up against Kamavinga? Oddly, that's one for that. That was a strange one. That's for Xavi Alonso to answer. But there's Valverde coming behind. But Robertson, who was surplus of requirements or just about a few months ago, all of a sudden steps in on this stage, has an outstanding game. On the other side, you've got Bradley who plays up against Vinicius Jr.

29:39Frank Leboeuf:And again, no question, in terms of just one-on-one battles, where time and time again, you say to players, win those one-on-one battles with your man. And Bradley did that. against Vinicius Junior. I mean... Some of his antics were embarrassing. But... Again. Real Madrid, I'm sorry. Just looking at Liverpool, particularly for me, those two wing-backs, I think they both deserve an immense amount of credit for the jobs that they've done. But to your question, Alexis, can they do it for the next 30 or 40 games or whatever's left in the season, including cup competitions and how deep Liverpool may go in the Champions League?

30:19Frank Leboeuf:I'm not so sure and and which is why pre-season everybody was saying Liverpool needed to strengthen defensively now this is one game in which absolutely they were outstanding and need to be given their credit for that but can they do it game after game over a long season over the Christmas period that we talk about it's always so defining that's the challenge for for this Liverpool rearguard. I'll also say that the two centre-backs who've come into their criticism a lot this season, again, Kylian Mbappe, the form that he's in, Van Dijk and Kanaty look unbothered for much of the evening. Credit to everybody in that Liverpool back four for the job that they've done.

31:04Frank Leboeuf:They have got to maintain that.

31:06Steve Nicol:I don't think Andy Robertson can now do it all season. I think I saw him play for Scotland recently as well and he struggled. He's been a great player, don't get me wrong. absolutely amazing fullback but he can't, and he's got all the experience in the world and probably that's what they need at the moment, just to go in and maybe do a more defensive job rather than marauding down the left-hand channel, which he'll do now and again but why the hell would Xabi Alonso play Camavinga high up on the right-hand side, when really that's Liverpool's weaker area or one of their weaker areas, surely you play somebody that's taken up spaces and areas of the field that's going to make it difficult for Robertson to make a decision?

31:46Steve Nicol:Do you, you know, if it's Ardeguiler or Maston Twain, whoever it is, do you squeeze in with him or do you stay off him? You get one and one with him. He gives me a problem. Why would he do that? Does Xabi Alonso still think Andy Robertson is the marauding fullback of two, three, four years ago where he was up and down there like a train for 90 minutes and he put Camavinga out there to stop that? That's not the player he is anymore. Even if it was Milos Kerkis in the side there as a youngster, he's not doing that. He's not getting forward anywhere near when he was playing as much as Andy Robertson did in his pump.

32:21Steve Nicol:Because he's short of confidence. He's nervous, nervous on the ball. So why would Chambi Alonso make a decision like that in an area where Liverpool are not as big a threat as they have been over the years? Because Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the other side, they were a huge threat, weren't they? You didn't just have to worry about Mo Salah and Gakpo or Diaz. You had to worry about the full-backs. Absolutely bombing forward. That's not been the case this season. It really hasn't. So I thought that was another. Every now and again, Xabi Alonso does something. Whether it's, I don't know so much at Leverkusen, but certainly at Real Madrid.

32:59Steve Nicol:Every now and again, he chucks one in there and you think, really? Yeah. You know, Bellingham in the Madrid derby had 20 minutes of football and you're going, really? You were a midfielder, Xabi Alonso. You know what it's like to go in the engine room when you've got no fitness and no sharpness and you're lacking all the match sharpness and everything you need, the energy and all that sort of stuff. And then the Camavinga up on the right against Liverpool's problematic area, I just don't understand. I think I would just want to say to Xhaka's point that what will happen to Liverpool during this season.

33:37What we do know is Arsenal will also have a break. There's something, they will have a couple of three games when things are not working. I think what we've seen from Liverpool this season is when you get new players in, you take them in with some promise of playing time. Wenger said the other day that Wirtz was promised the number 10 position. Then you have to give him that and see if he succeeds. I think that may be what Liverpool have experienced Now that they seem to get out of it and then they can lose it at City. And you will say they are too long away or far away from Arsenal. But still, they have now players in there.

34:13They have tried out something. Now with Robertson, I don't think he can play every game. I'm not 100 % sure that Bradley is good enough to play every game as well. We know that the central defence, one injury there and you're struggling. But I still think that Liverpool got the squad to change things and the players will get in form. There's nothing wrong with the potential of the players. I mean, Isak will score goals. We know that. Florian Witts will get scoring points. We know that. Soboslai, Craig's point, yes, he's up his game. Gravenbeck will be better and so on and so on. I think now that they manage this week, or if we take the game against City on Sunday as well, a huge week.

35:00And if they survive, if they land on their feet this week, I think the Liverpool fans could be quite positive of the future because we know they won last year, last season. We know they know what it's like. Arsenal haven't won it, so they will always have that pressure over them and Liverpool can play a bit freer, if that is an English word. Yeah, and to Craig's point about Xabi Alonso, that every now and again he has thrown out a decision or a change that's made us go, huh, what's going on here? You obviously got close to him and spoke to him a lot during that amazing run at Leverkusen where he was absolutely flourishing.

35:35Now we know it's a different kettle of fish at Real Madrid, but why do you feel like he's finding it a bit harder to get that perfect method right or chemistry right? Well, first of all, it's a big difference. We're playing, singing in a choir in Germany, in Leverkusen, and then be the lead vocalist of the Beatles. I mean, this is Real Madrid. I mean, you may say this is the biggest club in the world. It's a big pressure. And even Alonso, if we think that Alonso, because he won the championship in Germany, he hasn't been a coach for many years. It's one of the reasons why a lot of the coaches who win have been there for ages and got that experience.

36:19So I think that he still have to learn his team. He has to understand the team. He will try things out. We don't know whatever happened in the restaurant. We just see sometimes the reactions on the pitch. There could be different reasons why he's trying out things on the pitch. He could have a great training week. Where should I put him? I want him in the team and so on. So I think this is a wow, what a year for Xabi Alonso. So he's still, I'm not saying he's a rookie, but he's not an experienced coach. And we tend to forget that.

36:53Steve Nicol:Let's put a player against Andy Robertson that's not going to give him any problems going forward. Really? Let's put a player against Andy Robertson to stop him because he's the greatest attacking left-back on the planet. No, he used to be one of them. He was incredible. He used to be incredible at getting up and down that left-hand side. and he used to be incredible one-on-one, which as you get older, you have more problems with. So why put a player out there in a different formation that's really not going to have to stop him going forward or give him much of a headache going the other way? Is it...

37:32Steve Nicol:Why are you laughing? Is it coach overthinking? Is the Champions League by this 36-team group stage, is that where it is now? Is it a bouncing place where managers try things for later on in the competition? Is that kind of where we are? Or is it just manager overthink? I don't know. It doesn't really make much sense to me, that decision. Well, Jan mentioned it. There's a big game in the Premier League this weekend. Manchester City going up against Liverpool in this one. Xhaka, just looking ahead to that one. Who starts in left-back for Liverpool then? Do you stick with your tried-and-true, Andy Robertson?

38:04Can he handle midweekend that weekend? I'll tell you who doesn't start.

38:08Frank Leboeuf:You go with that same starting XI. I think all of them have earned that right. Can Andy handle it?

38:17Steve Nicol:Hold on, hold on. We're not there yet. We're not. Listen, I'm talking about... Sorry, Shaq. Let's not take this out of context before other idiots do. I'm not saying Andy Roberts. I'm just saying he's not quite the player that he was, which was up here, right? Still better than Kirk is. Still better than Kirkes. Exactly. And that's unfortunate for young Kirkes at the moment. And listen, it'll be a huge dent to his confidence. But I said to Stevie two or three weeks ago, we were in the office, I said he's going to have to take him out the side. And Stevie said, well, the problem is, is Robertson doesn't quite look fit enough.

38:55Steve Nicol:And then he had a game where he came on against Chelsea, I think, got caught at the back post. And I went away and played in the game that I mentioned for Scotland and struggled. and so that wasn't an easy decision for Annelies slot. But, you know, you said, is Andy Robertson ready? Andy Robertson's a very, very good player. He's Scottish. He can handle it. There's lots of bad Scottish bloods. The point is, is Andy Robertson can still do a job, right? He can do a job defensively and he still will get forward. I'm not suggesting he can't do this, that and the next thing, but it's just the fact he's not the player he was, but he could easily go into a game like that and use his experience and say, do you know what?

39:36Steve Nicol:I don't need to be bombing forward unless I need to. I can just take my position off Van Dijk, make sure I'm covering, talking to people, getting some help in, all the sort of stuff that Milos Kerkers is still learning, certainly at a big club. And so for those reasons, I think absolutely Andy Robertson.

39:51Frank Leboeuf:To your question, Andy Robertson has to be up for it. He has to handle it to your team, Alexis. And let's be honest, this is going to be a test. Savino may not be a Kamavinga. I say tongue firmly in cheek. But between City's wide men in Kamavinga and Dorko, they have been simply outstanding. But they're both younger. They're both a little bit less experienced. And to Craig's point, maybe that's what Andy Robinson has over them. A little bit of experience, just a little bit of an older, wiser head, and allows him to match up with these two players. Now, again, before our ball was kicked, before we knew Real Madrid's lineup, you could probably ask the same question about Andy Robertson, about Bradley on the other side, and we'd have the same kind of questions about whether they could.

40:48Frank Leboeuf:They answered those. Now, again, it's a very different test, but I don't think Slott has any choice. The one thing, as I say, that Robertson has going in his favor is that he's a little bit older, a little bit wiser, and maybe that he can use to his advantage.

41:02Steve Nicol:You're not taking Kierkegaard out of the frying pan and chucking him back in.

41:08Frank Leboeuf:Against Avila.

41:09Steve Nicol:Man City away. Yeah. You're not doing that. You're not taking him out and then chucking him back in where he could get an absolute roasting and it just goes from pillar to post. It just gets worse. You just make the problem worse. I think there'll be a classic case here for Arnie Slott to just get Andy Robertson in the office and say, listen, you know, the young man's struggling, help him on the training ground. And, you know, senior players well. Robertson knows the scenario, right? He knows they've brought a left-back in because he can't keep doing it. So Slott will be talking to him saying, look, we need to help the young man, we need to do this.

41:47Steve Nicol:But in the meantime, I just need you to do a job for me. I don't need you to be, you know, the greatest attacking left-back in the planet. because I know as we get older, but I need you to come in and make that back four solid. More solidity, more continuity, more experience. And then, you know, gradually get Kierkegaard into the side and Robertson will get his game time. But for this game at the weekend, absolutely, unless there's a problem, Kierkegaard will not start this much. Well, Jan, I think that Liverpool backline is definitely going to have their hands full. Trying to contain your boy Erling Haaland because he is putting up some destructive numbers finding the back of the net once again this week.

42:28And breaking news, Doku makes an assist to Elling. I mean, what is going on? I mean, I mean, that we could live in a time that we can see that happening. Elling is on fire, of course. He's breaking all kind of records and then he plays against Bournemouth and Bournemouth come with a high line. I was wondering, I was sitting in the studio at the game And I was thinking, did he call Bournemouth and say, could you play with a high line so I can score two, three, four, five goals? He's on fire, Erling. I've never seen him fitter. I have never seen him more involved in a game. I've never seen him being more a leader out on the pitch.

43:07You can say that City are too depending on him. Yes, I see that point. But it seems that it doesn't bother him. I mean, it's not like the opposition play Manchester City and think, I wonder if there's Norwegian. this blonde guy will score a goal. I'm not sure that he will be dangerous. So massive days for him. They got a big game this week. He is playing on Thursday against Estonia at home. If we win that, Nor will it be at the World Cup. And then he can be calm in this game against Liverpool. Not getting injured. Please look after yourself. And it's a big, big week for Erling Haaland. Jan, give us a prediction.

43:43For what? For this game. Don't say anything yet because you're on the show with me tomorrow and we have a full preview on this. Trust me, I wasn't going to say a word. Okay, good. Jan, what's your prediction? My prediction is 2-2. I was just going to ask him a relevant question there

44:00Steve Nicol:before you went and nose first with your prediction. Right. Do you think, Jan, that Man City and Pep Guardiola in particular has had a little bit of a sea change in how they approach the game to get Haaland more involved, more balls into the box, more bodies around him, more service. Do you think there's been a mentality saying, look, he's our biggest asset. We don't have Kevin De Bruyne anymore. We don't have this, that and the next thing. We need to make sure we are getting the service to him a little quicker and in better areas. I think, yeah, Craig, it's a good question because I think Manchester City have had a reality check.

44:41I mean, they have got in three or four players and they are good players, yes, but this is not the De Bruyne of the world. This is not Alvarez either. I think they miss Alvarez. I mean, that kind of player in the team, they've got players in. And I think that after last season, there was a thing, Erling scored 30 goals in a terrible season. This is a man who plays for a team that at that time didn't do counterattacks as they did against Bournemouth. They were quicker going, trying to find that space behind the back four of Bournemouth and also get crosses in. Can you believe to be a striker and not get crosses.

45:16That's what I say. It was breaking news when I saw Djokou finally start making crosses. So, yes, I think they've had a... They also see that the game evolves. This just keep the ball kind of thing is not as efficient as it used to be. And you see that with Arsenal. You see that with Liverpool. You see that even with Bayern. Because there are games that Bayern doesn't have the great, great ball possession. but when they get the ball get the ball to Diaz and one against one or you give it to Gnabry turn around Kane lay it back be the playmaker on the team so yes I think they have a more pragmatic approach to the game now City

45:58Steve Nicol:and I heard Gab talking yesterday about Foden as well we're obviously going to by the way I'll not be talking about this game tomorrow if you're planning on me doing a big preview on it you're going to be in a lot of trouble. We'll get Craig's prediction tomorrow, but Nader Mano is also joining us on the show as we do preview. I'll do a prediction. I struggle. I'm not doing a preview because I've just done the preview. You have indeed. We'll try squeezing out though. No, you won't. Cut and paste. If you've shopped online, chances are you've bought from a business powered by Shopify. You know that purple shop pay button you see at checkout?

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49:19We can make it like this, that we make a look block and then we defend in the last third. Or we go on our way, our philosophy, how we want to do it and make things much better. I think when you see the first goal last season, for me 100 % two metres offside or one metre offside, clear offside. This we struggle a little bit, we have not the confidence. And of course we can speak about to change everything, but I'm not a coach to change this because we want to play like our DNA is and we don't want to defend in the low block and then we make maybe some transition to win 1-0. 3-3 is not the best result for us.

50:11We came back after every goal so this is a positive thing but we have to we have to speak about this match. Craig, does he sound a little defensive there? Like he's going to be defensive.

50:23Steve Nicol:Well, he won't change, right? And that's patently obvious and has been for a while. So they will have to do it better. But nobody's asking them to play in some... Well, nobody asks them anything. It's not their job to ask. It's his job to figure it out. And I don't think anybody's expecting him to play in some sort of low block on the edge of their own box. but what we saw again against Club Brugge was indicative of what we've seen almost all season again right, all season now it has not got any better since match day one and you can see well it was it almost brought them some great success last year domestically it did, right it didn't work out in the Champions League but the personnel have changed Martinez is gone he was the organiser Arojos came in he can't squeeze up, he doesn't organise, that's why he didn't play much last year.

51:17Steve Nicol:It's been Eric Garcia, it's been QB. It's chopped and changed. And it really hasn't worked. Even against the weakest teams, Girona, Alaves, and others in La Liga, they've been taken apart. And that defending, was that game yesterday or the day before? Yeah, I can't remember. That game yesterday, squeezing up, almost on the halfway line, like they were, and I think you said it, when the pass is only two or three yards away, it's just bonkers. And we sit here and go, this is just bonkers. Nobody is, honestly, we're not waking up going, I'll tell you what, I hope Barcelona camp themselves on the edge of their own box and just make it difficult.

51:58Steve Nicol:No, no. But there's a limit into what you can do and how you can squeeze. And when you go beyond that limit and do what they are doing, you get punished and you get punished on a regular basis. And they are. It doesn't matter who Barcelona play at the moment. And the boys, I think, said it yesterday. It does not need to be a difficult or world-class ball to open up this back line. So I think Hansi Flick has a big problem. One of the problems is defensive personnel, their ability to try and play this line. And his other problem is he's put his head in the sand here and he knows it's too late to come out and change.

52:35Steve Nicol:It's the DNA. He said it. And I think it's the thing that's going to eventually, this season take them down. Yeah, and it seems like he's getting a bit more defensive about his back line. And as Craig said, it's not like we're telling them to go shift your identity, play in a low block. But that defensiveness that we see from him now is kind of reminding me a lot about Ange Postacoglu when things started to go south at Tottenham and he had to come out and try and defend his identity as well. But we all know how that ended. Yeah, it reminded myself when I have a little fight with my wife. I go all defensive and I go all the way.

53:12So you want me to be, you know? So, so it's, yeah, it's like, but the thing is with, with Hansi Flick, I mean, he got the titles to show for it, which, which he will say, I will have to stay with it. The way I'm doing it as a Craig was saying, nobody asked him to play a low block, but I mean, every football man, every football coach, if you do a bit of a football coaching courses they say you shall not squeeze up when there is not pressure on the man who has the ball I mean that is the rule number one in any kind of uh of the way and sometimes I feel I don't know if you agree on that but sometimes when he play against when they play against weaker teams they just play that easy ball when they play against the better team they think no we can't just play route one game.

54:04I saw the game against Brugge. Brugge, they just got the ball, chipped it over the back four, and then they just attacked it big time. And sometimes you feel that the big teams, ah, that is a bit too primitive for us. We can't play like that. But he's taken a part. And that game yesterday was unbelievable. I mean, and yes, I understand, Alexis, what you're saying with Ains for Socoglu. I mean, you get sometimes it's Spurs-Chelsea vibe. Remember that game when it could have been Jackson 5, he could have scored five or six goals. Well, it could have gotten a lot worse, Craig, for Barcelona because Brugge did score a goal that would have taken them to 4-3 and get the victory.

54:47Xhaka, Craig, I believe, said this goal should have stood. What do you think?

54:52Steve Nicol:Can I say it again? I mean, I don't know.

54:57Frank Leboeuf:There's no contact, is there? No. Well, the contact comes from Chesney onto Bernanth here.

55:04Steve Nicol:Yeah, I do. You think it should have stood? I do. I know there was a little debate yesterday. Anthony Taylor, I just... I get less confidence in him the more times I see him. But, no, I do think it should have stood because, yeah, he slides in and sort of affects Chesney in some way, but he ultimately makes... He's the player that makes the contact. So I think that is very, very unfortunate. The decision on the field, I believe, was to let the goal... Was goal. Was goal to stand. And when you go to the monitor and you change it for something as innocuous as that, particularly when you're the attacking player putting the ball in the net and you've made no contact yourself with the goalkeeper, I find that really hard to believe that Anthony Taylor has gone to the monitor and reversed the decision that he, you know, they do say, you know, although VAR and the monitors do help, but a lot of the referees, it's the instinct.

56:03Steve Nicol:And his instinct was that there was nothing egregious about that challenge. And I think he's overanalyzed that at the monitor. And I think it's been a bad decision in Club Brugge, against Club Brugge, and a big decision that's gone Barcelona's way. Well, Barcelona will be in action this weekend. In La Liga returns to ESPN. They are in action on Sunday against Celta Vigo. An away game for Hansi Flick. 2.30pm Eastern time. Join us 30 minutes before. Craig and I will be calling that game, I believe. Oh, what day is it? For the British Sunday. See you all day. I'm trying. He needs no time to bounce back.

56:43Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

56:47Steve Nicol:I was looking to see how many clean sheets, but I have kept them. Sorry, I had to throw you in there. All right, it's a more European action. Mitterland up against Celtic. It's a little Jan versus Craig. 33-minute win. Who wins this one? Hold on. Look away, Craig. Hold on. Allow me to tell you, you're generalizing here. Why is it Jan versus Craig? Well, I was just saying a Norwegian team up against the Scottish team. Are they not Danish? Are they? Oh, well. My geography is probably as strong as Xhaka's then.

57:17Frank Leboeuf:Well, what we're trying to say, don't make me into this. I'm staying well away. All right, well, we'll take that back. Either way, Celtic 2-0 down, 35 minutes in, 41st minute now.

57:33And they managed to get a third, 3-0.

57:35Frank Leboeuf:Well, June, with the finish, I mean, Celtic defending, I'm not sure where anybody is at this point. Nobody gets close from that distance. Easy finish. Into the second half now. Osman fouled in the box right here. Penalty for Celtic.

57:55Steve Nicol:That's more clumsy than anything else, wasn't it? I think we found it a bit unlucky. It wasn't a good night for Celtic. No, it wasn't. I believe Midtjylland created a lot more chances. This result could have been far worse, I believe, if you care. Well, that win takes Midtjylland to the top of the Europa League table. They're Scandinavian, so it kind of counts. It's within Jan's neighborhood.

58:17Frank Leboeuf:Everything's in Jan's. Jan's never home. Everything's in Jan's neighborhood. Jan is never home. Jan's in England more than we've been. And Germany, that's for sure. I like things my way. My coffee, my schedule, and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo Pre-Filled Syringe, which contains F-Gartigamide Alpha and Hyaluronidase QVFC. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment, my way. Visit VivGuardMyWay.com. That's V-Y-V-G-A-R-T MyWay.com. And talk to your doctor about VivGuard Hytrulo.

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1:00:03All right, we are into the business end of the NWSL season. in the quarterfinals this Sunday on our networks, ABC and ESPN. There are the fixtures. Ooh, Casey Curran to have been so good and so perfect this season up against our Ali Kriegers, Gotham FC, and then the Thorns up against the San Diego Wave at 3 p.m. all on Sunday. Don't miss it.

1:00:30All right, we have waited all day for this. Craig came back from vacation just for this Shaka Hisslop's power ranking.

1:00:38Frank Leboeuf:And like I said, the top two stand alone, pretty much Bayern and Arsenal, one and two. I tell you what, you buckled last week.

1:00:46Steve Nicol:I had a pop at you for putting Stuttgart in and you've taken them right out. How can Bournemouth get beat at City and you put them in? Because it's City.

1:00:56Frank Leboeuf:How can PSG get wallopped? Exactly, because they get beat from teams in the top ten. Nobody else can claim as much. Everybody dropping points. I can't. Where's Carabag? They held the mighty world champions Chelsea to a draw. Behave yourself. Shaka, you're not getting invited. Behave yourself. Galatasaray in at five. City deservedly back in. Kind of getting what we've seen from them this week. PSV, Inter. Ace Mano on a little bit of a run here. All of a sudden, I'm back in at number eight. And like I said, PSG and Bournemouth are in. They lost the teams. Also in the top ten. Nobody else can claim as much.

1:01:33Steve Nicol:City get two wins and that takes them back in, yeah? Yeah, it does. So what's the difference between City beating Dortmund and Bournemouth and Liverpool beating Villa and Real Madrid?

1:01:45Frank Leboeuf:Because Liverpool have just lost, what, five in the previous six or seven? So, OK, you get results against Villa and Real Madrid, but that's about it. And they took down Real Madrid, though, Xhaka. I feel like that's an honourable mention. Yeah, but they lost to Manchester United. That means you can't be in the top ten. Yeah, but Shannon, that was ages ago. Yeah, yeah. If you lose to Manchester United, you have to take a six-month sabbatical. It's not that easy. You have to take a sabbatical.

1:02:12Steve Nicol:You're right. If you lose to Manchester United, you're automatically out for six months. Out for six months. All right. That's great. That's right. I'm a very proud member of the ESPN FC team. And since we discussed now over the years, there are three things that I can never find out. I still can't figure out Albert Einstein's, all the theories. I try. I do my best. I read all the books. I still can't understand the Hannibal rules. And I can't understand the rules of Xhaka Hissler's power right here. I never, I never, I never understand it. So you have Bournemouth, who play with the highest line since Bobby Charlton at Etihad.

1:02:50Second. Second highest. Second highest line. Second highest line. Okay, sorry. Second highest line. and then you have Liverpool who play brilliantly, beat Aston Villa, now they're not in the top 10, but Chaka I know you have your rules I still don't get them, but I still think that you, I back you man I back you, I love you Paul

1:03:12Steve Nicol:I just think it's a must because I love how people get very angry Oh boy, they do, they do They take it personally Which really sort of makes it for me because we just see it as a bit of fun It's a great day in Bournemouth today Great day in Bournemouth. Celebrated in Bournemouth. And over the years, as people's anger got up to its level. Yeah. I don't know. There's a lot of anger out there.

1:03:38Frank Leboeuf:Are you not engaging with the people that are getting angry at you? No, no. Well, it's very... I'm a scientist. I'm a scientist, Greg.

1:03:48Frank Leboeuf:Wow, well, guess what? Guess what? You can listen to more of Shaka's scientific conclusion. Where are you, Alexis? Have you on tonight? I am not on tonight. No, I'm tonight. Oh, okay. And you doing that double shift 8.30 p.m. Eastern time. Do tune in.

1:04:05Steve Nicol:Well, try. All right. Well, that's it for the show. But don't go anywhere. Extra time is next.

1:04:20Welcome in to extra time. Oh, we are so happy to have our Craig Burley back. from vacation. He's a lot more tanned. Rested. Calm. Calm. Oh Bill. Writing time for the conference league and Oh he wouldn't miss it. He would not miss it.

1:04:38Frank Leboeuf:All you think we're missing is a league action. I didn't.

1:04:42Steve Nicol:Clearly didn't think this one out.

1:04:47Steve Nicol:Oh he loves it. Plenty of time I should have stuffed it all in at once. He got a bit burnt in my last day, Shaq. Ah. Too burnt. It happens. Don't worry, the cold up here will sort that right down. Yeah. Yeah, it got a bit hot and I forgot the old... Some, like the factor 50. But you are missed, Craig. And you said in the show that I'm more in England than you guys. And when I speak to English football fans, they always come over to me and ask, is Craig Burley as grumpy as he seems on the screen? And I always say, no, he's a smiling man. Please tell them I am the most horrible person. No, no, no, no.

1:05:27Steve Nicol:I don't want the mask to slip. Don't don't know me. It's just a facade. It's just a facade. I'll tell you today, Shaq, Jan, said Fred, John, I'll tell you today, it's not a facade.

1:05:41Frank Leboeuf:It is. It's a facade.

1:05:43Steve Nicol:It's not. It's convenient. Craig was skipping it today. If anybody thinks there's going to be a double preview of Man City Liverpool tomorrow, you're going to be mistaken. I'm tuning in for that tomorrow. Please do. All right, next question. First question, and it is for Craig. Craig, did you have a go and wrestle that alligator after you finished your round of golf? The gator did appear to interrupt your round of golf. No, no, the gator. The gator was having a kip. He was having a sleep. Oh. Turned on touchy tail or nothing. Oh, there's a gator. Oh, he's. This is from Craig's personal photos.

1:06:18Yeah. That's a big one. That looks like a nice little.

1:06:20Steve Nicol:Well, yeah, he's big enough. However, one of my buddies that was with me, he reckoned... He's dead. Yes. Kevin reckoned the gator was dead. And I was like, well... One way to find out. One way to find out. One way to find out. Pull him by the tail. You may go up and check. Did Kevin check? No. But Craig, Craig, I mean, when you follow you on the social media, I mean, you are the new Sir Richard Attenborough. There's always deer animals, there are bears, alligators. There's always something happening around here. Do you live in a zoo? I was in Florida. Yeah, that's fair. But there's always a bear or something going around here.

1:07:06Steve Nicol:No, there was actually, there was a lot of deer running about. And it was very different from Connecticut deer. Oh. Right. You had a chat. He's so white. This is what I noticed in my David Attenborough. You see a deer in Connecticut here. David Attenborough. It's Richard. Yeah, David Attenborough. Yeah, no, sorry. His brother. The deer's just bald, don't they? Yeah. As soon as you get without any distance down there, they were walking about the course. Didn't they hunt them more down there? That's a warm weather deer. That's a warm weather deer. Very friendly. Very friendly. I'll be honest with Twitter now, but the only thing I can be bothered doing is just taking a picture about once a month of some sort of wildlife.

1:07:52Steve Nicol:I think that's what Twitter deserves. It doesn't deserve anything else. Do you birdwatch? Do you what? Do you birdwatch? I beg your pardon? No. I do not. Not in Florida. They're too old for you. No. Oh boy! Oh yeah! Wow, that was a great cafe!

1:08:22Steve Nicol:I tell you what, it's amazing the amount of bum-bub-bub-waters you see though. Yeah, it's amazing! I was walking the dogs this morning and people were out with these big cameras taking... And I'm like, what a life! Were they watching birds? What kind of birds were they watching? Wildlife! This is going all kinds of directions! This is going all kinds of directions! All right, we'll go to the second question before we get anybody in trouble. Jan, I'm a Middlesbrough supporter from Fossen. Yeah, it's a village next to my village. Who started following the borough because of you way back in 1995.

1:09:05What are your top three favorite memories in your borough career? Well, Juninho arriving at Middlesbrough was a big one because I've never seen a good, saw a good player like he was. I couldn't believe I, we all stopped wanting to stop playing football because he was so amazing what he did with his ball. When I arrived at the club and signed for the club, I grew up as a Leeds United supporter and I went to the corridors of Ayrson Park. And the first one was my, one of my heroes, Gordon McQueen coming into the, to, to the corridors in a dark corridors. I went down on my knees. I was a record signing.

1:09:40I said, it's Gordon McQueen. Oh, wow, fantastic. That was a great thing. And of course, the first game of the season, we played Chelsea at Riverside Stadium. I got the Bus Aldrin goal. I got the second one and Craig Higley got the first one. So that was a great day.

1:09:58Steve Nicol:Brilliant. What year was that, Jan?

1:10:0495, 96, maybe. Oh. 96, 996. Yeah, yeah, whatever. I can't remember what I was last weekend. A long time ago. A long time ago. I was five years old. Next question. Would it be a bad idea for Rob Edwards to take the Wolves job, as he's likely to be in the Premier League next season with Borough anyhow? Is he? Well, Borough are flying, aren't they? Does he want to go to Wolves? Is that the hottest rumour? Yeah, he's linked with the job. Yeah, I saw he was linked, but I mean, the potential Middlesbrough got at the moment, it's much more likely that they will be in the Premier League as you were saying, Dan, than Wolverhampton.

1:10:43I can't believe if he does that.

1:10:47Frank Leboeuf:I rely on Kim Marie for all my minutes to renews. OK.

1:10:53Frank Leboeuf:Coventry are favourites to go up to, aren't they? Yes, they're really on. It's a long season in the Championship. Where was Lampard linked now? I saw something about that as well. Is he also linked to the Evolve's job now? I would be surprised if he left that job. Yeah, doing a great job there. Absolutely. Alright, next question. Which team has more problems, Barcelona or Real Madrid? Didn't Real Madrid just beat Barcelona? I'll go with Barcelona and have more problems as a result.

1:11:27Steve Nicol:Is that a serious question? Barca as well? No, the question was, is that a serious question? I don't care about the question, but is the question a serious question? Is that somebody that's not watched football? Soccer. Call it what you like. The top of the league, they've just beat them. They haven't kept a clean sheet. I've checked this. 21st of September, I believe. Barca, it was Getafe of all teams. Barely kept one all season. Lost three at Club Brugge. All over the place. I mean, Real Madrid haven't been great. But that can't be a serious question, really. I mean, surely. Seriously. I mean, come on.

1:12:03And I bet Jan agrees.

1:12:05Steve Nicol:Yeah, I agree. but stop callers for Shirley. Okay, next. Shirley for your top. Shirley for your top. You need to go for a geography lesson. Yeah, I do. Scandinavia, now, Alexis. No, no, no. I didn't want to correct you because it's very close and we are Scandinavia, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. So I will excuse you. One big happy Scandinavian family. Well, I wanted to correct you because one's in Norway and one's in Denmark. Yeah. Norway, Denmark, Sweden. Fair enough. But happy Scandinavian family. That's like calling me English. No, no, no, no. It's very close. Scotland's very much not a happy family, though, with England.

1:12:47Some Norwegians say, oh, we've got to support Sweden and Denmark. Why? We are competitors. I mean, I don't want... I want us to come to the World Cup. I don't want Sweden to come to the World Cup. I want us to be there all on our own. But I support Xhaka with Trinidad and Tobago, and you equally support Jamaica, right? But I do hope we beat you. You support Jumboers.

1:13:08Frank Leboeuf:Of course. But it would be nice to see two... Because we are siblings. We're siblings.

1:13:14Steve Nicol:Wayne, don't talk nonsense. I'm the bigger brother. You've got the UK. The Welsh don't support the English. Can't have that. Sorry.

1:13:22Frank Leboeuf:That's a different dynamic. We're one Caribbean.

1:13:25Steve Nicol:You're all UFO. We're forced to play together in cricket. We're one United Kingdom. What's the difference? Yeah, exactly. You're on your back foot today, big time. No, I'm just saying how it is in the Caribbean.

1:13:36Frank Leboeuf:It's far more complex. That whole UK thing is far more complex than between us. There's a lot of issues with you all that we don't have. I made my debut for Norway.

1:13:46Steve Nicol:It's very different in the Caribbean than the UK. Where lovers not fight us. Yeah, where lovers not fight us. You're so laid back. Yeah. I made my debut in Grenada. And I played St Lucia, Guadeloupe and Martinique. That was my first game for Norway. No wonder you scored as many goals as you did.

1:14:07I played against Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. I'm an old man. All right. We've already gone on to the next question. Is it any better than the last one? Xhaka, why are Newcastle so inconsistent?

1:14:19Steve Nicol:Can't win away from home. Oh, sorry. Did you say Xhaka? Close to Craig. One big family, right? One big family, ESPN FC. Say your name, we talk. Exactly. Away from home, can't win a game. And why? And why? And why? What? Why? And why was the question? Oh, why are they... Oh, my God. Do I need to spell it out? Their away form is terrible. And that's why they... Why? Yeah, I'm saying that. I don't know why. Eddie Howe doesn't know why. St James' Park crowd, atmosphere, hot, but check. So the answer is Eddie, Eddie, why? That's why they're so inconsistent. Checker, you want to chime in? No, Craig did all my talking there.

1:15:13Frank Leboeuf:All. All right, next question. Does Danny Welbeck deserve a recall to England as a backup to Harry Kane?

1:15:24Steve Nicol:I'm trying to think about the backups to Harry Kane at the moment. Ollie Watkins. help me out off the top of my head how many is there apart from Watkins you're a striker Jan help me out somebody help me out I work yes is the answer it's got to be yes he's like a fine wine to be fair beautifully put he's a player that I think has got it will plateau at a certain age we've all been there But he has gone away, and as he's got older and more experienced, I think he's actually become a better player. I do. Yes, I guess. Absolutely. And, yeah, I mean, if he's in form for Brighton, coming up to the squad selection, you'd imagine Watkins will be in the form, anybody else that I've forgot.

1:16:20Steve Nicol:But certainly, Danny Welbeck, whenever you see him play, you think, do you know what? You're a better player now than when you were 25. I think with the big squads they have now for national games, I mean, we're talking 28, 29 players. I think there should always be a space available for players who are in top form. I think that is something with the dynamic. It's something about the competition for places. So I think Velbeck should be in this. I'm not sure that he would be top 16, but I think he should be rewarded for, like Craig is saying, he's playing wonderfully at the moment. England, Wales, Scotland, it should just be one, shouldn't it?

1:16:59Well, they do play as one.

1:17:01Steve Nicol:In the Olympics. Team GB. So one love. No, but most of the players don't go because it's garbage. Nobody cares. I've said this all along. Olympics, right, Olympics is 100 metres. Javelin, high jump. Track and field. Track and field. Soccer's not an Olympic sport. Golf. Track and field. You know, and all that Scandinavian guff that they do. That's the Winter Olympics. That's the Winter Olympics. Same thing. Olympics all under one pillar. You're not a fan of the Olympics. Oh, I used to love the Olympics. But I used to love, like, the 100 metres when it was... Yeah, yeah. Calvin... Carl. Carl Lewis.

1:17:45Steve Nicol:I'll get to see what I'm right to do. Carl Lewis. Ben Johnson, that's another story. You know, all these great runners and the 15... Steve Owens. Sebastian Cole, Steve Cram. Yeah, Cole, Seb Cole. Yeah. He won a few races with his nose alone. Seb Cole. I can't talk. Oh, goodness. No, I used to love the Olympics. I just don't like all these other sports that they try and integrate. I mean, you go as GB, and it's not a full team. Most people don't go. If you'd asked Stevie and I, not that we'd have been selected, maybe him, I don't know, you want to go and play in the Olympics in the summer or whenever it is no chance no chance of course you should of course you should play in the Olympics Craig what experience is there is there competition it's a bit like the club World Cup look no it's not it's only Olympics is that's for me gymnastics Xhaka's really good at gymnastics that is fantastic I mean his knowledge alright let's go to the final question now that everyone can oh oh okay no no final question I will keep it for mañana.

1:18:54All right.

1:18:56Steve Nicol:I'm due to it tomorrow. I wonder what that question was. It was going to be about Norway. It was going to be about actual Norway, not Sweden or Denmark. But we will save it for you, Yad. ESPN, we are back tomorrow. Bye-bye from Denmark. Bye-bye from Denmark. Bye-bye.

1:19:12Frank Leboeuf:Bye-bye.

1:19:22Turn it up. Storm has zero sugar and 200 milligrams of caffeine. So you can turn that workout up a notch. Good energy in, good energy out. Energy for life.