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24:13Dan Thomas:OK, I'm going to give you what Ireola said after the game. He said it's been less than three days, 60 hours since they played Atletico. Don't give me that up. And a lot of players had to adapt. Most of the changes were for physical reasons because the players were tired, but that is the season. And in less than three days, we'll be here against Spurs in the Carabao. Come on, don't be giving us that. We're four games into the season. You're saying they're tired. Tired. Give me a break. And they played at home. And by the way... And they played at home. And by the way, yeah, exactly. Arsenal played in Naples in the heat.

24:46And look what they've just done this afternoon, this evening. The shift that they put in.

24:51Dan Thomas:So what would you do, Don? What would you do if you were at Ayola to address these issues? You've got to do the right thing. You've got to make big boy decisions. You've got to say, well, if Florian Virta is struggling in the Premier League, you've got to come out the side. And whether it's Trey Nione, who I like, or whether it's McAllister, whatever personnel you've got to pick, you've got to pick what you think is Liverpool's best 11. They play Bournemouth away next. I've got no confidence Liverpool can go to Bournemouth and beat them. So you've got to look at it. You've got to identify what you think Bournemouth's weaknesses are, which is not many.

25:23You've got to find your strengths, which we're struggling to pick up on today. And you've got to go right. If there is some players tied after the Atletico Madrid game, then you should have dropped them for today. You should have made a lot more changes. So going to Bournemouth, you've got to say, right, if it's not Florian Vert, you don't think he's in good form, out you come. Dominic Sabozlai, you go as number 10. And then you pick McAllister and Gravenberg or Traineone, whoever it might be. You've just got to go and have belief and courage in your conviction that you're not just going to pick the players that you think might or hopeful that you might turn on.

25:57You might get something out of Barcola. You might get something out of Vert or Alexander Isak or Munoz. You can't think hopeful. You've got to try and navigate what you think is the best 11 to go to Bournemouth and win. Whoever sits on the bench, so be it. If you've shopped online, chances are you've bought from a business powered by Shopify. You know that purple ShopPay button you see at checkout? The one that makes buying so incredibly easy? That's Shopify. And there's a reason so many businesses sell with it. Because Shopify makes it incredibly easy to start and run your business. Shopify is the commerce platform behind 10 % of all e-commerce in the U.S.

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28:53The game, you know, I can't help it. I find it funny because when the game kicked off, there was, everybody was in a good mood at Spurs and they started the game well. And everybody had a smile on their face. And it just almost seemed as though the longer the game went on, the smile disappeared and the frowns came on their face. And by the end of the game, everybody's like this. I mean, it was just, there was nothing to grasp onto. There was two chances in the game and they were both Everton's and they should have scored two. Tottenham never created, never created even a half chance and never at any stage again.

29:35We're talking about Liverpool with no connections. There is absolutely nothing going on at Tottenham. A booze at the end of the game. Well, I'm not surprised. they actually laughed at their own players when Hernandez had a shot in the second half. That was the first shot in target and it was a little daisy cutter that was going about three miles an hour. Fernandez. Three miles. Hernandez, I beg your pardon. Three miles an hour. Three miles. The ball was going three miles an hour

30:04Dan Thomas:and the goalie threw his hat on it and the Tottenham fans all laughed and cheered. So they're actually taking the mick out of their own players now. I tell you what, this was desperate. Is it a case of if they don't laugh, they'll cry, Don? Do you know what, Kate? You've said exactly what I was just going to say. You have to. I mean, how can you go through four games in the Premier League and you've not scored a goal? I mean, how bad does it get? But their home form's been shocking for 18 months. I mean, they've got some tough games. They've got Villa. I mean, Villa lost today. Yeah, Villa lost today.

30:41They've got Villa at home next. So what a six-pointer that's going to be. If Villa go there and turn them over, my days, the Gerbis in a world of trouble. They are bang in trouble because, yeah, because, you know, the Premier League can get away from you very quickly. If you're going to have to do a bad start and then if Villa go there and win, all of a sudden if you're Spurs and you do get a win, you don't climb away from the sort of bottom four or five positions. You then need to go back-to-back wins, which Spurs have not done for an awful long time. So they are, you have to admit it. I mean, I was one of them where I thought the sign is that they've made, the Gerbi being the manager, I might place him in a European spot.

31:18They're miles away from that.

31:20Dan Thomas:Would you like to get some of his post-game comments? Sure, why not? I'm sure they're riveting. We played 30 minutes very well. Then we lost some confidence because we didn't score. We lost energy because our physical condition is not good enough yet. But we started late and had many problems in the squad because of the World Cup players' injuries, transfer market where situations were too late, not because of our responsibility. now we are working we started 10 days ago to work with all the players what our physical condition is not there yet it's not there yet four games into this it's not there yet what's going on no that's garbage sorry and that's that's rubbish and i i do have a question it's like what was the world cup available just as first players apparently because nobody else played in the World Cup other than the Spurs players.

32:12Look, this pattern of excuses. I mean, he's saying Pedro Poros, knock it. Well, those excuses, and this pattern of excuses began a couple of weeks ago. And back then I was saying, as I'll say now, it's incredibly early to be bringing these excuses out. A couple of weeks ago it was mentality. Now it's saying, yeah, we're not quite there physically, and we're not quite ready yet. Well, as a manager, it's your job to have the team ready physically, mentally, fully engaged. Don't give me the explanations as to why things are not happening from where your first reason is an excuse. That part, to me, anyways, if I were a Spurs fan, to me, that would be the most concerning thing, that we're not getting true explanations, we're getting excuses.

33:09And when you go scoreless in four matches, it goes beyond excuses. It goes beyond mentality. It goes beyond physically not ready. You stumble onto a goal at some point. This thing hasn't even been able to do that. I don't understand why the manager wouldn't be honest and just say, look, we are doing everything we can. The guys are doing, the guys are, they're in a bad place, you know, where we understand that we're not at our best, but we are trying everything we can to get this right. And every fan of your team will accept that. But when you start coming out with stuff like that, they're going to go, hold on a minute.

33:52This guy thinks we're all stupid. Just be honest and tell the truth. And just say what it is. And it is, they are trying. They started the game bright and they got after them, but it didn't work out. So why don't you say that and stick with that instead of coming up with the nonsense? It just turns people off. Absolutely, 100%.

34:16Dan Thomas:Anything to add, Don? I was just thinking there, to Ali's point there, it's the job to get them fit. When I was at Sheffield United, I hated it, but we had a running coach. And every Tuesday, it was a running day. We never saw a ball. It was conditioned. So we just ran and ran and ran on a Tuesday with Wednesday off. But we were fit. By the way. How can Dejerbi, four games in, not have his players fit? These teams have got five fitness coaches. They've got five fitness... They've got more monitors than NASA. They're all running about with all their stuff on. Have they run out of batteries? I mean, seriously.

34:55Dan Thomas:Have you been to NASA? No, Shaka wouldn't take me. Ask Shaka to take me, but... All right. Honestly. I mean, seriously. Who would want you to run their space program, Stevie? What an experience that would be. OK, we're hoping for quite the experience. Oh, yeah, first of all, let's tell you the other time we leave results today. We won't be getting into any of these, though, but Ipswich Town got a win over Crystal Palace away from home. All the draws. Bronwyn was in Brentford with a 2-2 draw, Boston Villa beating at home by Nottingham Forest. And the games that we've showed you also featuring there.

35:30Dan Thomas:Tomorrow, Manchester United against Manchester City. Three people going with the favourites, Manchester City. That's Xhaka, Ale and Stevie. Everybody else going for a draw. So, Xhaka, Ale and Stevie, two of you are in here that say Man City are going to win this. Why did you go for that, Ale? I think Manchester United tends to be a difficult team for Manchester City, even when Manchester City were playing at their best. And I thought, in that sense, this may be a draw. But I also thought, if there is a team right now that has a player that you know with certainty he will score goals, it's Manchester City and Erling Haaland.

36:18everybody knows that he is the focal point that he is it and yet he continues to find himself in positions to score goals and not only does he find himself in those positions but he is actually executing with his final touch he's hot right now, I've got to ride Manchester City and I've got to ride more importantly Erling Island

36:34Dan Thomas:What was behind your thinking Stevie? Man United defensively are not good their best option is going forward and at home they'll always score goals but as I said defensively I just don't like what I see and Erling Haaland factor yeah 100 % but Man United will try and go forward and that means they're going to leave holes and when the defence isn't good and you're playing against somebody like Haaland not just him then there's going to be goals that's why I've gone for 3-2 I think there'll be plenty of goals and I think Manchester City will win the game and yet Don you think they're going to get a point from it?

37:17Yeah, well, Michael Carrick beat them last year. You know, it has been a difficult fixture for City. I mean, I got asked yesterday to do my amalgamated 11, and he only had two Man United players in it, which was Rashford and Bruno Fernandes. But I don't think that makes any difference when it comes to this fixture. I think you could toss a coin. I'm glad you brought it up then. I think Ali could be correct with 3-2. No, no, no. Listen, it could matter. It might not matter. Man City have got the better players, but it didn't bother Michael Carrick last year when they went there and won. If this was at the Etihad, I think it would be a Stonewall Man City win.

37:50I just think it's going to be loads of goals and my gut instinct is 2-2. Did you hear, Don, amalgamated?

37:58Dan Thomas:Amalgamated. It's been in the dictionary for breakfast. Hello. All right, thank you so much, Don. Be sure to be with the team tomorrow on ESPN FC. They'll be looking back on that game. And many more.

38:13Shohei Ohtani's interpreter was fired today Ipe Mitsuhara ran up gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation.

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39:14Dan Thomas:Kylian Mbappe was on the score sheet twice for Real Madrid in their 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano. Alvaro Carreras and Jude Bellingham also in on the action. And we got to see Cameo get a goal for Rayo Vallecano as he continues to make his name in the Pachichi standings. They did what they had to do today, Luis. They got the win, 4-1, it finished. And that's just what Jose Mourinho will have wanted. Yes, and he talks about it. during press conference. I don't care how do I play. What I care is about winning, and that's what they've done once again. Very good 45 minutes in the first half. I think there was a very dynamic, energetic team, really, with a lot of determination at front.

39:54We saw players moving around, combining, scoring goal, assisting, and the most important, creating a lot of chances, not giving any to Rayo Vallecano, that they saw that the game was already gone after 15 minutes. And in the second half, we asked, We talked about it at halftime. Is this Real Madrid that is going to have that consistency? Is the Real Madrid that is going to be with the desire to score more goals? And we found out that, no, they're still there. I think the second half leaves a lot of doubts once again. Rotation is being done. That was very important. Straight away 45 minutes. But when it was removed from the game to bring Kamavinga into the midfield.

40:38And the team wasn't the same. So this Real Madrid needs to continue working. There is a lot of room to improve. Of course, it is. The players are there. Goulet came on the second half, gave another assist. Diomande gave us a little bit of what he can do, but still a very shy and very quiet player in that right side. I think he was left alone quiet for a long period. So, yeah, three good points. Not yet the consistency there, but I think that Real Madrid looks like what they want to be in the future.

41:07Dan Thomas:What did you make of it, Ale? Well, I'll tell you what I made of it. This cutting-edge analysis that we have, you can't quite see any of us here. Oh, wait a minute. We're coming back alive. Oh, maybe. We can hear you. We'll have to see. All right. Well, you're not missing much, although I look some light here. I thank you. Thank you very much for covering it up. Look, as it pertains to Real Madrid today, the first half, in fact, the first 25-30 minutes, you're thinking, okay, this looks like something. They're creating chances, they're forcing turnovers, they're pressing higher off the field. There's a life and an energy that I think Luis was talking about.

41:50And then the challenge was to maintain and sustain that level of play in the second half. And it's not a challenge that I put forth towards Real Madrid just because I feel like it. It's because it's important for this team to dictate what they're going to be, not based upon the opposition. In this case, Rayo Vallecano, that wasn't much of an opposition, but up to their standards. And if you're Jose Mourinho, one of the things that you're trying to establish is a new standard. You're trying to establish what this team should look like and how they sustain a level of play. And if indeed that was the message at halftime, which I imagine it would have been, it certainly would have been had I been the manager of this team, I would have gone in there thinking, listen, let's maintain the energy, let's sustain the level of play, Let's make sure there's no complacency.

42:36And right away at the start of the second half, what you see is a team that is giving the ball away, that is complacent, that is allowing Rayo Vallecano, a team that is so very limited, allowing them to have the initiative, so much so that they started creating opportunities. That is something that I would find unacceptable if I were Jose Mourinho. Now, publicly, I would say all the right things. But to my team, I would address the fact that the first 25, 30 minutes of the second half is not up to the standards of Real Madrid. and we have to be better if indeed we're going to achieve the things that we're capable of achieving.

43:08Dan Thomas:Is that something he would have done, Stevie? Do you know the worst thing about what Ali's saying there is that that's a mentality problem. And unfortunately, when you have that sort of mentality, it actually doesn't do you any favours that you get away with it because it just makes you think that it'll all be alright anyway. And so it ends up biting you in the backside when you play against the proper side that actually don't let you off when you do those sorts of things. So that's going to be a real problem for Mourinho to try and turn around. Because unless you lose a game like this, then the message doesn't get home.

43:48Because the opposition are inferior and they can't take advantage of it. So unfortunately for Jose, that's the biggest problem he has.

43:58Dan Thomas:Yeah, but the lights are back on, so we don't have that problem anymore. And we look nice. You guys do. You look great. You look great. However, there we go. It is Real Madrid with a win on the board here. Anything else that you'd like to add? Anyone who stood out to you today, Luis? Well, I think, again, I think that what Bernardo did in the middle of the park, it shows a little bit what Real Madrid is needed. I think we've talked a lot about the missing of Cruz, of Modric players who can really create, really have the ball, keep the possession and bring the leadership from the middle of the park.

44:29and Bernardo can be one of those players. Of course, he's not going to be a player who's going to be a boss to box. He's not a player who's going to cover a lot of grass. But definitely he's a player who's got the ability to hold the ball, to link the team together, and to show a little bit of what he can do. I like it. I actually enjoy his role in the middle of the park.

44:48Dan Thomas:Okay, good stuff. Thank you so much, Luis, for being with us. More to come from Luis. And thank you for paying your power bill. That's good. That's nice. Us, on the other hand... Yeah. Something going on here. More to come. LJ against Real Madrid coming up on Tuesday. Our coverage will begin at 3 p.m. Eastern ESPN 2 for the game. It'll also be available streaming on the app. Life insurance is one of those things that's easy to put off because it doesn't feel urgent today. But it's not just another financial box to check. It's about having a plan in place so if life throws something unexpected at your family, they're not left dealing with the financial side without support.

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46:43Dan Thomas:In the standings right now, wrestling in 10th in the top half of the table after five games. Alaves still in third as it stands right now. Now it's Real Madrid in second and they got themselves another win today. Sid Lowe was at the stadium for us to get all the post-match reactions. So what's it been like buzzing around the mix zone in the press conference after that win for Real Madrid, Sid? Well, Jose Mourinho, Kay, was absolutely delighted at the performance from Middlesbrough this afternoon. He was very, very pleased. Of course he was. So was I.

47:21now what Mourinho really talks about post-game was about the way that the game slipped away from him in the first 20 minutes or so of the second half he said that's basically because and Ali was talking about this at half-time wasn't he that what we wanted from Real Madrid was the same intensity in the second half the same seriousness and Mourinho basically said look the game was done and we wanted the game to be done early and so it's natural that it then drifts a little bit and this is one of the reasons why for example late on in the game he puts Kukurea on the pitch to double up at the left-back.

47:47He says, look, I wanted to win. And the time had passed for back heels and clever flicks and nice football. We just wanted to get over the line. They scored a fourth as well. The other key element, I think, of today's game was the 20-minute performance from Arda Gula. And Mourinho was asked a very direct question, which was, are Real Madrid better when Arda Gula is on the pitch? And I think it might be the first time in a long time that I've seen Mourinho go silent. And he kind of sat there and went, well,

48:18and then he started to explain and essentially his answer was yes but of course he wanted to see Diamande get some minutes he wanted to see the way that he could put his players together he said that he knows what he gets from Vinicius he knows what he gets from Bellingham he knows what he gets from Ardegula and so he wanted to see what he could get from Diamande who from his point of view at least is a player that's still got a huge amount to learn he said tactically technically he's got a huge amount to learn we're talking about a player that's only had one year in elite European football and so it's natural that it will take a while but the short answer to are Real Madrid better with Ardegula is yes.

48:53Dan Thomas:Yes, yes it is. Thank you so much Sid for being with us and thanks for all your coverage today on this game for Real Madrid against Real Vallecano. More La Liga still to come this weekend and midweek as well. Sunday brings us Levante against Barcelona, Real Sociedad against Atleti and more. Monday, Real against Real Betis and then we're right back at it because on Tuesday, Real Madrid will be back in action against Elche. That is all we've got time for on the latest edition of ESPN FC. Stay right where you are, though. Don is rejoining us. We will be answering your questions in extra time. Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time.

49:33Dan Thomas:We've got Stevie and Ali here in the studio. Don Hutchison joining us as well. I'm just checking if the questions are here. Yes, they are. All right. First question is from James Handel and it says Florian Verts go back in time still sign him is the double pivot the problem not unlocking him

49:54Well if somebody said to you I'll give you your 120 million back I think you would take it wouldn't you? I mean you would right? I know you would That's straightforward. It's a double pivot. What's a double pivot? Well, it's not a single one.

50:15Dan Thomas:You've asked this very question before. It's twice the amount of pivot. What's a double pivot? What would you call it? Two defensive midfielders. A double pivot. Is that what you're talking about? A double pivot. It's never earlier. It's twice the amount of pivot. No, that's not the problem. Not at all. No, I think, look, it would help. If Gravenberg and McAllister were at their form and their fitness was as good as it was 18 months ago, then there wouldn't be a problem. So, I don't think that's the problem. The problem is that still, the same as it was last year, there were too many players who are not playing to the form.

51:01Dan Thomas:Do you think if he could go back in time, Mally, Florian Vert, when he had the opportunity to go to Bayern or so we were made to believe. Remember, Musiala was injured. Do you think that could have changed everything for him if he were to have gone there? I'm going to go back to our Bundesliga coverage days to answer that question very clearly and wholeheartedly. Yeah! Super! Yes, of course. He just hasn't been able to match his own expectations with Liverpool. Never mind Liverpool fans and those that thought that that would be a good signing for Liverpool. When I watch him play for Liverpool, I don't recognize the player.

51:43Not what I saw by Leverkusen, not what I've seen from Germany as well when he plays internationally. It concerns me that when he touches the ball, nothing seems to happen productively. It's always sort of like the simple pass, sideways and back. Every so often there may be a penetrating pass, but he's not taking players on. He's playing at a very slow pace. There isn't a change of pace to his game. And when we go back to what he was doing at Leverkusen and what he does with Germany currently, there is change of pace. There is quickness to his game. There is quickness of thought, quickness of movement.

52:21It just hasn't worked out at Liverpool. And yes, if he could go back in time, he would be thriving right now at Bayern Munich. He'd be scoring goals, they'd be scoring goals, and it would be a completely different feel by Florian Virts. Do you know, because you saw more of him. But I still, I get the feeling. And I think, I think rightly we say, well, you know what? The team around him isn't doing well. And that obviously isn't helping him. No, of course not. But I have to think, I've got to the stage now where I'm thinking, even if the team around him was doing well, would I trust him to produce?

52:56And right now I would say I don't, regardless. I'm just not seeing the same attitude of the player. And I always mention when describing Florian Verde, I thought that he was a punk on the field for Bayer Leverkusen because he had a certain personality about him that he was going to do what he thought was best for him and for the team. And that meant I'm going to take players on. I'm going to try different things, little flick-ons, little backheels, things that were off the script. and that just hasn't happened with Liverpool with any sort of consistency. In fact, you see him playing too much on the script, too much on the safe pass rather than the pass that perhaps separates him from other players.

53:40We don't need another guy to do sideways and back. You're here to do something special, to do something productive, something that makes you a different player than the rest, and we just haven't seen that.

53:50Dan Thomas:Don, Spurs still haven't scored a goal in the league this season. Do you remember the longest route your team went without a goal? Was it due to bad luck or simply your team was terrible during that stretch?

54:03I can remember a funny one, actually. When I was at Everton and we couldn't score at Goodison and the little church on the corner, the priest come around and sort of put a blessing on the two goals at Goodison because he thought they were cursed because we couldn't score, which is obviously ridiculous, but it was worth a try. so I think you just try and lean on I don't think it's anything to do with Spurs being cursed it's just they're terrible in front of goal they don't create anything it's a funny one it's a strange one I just want to jump on the back of the Froyo and Burt's conversation there it's like I think we're all struggling to find out why he is struggling because I watched Justin Kluivert today, fantastic number 10.

54:47I watched Josh King today for Fulham, brilliant number 10. Florian Wurtz is a superb footballer and he was man of the match arguably, or one of, against Atletico Madrid, a hard side to play against in the Champions League. How can he not turn it on in the Premier League? It can't just because the Premier League's a more physical league because Atletico Madrid are physical. So I don't get, I think we're all struggling to think what's going on with him? Why can't he play? The team's not good enough to Stevie's point you've started you've got to do things yourself and you've got to prove to people that you can find a red shirt or you can do a bit of business so off the back of that I'm struggling to find out why he's struggling I can't put my finger on it and yes Everton being cursed in front of goal Could we get a little bit of shake and bacon again from Don?

55:40A little bit of business A little bit of business I'm liking this, Ali, Ali, I'm liking this little cold or flu you've got, I like your voice. Thank you. It's a lot like Phoebe Buffet for our friends. Sexy. Yes, yes, I'll be singing Smelly Cats soon.

55:59Dan Thomas:Yeah, Ali's had a rough old week, but he's back, and he's almost back to his best, his voice is still a little gruff. Trying. Hey, give it a few days and then Kay and I will be talking like that, giving it his. Thanks, Ale. I'm going to get you back on, see if you like that. Ale, amidst the lack of quality alternatives available in that specific position, should Ancelotti try out the Rafinha No. 9 experiment for the national team as well? Do you think it has the potential to succeed in the future? Yeah, why not? Why not? It's working really well for Barcelona. However, while I say that, why not?

56:36But part of the answer as to why not is that Brazil doesn't have the same type of players that Barcelona has. And in order for that to work, the players around that number nine position, in this case of Rafinha, where it's so fluid and there's so much place interchange and so much player rotation, they all have to be able to rotate in and out of positions. And you have to have the service coming from players like Pedri that are able to find the little passes to find the movement of Rafinha. But when he gets out of the central position, there has to be others that are willing to get into that 18-yard box, which is what we're seeing from Barcelona.

57:14We focus on Rafinha because he has been excellent, in my estimation right now, currently on form, the best player in the world. But when he gets himself out of those positions, then you have Fermín López running beyond him and Dani Olmo running beyond him, and then you have Laminya Mal, and then you have Karina Delemi and Anthony Gordon. And now it's a who's who, who's going to attack. And they all seem, Stevie mentioned something about Liverpool, that there is no connection in the attack for Liverpool. There is plenty of connection in the attack for Barcelona. And if this is going to work for Brazil, they got to find connections that they haven't had for a long time now.

57:50Dan Thomas:It's quite rare for footballers to make it out of their career without some health issues. Do you guys have any, I don't know, from your playing days? It's a lasting issue from an injury or illness like Stevie's neck issues. Yeah, everybody's got stuff. Loads. Yeah, neck, knees, groins. I mean, yeah. You get up, I'm pretty sure there are two of us here. If I'm sat in a car for a period of time, when I get out, I can't walk. My left ankle kills me. I've got to try and wear it off. Or even if I sit here, if I sit here for an hour and I don't put my feet down, when I get off the chair, I'll be limping back to where we...

58:39back to the office. So yeah, and I'm pretty sure everybody's getting the same stuff. In fact, when I'm sitting here for a while, if we go to commercial, I get up and walk. and I get up and walk because otherwise I get stuck like Stevie just mentioned there and it takes a while for the knee to strain out and then the back to strain out and it's ongoing and you know people say well you know what why don't you do this why don't you do that and what and you know how it's amazing how other people tend to believe that they know your body better than you do and and they have a solution for everything.

59:20Well, how do you overcome 25 years or even longer than that of the grind that you put on your body? We put our bodies through a grind and we loved it. We loved every minute of it. And I'm not complaining about it. This is the life I chose. But there's no telling what kind of damage we have done long-term. And that kind of damage is now starting to show up And it usually shows up after you sit down for a while because getting up is a problem. Done. I'm all booked in. So I've heard of metal knees. I've heard of metal hips. I dislocated my shoulder by Sheffield United against Crystal Palace in the early 90s.

1:00:06And I dislocated my shoulder, got stretched it off. And my shoulder has been killing me for years and years and years. It's now full of arthritis. I'm booked in now for a metal shoulder operation, which I'm told is going to be brutal. So I am not looking forward to that whatsoever. Oh, Don.

1:00:29Dan Thomas:We'll be thinking of you. No shoulder ones at all. Yeah, of course you will. We will. There'll be no more shaking big. There'll be no more of that. I'll tell you what. I wish I could tell you what a hero Don was. I wish my injury to my shoulder was being a hero. I just happened to fall over the dog. Nothing to do with football.

1:00:54Dan Thomas:Oh, we made Stevie tell the story of falling through the ice the other day as well. But it hurts the same. It hurts the same. Yeah, John's story's a little bit cooler. Okay, Kay, how much of the birthday borough cake was left over after the show? And did you save a piece of cake for Stevie and Ale? Well, she sure did. She sure did. I already had two goes at it. I had two goes at it today. Alice had two goes at it today. Two goes at it yesterday. Shaka was first in. And I didn't know if Stevie had a go at it or not until I heard the finger licking going on behind me. At that point, I knew that he had a go at it.

1:01:31Dan Thomas:It is still up there. We do actually need to move it into a place where more people are there so everybody can get involved. But we could probably finish it. I'm happy we'll get involved. Why? You just want it for us. Why? It's too big to take home, so, yeah. I got a lovely Bora birthday cake done. Did you? Yeah. I've seen it on your, was it your Instagram? I've seen you put a picture up. Looked nice. Yeah. Sweet taste of victory today as well. Okay. All right. It's not like you haven't been talking about it the whole day or anything. Yeah. Absolutely not. It was a player that we got from Spurs who scored the winner as well.

1:02:08Dan Thomas:Just to rub salt into the wound. Okay. Okay, what is more likely to happen first and happen last? Chelsea gets a clean sheet. Tottenham scores a goal. K hosts Football America. Oh, man. And Stevie gives up and does a yoga class. Oh, well, there's no chance of the last. That's for last. There's absolutely no chance of that. That's zero percent chance. So the other three are definitely going to happen. first. I'm more likely to be a pundit on Football Americas at the moment than a host, though. You don't get to pick and choose. I was asked the other day, can you come on and talk about the Borough Boys?

1:02:46Dan Thomas:Like, in your role. But I would have had to stay late and I couldn't. That picture that came up earlier. That's Football W. That's the women's show. Oh, you're right. Fair enough. That's a natural progression, bro. That is, yeah. Fulw W, and then you go to Fulw America. Yep. What happened to the trip back to Boracay? What happened to that trip you were trying to plan? Well, if Sebastian Berhalter continues to play like this, that might be on soon, so let's hope that happens. Sweet. All right. Okay? Sweet. Right, so where are we putting it? Chelsea clean sheet, Tottenham goal, and me hosting Fulw America.

1:03:24Tottenham goal. Yeah, they have to run into a goal at Tottenham. Tottenham goal. Yep. Don't run into a goal. And then Chelsea getting a clean sheet is a problem. Although they have already. They did against Luton Town. So really the question doesn't... Does that count? I don't know.

1:03:44Dan Thomas:Does it count? I'm asking. Well, clean sheet is a clean sheet. Yeah. It doesn't say in the Premier League. You know what will happen? You know what will happen? Spurs will score and Villa will score too. That's what's going to happen. Aye. Right. In the next game. Mind you. Tell us second bottom. I don't know whether they might go to or not. Second bottom there. Are you looking to host full Americas? No.

1:04:15Excuse me? What's going on here? Wow. Honesty is the best policy, I guess. You hate football Americas. I hate football Americas. You hate football.

1:04:25Dan Thomas:Why do you hate football Americas? Our hosts are already doing a fine job. No, no. There's a lot of work to be done here. No, no. And I'm off to Madrid next week. Is it just me or is it obvious? She doesn't like football in America. I don't know what the problem is with going on America. I told them, let me come on and talk about Borah. So wait a minute. So now you're in a position where you make demands. I either come on as a pundit or I don't come at all. Wow. Wow. She is making calls. You know when you start a sentence with, I told them. Yes, yes. I told them. Who do you think you are? I don't tell anybody anything around here.

1:05:02I am told what to do. I don't know how it works with you. Very big spots out there. Lord have mercy.

1:05:08Dan Thomas:I'll tell you what, I'll take that cake back off you all. You were happily devouring the old pour a cake. Wow. I'm taking some here. So you were buying my silence with a cake? Wow. You know what? Cake hosting Full Americas happens first. I see whatever is asked of me. Yeah. We've had some adverse moments today. As long as it's not late. Mikel Arteta would be proud because we've continued to host the show, even though the lights all went out earlier on. Let's remind you of how the show started for us.

1:05:41Dan Thomas:Here we go. This is... Hey! Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Is that people turning their TVs off? We look great. I saw hers. I thought that the lights were coming back on. It seems like this was the emergency lighting. Which, with my voice the way it is now, according to Donna, a little sexy, it's a better look for me. The power went out all across campus, and we continued anywhere, like the pros that we are. Always prepared. It's nice to see it reversed for a change. It's nice to see it reversed for a change, and it's on you guys, with your lights going out, not just at my end. with your bug wifi connection.

1:06:25Dan Thomas:Wait a minute. So Don made this about him being technologically challenged? Yeah, well, he's already, he should have been on the comms for when the lights went out. He reminded us of how many times he was on the comms today. Law. Yeah, we just, we just amalgamated Don with the show. It was what we did. It was an amalgamation, Don. Good amalgamation. Yes, the amalgamated 11. What? You mean the combined 11? All right, okay. We love you, Don. All right, that's all we've got time for. We're just trying to sexy it over a little bit. Of ESPN FC. We will be back tomorrow. True professionals. A lot more things.

1:07:03Dan Thomas:And hopefully the lights will stay on. That's nice.

1:07:25This episode is brought to you by State Farm. No two football players are exactly alike, and the same is true off the field. That's why State Farm gets to know you so they can help personalize coverage for your life and budget. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.