Barcelona Breeze Past Newcastle

26:12And I was going to say, sit in and get the job done. But this is Barcelona. It is another intriguing one because it lets you know they can't outplay Barcelona. They could play them a hundred times. They are not going to outplay them, but they can outscore them. But they have to do it a different way. And they've proven that they can do that. they have absolutely proven that they can do that. However, over the two legs, this team, if they continue in the manner in which they are, yeah, I just see Barca going through. Yeah, that second leg of the semifinal of Copa del Rey, where Barcelona were all over Atletico Madrid and had opportunities to win that game.

26:51And of course they did 3-0, but they had opportunities to make it to 4-0, to send it into extra time. They did not take advantage of those opportunities. But I think the feeling from that match for Barcelona is, Atletico Madrid feared us here at Camp Nou. And so if indeed the first game is in Barcelona, then it's something that Barcelona must take advantage of. And actually, they could be the ones that killed this thing off, just like Atletico Madrid thought they did in the Copa del Rey semifinal. They could be the ones that jump out to a big lead. They are playing at a tremendously high level right now.

27:23And in that stadium, it seems like now there's a connection with the fans. Not the whole stadium is open, but most of the stadium is open. The stadium is crowded. The energy is there. The intensity is there. And this team is flying. And when they get flying, they look like they looked in the second half today against Newcastle. They do that against Atletico Madrid. I think they're going to create chances to score goals. Robbo. Well, I don't think Atletico Madrid can play as well as they did in that first half in the Copa del Rey semifinal. They knew exactly how to play against Barcelona. Barcelona made some bad errors.

27:55the goalkeeper let one bounce over his foot as he tried to clear it was a back pass to him you're not going to get that lucky again from Atletico Madrid Barcelona I think over the two games will be good enough they'll score enough goals, they'll give a couple away but I think they'll play with an intensity that Atletico Madrid just can't match so I think they'll go through Robert thank you very much of course speaking of Atleti, they're taking on Real Madrid this weekend in the Derby that is our feature game on Sunday it's an hour long preview for you 3pm Eastern. Ali's up early at the camp now.

28:27Barser taking on Raya Vercano. That is at 8.30. Workplace chaos, deadline slipping, inbox overflowing. Your team's stretched thin. When you need someone who can step in and make an impact, this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. If you're hiring, hoping the right person sees your job post isn't much of a plan, Indeed Sponsored Jobs boost your job in search results so you can reach quality candidates faster. And you only pay for results. Sponsored jobs posted directly on Indeed are 95%, more likely to report a higher than non-sponsored jobs. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes.

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31:21This was easy, wasn't it, Robbo? It certainly was, but we were talking a little bit earlier about a centre-forward that hardly touches the ball in the Premier League. Today, I thought Eketike's performance was magnificent. Right from the start of the game, he looked two yards quicker than the defenders. He made, when Vets went infield, he made runs down the outside. He was the catalyst for a lot of good work they did. And as the game wore on, the other players joined him. Vets played a lot better as the game wore on. Salah was poor in the first half, but excellent in the second half. Soboslai, once again, was dominant in midfield.

31:53The intensity in which they played, the way they got the ball forward, the way they won the ball back, that was Liverpool of last season when they were playing at their very best. Can they keep it up? Well, they need to because, you know, they've got a big end to the season. But today was a very, very good performance against a very poor Galatasaray. Well, I think that last comment, Robbo, kind of summed it up. You don't want to rain on Liverpool's parade today, but we know they've not been a good side this year. We know those performances have been... Yeah, but Liverpool fans say, Oi, come on, we up our game, we make it through to the quarter-finals, and all of a sudden, oh, it's the opponent's fault.

32:30Yeah, but I don't care what Liverpool fans say, or Real Madrid fans, or Barcelona fans, I couldn't give a stuff. I analyze the game, I analyze the teams. Liverpool are not a good side this year. What do Barcelona and Real Madrid have to do with anything? Well, I'm just meaning any fans out there. Anybody. They're all getting it. I don't particularly care. I don't sit here and gush over teams when they play teams as poor as Galatasaray on the road. So when you look at the bigger picture, and it's a bit like Real Madrid and Manchester City, although City were not good, but certainly more of a threat than Galatasaray.

33:02When you look at Real Madrid's two performances, it's all of a sudden Real Madrid this great side. No, they are not. But they found a side in Man City that were weak and they were impotent. And what Liverpool found was a Galatasaray side that even for Liverpool, they were out of depth. And so that was much better. The intensity was better. The belief was better. All those things. But would I have seen that performance from Liverpool today if they had been playing the team they're playing in the quarterfinals? PSG? I don't think so. and that would be the big concern going forward that if they morph back into this Liverpool team of the Premier League I don't think that's going to be anywhere near good enough over two legs not even close to dismantling this PSG side so a great night tonight but I think Liverpool can thank themselves lucky that they got one of the weaker teams in this knockout stage it's as simple as that What a second half day from Salah?

33:54Yeah well I think what a second half from everybody And I must say, if you want a reason to be optimistic, if you're a Liverpool fan, I don't necessarily care what you think, like Craig, but this is a reason for you to be optimistic regardless. The first 20, 25 minutes of the second half, and that energy, and the movement, and the combination play, and the rotation of position in the attacking half, and Florian Verde's appearing out wide, appearing underneath, appearing on the right, and actually being a guy who's building the attack for Liverpool. And Mohamed Salah combining with Florian Verz, not only for his own goal, but the one from Gravenberg as well comes from a combination which Florian Verz gets underneath a little flick on to Mohamed Salah.

34:37And that's within those first 20-25 minutes of the second half. And I'm saying I understand that this is Galatasaray, but Liverpool has struggled against opposition of this kind this season even in the Premier League. They did so against Spurs this past weekend where they struggle to create opportunities like this. And so to see that combination play, to see the energy and the enjoyment and confidence of this group in the second half is something that if I'm a Liverpool fan, Stevie Nichol, I would be excited about. It's not going to take me over the top, Simon, but it's, hey, it's there. Now, can we sustain it and can we build on it?

35:16That would be the big question. We've had this new, this is the second year of this new way of doing it. This new group. format, that's new format, that's new 36 team league and all these games and all this and he can't buy, he gets a buy and he doesn't play and he does this and they do that and when it all comes out in the wash we have basically the same, cream rises to the top we have Sporting Lisbon in there but maybe there's always one anomaly in there but we have the same scenario, we have exactly we've just played all these games and some more games to get to it and some one or two more exciting games maybe along the way along with a lot of dead rubbers but all we've done is get to the same position with the same teams via a different route.

35:57So with all respect to this is going to be the new great thing with this new big league, we're just getting to this position a different way with the same teams. So there's not a lot changed in this competition. How do they beat PSG, Robbo?

36:15Well, I think you can force PSG back. I saw in the first game when Chelsea played in Paris that they pressed quite high up the field. And actually PSG played into their hands for a little while. They tried to play out through their fullbacks. They were playing across their own six-yard box. They gave the ball away in midfield. They didn't dominate the midfield as they can do sometimes. So if you press them at the right time, not all the time, at the right time, you can force them back. You can make them more predictable with their play. But what you have to be very careful of is when it goes into their front three.

36:44when Dembele goes that little bit shorter and Catatsella comes on or starts the game and he's starting running into space. Barcola is also making runs. But the player that sort of made them tick and you've got to stop him playing is Vettinia. He was excellent over the two games against Chelsea. He started just to pick up the ball and he played little one-twos. They are beatable. I don't think they're as good as they were last year, but it's going to be a tough game for them. Second leg to Anfield. Good research, Dan. There you go. Well done, Dan. I'm glad the producer's on the ball with this one.

37:15It's computer froze, he told me. Yeah, it was a little late for the other one. Brain, you mean?

37:23Liverpool have not just turned into a good defensive unit. Kanati's not going to just end his mistakes because there's a World Cup coming up. Van Dijk's not the player he was. Kierkegaard is having a problematic season. And Frimpong's a hybrid full-back. So they were better defensively tonight because Victor Rosman was running about with a sore arm in the first half and Galatasaray were really not a threat. PSG, as Stuart said, they're maybe not the team they were last year at this moment in time. But those midfielders and that front line, I just don't see how Liverpool stop them. I just don't.

38:00I think Liverpool were more friends to this team that are trying to take the game to PSG and whenever PSG press them and they cough it up, all of a sudden you've got Van Dijk and Kanati and Kierkegaard if he plays exposed. And I think it's too much of a step for Liverpool to go from this mediocre Premier League team, which has been a big surprise this season, but it's been all season. I think it's going to be difficult for them to go from that level in the quarterfinals of the Champions League against the current holders to that level. Over 180 minutes. I've not seen it this season. I've seen it in patches, here and there in patches, not even in a whole 90 minutes.

38:40and I don't see over 180. I cannot at this moment in time see Liverpool knocking PSG out. Liverpool, of course, could still win the Champions League and the FA Cup. Their clash against Manchester City is live on ESPN Plus. April the 4th, of course, preceding their Liverpool PSG. That's an early start, 7.15 Eastern in the morning. Quick time out. Some breakfast intel you want to know about. Kodiak frozen power waffles and flapjacks are built for busy mornings. Heat it, eat it, and you're out the door. No long prep, no complicated game plan. They're packed with 12 to 14 grams of protein per serving, a good source of fiber, and crafted with 100 % whole grains, not refined white flour.

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40:17So Bayern being in Atalanta by four goals to one. This was done and dusted, of course, after the first leg. 10-2, they advance on aggregate. They will face Real Madrid. Bayern was 6-1 up going into their second. Why are you so low? How can so many teams take such a pasting at the knockout stages? 21 minutes in, handball here. Yes, Calvini turns his back to the play and in doing that stretches his arm. It's a handball, a little stutter step. Goalkeeper makes a save but wait a second, wait a second Dan, hold it! Because the goalkeeper came off his line. So Harry Kane gets an opportunity to take it again and you know what the outcome is going to be.

41:03Harry Kane's 50th Champions League goal will be coming up. No, that is it, no that is it. Yeah, 25th. Was that English? My shot sheet's a mess. There it is, that's his 50th, 2-0. Riggles away from a couple of defenders. I mean, it's a great finish, no back lift, very little back lift. Riggles away from the defenders. Into the second half, Lennart Karl makes it three. High pressure from Bayern Munich, forces a turnover and then it's good combination play. Luis Diaz, always a willing runner, lays the ball off to Lennart Karl. Three-nothing. 20 minutes to go and Diaz would make it 4-0 here.

41:49Defender has a little poke at it, doesn't manage to get on the end. And the keeper goes down very early and Diaz goes, I'll just lob it over the top. Yeah, that's exactly what he does. Oh, the clean sheet's gone. Yeah, that's the bonus gone.

42:09Bayern win then, 10-2 on aggregate to set up a clash against Real Madrid in the quarterfinals. The first leg, by the way, will be at the Santiago Bernabeu. Bernabeu. The winners will face off against PSG or Liverpool. Bayern or Real Madrid, Robbo?

42:29Well, I've seen a lot of Real Madrid this season and I'm still not convinced that they're a particularly good side. They have their moments. So I'm going to go with Bayern Munich. I think they've got a lot of good players. They know exactly what they're trying to do. I'm going to say it. Van Son Company is doing a really good job of getting the best out of his players. They know their shape. They know what they're trying to do. and I think they're a better team than Real Madrid at the moment. So I go with Bayern Munich. There you go. Still supping that Kool-Aid. He certainly is. If you were that Bayern goalkeeper, and there was like five grand on a clean sheet, you'd kick the post, wouldn't you?

43:03Five grand's nothing to me, Craig. Yeah, you just want... Yeah, exactly. We talked about this game yesterday. Do you want to add anything? We could, aren't we? Vinicius Junior, of course, upset Manchester City fans yesterday by his celebration. Go back to 2025, when he didn't win the Ballon d 'Or. They put out this Tifo, stop crying your heart out. Vinicius Junior scored the penalty and then, of course, did the crying celebration to the fans. Donnarumma wasn't happy about it. The Brazilian was asked about it afterwards. The last time we came in, the Manchester City fans made fun of me about the Ballon d 'Or.

43:34I was able to do the celebration I felt was necessary. I wasn't disrespecting City fans, but it was a way of proving myself to the crowd. Do you know what I like about this, Rob? And I think you can relate to it. Here's a man who can really hold a grudge.

43:50Yeah, I mean, he says he doesn't like any stick coming his way, but I think he actually loves it, doesn't he? He loves being the centre of attention. He loves making sure that everybody's talking about him rather than Real Madrid. Yeah, I mean, there's no reason why he can't do it, but I think he's silly to get involved. You know, it's a strange one, but, you know, that's the way he is. I think he loves to be the centre of attention. He's always having a row with every crowd that he plays in front of, so no change there. Some of the things he does, I think, are a little needless. However, I don't really have an issue with this.

44:26I think I like it. Yeah, I don't have a problem with it. Because they were giving him peltos. And so he's just giving a bit back. I don't have an issue with it. And at the end of the day, Donnarumma and City players and City fans, have a look in the mirror at your team. Not what somebody else is doing, so I don't have a problem with it. Yep. look, I just think that a year is an eternity in a player's career. So to carry this for a year... You've carried things for longer. Come on. Yeah, but hold on. This is not... First of all, I'm not a player. Used to be way, way, way back when. But all I'm suggesting is you would like to think that Vinny would rise above this and then you'd be completely wholeheartedly wrong because he indeed carried it and put it in his back pocket and felt that it was necessary to bring it out.

45:19He's a hypocrite. Do you know what, though? Supporters rub players and coaches and managers' face in every bit of... I can't say the word. We can imagine what the word is. We can fill the blank. They rub your face in it every chance they get. And they think that's all right. They think they pay their money, they can say what they want, They can do what they want within reason. But the first time they get a little bit back, the majority of them all go crying about it. A bunch of big babies. Right, but then own it. They're being fucking upset tonight. Yeah, own it if you're Vinny Jr. Then don't say, I wasn't disrespecting Manchester City fans.

45:56No, no, no. I was disrespecting it and that's what I planned to do and I'm glad that I was able to do it. Own it. Don't apologise for it. And end it by saying, by the way, you're out. Yeah, you are indeed. Again, take a look at Manchester City's record in the Champions League over the last four seasons. Of course, Real Madrid have very much been their nemesis. Knocked out in the round of 16, knocked out in the playoffs, knocked out in the quarterfinals. Those three seasons, of course, before winning it in 2023. Here's Pep Guardiola about their record. Yeah, bye.

46:26If by the end of your time at City, you ended with... Oh, everybody want to fire me, right? Oh, God, guys. One day I will come here and say bye-bye, guys. I still am here. I'm on your contract. Okay, guys. If you only had the one Champions team, would that be disappointing to you? Would that be enough given how good... Yeah, you're right. I should win six Champions League to be recognised in that. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Thank you. Shamp? Listen, I started my career really young. You know, in the second team, Barcelona, with St. George, we were promoted in the new league. And after Barcelona, when the travel is accessible, since then, when the travel is accessible, my team is a failure.

47:09So I know that since the day one. First season, you remember first season here? Why are you going to win the Champions League? We won 100 points. Why are you going to win the Champions League? Why are you going to win the Champions League? At the end, we won it. Why are you going to win the Champions League? So we tried. Yeah, we tried. We have been in other finals, a lot of semifinals. And unfortunately, in the last two editions of the Champions League, we have been out.

47:36But this club, we arrived to make the bar a little bit high in terms of Champions League and we didn't achieve that. Always this is not a good thing, but it's fine. That is good. That is good. I would love that club have the feeling that Madrid has. Still don't have for the history. Madrid has. If you don't win the Champions League, it's a failure. That is pressure. We, yeah. Pep is a failure. He's not win the Champions League. but it's fine but Man City is not expectation that is the pressure with the time maybe we'll get that maybe we'll get that slightly confused so is he I don't think anybody's questioning for one moment this guy's achievements in the game the way that his teams have played and yeah he's had a lot of money to spend and yeah he's worked with the Messi's and the Chaves and the Busquets and the Haaland's and the Rodri's and all these players, but you still have to work in the training field, you still have to get performances and results, and for the most part, he has.

48:43Although he came round a little bit, it seems, in the answer, although it was going in different directions, I just couldn't quite pick it all up, was that I think the genuine question was more geared to the fact that I think City have been in a very strong position to win it more than once. Now, that's no guarantee of doing it. But I think there has been, and there is a school of thought, that they've been in pole position in his tenure on maybe four or five occasions, including the time they lost to Chelsea, when he made a very strange team selection with the midfield in particular, was that they've been in these good positions and he maybe has got it wrong.

49:25And therefore has taken away, you know, I think there was years back there was a two-legged attack against Lyon and there's been other games where they were absolutely bob on to win this and they just defensively they just made so many mistakes and I think that's more the question to Guardiola is that they easily easily could have had two or three and I think come the crunch and I think the Bernabeu this time around was a prime example, come the crunch for all the good things he's done in his career, I think he's got his team selection wrong in some of these big moments and I think it's cost him that opportunity to have more than one.

50:07Am I wrong in thinking that at the end of that answer he's taking a shot at Manchester City? It's strange isn't it? Is he saying like there's no pressure to win the Champions League he's saying basically. Well but he's in the middle of it. Is he not the manager of the team and has he not been the manager of the team for a while? It's not like he just showed up it's not like he's saying hey this club needs to be like that and that's what we're striving No, you've been in the middle of it. And are you not in part the architect of what this club becomes? Isn't that part of your responsibility? So who is this shot at?

50:43Because what he's saying that Real Madrid is, that he wishes Manchester City could be, that's part of on his shoulders. No, it's not all his responsibility, but it's certainly a part on his shoulders. And so it was an unnecessary shot to be taken, and I wonder why he's doing it. And I find myself asking the question of Pep Guardiola, and I mentioned it yesterday briefly, that his press conferences now have taken a turn. Whereas before he was insightful and thoughtful in his answers, now it's all prickly. And it's all pushback, and it's all sarcasm, and it's all an agenda and a rhetoric. Why is he taking a shot at the club that he has put in a pedestal?

51:25And he himself is then taking the club down from that pedestal and saying, we wish that we were like that, not what we are here now. It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense. Robbo? At the moment, it looks like a man that is very frustrated that he can't somehow find a way of making Man City back to the top again. You know, they've bought a whole load of new players. There was going to be a regeneration. This was the new team that he was going to build. And he knows himself that he can't quite get the best out of them or he can't quite make it work. And that's the frustration that's coming out.

51:56They're not going to win the Premier League. They're now out of the Champions League. They've got a chance with the Carabao Cup. But he knows that at the moment, he can't dominate games as he once did. He's not quite the coach that he once was. I'm sure he'll be it again. But at the moment, he's frustrated. And that's coming out in those press interviews. And it's happening week after week after week, as Ali just said. For all the great intricate players that they have, Foden who hasn't played, he's been in and out, Ryan Cherky, Semenyu, Doku, Savino. There is to me some sort of correlation in City not having as many big moments with the last 12 to 18 months of Kevin De Bruyne.

52:40of his sort of, I'm not going to say decline, but you get a bit older and you're a little slower and things take a little longer and you're not as effective. And I think you could look at the two and say, have City been as dangerous in the final third, in tight matches? Has Haaland had the same service? Have all these things that City do well, have they culminated in great end product and as good an end product as when Kevin De Bruyne was at his pomp. And I think the answer for me is certainly a no. And that's been a big miss for them. They've tried to replace this talent level with some of these players that do things differently.

53:21They're dribblers. They're not spotting the pass, the early pass, the dangerous pass, the killer pass like Kevin De Bruyne was. And subsequently, in tight games and big elite games, I think City have been, whilst they've still struggled at the back, They've been less effective in that final third. And I do think that's had a big effect on Erland Haaland as well, who was getting, not always, but a lot, some really good early service from Kevin De Bruyne. You know, that ball round the corner, that whipped-in ball early, that a defender wasn't even set, and all of a sudden Haaland's in bang. They're not getting that.

53:56It's touch, touch, touch, touch, back in, back to the defender. You're seeing a frustrated front man. And yeah, they created a few chances, particularly in that game yesterday, but they were a little desperate. But it just feels like it's a different dynamic to this City side without De Bruyne. And that's OK, because he was a bit of a one-off. But he hasn't figured out, as Stuart said, how to get round the fact that he's not there now and he still needs to win games. A lot more on what we saw in the Champions League and far too much baseball talk to come as well, by the way, on Extra Time. You can check that out over on our YouTube channel.

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56:30Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time. Let's keep this short tonight. It's past this bedside. Craig and Ali are here. In case you don't know the background to this story, Robbo used to work for Arsenal TV, but was then critical of Arsene Wenger, and he got sacked and banned from Highbury as it was, and then the new stadium. Things took a new twist in this tale. Is that fair, Robbo, this week? Well, yes. First of all, I didn't get sacked. I chose to leave. Let's put it that way, Dan. OK. And I was banned. Semantics. And when I went to try and do an interview once for the PLP, they said, no, you can't come in anyway.

57:08So I was doing the game with John Champion. And Dowman is a young player that's often come to the fore in recent weeks. And he played in the FA Cup. And John Champion was looking at the notes. He said, oh, you're the fourth youngest player to score a goal for Arsenal. And you're the third youngest player to play in the FA Cup. and I said I'm probably around about the fourth or fifth youngest player to ever start a game. So he looked it up and he said you're not in the top 10 or 15 here, you're not even on the list. So I told him the birthday and I should have been fourth or fifth. So they've even banned me from the list of young players who have started games.

57:41God, Robbo, how do you annoy so many people? That's how bad it's got. It's incredible. That's how bad it's got. It's actually quite easy. The strategy of devastation. It's very easy to annoy people. Okay, here we go. Typical commentator, isn't it? Chapman, looking it up. Yeah, of course. If Robbo said I'd be the fourth, you just go, who cares? Chapman, let me look it up. I'm a commentator. We have nothing better to do. We have had so many. Making it worse, making it worse. It was the programme last night. It was the programme in the game against Bayer Leverkusen. All the names of all the youngest players and all that sort of stuff.

58:13And there it was omitted from the list. Oh, no. If I was you, I'd complain. So petty. I'd complain. I would. Who too? It's a bit like you not complain. That's a bit. If Robbo doesn't complain... Here comes a haircut joke. Get ready Robbo. No, no, no, no. It's a bit like you not complaining about the individual that steals your... You let him out today. Should have caught his number plate, taken a picture. We need to take the license number. It's a horrible coloured Kia. Okay, right, let's get on. So many, so many questions about the baseball last night. Okay, alright. Felicitaciones. Felicitaciones.

58:48Para Ali of Venezuela. I'm a Liverpool fan, but it's crazy for me to say Salah wasn't good today. Other Liverpool fans want to rank him ahead of Henry or Rooney, but games like today, they would have scored five goals easily while Salah needs five shots to score one goal. Wow. So I've got to do with baseball. I think it was just like a well done, Ali. Thank you. People say that Salah's great, but I don't think he is. Has he turned a corner, Robbo? Is this it? Is Salah, is this his second wind after the second half? Yeah, his second half was much, much better. He looked as though he was enjoying the game.

59:19He looked as though he's got his mojo back. In the first half, he was poor. He looked as though he was lacking confidence, lacking that little bit of speed. But the second half, but one 45 minutes doesn't make you suddenly a great player again. He needs to do it over the course of the next few games towards the end of the season because he has been a great player. We know that. I'm sure there's still something in there, but he's had a poor season so far. Guys, is this senior criticism warranted or should it be placed at the hands of Bluko Boli, the former college wrestling billionaire who knows nothing about soccer and bought the club to horse trade players while overpaying for Mudrik de Lap Garnaccio.

59:55P.S. Semper Fi Daniel. Semper Fi. Semper Fi? Yeah, that's a Marine sort of thing. Why should we all say Semper Fi because they're... See, that's not in my lexicon whatsoever. I thought it was a baseball thing. Semper Fi. I have no idea. Okay. Oh, boy. Oh, no, that's not... No, it's for the haircut. It's a military haircut. Yes, yes. You know, if we... You would be on the trenches, wouldn't you? Oh my goodness, imagine me. Frankie. Right, Robbo. He's not big enough to come up from the trenches. He didn't stand on a chair. Robbo. Well, the great thing, he wouldn't get shot, would he? That's the good thing, he'd still be up in the trenches.

1:00:41By the way, his own squadron would shoot him. Freaking annoying. Robbo, what are we doing? Rosinha, whose fault is it? Oh, I can't fight. I have to go for a liver transplant. See you, lads. Well, I've got to say... Don't shoot me. I mean, he's been given a job that he would... He's been given a job that no one expected him to get. He can't believe his luck, can he? He's going to be paid a fortune. He probably won't last particularly long. I think the job entails him trying to improve the players he's got there, which he probably might do with the young players, because he loves putting an arm around them and telling them how good they are.

1:01:18My player's this and my player's that. But I would say in the last few matches, he's looked slightly out of his depth. You know, when you see him on the side, he doesn't look as though he's quite sure what's going on. He's shouting to players and they're not really responding to him. It's a very difficult job when you haven't had that much experience. So it's the chairman's fault, really. Do you enjoy the note writing, Robbo? That's writing a note, by the way. No, I mean, no, I can't believe he was writing notes and sending it around all the team him and all that stuff. I mean, that's for show.

1:01:47That's just for show. And most of the stuff he's done so far, it's, yeah, ridiculous. He's not helping himself, is he? For Craig, is the criticism of Virts overly harsh considering he's better stats than Paul Scholes when he was 22? Whoa. Whoa. Producer Pete chose these questions today, if you would like to. He's off today, isn't he? Yes, but he's off. Why is he choosing questions? Busy. What is he questions for? From afar. Go home, sit down, switch off, forget about work, don't get involved. Don't get involved. Right. Just don't. What do you mean, This is ridiculous. Paul's, I played in that era.

1:02:28I played against Paul's goals for Man United and for Scotland, England. Right. People just look at these stupid stats. Somebody produced a video a few, a couple of months ago Paul Scholes not having a particularly good game at Wembley. I think he was 36 at the time. I mean, he's one of the best midfielders that played the game. You can't just look at a bit of paper with numbers and say, well, he was better than him. Well, you can do if you know absolutely nothing about this game. But don't tell me Florian Wirtz. Florian Wirtz is a very talented player. At the end of his career, you can look back and say, well, I don't like this, who's better than who?

1:03:09But if you've watched Florian Wirtz at Liverpool, not Leverkusen at Liverpool. And you try to tell me he's better than one of England's, one of the best midfielders of his generation. You're just utterly stupid. With Courtois potentially missing the Bayern game, Ali, does a Madrid-Bayern combined XI only include Mbappe and Valverde?

1:03:31On current form, of course. Yeah. Well, Mbappe may not even feature because who knows if he's going to be fit. He's got a few minutes yesterday. Does Vinicius get in that Bayern team, I suppose is the question. And that would mean on his position, right now he would be getting ahead of Luis Diaz. I suppose in years past I would say that Vinny gets ahead of Luis Diaz. But if you watch Luis Diaz play this season from Bayern Munich, he's been unplayable. He's been everything that Bayern Munich was looking for and more. So there's no chance that I'm taking him off the field. and Mbappe wouldn't play ahead of Harry Kane in the centre-forward position.

1:04:14So, yeah, I'm keeping Valverde on the field. But beyond that, yeah, there's an argument to be made that everybody else is Bayern Munich. This is an annoyance. Why are people that are sat at home picking the questions for this extra time? Why is it not people? I'm getting annoyed, but... Why is it not people working on today's show picking the questions? Then we have accountability, not somebody sat on their sofa at home. I think this is a very nice rant. Well, it's not. It's like, oh, somebody else has picked, the boss has picked the questions today. It should be the people working on the show picking the questions.

1:04:51He could be in the sauna, not in the couch. Oh, no, him in the sauna. Question for Craig. Should Newcastle look to move on from Eddie Howe this summer?

1:05:02Possibly. although I don't think I don't think you judge Newcastle and on being beaten by Barcelona because they're not in that they're not really in that fight and that was borne out in the end but I think you judged them on the 38 game Premier League season and at the moment he's got some way to go I mean he has done a more than decent job there there's no doubt and he's got a lot of people that think he's a good manager and I'm sure he is but all good things come to an end so I don't know is the answer I don't know what the ceiling is for Newcastle but when he got them back in the Champions League if you think then they're going to go and win it that's pie in the sky so a lot of people are talking about him for the England job at some point whether I think that's Kenny sailed at the moment for sure maybe it'll come around again when Tuchel makes a Pigs Ere of the World Cup he'll just go off into the sunset after winning it Tuchel is that where the sunset is?

1:06:02That's the sunset. The New Jersey. Met life's just over there. Well, you're just lucky, England, that the World Cup's not decided by AFCON. Oh, yes. 66 would have to get redone with the ball over the line. Well, but then, 86. 86? Yeah, but that wasn't a World Cup final. A semi-final, we would have won. No, you'd have got knocked out, as usual. No, no, no. Maradona. That was it. It was off his head. Off his wear. Off his head. See, talk about putting your head up. Peter Shelton wouldn't be good at leaving. Peter Shelton wasn't exactly covering himself in glory. Wasn't he coming out? OK, Enzo to leave Chelsea, Ali.

1:06:39Where would suit him and who can afford his transfer fee? Well, I don't know who can afford his transfer fee, but who would suit Enzo and who Enzo would suit this team would be Atletico de Madrid. 100%. By the way, you're the Liam Rossiniar of presenters. Why, because I've got papers? No, because you're writing nonsense down. I don't really write anything. I just doodle. Well, that's what I'm saying. Just to keep myself entertained. Well, yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's great. Talk about Manchester City full-backs. I'm going to write something. Was I right or wrong? Was I right or wrong? Full-backs.

1:07:14Yeah. For Robbo, who's the best centre-back in the world? Who's the best centre-back in the world at the moment? Oh, dear. I would, because of the way they've defended this season, you have to look at the two Arsenal centre-halves when they're playing at their best. They've been excellent. Because Van Dijk is not the player he once was. I don't think we can look at the Barcelona centre-halves at the moment. We can't look at the Real Madrid centre-halves. Bayern Munich have got a couple of decent centre-halves, but I don't think you can call them world-class. So I think Gabriel and Saliba are as good as anybody, I think, in world football at the moment.

1:07:52Put this man back in the programme or the stats, whatever you need to do. Yes, yes. Exactly. He deserves it. He could be the stegosaurus person. What's it called? The ostosaurus? I can't remember. OK, all right. Ali, does Venezuela win, make up for missing out on the World Cup? So you won the baseball World Cup yesterday. Yeah. The World Baseball Classic, yes. And you beat USA in the final? Yes, we did. 3-2. Were you watching that? I went to bed at 2-0. Oh, well. And then it got stressful after that. It got stressful after that because the US got a late homer, a two-run homer, tied at a two, but then Venezuela got a third run in the ninth inning and then closed it out.

1:08:30And Venezuela won. And it was exciting. So exciting that my wife, who's American, and was supposed to be watching and cheering, she was passed out on the couch. Oh, okay. That's all right. But when they play the national anthem, I rose up and sang proud the Venezuelan national anthem. But to answer the question, no, it does not. Apples and oranges. Two different things. As excited as I was and am about Venezuela winning the World Baseball Classic, it doesn't make up for the disappointment of not being in the world. Well, congratulations. Well, thank you very much. Felicity, that is. Well done.

1:09:02Thank you very much. Robbo, any last words? Yeah, considering you say you're so patriotic, why do you live in the United States, Dan? You're always going on about England and wanting them to win the World Cup. Because Sky wouldn't employ... But you moved away from England, so that's it. Sky Sports wouldn't employ me, Robbo. Simple as that. Thank you very much. ESPN FC returns tomorrow. We're happy to have you, Dan. Thank you very much. Europa League, Conference League, the whole shebang. And Sean Rankin's. Oh, yay!

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