Barcelona Stumble in San Sebastián

26:17So it's becoming very hard. We have the strengths of the team. We're in the middle of the park. And I remember the game that they played against Arsenal at home when they won the last minutes of the game. they were so strong in the middle of the park that players like Declan Rice were struggling as well. So, yeah, I think it's going to be hard for them to catch and to surprise like Leicester did like a decade ago. And it's all open to Arsenal because even when Arsenal have so-so results with a draw away from home, the others, they lose. So it's already given. I think he had some sort of rant at the end of the game Munai Emery about PSR, profit and sustainability.

26:57Right, it's where that stage are we? Yeah, well, I think going back to Frank's point about the squad, I think he's finally getting sort of annoyed about it. It's not that Villa don't want to spend. I think there is a sort of balance sheet issue with what they can and can't spend and who they need to sell. Whereas a lot of these other clubs are just going out and spending. And I don't know how it all works, to be honest. But it seems some clubs are able to just go out and shell out a bunch of money on players. And others like Villa, who are doing great, cannot. I think they've got like the seventh or eighth biggest wage bill in the division.

27:32So they're definitely punching above their weight. But it's moments like this when they didn't play. The squad is a little bit thin and they had no strikers to bring in, no front players to make a change when they were behind. It was just youngsters, midfielders and defenders. But that would be making an excuse for them. They played against an Everton side that are nothing more than hard-working, and they didn't play well. And they made mistakes at the back for the goal. You know, between Pau Torres and Emi Martinez, and they've been two of their best players, they made a right pick zero of it.

28:03And it just seems that City and Villa and others are all going to fall over themselves, and Arsenal are going to be what they are, which is the best team in England. And they may not have to, as we talked about yesterday, they? They may not have to be great this year to win the league. I mean, things may change in the second half of the season as we go along. But I think it looks unlikely with what we're seeing from City. And we've seen this a lot from, not a lot, we've seen it a few times from Villa, even in their great run of results, which they have been. There's been games where they haven't looked the best and they've been behind and they've dug it out.

28:38And I always say that's great for team spirit and stuff like that, but it generally has no longevity. I mean, Leverkusen did it with Alonso a couple of years ago. They dug it out and they dug it out and all these late goals and they won the league. But it's few and far between that you can play like that and continually come back and win games and go on and win the league. And I think that's one of the reasons, apart from the squad, why Villa, if they get in the top four or five, I think it's been a very good season for them. As Craig said, like maybe a few seasons ago when you've got Manchester City on your tail or Liverpool when they're in top form, Frank, you could see a scenario of one of those sides going on a run, really putting pressure on Arsenal.

29:20But it's very difficult, isn't it, to see City, Chelsea, Villa winning, for example, from now to the end of the season and really putting Arsenal on the ropes. Yeah, you're right, Dan. I think it's almost impossible because we know that a lot of inconsistency have been shown during this year and last year as well. and we chase a lot about the level of the Premier League as well. I don't want to make a statement, but we don't have a race. We see strange results sometimes. You know, when you see Liverpool yesterday and you see Manchester City as well, you know, being smashed by Manchester United, like there is such a level of differences between the two clubs, which is not the case.

30:03And you say, well, it's impossible. You see Chelsea having good results and suddenly losing with crazy manners. It doesn't make any sense anymore. And the only team who have consistency, which is Arsenal, is doing okay, doesn't need to push too much to get points days after days. And it's true that before it wasn't the case. We had a race. We had something that we could believe that would be crazy until the end. And like last season, like Liverpool last season, Arsenal is getting points without fighting too much against the others because they're losing all their games. and remember last season, the end of the season of Liverpool was quite appalling, but they were so easy, compared to the others, that they got the title and they would be the same for Arsenal, I think.

30:50The other Premier League game today saw Newcastle take on Wolves. Let's show you the highlights of that. Yep, yep. That's that. We've spared you. Is there anything to this fact that's during the rounds that there's been more 0-0 draws this season than there was the whole of last season? I don't know why, but the Premier League at the moment, for me, certainly outside, well even outside Arsenal, the rest of them. But when you get down to sort of 6-7 and below, and when you get to mid-table, it's just too mediocre for me. Compared to other leagues, the amount of money generated by the Premier League that is distributed from TV companies and the commercial side down to these clubs is billions.

31:32And what we're seeing from a lot of these teams, certainly in England, it's a survival league. And they play a lot of them. like it's survival because it's about the money and we see a lot of this just parking the bars and working hard and I tell you what also doesn't help and I think we're seeing a spate of this in England at the moment is when the top clubs go to Europe and pilfer their players and sign the big players yeah it strengthens them but it leaves the others relatively strong but what we've seen and maybe statistically this has always been the case but I think it's very cyclical, is we've seen Palace sell Anderson to Fulham, Gehe to Liverpool, Eze to Arsenal, Elise has gone to Bayern, Kierkegaard went from Bournemouth to Liverpool, Hoisin went to Real Madrid, but a lot of these Premier League teams down the bottom, they're strengthening the other teams at the top.

32:33And so that weakens them and strengthens the others. Hasn't that always been the case? Well, yeah, but I think it seems, and it's certainly when I was in Scotland, that was always the case for years and years. The Celtic and Rangers went out and bought all the other best players from all the clubs. And that's why nobody has won the league in Scotland, apart from Celtic and Rangers, for 40 years. It's dull and it's boring and hearts may change it this year. But there has been a lot of weakening by the big boys. Semenyo and Gay, they've just gone to Manchester City. You know, Matthias Cunha, world's best player, goes to Man United.

33:10So it has been sort of difficult for some of these other clubs, and Oliver Glasnick was off-ranting about it yesterday. That being said, there is still, it is my opinion, that there is too much emphasis from Premier League teams on survival only. Right. And to me, it affects the product, and if we're being honest about it, the bulk of the teams in the Premier League technically are extremely, extremely mediocre for the budgets that these clubs have compared to the budgets of similar clubs in Germany, in France, in Italy, in Spain. And I think a bulk of those leagues have got technically better teams in the bottom half of the leagues with budgets probably not even half the size.

33:59And the Premier League has become, I think, very predictable outside some of the big guys and very boring at times to watch. There's a lot of teams in the Premier League I have no interest in watching. I don't want to watch them because I know what their priority is to stay in the division. That's it. They've got no ambition. Not even a cup run, some of them. I mean, Palace done it last year. But most of them, oh, we're 12th in the league. Can't FA Cup quarterfinal? I'll play the second team. It's just nonsense. the survival in the Premier League for me is making it a very dull league to watch outside of a few games.

34:43Frank, do you have a theory on the spite of goalist draws? Yeah, no, no. Not that I don't remember. I don't know if there is any explanations about the fact that there are so many draws and everything. But I want to go on to what Craig just mentioned. He's Scottish, I'm French, and I've seen so many French players coming to the Premier League and weakening the Ligue 1. And those players, they came to England, and they are most of them, well, some of them on the bench, some of them not as good as they were in France. And for me, it makes the club in France being weaker because they don't have those players, but it doesn't make the big teams bigger and stronger because we see Paris Saint-Germain getting better.

35:31We see Marseille, where their best player is Greenwood. Greenwood is not wanted anywhere in the UK for certain reasons, but he's the best player. He's very good. But we have to go to find other players, players who are not wanted, to make sure that we are good. And we're going to see what's going to happen against Liverpool on Wednesday with Marseille. We have maybe, in terms of money, three, four, maybe five times less money than Liverpool. But we don't see that difference. So they are they are taking all the players. They have two squad or two teams But they're not showing their superiority.

36:07That's very weird Especially for the last two seasons by a minute to go back to the point It's been a tactic by Munich have used for many a year as well It didn't matter if it was a Dortmund player or a Dortmund whoever whoever the best players were in Germany by a minute went out and generally they bought them and they bossed the league and it's a difficult scenario. One team I'm going to give a lot of credit to and you know we talked about them yesterday and they have not played for survival is Brentford. And Brentford lost their keeper Flecken and replaced them with a good keeper. They lost Norgad to Arsenal who was the best midfielder.

36:45They lost Ivan Toni a little bit to Saudi Arabia that's a different scenario but they lost Mbembe to Man United and Vista to Newcastle. And they have a new manager in Keith Andrews who's wet behind the ears. Yeah, he's been in coaching for a bit, but that's a big job for him. And he could have been excused for going in and saying, you know what, how the hell are we going to cope with losing all these players? We're just going to play defence here and hope to get a few points. But they haven't. And up until yesterday, before they defeated Chelsea, which they should have at least, they should have won that game.

37:14And, you know, we talked about it yesterday. They played much better football than Chelsea. At Stamford Bridge, they were fifth in the league because they had something about them. They had ambition. They have ambition to not just be 16th in the Premier League. They've got ambition to go and play, and play some football. And yeah, a lot of that is down to the coaches as well. But think about the players they've lost. Think about the size of that club. Think about the budgets and all that go with it, even with that TV money. They've still gone out and gone toe-to-toe and outplayed some teams with millions and millions more and much bigger stars.

37:48So it can be done, but there's a mindset, With a lot of managers in England, it's stale. It's very stale. If we survive, then we keep the money and I save my job. That's not very forward-thinking for a progressive league that's going to be exciting to watch over a longer period. Let's just remind you how the league stands after all those games that we saw this weekend. Just the two, of course, on Sunday. Arsenal, seven points clear at the top of the table. They are 14 clear of the defending champions at Liverpool, who are in their own race really now to finish in the top four. It's really tight.

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41:00Craig here as well. We've got a question about Manchester United coaches. Craig, get ready. All right. Time to.

41:13Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time. Thank you as always for your questions. Frank LePouffe is with us, as is Craig Burley. I enjoyed today's show. I don't know if anybody else did, but it was good to talk about what was going on on the pitch, wasn't it? The African Cup of Nations, lots to talk about. Barcelona, lots to talk about. We're not speculating about managers or futures. It was cool. I liked it. Well done, me. I've enjoyed today's show It's all about me But you know what I mean The Barcelona game was just an amazing game That obviously lost to Real Sociedad But you know It was I mean There were so many decisions in that game There was offside goals Offside penalties Cross paths been hit It was NTN And then It was the sort of controversy of the AFCON Yes And all that went on And the penalty The story around it I mean because let's be honest, if we didn't have that, we had Wolves, Neil Newcastle, Neil, and Aston Villa, Neil Everton won.

42:12We were absolutely screwed. We'd have had to show Frank's highlights from Dancing with the Stars, which of course was short enough anyway. Anyway, right, Frank, how are you? I don't even, have you seen that I don't even answer anymore? Because I gave up. I gave up with that guy. He even talks when I'm not there, saying that people are going to be happy or not to see me, whatever. I've got to be nicer, Frank. I asked him for four tickets for a match. When's that? March? That's alright, don't worry. I don't expect anything from you. Yeah, yeah. A match? Brazil are playing France at Gillette. And the family want to go.

42:42Oh yeah. It's a lot of money. Yeah. I thought Frank would... Yeah, I don't... Oh! And what's he got? Well, because he won the World Cup with France. Surely he's got someone he can call and say, look... Oh, because he's bumped all these bridges. But how did he pay? He's not you. Alright, fair enough. Do you think if you rang Celtic for some tickets... Yeah, I have to. Celtic? Celtic's not a national team. What's I? I wouldn't ring Celtic. I wouldn't ring Chelsea. No. I wouldn't ring Derby. Would you ring Scotland? What, is there one big four in Scotland? You just ring the whole country? If Scotland were playing Brazil, I'd say, Craig, do you mind giving me, can you make a call for me?

43:15I'll tell you the answer. It's got two letters. No! No, I would not call. I wouldn't call. I don't, that's not, you would for me. No, nobody. I wouldn't do it for me. Yes, you would. No, who do you ring? I don't know. What, the helpline? Pickets for Scotland, please. You know that... You played with Steve Clarke. The good thing is that it's going to be Brazil-France. It's correct? In Boston? Yes. Friendly game? Exactly. So everybody knows that Dan's wife is Brazilian. Yeah. So she's going to be in the middle of the French fan, you know. So she's going to have a very nice experience how to behave in the middle of French people, you know, when you are losing a game.

44:00All right. Well, there we go. It's going to be very interesting. How many tickets can you get out of interest? That's right to brag. By the way, Craig has got red fingers. Do you want to explain your red fingers? I'm not sure I'm sure we can get that. Oh, what happened? Yeah. Yeah. Where did my camera? There you go, yeah. Why do you have red fingers, Craig? Well, I didn't have the red fingers at the start of the show. Right. I didn't have them before the Barcelona match, but after halftime of the Barcelona match, you had a bag of Cheetos hot spice. I had a bag of flaming hot Cheetos. Yeah, and lovely.

44:31Look at that. No! Oh, don't do that. Can you imagine your stomach, Rainer? Can you imagine your stomach? That must be horrible. Oh, I've washed my hands, everything I can't get off. So we've mentioned red-hot Cheetos and tickets for the Gillette game. Anything else we want to endorse? Is there any other companies that were not allowed to... Right, okay. Right, that's a lot of nonsense. People are getting angry. Craig, how many matches would Carrick need to win before he's awarded a full term as Manchester United coach? Oh, my God. Now we're back on this. That's my goodness. I said, dear heavens, it's one game.

45:02I mean, for God's sake. I mean, I don't know. I mean, they've had this issue before. They had Soul Skitter in there and things were all pretty hunky-dory for a bit and they rushed off and went, this isn't too bad. Gave him this big contract and then sacked him. Because it all went wrong. You know, so I don't know. I suppose if he has, I suppose if it's an incredible run they go on. And yeah. they might be forced into giving it. And I think Mark Ogden and a few others have said it's going to be a cheap option for them and an available option. So it could happen. I don't know what the answer is to where that line is until...

45:44If they're beaten by Arsenal next week, is that the end of that conversation? Is it that simple? No. No, because if they get beaten by Arsenal next week, they'll be expected to get beat. But if they finish in, say, third position in the league or whatever, they don't lose many games and things are looking better and playing better like they were yesterday, then I think there's a chance. But I think it would be foolish of Man United not to do their due diligence about exactly all the people out there that they may get that are potentially better than Michael Carrick. But this club, who the hell knows what they're going to do?

46:19Frank, do you have a thought on this? Are you beautiful man? Yes, thank you very much. Beautiful may be too much, but that's all right. I think if Manchester United plays the way they played against Manchester City yesterday and win the next 10 games and smash everybody, I think after 10 games, you know, the ball is going to say, OK, we have the man, we have to sign him because he changed a horrible team to the Manchester United we used to have. So, yes, after maybe 7, 8 and 10 games, they're going to sign him. If he keeps on winning and playing the way they have played yesterday. Craig, Real Sociedad are unbeaten since Matarazzo took over.

46:59Is there a chance he can get them into Europe? They're currently eight points behind. Well, yes. Yeah. Keep playing like that. Simple answer. Yep. Yes. Craig, thoughts on Unai Emery's comments after the loss to Everton that they are not top five contenders? No, I think that's wrong. I think he's cut a frustrated figure today. He's got injuries and suspensions and they were a bit wafer thin in terms of the squad but their first 11 was was really good he just did not play well today and I think there was a chance don't forget after City losing and Arsenal they're not in the conversation but with City losing they could have went second today yeah which I don't think was going to put them in a title race if I'm being honest with you but it certainly would have been a much better look than losing to Everton at home And I think he's getting, I don't think he's getting, I think his comments, and I may be wrong, from the little snippets they've seen, are more at the club's ability to spend rather than the club's willingness to spend.

48:03I don't think it's a pop at the club. I think it's a pop at the system with all the profit and sustainability and the ability of other clubs to go out and spend a fortune in Villa's seemingly lack of ability to go and do that. I don't think that Villa wouldn't back him. I don't think that's the issue at all. I think it's the issue is, and we saw it from Newcastle and one or two others in the summer, They didn't want to sell Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest and we know he's now probably going to be a regular, he's probably going to be a starter for England in the midfield. That's how good he's been.

48:38They didn't want to sell him, but I think, again, they were forced, because he was homegrown talent, to take that pure profit because of these rules. So it seems to be affecting other clubs more than, how should I say it, some of the big boys. Frank, would Lens winning at Ligue 1 be equivalent to Leicester winning the Premier League?

49:01No, because Launce won already in 98 and with the players that they have, they have a very good team. And they're not the best teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, Lyon, Monaco, but they're just behind. And we know with the spirit that they have, the northern spirit that they have, it's like a little bit Newcastle, let's say. Yeah, it's a bit like Newcastle comparing in the Premier League. So it would be a surprise and it would be a very nice surprise for the Lens fans, but not as big as what Leicester has achieved some time ago. No, no, no. Lens is a very, very good team and expecting to do well this season.

49:43Paris Saint-Germain went out of the cup to Paris last week, didn't he?

49:50Sorry, Paris are second, Reina. So is that your question? I didn't hear what you said. Forget it. No, come on! PSG went out of the Coupe de whatever it was to Paris last week, right? Yes, I don't know. I don't follow the League One, so I don't know what you're talking about. Hold on, Craig. Hold on, I'm asking him for it. He's told me he doesn't know. He clearly doesn't know. I don't know. PSG... I don't know because we just... PSG got knocked out of the cup last week. Oh yes, he got knocked out of the cup. Sorry. Yes, yes, yes. Yeah, sorry. Oh my God. Sorry. Yeah, but your Scottish accent is very hard to understand you.

50:39You know what I mean? Yes, I completely understand you, Frank. Just got out. Yes. I just remember Frank is speaking his second language, so don't be rude to him, huh? Craig. What? Yeah. Don't be rude to Frank. I've been with the Frank for 20 years now. He's a lovely man, he's an actor. That's not what you say about him when he's not here. He won the World Cup single-handedly. It was impressive. What are you trying to do? What are you trying to do, you Dan Thomas, right now? By the way, you can tell he's made a full recovery. He's Chepi. Shut up. He's at his best. He's really at his best. Eddie Howe has often escaped criticism this season, even when Newcastle have underperformed.

51:23Why do people keep showing pictures? Here's a question for you. Right, what are people showing pictures of? Right, here's a question for you. My wife, my wife, went out for lunch on Friday with Stevie's wife. Right, okay. And they were sitting looking at pictures of your liver. What's the World Cup? I'm being serious. What? What's the f... I mean... They went for lunch and what did they order? Well, not liver. Chopped liver. What a lovely... I bet they were going, I bet Burley's is like... She said to me today, she says, I saw Dan's liver the other day. I'll be putting the picture on you. She's just walking past.

52:11I was like, I know you were showing pictures. I didn't look. No, I'm a bit squeamish like that. No one is yet. No, but Brady, lunch time. That was a picture of the new one or the old one? Yeah, which one was it? I don't know, I walked out the room at that point. Okay, right. The old one, I think. Right, right. That's through me completely. For Craig, anyhow, my new one is actually in the midst, mid of the surgery. So while they're doing the surgery, you've got my torso completely open and you can see the new one inside. It's weird. It's like freaky to see. But anyway. Yeah, and that's his best side.

52:58OK, sorry. For Craig, Eddie Howe has often escaped criticism this season, even when Newcastle have underperformed. Surely this is the time to question Howe after results at Wolves. I think there's going to be a lot of questions for Eddie Howey I don't think there's any doubt I don't think there's any coincidence and it's not an excuse that the last time they were in the Champions League they struggled and then they were out of the Champions League and they were better as they were the season before they're back in it this year they haven't played the Champions League game for a month how does that affect you against Wolves today?

53:34I'm giving you a correlation I just feel you give him a pass because he's British He's English and I don't like English people. Right. That's a lie. I lived most of my life in England. Okay. I don't like you. Right, that's fair enough. You're English. But you like it anyhow. Just because you said - Nobody does. See, that's why I like more people in the studio. It's a bit of a buffer. Right, I see. No, it was no Stevie. Stevie found in sick. Because he didn't want to talk about anything. No, I do think, yeah, I don't know what the scenario is at Lucas or what they're, you know, I don't know where these clubs, when you sit in the boardroom and say, that's the goal and that's where that's the ceiling where we should be if we get above it that's a good season if we fall below it then that's not good enough i i honestly don't know what the saudi arabian arabian ownership of newcastle i don't know what the goals are set freddy howe but that's certainly not a good result today no that goes without saying final question do you get to avoid shoveling daniel no i don't i am back on shoveling duty here's a deal this is where you're in your Stevie Mudd.

54:32Why? Pay somebody. Oh, yeah, but I haven't got much land. I'm not like you. I don't even have a sprawling acreage all around with a big, long drive and through the gates. My guy came yesterday, plowed it. Yes. And then the snow kept coming down. Right. So I had to come back and plow any of this story. I don't want it to be double bubble. Right. Well, it's going to be a double bubble. You'll be fine. You told me to pay for it. Now you're complaining. I don't want to pay for it twice. Well, you're going to have to. The snow's finished. That's a sensible thing to do. And then blow it. Yeah, but I've only got a little bit, haven't I, to do.

55:05That's fine. It didn't take long. That's it. Frank, what's your week like? What have you got ahead? Are you acting around? Yes, I was on stage in front of my mother and my brothers yesterday. And next Friday, Saturday and Sunday, yeah, again, I'm going to be on stage. We have a big tour. It's very nice because it works very well and we have fun. Fantastic. I bet you were brilliant. I bet you were the star of the show, Frank. Thank you so much. Well done. Tough notch, as always. Yeah, obviously five stars. Is your mother more proud of your acting career or your football career? Neither. Let's say that she's more surprised to see me on stage, but she enjoys.

55:46Yesterday she was very proud of me, she told me. So I just accepted the message. Very nice, Frank. Thoroughly deserved. ESPN FC returns to your screens. Day off tomorrow, lad. Yeah, I've got day off as well tomorrow. I'll be shoveling, considering the snow that's going to fall tonight, apparently. A lot of reflection, I'm sure, on what we've seen at the weekend. Plus, Champions League is back on Tuesday.

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