In short
ESPN FC episode analyzing Barcelona’s early-season attacking/defensive form, plus major transfer news involving Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, and PSG; also touches on the Champions League draw and Mourinho/Real Madrid.
Guests
Craig Burley (football pundit, former pro) joins Dan Thomas. Other contributors mentioned: Jules and Frank Leboeuf (pundits/analysts) discuss transfers and matches.
Key claims
- Barcelona look “transformed”: 2 wins, 7 goals in 2 games, no shots on target conceded; Rafinha through the middle is functioning like a striker solution.
- Hansi Flick may not need to buy a traditional number 9 if chances keep coming.
- Chelsea’s Carabao Cup win is secondary to transfer activity: Enzo Fernández to Man City is “very close” (~£120m/€140m).
- Chelsea signing Emiliano Martínez is a short-term fix to replace Robert Sanchez, criticized as a liability.
- Liverpool are close to signing PSG winger Bradley Barcola (~£120m/€140m); debate whether he can fix Liverpool’s wider attacking/defensive gaps.
Notable examples
- Barcelona vs Athletic Club: Rafinha opener; Fermín Lopez makes it 2-0; Unai Simón keeps it from becoming 4-6.
- Discussion of Lamine Yamal’s decision-making (simple passes/assists) and Rafinha’s runs/finishing.
- Real Madrid/Mourinho segment: Vinícius goal and reception; Mourinho keeps him on for rest/feel-good reasons.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOBarcelona's Recent Performance Analysis
0:43 to 2:39
Discussing Barcelona's performance in La Liga and their attacking options without a traditional striker.
“Barcelona have made it two wins out of two, defeating Athletic Club by two goals to nil.”
The Future of Barcelona's Striker Position
2:39 to 4:32
Exploring the implications of Barcelona's current attacking strategy and potential player acquisitions.
“That would be the only criticism today, that until the IDM across and Laporte gets his feet in the mess at 1-0, there was the odd half chance, the odd foray.”
Lamine Yamal's Development and Expectations
4:32 to 6:33
Analyzing Lamine Yamal’s performance and the pressure he faces as a young player.
“because Atletico Madrid are basically saying no chance.”
Chelsea's Goalkeeper Situation and Enzo Fernandes Deal
8:23 to 10:34
Discussing Chelsea's recent win and the potential transfer of Enzo Fernandes to Manchester City.
“Nil is how it finished in the Carabao Cup.”
Chelsea's Goalkeeper Situation
14:00 to 16:41
Discussion on Chelsea's need for a reliable goalkeeper following recent performances.
“but they clearly don't think at the club that Penders is ready to take over that number one position.”
Barcola's Transfer to Liverpool
16:41 to 18:28
Analysis of Barcola's impending transfer to Liverpool and its implications.
“How important is it to have someone like M Martinez coming in to replace Sanchez, to give that back for, which we've talked a lot about when it comes to Chelsea, a little bit more stability, a little bit more confidence?”
Liverpool's New Forward Dynamics
18:28 to 24:06
Exploring Liverpool's new attacking lineup and concerns about new signings.
“For PSG, you cannot say no from that money.”
Concerns Over Defensive Issues
24:06 to 27:26
Discussing Liverpool's defensive weaknesses despite spending on new forwards.
“it's a compact team, a compact defense, a very aggressive defense.”
Youth Talent and Expectations
28:00 to 30:50
Discussion on Buari's readiness and potential impact at Manchester City.
“Of course, Manageddon City has been splashing money as well.”
Premier League Predictions
30:50 to 33:15
Predictions about Premier League standings and team performances.
“we all know that Arsenal are going to win the league, So who's going to finish second, Frank, considering the acquisitions that City and Chelsea have made?”
Show all 18 chapters
Jose Mourinho's Management Style
33:15 to 35:31
Analysis of Mourinho's approach to managing players and team dynamics.
“I know Chelsea won it the weekend against Fulham.”
Barcelona's Striker Situation
35:31 to 41:34
Discussion of Rafinha's performance as a striker for Barcelona and team dynamics.
“Thank you very much George, let's not get Frank and Craig involved.”
Barcelona's Striker Situation
42:02 to 43:02
Discussion of Rafinha's performance as a striker for Barcelona and team dynamics.
“Symptoms noted are signs of mild to moderate dehydration.”
Champions League and Player Value Discussion
43:39 to 45:28
Exploring the value of players and the differences between them in the market.
“I know there's like a Starbucks, it's going to be three weeks of international football.”
Lamine Yamal's Development and Manager's Role
45:28 to 47:54
Analysis of Lamine Yamal's character and his manager's influence on his performance.
“The league title meant everything to him.”
Chelsea's Defense and Player Comparisons
47:54 to 49:28
Discussion about Chelsea's defensive strategies and player capabilities.
“He has to, and Craig mentioned that during the show, he has to go to simple things.”
Candy Bar Preferences and Healthy Choices
49:28 to 52:29
Light-hearted conversation around candy bars, preferences, and health.
“Good enough player, you know, coming from Palace.”
Referees and Facial Hair in Football
52:29 to 55:55
A humorous debate about referees complimenting players on their facial hair.
“Because we knew he was eating because he wasn't talking.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:01Low energy, unfocused, foggy, you might be dehydrated. Whether it's hot yoga, over 100 degree weather, or too much sun. Gatorlite, with a specialized blend of five electrolytes, was scientifically designed to help move fluids into the body faster for rapid rehydration. Shop now at retailers nationwide. Gatorlite hydrates faster than water. Is it in you? Symptoms noted are signs of mild to moderate dehydration. Consult a healthcare professional if symptoms persist.
0:34Welcome in to the latest edition of ESPN FC. I'm Dan Thomas, joined by Craig Burley later on the show. Jules and Frank will be here to talk about a busy day in the transfer market for Chelsea. But we kick things off in La Liga. Barcelona have made it two wins out of two, defeating Athletic Club by two goals to nil. Rafinha opening the scoring, making it three goals in two games in the first half. many chances as well. Aminio Mahal should have scored a couple, but in the end it was Firmin who made it 2-0 to give Hansi Flick's side all three points. Luis Garcia. Luis, we talked a lot about who's going to get the goals.
1:09No Ferran Torres, no Robert Lewandowski. Rafinha through the middle. Certainly weren't today. Yes, and Rafinha. This is a new Barcelona, and without a striker, what we can see is that there are a lot of players that are getting involved not only in the coaching but on the chances. Adeyemi had two to score. Gordon had another two. Lamine Jamal had another two. Daniel Mo was in the last one. Fermin Lopez arriving from second line. So I think the Hansi flip what he's trying to replace is those 25-50 goals that he can score between the two players, Ferran Torres and Lewandowski, to try to spread that around the team.
1:43And I think he's finding the way because today, if it is not because of the fantastic match of Unai Simon, the keeper of Atletico de Bilbao, Barcelona could have scored 4, 5, even 6 goals. Very clear chances from Adele in the second half. One or two from La Millamal. So one more fall from Rafinha. Another post that they hit in the first 45. So what we can see is a transformation from Barcelona. We'll see if that's going to be enough. We'll see if Barcelona decide to get another one. But today they showed that the amount of chances, the threat that all the players that they have at front, it is fantastic.
2:18It's going to be very useful. Seven goals in two games without conceding. So another thing that they have been working a lot is on the defence. This season, it looks like Barcelona is more solid. Today, they didn't even concede a shot on target. Look good, don't they? Yeah. They look like they're the beacon again, aren't they? They're going to be the team to beat, particularly when he gets all the players back. That would be the only criticism today, that until the IDM across and Laporte gets his feet in the mess at 1-0, there was the odd half chance, the odd foray. and that was only because Athletic Club were still in the game for all the reasons that Luis mentioned, that it should have been 3-4 or 5.
2:58It should have been dead and buried, but it wasn't until that second goal. So that was the only small criticism. Laminio was better. He wasn't brilliant by his standards. He should have scored. I thought Fermín Lopez was excellent. Again, Gordon wasn't as lively as I thought he was going to be. He wasn't bad, but he was OK in there. obviously Pedri's passing the dynamic between Pedri and Rodri is going to be interesting because Pedri has forced this great relationship with a player who's injured at the moment, obviously Frankie De Jong Rob will mention him in commentary, he's out for quite some time but they had a good understanding about where to be on the field so that's going to be interesting, bearing in mind Pedri was out the team after the first game or two of the World Cup but all in all nothing much has changed they're going to play the high line, maybe play it a little bit more a little bit more conservative maybe this year than previous years, certainly on first couple of games, but creating lots of chances, got lots of pace up front.
3:55And you could see Rafinha, even though he didn't get his, you know, what's that, three goals or something? Yeah, three goals and two goals. You could see him, even not being a natural number nine, you could see him scoring the amount of goals or close to the amount of goals a natural number nine would score. Just because of the positions he takes up, because of his pace, because of his runs and obviously because of his finishing. And that might persuade Deco, Barcelona, Hansi Fleck to say, you know what, we're not going to rush into anything or be forced into trying to buy a number nine because it looks that Julian Alvarez is not going to go because Atletico Madrid are basically saying no chance.
4:39Not a chance. We'll sell to somebody but we'll not sell it to Barcelona. So it could be a season where, you know, it's Anthony Gordon, it's Danny Olmo, and it's certainly Rafinha through the middle. And that's kind of the early food for thought. Now, if they'd played two games and the results hadn't gone their way and he hadn't scored, then that might have been a different scenario. But it's not. And it's saying to me, look, if we get a chance, we'll take a number nine, if it's the right thing for us. But if not, we'll go with what we've got because we think we have enough. And actually, I think they might.
5:13I actually think they do, to be honest with you. Luis, we were quite critical of Laminya Maul in his opening game in Elk. As Craig said, better today, but still obviously not on top form. Yeah, he wasn't the best in the first 45. The second half, he was more involved into the game, was looking those 1v1s. You can see that he's rushed onto his decision. He's trying to find the back of the net quite quickly. Before, it was more about assisting, about trying to bring something to the team and the collective. And now he's more aggressive. He wants to show, and we mentioned in the first game against Celtic, he's trying to show every single time that he's good, that he's there to shine, and he needs to be involved into the game.
5:53I think that right now, because of the World Cup, the break in between, not having a good position, he's still not looking as sharp as he should be. But let's not forget, he's only 18, he's managing his timing. I mean, he just won the World Cup and his head must be spinning because all the emotion, all the expectation that he has been creating in the past two, three years where everyone is looking at him as the new international future Ballon d 'Or. So all those kinds of emotion has to be balanced. We need to give him the time. He needs to get fitness-wise 100%. So I think that he was good enough today.
6:26Not the best Yalami Jamal that we've seen in the past few years, but I'm sure that we'll see him very soon. You know, he was better in the second half, much better, but it's okay sometimes to do the simple things. It's not... Yeah, it's great to do the things that are... Everybody goes, wow, that's fantastic. Look at that goal, look at that pass. Look at that ball with the outside of the foot. But it was a couple of times in the second half where he came inside and he had an easy reverse pass to a runner and he didn't play it. And it was a pretty simple pass into the box. And he came inside, he's beat somebody else, he's beat somebody else, then he'd play the square pass.
7:03And I was like, you know, sometimes the best players make the easiest and best decisions. And I think that's to Luis's point. It doesn't have to be the stardust and the main guy and the dazzling thing every time he gets the ball, because it's impossible. And I think when he picks his moments to do that, he's fine. And maybe as a youngster, he's getting frustrated because he wants to be that player again. But he had that injury, he had the summer, and he isn't quite as sharp. just do the basics, do the simple stuff, play the 10-yard pass, play the easy ball, let somebody else go and take the mantle.
7:36And I just felt at times in the second half, he's trying to force the issue a little bit too much when he doesn't have to. Luis, we'll say thank you very much. A lot more on what we saw from Barcelona's opening home match a little later on in the show, as we'll be catching up with some post-match interviews. Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high-interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an audible with a SoFi personal loan. It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast.
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8:59Chelsea 2 Luton Town. Nil is how it finished in the Carabao Cup. Danny Welbeck and an own goal would give Chelsea a path through to the next round. For more, let's bring in, shall we, Frank Leboeuf and Julianne Laurent. Forgive us if we don't dwell on that win for Chelsea, but we will talk about that Enzo Fernandes wasn't in the squad and it looks, well, almost very likely now that he's going to go to Manchester City, Jules.
9:26Julien Laurens:Yeah, that's right, Dan. I mean, it was a bit of a surprise not to see him in the squad because yesterday in the pre-match press conference, Xabi Alonso said that he expected Enzo to be involved. So something clearly changed between yesterday and today. And what changed is that right now Chelsea and Manchester City, certainly from our sources at ESPN, are telling us that we're getting very close to a deal for Enzo Fernandes. Around£120 million, which is a lot of money. It's$170 million. 140 million euros for the 24-year-old Argentine who wanted to leave Chelsea, who wanted to be reunited with Enzo Maresca, with whom he had a very strong relationship when Maresca was the Chelsea manager until December last year.
10:10Julien Laurens:And on City's side, they wanted another midfielder after losing Nico Gonzalez and Rodri and Bernardo Silva. And to add to Elliot Anderson and Ayubouadi, they thought Enzo was exactly what they needed. How happy are you, Frank? You hate Enzo. He's leaving your club. I don't hate him. He won't be regretted. That's the only thing I can say. I don't like his attitude. He's a great player, good football player, champion of the world and so many other things. But really, what he did towards the French player after the final, what he did towards the politically signed that he did with his teammates during the World Cup, after England.
10:52That's not something that they should be proud of and I don't like those kind of attitudes. So I wish him good luck, but I have nothing for him, I would say. No, you don't. You despise him. Despise him, Frank. Well, obviously, look, Maresca... Maresca's worked with him. We know he's a good player. What does he do for Manchester City's title? Credentials. Well, look, you don't spend over£100 million to try and hinder your title. ambitions. Of course you don't. What he does is, he gives them something different in the middle of the park. I don't really know the young Moroccan boy so much. He's only a teenager and that's going to be a big step up.
11:34But Elliot Anderson's in there and he's more defensive. What you have now is a player who will give them a slightly different dynamic in terms of his goals, his energy and his runs from midfield. So it's about striking a balance when we talk about any team, whoever it is, in the middle of the park, and one of them we've been talking about recently a lot is Real Madrid and how Mourinho is going to have to find a balance in the middle of the park for them to allow the likes of Jude Berlingham to go and join in and create and score goals. It's kind of similar with Man City. You know, they've got the Andersons, they've got Boody, and now they've got a guy who they're hoping is going to be more of what you would call an old-fashioned midfielder.
12:18He'll get back, he'll defend, he'll tackle, he'll wind players up, but he'll score goals as well. And that's what City are bringing in. Not just to be reliant on Erling Haaland to bag 40 goals this year and hope that's going to be enough to win the title. You need goals from others around the team, particularly in the middle of the park. So he should bring that. And Maresco knows firsthand. He's worked with the player, he's trained with the player, he knows he's temperamental. I get all the things that Frank is saying. we all have our opinion about people. I'm not, some of the things he does, I'm not the greatest fan of what he does, but if we take it in a pure football parlance, then he's going to give City something a little different to what they've got in that position at the moment.
13:00We'll actually talk about that a little bit later on, because we'll talk about Buadi, who obviously has made that move to City to join, it looks like Enzo as well. But Jules, let's focus on the other big news today. Emi Martinez making that switch from Aston Villa to Chelsea.
13:18Julien Laurens:Yeah, that's right. It's funny how Robert Sanchez's performance on Monday night in the derby against Fulham seems to have really kind of guided this one towards Emi Martinez because let's not forget that Chelsea for the last few years, certainly since the Americans have taken over, were only going for young goalkeepers from even Jorgensen, even Sanchez, to be fair, when he arrived from Brighton to Mike Pandas to Petrovic, all those kind of guys. were never over 30 or even, you know, in this case, way over 30, like Emi Martinez. But clearly, Sanchez's flaws in the game, the fact that they don't think that Mike Penders, who we saw with Frank in Strasbourg, in Ligue 1 Lasson, and did really well there, but they clearly don't think at the club that Penders is ready to take over that number one position.
14:05Julien Laurens:Then it's an obvious one. It was inevitable. Villa wanted to let Emi Martinez go. He had only one year left on his contract. They bought Suzuki to replace him anywhere at Villa Park. Chelsea clearly needed a better goalkeeper than Sanchez, who had been a liability for them. Let's be honest. Let's call it what it is for the last couple of seasons and again on Monday night. So this one makes sense. It's a short one. I expect either Mike Penders next season to be ready. But it's a short fix, and I think that would work very well for Chelsea and very well for Martinez. Oh, no, Frank. One of your enemies leave and another one arrives.
14:42Well, he's not my enemy. He acted stupidly when he received the best goalkeeper trophy in 2022, but I think he's been told that he was doing badly at the point. And he wasn't with his friends, you know, with the banner, with the new four clients. So he has some excuses, let's say. But he's a great goalkeeper. He's maybe, he's not the best goalkeeper in the world. I think Courtois is the best goalkeeper in the world, but he's not that far. And since he left Arsenal and came to Aston Villa, the guy who showed his strength and his power, and he's exactly what the Chelsea defence needs, and for years now, to have a goalkeeper with big experience, big confidence, and, of course, big qualities.
15:28Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. If he's in the conversation as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, why are Aston Villa... Who said that? He just said that. Why are Aston Villa letting him go? I think he certainly wasn't as good last year, but I think this is, when you look around at what's available, particularly at the last seconds. And this is strange that it's taken Chelsea for a horrible Monday night game for Robert Sanchez to realise. That's ridiculous. That's ridiculous. It's bad planning. You know the guy. You've watched the guy. You've seen him on TV. You've seen the issues that they've had in all the positions in the team.
16:06Why does it take? What are you hoping for? Hoping for a miracle? That things are going to change? So that's, from their planning perspective, that's ridiculous. But the one thing I would say is, in bringing Martinez in, is it's not costing, it's costing buttons, isn't it? In this day and age, seven and a half million, short term, experienced goalkeeper, bit of a crazy, you know, guy, but is what it is. And they need somebody to basically give the back line, back three, back four, whatever it is, a kick up the backside, somebody that's there to push and push and push. So I agree with Gilles, I think short term, this certainly works for everybody.
16:42But Chelsea shouldn't have been with a rebuild, shouldn't have been in this scenario where they're waiting to match day one of the season for them, where their keeper is horrendous, and then they have to go out and start looking around to see what's available. It's just crazy. Frank, state the obvious for me here. How important is it to have someone like M Martinez coming in to replace Sanchez, to give that back for, which we've talked a lot about when it comes to Chelsea, a little bit more stability, a little bit more confidence? It's crucial for a goalkeeper. He had the chance to play with the national team with Fabian Barthez behind me and before him, Bernard Lamar.
17:18There were goalkeepers that you knew that if you made a bad tackle, you had a chance to see them saving you. And that wasn't the case with Sanchez and also sometimes, but not most of the time. That was crazy about Sanchez because when he was at the edge, he always made a miracle the game after. It's why maybe the club took so long time, such a long time to change their mind. But when you play in your Lacroix or your Colwell, you need somebody that you know you can rely on. And I think Emiliano Martinez is that kind of guy. He's going to also give orders to the defense to get out or call somebody if they need help.
18:02He knows the job. He has the experience for that. I didn't feel Sanchez doing that. And that's, again, crucial for centre-backs to know exactly what's going on behind them and how they have to position themselves. Let's head up north, shall we? We've talked about it over the summer. It seems to go a bit quiet. But over the last 24 hours, once again, Barcola to Liverpool seems on the cards, Jules.
18:28Julien Laurens:Yeah, he's pretty much done. we were told today I think he's waiting in Paris to get the final green light to travel to Liverpool to pass his medical so probably tomorrow or suddenly over the weekend so this one will be done before the end of the transfer window without too many difficulties really and it's an interesting one because I think the PSG was just waiting waiting for Liverpool to make a new offer they made one a couple of weeks ago we reported that and we reported on the website on Tuesday night that talks have been really positive on that day and at the end of Tuesday night everybody, the three camps, Barcola and his entourage and Moussa Sisoko, his agent, PSG and Liverpool were quite positive that this one would go through.
19:08Julien Laurens:For PSG, you cannot say no from that money. It's up to£120 million. That's up to€140 million with add-ons for a player who's a sub for your team. You know, if it had been Kraskelia or Dembele or even Desiree Dwey, I think PSG would have never opened the door. Barcola has been great for the team at times, especially the season before last where he had really good numbers. Last season he struggled a little bit more with his end product and some of his fitness as well. If you get 140 million for a player who is a sub for you, you cannot not let go. They were just waiting for that offer. I think it took Liverpool a bit of time to get there eventually.
19:47Julien Laurens:But they have 100 million plus 20 in add-ons. I think at the end of the day everybody is happy with that. And Barcola had agreed personal terms a long time ago with Liverpool so he's very happy to come to the Premier League. Talk to me about the fact now this is a completely new front line for Liverpool over the last 12 months and you've got Izak, you've got Florian Wurtz and now you're going to have Barcola. Right, so there's two bad ones. The first two have struggled, yeah? Yes, big time. The first two, so I suppose my concern would be as a Liverpool fan, here's another new face, can he actually do something for us?
20:18Because what we've seen from our transfers that have come in of late, they've really let us down. I don't know, I can't, answer that question. I don't know how... I don't know what's going to happen to Florian Veltz. I really don't. They've only played one game this season, right? So maybe we should wait to another six, seven or eight games, and if it's still in the same path, then I do think we're going to have to have a conversation about, this guy might just have to go back to Germany. They might have to cut the losses with him. And as for Alexander Izak, he said it was a problematic transfer, but that was a lot to do with him.
20:56He's only got himself to blame, in a sense, for some of the things that went on. He can't legislate for injuries, but he's got to get himself fit and he's got to get his old pecker up and look as if he's the confident player that was performing for Newcastle United and does perform for Sweden. Because he looks to me, and Stevie was sort of backing him up a little bit at Newcastle, saying, well, you know, he was getting a lot of stick. To me, that was telling me a lot about his personality. He knew he was going to get Pelters going back into Newcastle, but he let it get to him. It's not a problem when other fans boo you.
21:32It's a problem when your own fans boo you, and Newcastle are not his own fans anymore. And what I saw from him at Newcastle at the weekend was a player that was almost happy to shy away from it. So I think there's a lot of question marks about those two. And can they ever be the players at Liverpool that they were at Leverkusen and Newcastle? So nobody can sit here and no person can sit here and say, yeah, they're going to be great again. We don't know. We don't know. So these are big risks. Obviously, Barclay is a slightly younger player. He's, as Gilles mentioned, he's not always been first choice, but we know he's supremely talented.
22:10Now he has a platform, you would imagine. He has a platform. But someday in this front line is going to have to perform. And whether he's the spark that gets the others going, I don't know. I don't see how a Barcola introduction is going to all of a sudden make a number 10 play better. I just don't see how that's going to work. So there's a lot of stuff for Rondoni and Areola to work out. But what I can say is at least Liverpool are showing some desire to go and try and bring in better players and help the new manager. Because looking at their squad, they're a little thin on the ground still. But this is a squad that's got the most expensive front line in the Premier League, almost 500 million now.
22:50Jules with Barcola coming in, and I suppose Craig asked a question there. Can he provide the spark that this team so desperately needs to get Verts, to get Isak going?
23:02Julien Laurens:You know what? That's a great question. And by the way, you said that for that front three, but no, no, no, before you go, Frankie, we mentioned that front three of Isak, Verts, and Barcola for up to half a billion pounds. Really, there's still nobody to play on that right-hand side. Still nobody has replaced Mo Salah on that right-hand side. You can have Barcola playing there and Gagpo on the left, sure. You could have young Rio and Gomuha on that right-hand side. You can even put Chiesa there. But there's still a massive piece of your attacking jigsaw missing. And yet you spend half a billion already on the other three.
23:39Julien Laurens:And I agree with Craig. We're not sure about Verts and Isak. With Barcola, what we know for sure is in the games where there will be space, he's wonderful. The sky is the limit in terms of talent for him. He needs to work on the final product, on his end product, his finishing, his final decision, you know, when to cross, when to show, all of that, that will come. But the Premier League is ruthless as well. But there will also be games where it's a low block against them, it's a compact team, a compact defense, a very aggressive defense. And Barcola would have to find something else than just running into space because there won't be space.
24:15Julien Laurens:So it'd be very interesting, even for his own development, at 23-24 now, to see how well he adapts to those kind of games in the Premier League, which is obviously, compared to Ligue 1, just another planet. It's just another world. So I love this move for Barcola. He really wanted it. I think Liverpool badly need his qualities of pace and skills and movement and all of that. This is great. We'll see how much PSG will miss him or not. The season will tell us. But for Bradley himself, this is a great move, but he will have to make that step up. and that's not guaranteed either. I know you hated this conversation when you were in Spain from Stevie and I were having it and this is like 100 million.
Read the full transcript
24:54You mentioned that half a billion on those three players and you watched them at the weekend again and they've got two horrible fullbacks. Yeah. That's not going to... Did you say Fringpong could walk under this table? That's a great line. He could walk out. Even Jules couldn't do that. I'm sorry to say that about Kirkus because he was a good player at Bournemouth. he's a shadow of what he was and you can sign all these players and do all you want but they've got a youngster in Xhaki they've got a Rojo we'll see how much he plays but they've got a youngster beside Van Dijk who by the way, Frank's friend, Van Dijk another one who again at the Newcastle game wasn't pulling out anything to go and help other players was looking around again and then you put the two fullbacks in place who are struggling like hell still, you can spend whatever you want up there.
25:51Unless you're scoring four or five goals every game, three and four goals every game, you can put what you want up front because you're going to get beat with what you've got at the back at this moment in time and that would be a worry. Never mind who's going to score the goals, never mind who's going to do that, never mind who's going to do all the exciting stuff. Who's going to defend in this Liverpool team? Frank? Well, I'm happy for Baccarat because, as you all said, he needed to find a place maybe where he can play a little bit more than Paris Saint-Germain. But I think there are some clubs that have too much money.
26:24They don't know what to do with it. And they are spending like that. And I agree 100 % with Craig. Did he need a guy like that up front? Gagpo is maybe the only one who was pretty good last game. The left side, you know, that Ekitiki is going to come back as well. So they're going to be in competition or the three of them, but you have nobody on the right side when you need another fullback maybe. We have to wait for Kerkers. I believe that he's capable of doing better. Remember Kukurela the first year at Chelsea, that was awful, and we were wondering,£60 million for that. The guy at the end of the day was absolutely fantastic.
27:03So hopefully for Kerkers it's going to work. But also in the middle of the park, you know, they need some people. If you need to spend money, spend money in the right places. So therefore, not on the left side, maybe on the right side, or maybe the middle of the park, maybe as windback, but never where it's already crowded. And again, I want to know who are those people who have so much money that they don't care. 100 million. Go for it. Money is just silly at the moment. Low energy, unfocused, foggy. You might be dehydrated. Gatorade Zero Powders have been scientifically designed to help improve hydration balance in the body with a clinically proven electrolyte blend and no artificial colors or flavors.
27:47Great tasting hydration no matter where you're going. Shop now online or at retailers nationwide. Gatorade, hydrates better than water. Is it in you? Symptoms noted are signs of mild to moderate dehydration. Consult a healthcare professional if symptoms persist. Of course, Manageddon City has been splashing money as well. They've made some good profit from some of the players they signed, looking to invest that now. Buari, of course, officially presented yesterday, I'm the best club in the world, our kid, a teenage fan club. Here's Enzo Mureskara on the youngster.
28:20Julien Laurens:Yeah, he's ready. He was working with his former club, so he's fit. we see how long he needs in terms of that adaptation. But yeah, for sure, he's ready to go.
28:40Julien Laurens:Talk to me about him, Jules.
28:46Julien Laurens:Incredible talent. I mean, we've seen him play at 16 with Frank, with Lille, making his debut with the first team. He was, I think, 16 in three days. He almost played at 15. he was that good then at 17 on his birthday two years ago he bossed the champions league game against real madrid that little won one nil at home he was the best player on the pitch by far and on his 17th birthday and then fast forward to two years he'll be 19 in october early october he's there he's a hundred million euro player it's probably too much money i don't think he's worth that yeah he's still such a young player he's played a lot in the game but he's got eight caps for example for morocco you know he's got a few champions league game under his bed including that one against Real Madrid, but this is all so big.
29:28Julien Laurens:But he felt this was the right time to leave France and go to the best league in the world. There's a lot of expectations around him, for sure, especially when you pay that kind of money and especially after the departure of the likes of Rodri and Bernardo Silva. Is he ready right now to play? I think he is. Is he ready right now to be at the level of a Rodri? Of course not, because he's still only 18, soon to be 19. But he's got huge potential, especially out of possession with the ball. He still needs to work on the passing range, especially the longer range. On that level, he's not Rodri yet, but for everything else, he's the smartest player in the league, smartest player on the pitch.
30:09Julien Laurens:He's got the physicality. He can run forever. So he's got so many things going for him. But what I would say as well on Buradi, especially when Enzo arrives now, is Maresca will have to make choices because you can't play with three midfielders of Buradi, Anderson and Enzo without leaving Fulham or Cherki on the bench because otherwise there's no room for wingers. So this is all great for Maresca, who seems to not really sure what to do, by the way, already with the players that he has. Add Buadi and Enzo to this squad, he will be even more lost because I'm not really sure exactly what he will do with all those options, but it's great for him to have so many different profiles and options and talent at his disposal.
30:49So we all know that Arsenal, thank you very much, we all know that Arsenal are going to win the league, So who's going to finish second, Frank, considering the acquisitions that City and Chelsea have made? Who for you are going to be runners-up? That's the one million dollar question. And we've all been wondering since the end of the last. Yeah, but no, no, unfortunately. But really, right now, I put Chelsea second in my prediction. So I'm going to keep them. And Manchester City, I don't know. I was seeing, but for what I've seen the last game they played, they're not ready yet. I don't know. Maybe it's going to be better with Ayub, because he's a great talent.
31:34And don't forget that it was hard for Caicedo at Chelsea the first year. It was hard for even Rodri when he started. So it's sometimes hard for the player to settle down. But hopefully if it works for him with Anderson alongside him, That can be great and make Man City more solid than the past year, for example. So they're capable of fighting with Chelsea for the second and the third. Liverpool right now. I'm sorry. I don't see anything coming good. Second, Chelsea. OK. All right. Thank you. I think you've bummed it. Chelsea? Where did that come from? Chelsea, who you got? What do you see else, Craig?
32:23Julien Laurens:Jules? I think Chelsea as well. I think Chelsea as well. I think City will take time for Mariusz to find the right formula with all those players and what to do and which formation. And I think Chelsea, without any European competition, plus you had Martinez, you've taken away one of your weaknesses in the goalkeeper area, I think Chelsea will finish second. What do you say? I don't see anything. Well, say something. Move on. No, who do you reckon? Chelsea will say... No, no, no, no. You don't move. You have to find somebody. Good luck. No, no, I don't shut up in that case. And I think that's a big French guy interrupting this show today.
33:01Oh, yeah, indeed. A lot. What do you reckon? I'm not... I'm not super convinced about Liverpool. I'm not convinced about any of them, if I'm being honest with you. But I'd still just say City. Right. I'm not convinced. I know Chelsea won it the weekend against Fulham. Palma looked great. Rodgers are a good signing. I do like João Pedro. But I think there's other areas of their team, particularly defensively, that are still going to be a problem. And for those reasons, I still think City are going to be Arsenal's biggest challenger. City in action on Friday, taking on Palace at Selhurst Park. We've got everyone's prediction.
33:382-1, says I. Craig says 2-0. Jules and for French contingent are going for a 1-1 draw. Meanwhile, the Bundesliga kicks off on Friday as well. No surprise, Bayern Munich, huge favourites. To retain their title, they open their campaign against Stuttgart. We'll be discussing that in the next edition of ESPN FC. Looking back towards the City game as well. Mick Schaka will be in studio and catch us live on the ESPN app. It was the Champions League draw today. here are the notable fixtures that we will see that will take place over the eight games a lot of big teams playing a lot of other big teams Jules yeah I
34:25Julien Laurens:mean there's a point with this league format and we I think we like this new format and the league phase and everything but you get excited for those games and then after that if you look at especially the big teams once they've played those two games against teams from Port 1. Obviously, the rest is a bit meh, let's be honest. It doesn't really make you that excited. However, the PSG Barcelona, the PSG City, the Arsenal Real Madrid, the Atletico Liverpool game, there's some really, really nice games that we would all be excited to watch. After that, I think for all the top teams, for Real Madrid, for all the English side, apart from Villa and United, but they're a bit different, but Liverpool City Arsenal, this is pretty much quite a nice draw for all of them and same against for Barca, for Real Madrid, even some of the Italian teams, I think Inter Milan too, some of those games are going to be great but Pot 2 was not that strong I thought and the rest neither, so there's some great games, it was a nice draw but I think we'll have to wait for the last 16 to really get massively turned on.
35:32Thank you very much George, let's not get Frank and Craig involved. Much appreciated. No, no, no. No, no, no, indeed. Just a reminder, the latest edition of the Gab and Jules podcast is available to listen to now. Gab's off to Don. Don and his sharks are there with Jules. Be sure to check it out. Low energy? Unfocused? Foggy? You might be dehydrated. Gatorade Zero powders have been scientifically designed to help improve hydration balance in the body. With a clinically proven electrolyte blend and no artificial colors or flavors. Great tasting hydration no matter where you're going. Shop now online or at retailers nationwide.
36:12Gatorade hydrates better than water. Is it in you? Symptoms noted are signs of mild to moderate dehydration. Consult a healthcare professional if symptoms persist. Meanwhile, Real Madrid, perfect so far under Jose Mourinho. Vinicius Jr. getting his goal here in front of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd. Jose Mourinho explained why he kept him on and why he wanted that reception from the home team and the home fans after he scored.
36:46Vinicius and I speak the same language, which makes it easier. Joking around with him is easier.
36:54I would have never taken Vinicius off if he hadn't scored the goal or had a positive feeling of playing well in the second half. I would have never taken him off.
37:07Okay, he needed rest and there's a match in three days, but I thought it would be a good feeling for him because last season he received some boos, so it would be good for him to receive the affection of the fans again.
37:27What incredible man management from Jose Mourinho, Frank. Incredible stuff. Well, he is. He has been a great and the greatest one. I saw the documentary for Chelsea and for Inter Milan and Real Madrid, what he did before. He was one of the best, but he knows how to speak to the press. He knows to be loved. He knows how to say, oh, I did this. And I was great. I love that guy. I mean, I have to say something, you know, you can hate him at some point because you know how he, what he plays, but you have to love him because overall, he loves himself and he loves football as well. You can fit one of those, Frank.
38:06We all knew that... Oh, maybe, maybe, yeah. But you know what? We said before the season when he signed, we want to follow the show. We want to see what's going to happen because it's going to be a soap opera. Hopefully, it's going to be for the good. It will have some bad time, that's for sure, because we know Mourinho at some point it's going to get crazy, but it's going to be fun for us, not for him. but he's a great coach. He's a great human being. I met him. And so far, so good. So let's enjoy and let's see how it works. He's not, I mean, quite a statement there from Frank. But yeah, I mean, has his coaching resume in the last few years fallen off the cliff a little bit?
38:57Yes, from where it was, which was outstanding. outstanding. But if you look at all the clubs that he had success, what did he have? He not only had good players, but he fostered a very good dressing room, right? Which is a big part of the problem and has been at Real Madrid. So he knows, like most people, you don't have to be a rocket scientist, but he's the guy dealing with it. He's the guy that rests on his shoulders to make sure this dressing room is happy. As happy as it can be, there's always a few little factions during the weekend training. during games. But you have to keep them to a minimum.
39:32They've been at a maximum at Real Madrid, particularly when Alonso went in and tried some different things. So Mourinho knows that if they have any chance of success, it's going to take more than ability. It's going to take a dressing room that's pretty much together and everybody's smiling and happy. And he's trying his damnedest to make sure that's happening. Whether that lasts or not, when results start to go against him remains to be seen. At the moment, it's been a late win against the Espanyol and a much better second half in the game. Who was it playing again? I've lost it. I forgot who I was doing the game.
40:12Real Sociedad. Real Sociedad. I was doing the game. It was a much better second half. The performance of Bellingham, the goal from Vinicius, the hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe. If you can keep a happy camp, it's quite simple. They have half a chance. if one or two of those worms start turning again then he's going to go the same way as recent managers including at the end Ancelotti. Perfect start then for Real Madrid. The same for Barcelona after a 2-0 victory today. Rafinha getting his third goal of the season. Here's his boss Hansi Flick.
40:41Julien Laurens:Tonight we saw again Rafinha playing as a striker but he plays as a true number nine. Three goals in just two games but not only the goals, also the movements. Is he the best number nine you can have this season? We don't know that. For me, it's important that when we have a match plan like this and we have Rafa number nine or another number nine, that we follow our plan. And he's doing really good. It's great, his dynamic is very good for us, his intensity and his runs. waiting for this goal is perfect for us. Barcelona back in action next Monday against Raio Vercano. 24 hours before that, it's Real Madrid against Malga.
41:33Early start on the Sunday. Those games live on the ESPN app. Low energy, unfocused, foggy. You might be dehydrated. Gatorade Zero powders have been scientifically designed to help improve hydration balance in the body. with a clinically proven electrolyte blend and no artificial colors or flavors. Great tasting hydration no matter where you're going. Shop now online or at retailers nationwide. Gatorade hydrates better than water. Is it in you? Symptoms noted are signs of mild to moderate dehydration. Consult a healthcare professional if symptoms persist. Chronic migraine. 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting four hours or more, can make me feel like a spectator in my own life.
42:14Botox, onabotulinum toxin A, prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month. It's the number one prescribed branded chronic migraine preventive treatment. Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor. Effects of Botox may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. Allerge your doctor right away as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems, or muscle weakness can be signs of a life-threatening condition. Patients with these conditions before injection are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection site pain, fatigue, and headache.
42:45Allergic reactions can include rash, welts, asthma symptoms, and dizziness. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions, including ALS Lou Gehrig's disease, myasthenia gravis or Lambert-Eaton syndrome, and medications, including botulinum toxins, as these may increase the risk of serious side effects. Why wait? Ask your doctor, visit BotoxChronicMigraine.com, or call 1-800-44-BOTOX to learn more. That's it. That brings us to the end of today's show. So, Frank LePouffe will be back to answer your questions on Extra Time. We shall blow the whistle on this particular episode of the show a long time ago.
43:22We just meant this show in general. Yeah, blow the whistle now. Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time. Frank LePouffe is here, as is Craig Burley. It was the Champions League draw today. Very exciting. You know what else we just found out today? What did you find out? Oh, you found out. What did I find out? What did you find out? It's a very lovely international break coming up. I know there's like a Starbucks, it's going to be three weeks of international football. Get your holiday requests in now, Frank, so you don't have to deal with that. Three weeks of just pounding some of these teams.
43:52This desk will be no more by the end of the three weeks. We're going to have Grumpy Craig back. What do you mean back? It's a daily occurrence. What do you mean back? No, he's right. Right now he's positive. I can see him smiling. And I saw him smiling a couple of times during the show. So that's Nolan. But you're not frowning, so I suppose that's a bonus. He's breathing. Traipsing round lower Manhattan for three weeks with him. That was good, I enjoyed that. Wasn't it great when his wife came? No, I... How excited is Craig about the return of the Champions League big table? I haven't given it a thought.
44:32Aha. I haven't given it a thought. I like to look just... Very... Yep. Small increments. Yeah, a day at a time. Maybe a day. the weekend, the game. So, yeah. Craig, can you explain how a sub-backup player can be sold for£120 million plus, Barcola, when a World Cup-winning goalkeeper costs less than£10 million in Martinez? Well, A is a goalie, so the demand is really not there. B is well in his 30s. C is in the last year of his contract. D is crackers. Four or D? E, four, E. And Barcola is a French... Barkley is a French international who did play a lot of games for PSG, but he just wasn't always the first choice.
45:15He's a supremely talented player. That's the difference. Plus, we're in a situation that market values have gone through the roof. That's it. There you go. Pretty simple. Craig, you watch Messi over the years in La Liga. He always looked passionate about doing well in all domestic matches. The league title meant everything to him. Why doesn't Lamine seem to have the same appetite? He seems to only love the big moments. it's a bit harsh isn't it? Yeah I mean I suppose I'm a little guilty as well we've had a bit of a Luminium I'll pile on a little bit because he's shown a couple of little cracks in his character that we haven't seen but I think it's very early he doesn't look as if he lacks any passion to me he just looks as if he's a little a little frustrated that I'm not going to say frustrated because Spain won the World Cup because that would be stupid maybe a little frustrated inside that Spain won the World Cup and he didn't showcase himself in the same vein that he had in previous 18 months to two years because he'd been injured.
46:19And maybe there's that little frustration in there. But I don't think you can accuse this young player of lacking passion for any tournaments at this moment in time. The good thing is, I suppose, and they've discussed it on the show, Frank, when you've got a manager like Hansi Flick, there'll be no favouritism. He won't sugarcoat things. He's kind of the guy you want, isn't it, if you're in charge to kind of get the best or get Lamin-Yemal back on track? Yeah, he's going to do everything because he feels that he needs it. And Lamin-Yemal needs to come back to his best. And so therefore, they're going to work together.
46:53And he's going to make sure that Lamin-Yemal is back to what he was before his injury last season. And he's on a good path. I think the second half today was better than I've seen him for a long time. So, he's good. The passionate face, you know, I mean, I don't like those kind of people. I mean, I remember Thierry Henry scoring a goal. He was lucky. He was in the funeral of one of his family members. So, that was always a kind of a game. They do that. The serious acting, you know, when you score a goal, you're not smiling, you're not happy. That's an acting situation. It's what Lamin-Yamal is doing as well.
47:34I can see that being the serious guy, not being passionate, whatever he can be. But that's fine by me. I think Lamin-Yamal can go back to his best. He's going to work hard and he's going to show to the world that he's a great player. He has to calm down. He wants to do too much now. He has to, and Craig mentioned that during the show, he has to go to simple things. Today he should have given the ball to Gordon and given assists. That would have been nice. But that's what it is. Make simple things and go back to your basics. I saw the Passion interview with Jan Argerfield, so for Michael Carrick, that was great, wasn't it?
48:11I love it when a lot upset people. It's brilliant. For Frank, is Lacroix finally the Thiago Silva replacement Chelsea have been missing, not just defensively, but as a leader at the back? Hopefully, yes. and with Colwell, I think it can be a fantastic pair. Before his injury last season, Colwell showed that he was the best centre-back. And with Lacroix, I think that they can match very well. But it's true that Lacroix already is young. He's not like Thiago Silva. You cannot compare those two because Thiago Silva came to Chelsea. He was already old with all the experiences needed, which is not the case for Lacroix.
48:49He only played for a club like Crystal Palace before coming to Chelsea. but he showed a lot of strength last season, confidence as well. And for the two games that he played for Chelsea, I'm very, very confident about his future. Hopefully he's going to bring what Chelsea needs, experience and confidence. Didn't Chelsea lose two goals at Fulham? Yes, they did lose two goals, but that was their goalkeeper's fault and they've got rid of him now. And now they've got in Martinez and he's going to be great. I don't know how you can compare Lacroix to Thiago Silva. I think you're just clutching at straws of your Chelsea at the moment, aren't you?
49:26Just somebody. Somebody's clutching at straws. Somebody to come in. Good enough player, you know, coming from Palace. But you're talking about a guy who'd been massing in the back line at Milan and other teams in Brazil. Enough of all this soccer talk. Apples. Enough of all this. Craig, what's your favourite candy bar? Do you prefer British ones over the American? Dairy milk. You've got a penchant for dairy milk, don't you? Big dairy milk. But do you want nuts in it? I never used to, but I will take the almond one now. You prefer it. And there's another, because they move on, these companies move on.
50:04It used to just be milk chocolate or dark chocolate. Now they have the milk, I'm not a dark chocolate fan, milk chocolate with the rock, you know those ones as well? The dairy milk rock. Oh no, I don't know what that is. It's got like a... Is it like topping candy? Almost like that, yeah. Right, okay. But I prefer just the straight dairy milk. You can get here, by the way. Yes, you can. I don't like Hershey's. I don't like Hershey's Kiss. It's too bitter. I don't like some of the American chocolates, but my preference would be a dairy milk is hard to beat. Frank, where do you stand on the old candy situation?
50:40France, do you do candies? You do more patisseries, don't you? No, no. We have candies as well, but I gave up candies like 20 years ago. It's not healthy. I have an app where I check all the candy bars. Listen, that's when you want to go fast. What does the app tell you about the candy bar? This is going to be delicious, but don't do it. It is delicious, but everything is delicious. It's bad for your health. That's what it is. Otherwise, it's, you know, You can be dead tomorrow, man. What's wrong with you? Yes, true. Yeah, but you can be fat and dead tomorrow because you were fat, you know, or something like that.
51:16You know what I mean? You can run over with a bush. you could be thin and fit. I know, I know. And you walk out, you get run over by a bus. Hopefully there's no buses. I will die in good health. I will die in good health. I'm happy. I will go to heaven with good health. I had Maltesers in Spain. Was he bad when we were in the green room and when all that stuff in New York that the girls and boys were bringing out for us? The girls and boys? Couldn't find the right words to keep everybody happy there. Our colleagues. Some of us were picking. Oh, God, yeah. Come on, cousin boys. You're a simple.
51:57Where was that story going? And? What's the point? The point was, there was a lot of stuff to pick up. Yeah, it was great. Yeah, they kept us well fed, didn't they? And Frank was definitely eating candy. There was a lot of temptation. That's my point. Yeah. Yeah, so don't pretend. Yeah, I didn't go for them. Yes, you did. Yes, you did. You didn't go for them. You did. You did. No, I didn't. Liar. No, I did. No, no, no, I didn't. I saw you with those chocolate-covered things. I was most of the time bringing my own food. No, you know, chocolate-covered things you're... Sometimes I was weak and then I went for it.
52:28Yeah, so you did. So there you go. Stop lying. Well, he's weak. Right. Because we knew he was eating because he wasn't talking. Right, we go from candy to facial hair. The ref told Rafinha he liked his moustache before the game today. Is this something the referee should be doing? Will you ever grow a moustache like that? Didn't the referee... The referee had a moustache as well, didn't he? I can't remember. I know he had a bit of a mohawk going on. The referee had a moustache in this game. I don't know what it is. Maybe something in Spain at the moment. Some charity thing. I don't know. Maybe some...
52:55I don't think it's like November normally, isn't it, where you grow a moustache? Yeah. In Spain? I don't know. I did notice there are a few more moustaches creeping in. Should a referee be complimenting another player's facial hair? Oh, come on. That's today's big debate. We're in this... We're in this... We live in a world now where... There are so many conspiracy theories out there. Trust me, if any conversation you'd be having a referee in a tunnel. Right, OK. Maybe they're not doing that anymore because everybody's gigantic balls and they're worried about conspiracies. But seriously, if you'd have seen a referee in a tunnel with a moustache like that, you'd have couldn't wait to get in the tunnel.
53:39And then he'd have said something back to you. Something about your teeth, I imagine. About your appearance. Yeah, yeah, yeah, so not. No. That's not affecting what he's doing. Oh, he's giving Rufina a penalty. Well, that's a soft penalty he's given him because he complimented his moustache. That's it. We must complain. Have you ever done a moustache? No, it's not thick enough. No. A bit like the top of my head. It's not thick. You're growing. What are you growing? It's a bit of a boof on that. I know. I don't know. I haven't done any of the cut. I've been travelling everywhere, darling. No time for haircuts.
54:12Frank, moustache, where do you stand? He's got one. No, he has a beard. Why am I saying that? He's got a beard. That's not a moustache. I have a beard. I have a beard and a moustache. But you've got something beneath your nose. That's not a moustache, is it? No, it's not a moustache because it's a beard. So it goes with. When you have a moustache, you only have the moustache. And that wasn't fashion in our time. That was before in the 70s. And now it's fashion. I personally find it not very nice. I don't know. I think it's... Do you remember when... But I would have... But I would... But I would love to see a referee sing, Frank, I love your beard.
54:53Do you remember when... Rud Hull had a big moustache in his playing days? What's the most famous moustache in football? Somebody said to him, partly, when you've got a nose that big, why would you underline it? Wow. Yeah. When it was true. Why would you underline it? It wasn't me. It was true. No, it was me. Imagine if Mara's had one. That's a proper one. Wow. Paul would have had to have one to hide his teeth. British players in the 70s, they were all wearing moustache. Ian Rush, John Aldridge, all Stevie's teammates had one. Stevie couldn't be bothered. Can you imagine Necco wearing a moustache?
55:34That's the way that's great. We must do a bit. Well, he's doing a bit. And he can do yoga with Alexis if Liverpool win their next two games. Why does he get involved in this stuff? I don't think he really knows what he's committing to, and he just says yes, and then it happens. I'd like to see him with a moustache. I really would. Right. I mean, I think he would look utterly stupid. Well, there we go. Well, more so. That's it. Shall we end? Let's end. Frank, thank you very much. ESPN FC returns your screen to where Xhaka is with us as well after his gallivanting in England to reflect on Palace against City.
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The FC crew react to Barcelona's 2-0 victory over Athletic Club and argue if Raphinha is the solution to Barcelona's striker questions after the Brazilian scored a 3rd goal in 2 games. Plus, the guys break down Enzo Fernandez's possible move to Manchester City and analyze how the Argentine would fit into the newly constructed midfielder.
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