In short
ESPN FC debate on Real Madrid’s upcoming presidential election and transfer rumors, centered on whether Florentino Pérez will bid €150m for Michael Olise; plus discussion of Erling Haaland’s likely future, Spain World Cup squad updates, and broader club/World Cup predictions.
Guests (backgrounds)
Dan Thomas and Ali Moreno (ESPN FC hosts). Mark Ogden (ESPN football writer). Alex Kirkland (ESPN reporter). Nadeem (ESPN contributor; former player, close to Vincent Kompany). Also referenced: Vincent Kompany, José Mourinho, Jürgen Klopp, Luis Enrique, Raúl.
Key claims
Pérez’s “€150m Tuesday bid” is widely believed to target Olise despite earlier denials; Olise is unlikely to leave Bayern (Bayern’s continuity under Kompany; Olise dislikes media spotlight). Klopp/Enrique are floated as post-election targets via Raúl. Haaland likely stays 3–4 years at Man City unless Guardiola leaves changes everything.
Notable examples
West Ham’s Matheus Fernandes fee expectations; PFA Player of the Year shortlist (Bruno Fernandes, Haaland, Raya, Declan Rice, etc.); Spain training camp in Chattanooga with Lamine Yamal; World Cup flop picks (Argentina/France/England).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOThe Real Madrid Soap Opera
0:46 to 1:46
Discussion on the ongoing Real Madrid president elections and player rumors.
“Raquel May has been spouting a lot of nonsense.”
Elyse's Controversial Rumors
1:46 to 2:49
Analysis of the rumors surrounding Elyse and Real Madrid's potential bid.
“Oh wait, now we're going to talk about it.”
Why Elyse Should Stay at Bayern
2:49 to 4:54
Debate about why Elyse should remain with Bayern Munich amidst transfer talk.
“because what it sparked was a massive kind of nationwide guessing game.”
The Media Spotlight Dilemma
4:54 to 6:28
Discussion on Elyse's media presence compared to other players at Real Madrid.
“Nadam, you're close to Vincent Kompany, of course, still after your playing days.”
West Ham's Transfer Tactics
6:28 to 7:41
Exploration of West Ham's high asking price for Mateus Fernandes after relegation.
“And players haven't been able to kind of fly under the radar at Real Madrid.”
Promises Amidst the Elections
7:41 to 9:27
Discussion on Florentino Perez's election promises regarding player acquisitions.
“You mentioned the fact, obviously, Alex, when Sunday happens, it doesn't really matter what you've promised when it comes to Monday, but surely it does a bit when you're linked to all these different players.”
Haaland's Future at City
9:27 to 10:51
Debate about Erling Haaland's potential longevity at Manchester City.
“And this is essentially an acknowledgement of that.”
The Real Madrid vs Manchester Appeal
10:51 to 14:01
Discussion on the attractiveness of Real Madrid compared to Manchester City for players.
“He's going to leave at some stage, isn't he?”
Real Madrid's Current Status
14:01 to 15:55
Discussion on Real Madrid's standing and player dynamics compared to the past.
“Sometimes it might get a little bit too cold.”
La Liga Player Updates
16:32 to 18:03
Updates on players and their performances in La Liga including Laminio Mar.
“It's a fruity candy flavor explosion, a zero-sugar treat that's Sweet Tooth approved.”
Show all 26 chapters
Goal and Save of the Season
18:04 to 19:32
Highlights of the season's best goal and save, featuring Ardegula and Joan Garcia.
“Let's take you through the goal of the season.”
PFA Player of the Year Discussion
19:33 to 20:56
Debate over the PFA Player of the Year award and its timing, including player opinions.
“this is voted by your peers, your fellow players, Cherky, Fernandes, Haaland, Gabriel, Raya and Declan Rice.”
Predictions for Next Season's Title Race
20:57 to 24:13
Discussion on the upcoming season's title race and predictions for Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United.
“Now, Mark Ogden has said something quite interesting as we take a look at the title odds.”
World Cup Updates and Show Closing
27:33 to 28:06
Latest updates regarding players and the World Cup, wrapping up the show.
“The Stanley Cup Final on ABC is more than a quest for the cup.”
Breaking News on the German Squad
28:06 to 28:54
Discussion about recent injuries and player transfers impacting the World Cup.
“A lot of excitement around Lennon Karl after his breakout season for Bayern.”
Extra Time Introduction
28:54 to 29:18
Hosts introduce themselves and discuss upcoming travel plans for the World Cup.
“Nadam and Mark will be back to answer your questions on Extra Time.”
World Cup Goal Dilemma
29:18 to 31:10
A debate on whether scoring a World Cup goal or a Champions League final goal is more significant.
“Your hotel room will have those posters of Erling Haaland dressed as a Viking for you.”
World Cup Flop Predictions
31:10 to 33:32
Panelists discuss potential underperforming teams at the World Cup.
“The winner for Manchester United or the winner for England?”
Managerial Psychology and Player Selection
33:32 to 36:49
Insight into unusual managerial decisions affecting player selections, including star signs.
“So, I'm going to upset one of our colleagues here and I'm going to say France.”
Managerial Psychology and Player Selection
39:42 to 40:04
Insight into unusual managerial decisions affecting player selections, including star signs.
“And for a limited time, college students get the best of both worlds.”
World Cup Winners Discussion
41:12 to 42:00
Discussion on which teams have a realistic chance of winning the World Cup this year.
“For the guys, if you're picking a team for the final...”
World Cup Team Potential
42:00 to 43:19
Exploring the teams with realistic chances to win the World Cup.
“the conditions throughout the tournament are going to be so different for so many teams.”
Portugal's Chances in the Tournament
43:20 to 45:14
Discussing Portugal's strong team and potential match-ups in the World Cup.
“Five and I would change Argentina with Brazil in the first five.”
African Teams in the World Cup
45:15 to 46:30
Analyzing the prospects of African teams like Senegal and Morocco.
“But there's appeals and other things going on.”
Difference Between Manager and Head Coach
46:31 to 48:08
Explaining the roles of managers vs head coaches in football today.
“Mark, explain to me like I'm five years old.”
Nadem's Experience and US Culture
48:09 to 50:47
Nadem shares his experiences and what he misses about living in America.
“Wow me obviously I'll say so absolutely not you I'll tell you that as a fact right now it will never be you Dan Thomas it will never be you.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00So good, so good, so good. Everything you want for summer is at Nordstrom Rack Stores now and up to 60 % off. Stock up and save on the brands you love like Vince, Sam Edelman, Frame and Free People. Join the Nordiclub to unlock exclusive discounts, shop new arrivals first and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack.
0:32Craig Burley:Welcome in to the latest edition of ESPN FC. I'm Dan Thomas, joined by Ali Moreno. We're less than a week away now from the start of the World Cup, but more importantly, just two days away from the elections as to who will be the next Real Madrid president. Boy, what a soap opera this has been. Raquel May has been spouting a lot of nonsense. We've heard the same from Fiorentino Perez about this big, incredible player that he was going to sign. I'm going to make an offer of€150 million euros for a great player from a Champions League team on Tuesday. Is Elyse a great player, but it's not him? Well, apparently, according to all the rumours, it was Elyse.
1:08Craig Burley:So there we go. The Germans have spoken about the possibility of Elyse moving over the last couple of months given his talent and given, of course, that he's rumoured to be very much in the contention for the Ballon d 'Or. For a player like Elyse, there's no price tag. That would make us flinch. Meanwhile, Ollijonis came out and said Mourinho can keep five eyes on Elisa. He won't get him. He will not be sold, not even for 200 million euros. We play this game for our fans. It does little good if we have 200 million more in the bank and play worse football every Saturday because of that. Right, we are.
1:44Craig Burley:So that's the end of that. Oh wait, now we're going to talk about it. Here is Mark Ogden. Naina Manua is with us, as is Alex Kirkland. Hey Alex, your bank manager is loving all this. it's been good fun these elections we should do it more often not just once every 20 years right so this is why did he say it's not a lise when it is a lise it's very interesting isn't it and because as you say he was one of the specific players that florentino peres denied that this mystery 150 million euro man was and then when you saw these credible reports from respectable journalists today saying it is Olise.
2:25I think actually it makes you think, okay, if they're going with this, despite that specific denial, there must be something in it. Now, we should say there are conflicting reports as well. There's some reports here in Spain that perhaps Perez was referring to one or two other high-profile targets at PSG, for example, Jean Neves, Vitinha. He's been told that those are simply not options and so he's sort of switching focus to Olise. Either way, I think it's a pretty smart move from Florentino because what it sparked was a massive kind of nationwide guessing game. Basically, everyone's saying, is it this player?
2:56Is it this player? The consensus seems to have settled on Elise. As you say, seems like a pretty much mission impossible from a point of view because there's no reason to think that Bayern Munich could be willing to sell. But in a way, that doesn't matter to Florentino because, as you say, he said, I'll make this bid on Tuesday and the elections are on Sunday. So by then, I've been elected president. I'm back in for another four years. And whether I actually follow through on it or not doesn't matter. And of course, he didn't promise to sign this player. He said, I will bid for this player on Tuesday.
3:25So he can bid for him. He just might not get him. Ah, there you are.
3:29Craig Burley:Well, wonderful. Thank you for that, Alex. If you're a Lise, let's just play this game because there's nothing else to talk about. Where would you go at the moment if Real Madrid comes knocking, given the state of the club? You go nowhere. You stay right there in Munich. You stay at Bayern Munich. you were a couple of missed chances and a couple of goal scorers by PSG away from making it into a Champions League final, potentially winning Champions League. You were right there with PSG, who is, again, the best team in Europe. You don't in any way affect what this can be for Bayern Munich if you're Michael Lissi.
4:12And mind you, he had a great season. He has taken his career from a good player to an elite level player to be considered among the best players in the world. And that all happened under Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich. Why would you go elsewhere, especially when you don't know what exactly is happening at Real Madrid? Michael Elisa is in a great place in Bayern Munich and I don't know why you would go anywhere else. Knowing full well what you have available playing next to you, what you have available on the bench, what you have available in terms of the structure of the club. You don't have this sort of drama at Bayern Munich that you're having right now at Real Madrid.
4:48You want consistency and continuity, which I think Michael Lise appreciates. I'm going to suggest that for Michael Lise, his best place is Bayern Munich.
4:55Craig Burley:Nadam, you're close to Vincent Kompany, of course, still after your playing days. You said he'd be happy to see him go. What? Yeah, I don't think I said that, to be honest. And I think I agree with Ali as well, that Lise's best spot is going to be in Munich, isn't it? And I think as well, when you see the type of person that he is, not just a player, He's somebody who enjoys just the football side of things. And I think it's fair to say that if you go to Real Madrid, there's going to be a lot of other stuff going on on a day-to-day basis, from wearing that white shirt, that iconic white shirt.
5:24So yeah, for him staying at Bayern, I think it's a great thing for him. He's just been voted Bundesliga player of the season. And I think what I like over these last two years, for as much as they've won those league titles, that Champions League goal is still there. It seems like something which they're trying to achieve as the collective. So I think for Alize to fall in line with that, to have that belief, to know that the team could be getting better and better. I think at this moment in time, you know, we can't argue that Sarah Amididat is necessarily the biggest club in the world, but Bayern Munich is the best place for him right now.
5:50He's played the best football he's played in his career, and he's still only 24 years of age, so why would you leave now? I'm just going to say that one more thing about Michael Olisse, and it's alluding to something that Nathan was mentioning there. His personality is such that he doesn't like talking to the media. Who would like to talk to our Chirin Tutt? Well, nobody, but Michael Olisse really doesn't. He won't. and he just doesn't want to be in the spotlight, even though his talent would suggest so. Well, he doesn't like it. Bayern Munich, they sort of embrace that and they kind of make fun of it or whatever, but they respect that.
6:22If you do that same thing at Real Madrid, now you get the sort of Gareth Bale treatment in that, oh, well, this guy doesn't want to talk to the media. This guy is aloof. This guy is this, that, and the other. And players haven't been able to kind of fly under the radar at Real Madrid. He, and I know it sounds crazy, but Michael Lise flies under the radar of Bayern Munich, and I think he appreciates that, again, Bayern Munich is his place right now.
6:47Craig Burley:So you think 150 million about right in the market, and then you think 80 million for Mateus Fernandes, who just got relegated with West Ham, Mark. What world are we living in?
6:59Mark Ogden:Yeah, I just think that's West Ham's kind of opening gambit to say that, you know, this guy is not for sale for anything less than that. But let's be honest, West Ham are relegated. I don't think West Ham are in a position to set the terms of setting such a high fee for a player they only signed a year ago. So I don't think that Mateus Fernandes will go for anything like£80 million. I think you're probably looking at maybe£45,£50 million, but you can't blame West Ham for trying. But like I say, they're going to find it very, very difficult to keep Mateus Fernandes or any of their players because they're in the Championship next season.
7:27Mark Ogden:Financially, they'll have to let people go. And also players are just not going to want to stick around. Players of quality like Jarrod Bowen, Fernandes, they are not going to play in the Championship. So West Ham, yes, I understand why they're doing it. It's the first week of June, but they won't get anything like£80 million for Matias Fernandes.
7:41Craig Burley:You mentioned the fact, obviously, Alex, when Sunday happens, it doesn't really matter what you've promised when it comes to Monday, but surely it does a bit when you're linked to all these different players. Well, if Florentino Perez wins, the other promises he's made are extremely deliverable. They're already done in terms of Jose Mourinho, Connarte, Denzel Dumfries. they will arrive if Florentino wins and like I say, the next promise from him was I will go and bid for this 150 million euro player, so he can say that he's fulfilled all of those promises, and then let's see after that I'm not sure to be honest that Florentino really wants to be spending 150 million euros because Real Madrid, we think that they've got endless resources, they haven't really, and in recent years they haven't tended apart from big exceptions, they haven't spent huge transfer fees on players they prefer to wait for players to arrive on on free transfers like Mbappeva, for example.
8:33So I don't think he'd be too disappointed to end up not spending that sort of money.
8:37Craig Burley:Enrique is obviously the challenger who's just come out with some marvellous quotes, obviously. Erling Haaland will go to Real Madrid if he's elected. And who will be in charge? Not Jose Mourinho, but the manager we want for our Real Madrid project is Jurgen Klopp. On Monday, if we win the elections, our director Raúl will get in touch with Klopp. Fantastic. There we are. Go on, Alex. Well, again, he's taking a leaf out of Florentino's book because he's saying, look, after the elections, and he's not promising to get this guy, he's saying that we'll ask. We'll go and talk to Klopp. Now, our information has been, and my colleague Roger has reported, that there's already been contact between Enrique Raquelme's camp over the last couple of weeks and Jurgen Klopp and people close to Jurgen Klopp as well.
9:21He has been their number one. The reason they haven't announced that beforehand is because they haven't been successful in convincing him to come on board. And this is essentially an acknowledgement of that. It's them saying, well, look, we will send Raoul, you know, sort of the biggest name, history, of course, in German football as well, with Schalke, so some sort of connection there, to Klopp, to go and talk to Klopp and try and convince Klopp. But once again, this is a post-election promise. So if we get in, we'll try and make this happen. I think it's the right call. Again, I think it's the right name to go for.
9:50But like I said, I also think it's an acknowledgement that they haven't been able to get Klopp to say yes previously. What's the percentage chance, by the way, for this election, Alex? Florentino is the massive favourite I think that Raquel might do okay might outperform what initial expectations might have been I think initially we thought an overwhelming victory for Florentino look we don't know like I say it's been 20 years since we last had a contested election at Real Madrid I've seen lots of opinion polls it's only members that vote so it's very different asking fans for their opinion and Real Madrid members their make up is different they may be a little bit older a little bit more conservative but I think that Florentino will win convincingly but I think that Raquel May will get enough votes to sort of, you know, have a creditable performance and one that maybe sets him up nicely for the future, for the next elections, for the post-Florentino-Perez kind of era.
10:42Craig Burley:What an understatement that is, a little older and a little more conservative. Raquel May, of course, says there's Erling Haaland will be wearing the whites of Real Madrid if he gets in, Nadam. He's going to leave at some stage, isn't he? It's inevitable. How long do you think he's got left? Erling Haaland, City, I don't know, probably another 3-4 years to be honest. I can't see this Real Madrid thing being a thing. And when we think about some of the problems that Real Madrid have had over the last couple of years, I wouldn't think necessarily bringing in another number 9 would solve all of those issues.
11:13So yes, it sounds nice, you can have the AI of the shirt and all this stuff, but in reality I think he's very much tied down to City, not necessarily tied down to a Guardiola. I think he's going to be a big part of these next few years for City in terms of trying to reclaim the Premier League title.
11:27Craig Burley:Do you believe that, Mark? Three to four years?
11:32Mark Ogden:No, because I think Pep Guardiola leaving City does change things a lot. Obviously, I think Haaland stays there, certainly for next season, but Guardiola is why these players sign for Man City. Obviously, they want to win trophies to be well paid, but Pep Guardiola was the main attraction. That isn't the case. Now, Enzo Maresco is a good coach, but he's not Pep Guardiola. And right from the outset of Haaland's career, there was this kind of strategy that was in place by his family and his people that he would play in a lot of leagues in Europe. He was in Norway, went to Austria, went to Germany and obviously he's been so successful at City and so well paid that that's kind of slowed down a bit but there is still a sense that he will play in the league at some point and I think it's the case of who can afford him because neither Real nor Barcelona, you would think right now, have got the financial ability to sign Haaland.
12:17Mark Ogden:Certainly Barcelona haven't but Cam Real, like Alex was saying, they don't really go for huge fees anymore so Haaland is a player that will command a big fee. City stated in the statement yesterday that there is no release clause, no escape clause, so he won't come cheap. But obviously he joined City on a fairly low transfer fee from Dortmund, so maybe there might be some arrangement there whereby he can leave for a modest fee. But right now I think that he'll definitely get another year out of Haaland at City, but I think leaving changes everything. We don't know what's going to happen with the 115 charges, which you'd think at some point might come during the remaining eight years of his contract.
12:52Craig Burley:Nadeem has his hand up. All right. Yeah, thanks for that. I'm the magic of TV. So yeah, I think in regards to, say, Harlem potentially moving, I hear people say, this guy signed because of Guardiola and so on and so forth. But then if, say for example, Harlem was to go to Real Madrid, is he going to Real Madrid because it's just Real Madrid? Or is he going, like, is it for a Jose Mourinho who's stock at this moment in time isn't anywhere near as good as it was, say, maybe 10, 15 years ago? There are other situations like that where he's linked to this club, linked to that club. but what is the thing that's going to draw him towards that space?
13:24Because in terms of competitiveness and a sort of overall feeling of a football club wanting to be successful, you know, City will be able to offer many of those things. And so if it's not a case of, you know, Guardiola leaving, now he has to leave. If he leaves, who does he want, who does he cover the most? I think you could maybe say a Luis Enrique at PSG, but I don't think that's going to be something that's going to happen. So that's why I believe he's probably going to stay there for another three, four years.
13:47Craig Burley:What's the appeal Manchester over Madrid, Nade? I think primarily it's the amount of rain and H2O that you can have here. You'll never worry about droughts. You'll never get too hot. Sometimes it might get a little bit too cold. But I think also, you know, Real Madrid, it's acknowledged that in terms of size, they are the biggest club in all of football. You know, we think how big and significant football is, but there is still more to it. Like we've just spoken about Lee saying not wanting to go to Real Madrid, for example, potentially, given what his personality type is like. so it's not like at the moment you get the call you have to go because this Real Madrid in this moment isn't the same as it was say maybe three four years ago when they had a bit more like energy around them and you can always guarantee they're going to be in a Champions League final so this is a changing of the guard maybe Manchester with all the beautiful rain is Native come on come on it's Real Madrid I think it what are you doing you didn't say that about Lise did you you didn't say that about Lise did you come on I'm just saying when I worked there they didn't make it past the knockout stage of the Champions League yet you still bring in Kaká, Zidane, Figo, you bring the whole shebang because the name it is
15:00Mark Ogden:Dan I think there's one thing to point it out please carry on there's one thing with Man City over the years they've always been very good at keeping the best players Sergio Aguero never left until they were ready for him to go Kevin De Bruyne City are extremely powerful and even Real Madrid couldn't get the best stars out of Man City and I think that is still the case You know City have got immense wealth immense power, but it's Real Madrid and I think the same goes for Elisa You know, I agree with you guys that at least a shouldn't leave by Munich right now But it is Real Madrid. It's the one club in the world where you think it would press a few buttons But right now you probably wouldn't go there in the sense that it's a bit of a mess But it's Real Madrid and you can never take that away.
15:36Real Madrid have been rubbish of course. Oh, sorry. What the caveat is Next season, Manchester City, we're assuming they're gonna be good We're assuming they're gonna be competitive. We're assuming that they're gonna win the league What are we assuming here? We don't even know their manager at the moment, Ali. There you go. So we're taking a lot of assumptions. Throw out your own house.
15:53Craig Burley:Yes, absolutely. Throw in stones at others. Okay. Are you looking to rebound from your high-interest credit card debt? A SoFi personal loan can help you get back on track. Consolidate your debt with a SoFi personal loan into one low monthly payment, and you could save money on interest over time. And with as soon as the same-day funding, you could hit the ground running ASAP. Apply today with no fees required at SoFi.com slash Debt Rebound. Loans originated by SoFi Bank, NA member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply NMLS 696891. Fast funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash Debt Rebound. Treat your taste buds to an explosion of flavor with Fruity Rainbow 5-Hour Energy Shots.
16:36Craig Burley:It's a fruity candy flavor explosion, a zero-sugar treat that's Sweet Tooth approved. You can take care of those candy cravings and get the caffeine boost you're looking for without the sugar. Stock up on Fruity Rainbow 5-Hour Energy shots, available online at 5hourenergy.com or Amazon. Meanwhile, Laminio Mar has been named the Spanish Player of the Year in La Liga, Hansi Flick Coach of the Season, Carlos Espy the Under-23 Player of the Season. Laminio Mar, what's going on? Will he be playing in the group stages, Alex? Well, every time that Luis de la Fuente, the coach, talks, he says that Luis de la Fuente is going to be fit, is going to be available for the start of the World Cup.
17:19But there's always also the caveat there that he says, well, that doesn't mean he's going to start. Doesn't mean he's going to start the first game. Remember, Spain's first couple of games, in theory, are straightforward. Cab Verde, Saudi Arabia. They've got Uruguay in the third game in the group. So there's no need to rush him back in those first couple of group games if they don't want to. So I think there will be caution. I think they'll be desperate not to rush him at all. But look, Luis de la Fuente says that so far in training, signs are good. Spain flew to the States today just before we came on air.
17:45They arrived in Chattanooga where their training camp is in Tennessee. And they say that Laminya Marlin training looks good. But still, for him to be starting in that first game in the group in Atlanta, I'd be surprised. Chattanooga is such a fun word to say. Are you going to be there, Alex? Chattanooga. I will be there, yeah.
18:04Craig Burley:I'm flying next Friday. Yes. And you spell Chattanooga. Nope. All right. I can say it. Chattanooga. The old Chattanooga choo-choo train. Thank you, Alex. Much appreciated. Let's take you through the goal of the season. It was not scored by Luminiumal, but Ardegula. Are we happy with this, Ali? Sure. I do love the goalkeeper. Who knows he's not getting there and just randomly throws his arms up in the air like, maybe it'll hit me. Maybe I'll get there. Go, go, gadget arms. Oh, yeah, that didn't quite work. Beautifully done by Ardegula. Ah! OK, lovely, that is confirmed. Now, what about the save of the season?
18:42Craig Burley:Xhaka isn't here, so you're going to have to play the role of goalkeeper here. Joan Garcia.
18:51Espanol against Barcelona, they think they'll score, and he again just throws an arm up, hoping that he can make contact with the ball, and he does. So, Joan Garcia made a bunch of good saves for Barcelona this season. And maybe Joan Garcia will be starting for Spain in the World Cup. Maybe.
19:08Craig Burley:Oh, yeah, that's great. Point to the debate. Castellón against Almaria, Las Palmas against Malaga. And the two semifinals in the Segunda Playoffs, they take place live on ESPN Plus tomorrow and Sunday. It's played over two legs. The winner of the final, of course, will be in La Liga next season.
Read the full transcript
19:30Craig Burley:PFA Player of the Year shortlist was announced this week. this is voted by your peers, your fellow players, Cherky, Fernandes, Haaland, Gabriel, Raya and Declan Rice. Let's start off with the obvious question, shall we, Mark? Why is the winner of this being announced on August the 25th?
19:50Mark Ogden:Well, over the years the PFA were often criticised that the vote for their award was around about March, April. I mean, Nadal will know better than me because it used to go very early. It used to come, you know, three quarters of the way to the season. So they wanted to make sure that the players had the chance to vote after the season of finish so that's why it's so late but yeah it is a bit odd that the start of next season they hand out the award for last season.
20:11Craig Burley:Yeah how seriously did you and your teammates take this Naidem? Well this is a Mark makes a good point that it would be done three quarters of the way through the season and being the PFA delegate that I was for my club I was supposed to encourage people to of course I was I was supposed to encourage people to fill these forms out I think I probably got maybe a 50 % success rate and even within that 50 % half of those people were just writing names down in spite. I don't like this guy, don't like this guy, don't like this guy. So yeah, it's a very salty business. But yeah, I think in the end, you know, the fact that they're doing it towards the end of the season probably matters a bit more because there were times where there's probably been one or two semi-contentious sort of winners.
20:52But yeah, to be given the award out when the next season starts seems ridiculous to be honest.
20:57Craig Burley:And who will win it this time, Nadam? I like getting Nadam to say this.
21:03I think it would be Bruno Fernandes For breaking the assist record So he goes down in Premier League history As being the best ever In terms of assists While in the recorded area So Bruno Fernandes
21:14Craig Burley:Even if he didn't break the record He'd still be the pick, wouldn't he? Well, there's obviously a lot of talk People have been making that case That you should give it to someone at Arsenal Because they've won the league and so on But I think for somebody making history in that manner I think for me it has to be for the Fernandes, yeah. Now, Mark Ogden has said something quite interesting as we take a look at the title odds. You could have just finished there. Mark Ogden says something interesting. This is Mark Ogden who's had nothing worse to say about Manchester United for the last goodness knows how long.
21:46Craig Burley:Arsenal favourites, City and then Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Villa. On a podcast, did I hear you say correctly that you think it's going to be between Chelsea Arsenal and Manchester United let's hear it
22:01Mark Ogden:no no no no I'll give my top three right Chelsea Man City Man United and I'm going to get my tin heart now and go
22:12Craig Burley:so what are Arsenal doing Mark
22:17Mark Ogden:listen I you're going to get me in trouble with Arsenal fans now and this isn't a good place to be well I know that very well yeah exactly But as we start in the Champions League final, Arsenal play one way. And unless Mikel Arteta changes the way he plays and brings in a proper world-class striker, I think Arsenal are very one-dimensional. And teams will find a way to counteract them next season. We saw they didn't beat Liverpool last season. They didn't beat City. They lost to Homes United. I think there's this suggestion that Arsenal are going to kick on and dominate. I just don't see it. Maybe I'm wrong.
22:49Mark Ogden:I don't see it. And I think Chelsea have got a proper manager now. they've got a very talented group of maybe the first 11 is a very good team. I think beyond that they have to strengthen, but I think Xabi Alonso will make a difference, certainly with the fact that they've got no Champions League to worry about. I didn't predict them to win the league. I think this is, you know, a top three. But from United's perspective... Number one Chelsea, that's going to get... Look at that. Top three and you mentioned one first. It's usually the first. Yeah. So I think from United's perspective, I think for the first time since Alex Ferguson left, It feels like United are finally on an upward curve.
23:23Mark Ogden:Now I'm not suggesting going to win the league, but they've got some stability They've got They've got a coach who is Steve Holland. I'm talking about not Michael. They've got a coach who can actually organize A defense and make players feel like a team And I think they will make good signings in the summer. I think they will recruit well They've recruited well last summer. We have to give them credit having not done for ten years They made some good signings last summer. So I think I think United can certainly challenge at the top. Obviously it depends on the Champions League because they're going to play maybe 15-20 more games this season but I'm ruling Arsenal out in the sense that I just don't see how they progress.
23:57Mark Ogden:I don't see how they kick on. I don't see how Mikel Arteta changes his innate cautiousness to take them to a different level. So it's going to be a wide-open race but I do think that it could be a less impressive season for Arsenal, people are thinking.
24:12Craig Burley:I'm fascinated about this Chelsea starting XI that's magically the best in the league.
24:19Mark Ogden:No, I just said that. I'm not saying they're going to win. I said they're one of the top three. I just think that they've got some good players, Chelsea. But they don't turn up often enough. But I think that was because of the situation last season. Certainly for the last six months, they didn't have a manager. And I think a lot of the players just kind of decided to check out. But I do think Xabi Alonso will get them organised and make them a team that can actually take advantage of the fact they could have a handful of games compared to everybody else next season. As you know, Dan, English is not my native language.
24:45Craig Burley:No, no, I know, but you did very well. I tried. So did he or did he not say that Chelsea was going to win the league? No, he said it's going to be between three people, three teams. So Chelsea being ranked number one. That is a stitch up. Oh, that is a stitch up. Alphabetical order. To be fair, which I didn't have anything to do with. Okay. So that's that. Nadam, are you buying with anything that Augie is selling? in particular the Arsenal bit, that they're just going to fall out of contention after this season? Yeah, I don't think Arsenal finish 4-4 below in my opinion. I think obviously we've seen some of the ups and downs of them in this particular season, with the defensive record being great, but to a certain extent some of the attacking side of things really falling off heavily as the season progressed.
25:32But I just don't think they'll be 4-4 below. And I think the Chelsea thing's interesting because maybe Oggy's got an eye on the way that United just performed this last season with Chelsea not being in Europe you know the same way United weren't in Europe this season and the fact that they could play at times you know it's a game a week we saw throughout this year that that's a big upside for a football club with the players that say United have the players that Chelsea will have and I think the trickier thing realistically which we're not sure about is how United fare with the Champions League being involved as long as maybe another 10-15 games and they could recruit absolutely could recruit but then you start seeing that this year the conditions were optimal.
26:09There weren't that many key injuries for long spells. But some of that stuff comes when you start playing games week in, week out. Two games a week, three games a week. So yeah, I'm not... I think it feels naive right now to take Arsenal up that top four. That top three rather. And I'm sure all the Arsenal fans who are watching, listening, paying attention will clip this up and go and attack Mark Ogden. And to be honest, feel free to go and do that. Have a day of it. Have a day of it. That's Mark Ogden. He says you guys have finished, you're washed and you'll never have a better season again. That's Mark Ogden.
26:38Craig Burley:The good thing is they finally fixed the graphic. However, we can't re-fix it. So it's just been there. Chelsea won for a good five minutes. Extra time is available over on our YouTube channel, which will be discussing the World Cup and who are the dark horses to win, but who will be rubbish from the big names. YouTube, check that out. Wait a minute. As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly.
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27:33Mark Ogden:The Stanley Cup Final on ABC is more than a quest for the cup. It's 134 years of putting it all on the line and the heaviest 35 pounds ever lifted. It's broken curses and broken hearts. But for those chasing it, it's everything. The only question is, who will take it? You just have to watch the Stanley Cup Final presented by GEICO on ABC and the ESPN app.
28:05Craig Burley:Bad breaking news from the German squad. A lot of excitement around Lennon Karl after his breakout season for Bayern. He is out of the World Cup according to reports elsewhere. Andy Robinson on his way to Spurs on a free transfer. Chris Richards not available against Germany. That's a friendly due to his ankle injury. Do you want to see Norwegians preparing for the World Cup? Just as Vikings. There you go. Okay. There you have it. All right. Beautiful. All right. Oh, wow. He does look like a Viking. That's a poster that Nadam has up in his bedroom wall. Does he? Yes. Yeah, so I've heard. Too bad he's going to be around just for one more year, apparently.
28:51According to my...
28:52Craig Burley:That is it. That brings us to the end of today's show. Nadam and Mark will be back to answer your questions on Extra Time. A lot of World Cup questions, as you can imagine, amongst the questions. Coming up.
29:08Craig Burley:Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time. Ali is here. Naidem, you're almost here. Naidem, when do you travel? Tuesday. Make sure everybody's ready, yeah? Beautiful. Your hotel room will have those posters of Erling Haaland dressed as a Viking for you. Beautiful. Excellent. I take them everywhere with me and I've got the pillowcase as well and the matching sheets, yep absolutely. What about you Oggi?
29:36Mark Ogden:Tuesday as well so me and Nader may, I don't know, we're sharing a flight across, I'm not sure. It's news to me that Nader's traveling the same day, but yeah next Tuesday.
29:43Craig Burley:Well don't worry, Nader will turn left.
29:49Craig Burley:Hey, so we've got my clothes. Yeah, Nader and Gab left, Oggi by the toilet. There you go. Ali, would you rather score a goal in the World Cup or the winning goal in the Champions League final? Oh, this is so easy. So would you rather be the first ever goal scorer in the history of Venezuela in the World Cup or score the winner in the Champions League final? 100 % score a goal in the World Cup. Good stage. It doesn't matter what goal it is. We're assuming that Venezuela is going to score multiple goals in the World Cup, apparently. It doesn't matter what goal it is, it would mean that our country has made the World Cup and therefore that would be far more important than any contribution that I may have had in a Champions League final.
30:34Craig Burley:Our producer wasn't going to put that question in because it's so obvious he's going to say Champions League final. See where's the loyalty that he has? He doesn't love his country like I do. I see. Nader, what would you say to this?
30:52I think Alex is a bit different because he's talking about making history for his national team. But whether I'm playing for whoever I can play for, I think for me I'd have to go to Champions League final. Because my goal in the World Cup would just be irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Oh, wow.
31:06Craig Burley:All right. There I was opening my heart to making history what it would mean for me. What would you prefer, Oge to score? The winner for Manchester United or the winner for England?
31:17Mark Ogden:I'd rather score a Champions League fan, let's just leave it that way. Wow, no loyalty to his country.
31:23Craig Burley:They hate their country. Bobo and his winner! Mark, forget about dark horses, who will be the biggest flops at the World Cup?
31:34Mark Ogden:Some good contenders. So, I've been asked this question this week for a piece we're doing next week and I've of the USA. I think the US could, I mean they're not a favourite but obviously a host nation but with Turkey qualifying and being their group, Turkey are a very good team. I think so Turkey win that group it makes it harder for the US to get out. Now the US could actually ride a wave of euphoria and qualify but it's been a very turbulent couple of years in the Pochettino. I think that Paraguay and Australia are probably on a par with the US so I think the US could could crush it out of the World Cup in the group stage.
32:06Ali? I see that scenario. A lot of people are overlooking Australia and Paraguay and thinking, ah, the U.S. is just going to go on and win those matches easily. I don't think it's going to be nearly as straightforward. But when I'm thinking a flop, I'm thinking teams that are supposed to be in the conversation in the latter stages of the competition. And I just don't think that the U.S. fits that mold. So then we have to go into who are the favorites that could potentially come up short. Argentina. Oh yeah? For what reason? There are a lot of things that I believe have to happen in order for you to win a World Cup and obviously you have to have talent, obviously you have to have a whole lot of work as a team and as a group, moments of magic from your genius, in this case Lionel Messi, and you also have to have an element of good fortune and they had a lot of that in the last World Cup.
33:02If at any point that luck turns the other way, Argentina comes up short against the Netherlands, for example, and we're not having the conversation about them winning the World Cup. The expectation is for them to be right there in the semifinals or winning this whole thing. Anything less than that may be considered a flop for Argentina. Their standard is higher than most. If they don't get that element of good fortune, they may not reach that high. Natum? So, I'm going to upset one of our colleagues here and I'm going to say France. But the reason I'm going to say France is because when you ask people who's going to win it all, they're like France.
33:40Have you seen their front four? They're incredible. It's the best squad. It's the best. It's the best that. I'm not saying that it matters as such, but they just lost against Aubrey Coles just a couple of days ago. So maybe this thing that is perfect probably isn't as perfect as we believe. So I'm only judging them according to the standard, like Alice just said there, like making it to the last stages to be playing in the World Cup Final. I don't think they make it there and as a consequence I think they'll probably perceived as being flops.
34:05Craig Burley:I think England, Oggi, I don't think we're gonna do much to be honest.
34:09Mark Ogden:I do think that they might underestimate the conditions. Look, Thomas Tuchel speaks of squad and it's got a lot of runners in it and the last thing you want to do in this World Cup is run around the pitch for 90 minutes. The technical players like Foden and Palmer haven't made it so and there is a I think there's a potential where they could play Mexico City in the round of 16 having not played at altitude for any part of the competition so that would alarm me as an England as an England fan and I think that could be the end of the road I know Mexico aren't great but Mexico and the Azteca that's tough man they hate for your country huh all three of you just hate hate hate hate England
34:48Craig Burley:but I agree though they could be a flop I think so for Mark what should United do with Marcus Rashford and Andrea Nana. They can't find a permanent solution to sell them in the summer. That's going to be a lovely pre-season.
35:05Mark Ogden:Yeah, I mean, look, they're two different players. I mean, Rashford has got some real kind of retail value, I guess, the fact that he's had a decent season at Barcelona. He's on big wages, but I think there will be other clubs interested in Marcus Rashford. There's a suggestion that Tottenham might be interested in him as well. If Marcus Rashford wants to go back to Barcelona, he doesn't want to go back to Man United, so I think that's difficult for United to even address that right now. But Inanna, I mean, Inanna's just, you know, they'll just try and hopefully get somebody to take him. Maybe Travson Spor again.
35:33Mark Ogden:But, you know, there's not going to be a queue of clubs for Andre Inanna, unfortunately, but Marcus Rashford, I think they'll be OK. I think they'll find a taker for Marcus Rashford.
35:41Craig Burley:How would you feel if your international career was messed up by a manager who didn't pick you because you were a Scorpio or cancer? This is the reason Dominic did not select Ludovic Gui in 2006 and 2008. This is the bus documentary, which is on Netflix, if you haven't seen it, go and watch it, because you can't quite believe everything that Dominic is saying. He's clearly insane. And how he was in charge of runs, I have no idea. But it makes for compelling TV. It's a great documentary, and he talks about the fact that Star Signs, although he seems, if you've seen it, he seems to just hate all the players.
36:17Yes, not just the Scorpios or the cancer. But this is not an exaggeration in that he did say that he couldn't have too many Scorpios in the team. What? What? Imagine being the player, and I think that's the essence of the question, imagine being the player who's being left out, and that's the reason that it's presented to him. There is no counter-argument to this. I mean, you can't argue with craziness. It's just... And yet, the way that Dominic presents himself is he truly believes this thing. And he is wholeheartedly, in his mind, correct in the way that he approached everything that went on in that World Cup.
37:05There is no, and anyway, at no point he's raising his arm and said, you know, I could have done some things differently. No, no. It's this player. It's that player. It's the Federation. It's a press officer. It's everybody else but him. It is amazing, to your point, how this guy was a national team manager.
37:27Craig Burley:Yeah, go and watch it. One of the best things about it is a French documentary that doesn't involve Julien Le Ronde as well. Nader, rumors linking players like Harlan, Rodri and Vardiole, who also happen to be the core of City's current project, with a move away from Manchester this summer. Are you worried that it might prove difficult to keep a hold of your star players in this post-Pep era?
37:49No, I'm not really worried about that as such. I think for Rodri, somebody who is, you know, I think he's possibly 30 or so on. He might be the core of it, relatively speaking, but I don't think his best football is still ahead of him. And I think he's heard in the past that he maybe wanted to go to another place. So I'm sure they're making a plan for that. I think Vardio would be a big mess because, you know, spent so much money on him and he's still a youngish player who could, you know, essentially still have his future at City, but where he goes to will be interesting. And again, unlike what we said on the show, I don't think necessarily these players all signed because of Guardiola.
38:21I think the club essentially sold him a vision and the manager is Guardiola. I don't think Guardiola is the one speaking, saying, you have to come to me, you have to come to me. I think it goes beyond that. So I'm not really concerned as such because the recruitment overall across the years has been very, very good. Not just specific to the players that Guardiola maybe would have wanted, but players that have suited the club with Guardiola in charge. So I'm positive. But to go back to the last question, by the way. Yeah, sorry to make this about something I've experienced. But Roberto Mancini was the same.
38:47Mancini wouldn't let people wear certain colours on a training day. He also said Roque Santa Cruz, the Paraguayan international, he said his quads were too big so he couldn't play. And there was a spell where he said Johnny Lescott's cards were too small so he couldn't play either. And he would not budge from those positions for the start of his time at Man City. So, just goes to show some of these managers are crazy. And it's always your fault, never theirs. Didn't Glenn Hoddle have some sort of nonsense?
39:12Craig Burley:Yes, remind everyone the Glenn Hoddles story, Mark.
39:17Mark Ogden:Oh, the... Eileen Drury. The Eileen Drury, yeah. So, yeah, was she a faith healer or something? He would send players to go and see Eileen Drury. And it's a classic story about Ray Parler, isn't it? So, Eileen Drury, apparently, Ray Parler sits down, she tells him to close his eyes, she puts his hands on his head, and he says, short back and sides, please. And he never got picked for England again.
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41:36Craig Burley:Vieira Vieira as well boys? Yeah, I'll go Vieira. For the guys, if you're picking a team for the final... Oh no, we just done that, well done, first day. How many teams can realistically win the World Cup, Nadeem? So there are 48. Do you know what, this year, I'm going to say more than usual, just because, as Ali's spoken about and everyone's spoken about, the conditions throughout the tournament are going to be so different for so many teams. Yeah. Some teams are inside, some teams are outside. There's the altitude, as you said, in the Azteca and so on. But I think maybe this year there'll be more disruptions.
42:13So instead of just seeing like the European bias, obviously Spain, France and so on, like South America and Argentina, I think all those teams potentially could be in play. It wouldn't surprise me if saying it's a different sort of South American team like a Colombia, you know, that steps up, plays to the conditions and finds a way to win the big trophy.
42:30Craig Burley:What's your number then, Naden?
42:35What's my number? Yes. What, you want my phone number? I thought you were in edit, Dan. What's going on? No, I blocked it accidentally.
42:40Craig Burley:If you're picking a team... Oh no, I've done that. No, so how many teams can realistically win it? I would say all of those teams there. Ten? I'd say all those teams there to be honest. Tell what you see. Yeah, I'm back in that, yeah. I was expecting something chaotic. Okay. Oggi?
42:59Mark Ogden:Sorry, Dan. On that list of teams that Norway was on that list, Nathan, but you said Norway could win the World Cup. Well, I said 10. I never said Norway. You just happened to put that in the world. You said those 10 teams. You just showed us. I said 10 teams. Whatever, Dan. I said 10 teams. You just showed us. I said 10 teams. Hey, this is the BBC now.
43:25I think trade Belgium for Norway.
43:29Craig Burley:Who are you in? Is he substituent? I have no idea what he just said. Oh, that's standard. Right. How many do you think, Ali? I think the... Five. Five? Five and I would change Argentina with Brazil in the first five. Right. I think Argentina, now notwithstanding what I just said about them potentially being a flop in this tournament I think they have a better chance of winning this tournament than Brazil does. I don't believe in Brazil a whole lot. Sounds like you're buttering both sides of your bread. No, that means that I don't believe a whole lot in Brazil. I believe in Argentina more even though they I don't think they're gonna win it then I do Brazil it tells you how little I believe in Brazil.
44:08So we've got five we've got ten.
44:11Craig Burley:Oggy?
44:13Mark Ogden:I think that list you cut the list at Germany so I think it's seven and I think that's I think Germany I think Germany, Brazil and England are outsiders in that list. I think there's both, you know, I mean, look at that list. I think the team that I really fancy is Portugal. I think everyone focuses on Ronaldo, but they've got a really good team, Portugal. You know, they've got a fantastic group of players. They've got Xhaneves, they've got Bruno Fernandes, they've got good defenders, they've got Bernardo Silva. Portugal could go all the way if they get a little bit of good fortune in the draw.
44:42Mark Ogden:And apparently there's a possibility they could meet Argentina on the way, so it would be a fantastic way to settle the Ronaldo Messi debate once and for all. Oh, I don't think people mentioned that. And to be honest with you, one of the teams in that list, at the very bottom, was Colombia. They play against Portugal in the group stage in Miami, in the heat. Colombia deals with the heat, I would assume, better than Portugal does. We'll see how strong Portugal is in that game, even though it's the last match of the group stage and things may have been decided by then.
45:14Craig Burley:Nadem who do you think will do the best in the World Cup amongst these teams from Africa Senegal Morocco Ivory Coast and Egypt and do you and did your perception change for any of these teams based on their recent performances in their friendlies
45:31perception changed a little bit for the Ivory Coast I thought them getting a result against France was pretty impressive and obviously you could say it's just a friendly before a tournament but they said the last time France lost in a friendly before a World Cup was when Thierry Henry was last playing for them so i think that does matter i think output egypt is the outsiders and i think senegal oh do you know i'm gonna go senegal morocco they're gonna be the two teams and obviously we saw what happened the afcon not too long ago with whoever you think won that tournament so i'm gonna lean towards those two teams being the best of africa i think if anything i'll probably give senegal i'll shade it for senegal can i get an update on that situation Is Senegal the AFCON champion or Morocco the AFCON champion?
46:15Do you know this, Dan? Do you have access to this information? It is Morocco.
46:20Craig Burley:Officially? Officially. But there's appeals and other things going on. As it stands. It's like the old 115 charges for Nadams boys. We're still waiting for official.
46:35Craig Burley:Mark, explain to me like I'm five years old.
46:48Craig Burley:What's the difference between a head coach and a manager in today's football? Don't all teams now have a sporting director whose primary job is to sign the players and the manager slash coach once?
47:03Mark Ogden:Well, so the managers that have been named manager are in last season certainly Mikel Arteta, Pep Guardiola, Unai Amri, so that gives you a clue of the difference between a manager and head coach. The manager gets, I think he gets the final say, he gets more say, the head coach has to fit in with the sporting director model. Look at Arnest Slott at Liverpool, he was the head coach and he paid the price, Ruben Armourin as well at Man United, just the sporting director has more power but I think Xabi Alonso is going into Chelsea as the manager I think that is an important element of status whereby the manager just sits above the sporting director has more more say more power I think that's all it is I think the manager you have to be a top top coach to become the manager if that makes sense you have to have that the credentials the track record to say no I'm the manager and the book stops with me and but in In this part of the world, the head coach is the main guy.
47:57The equivalent is what Stevie was at the New England Revolution, the head coach. And then you have the assistant coaches. And managers are the guys who run the baseball teams in this part of the world. But because we sort of, in some way, kind of have to fit in some of the narratives that come from the Premier League, then now we all sort of talk about managers pertaining to soccer, where here again in this part of the world managers are very much part of the baseball lingo not the soccer lingo what does Naden miss about living in
48:28Craig Burley:America the most?
48:34Wow me obviously I'll say so absolutely not you I'll tell you that as a fact right now it will never be you Dan Thomas it will never be you. We're gonna
48:44Craig Burley:spend lots of time together a couple of weeks Wow. Holding hands, walking down West Hartford. Yeah, it's just a regular summer in West Hartford. Do you know what I'll say? I miss the people that I worked with and the people that I lived close to when I was in Utah. Some great people at Rail Salt Lake and some great people in my neighbourhood as well. They know who they are. Hopefully I'll see them again soon. Wow. I thought he was going to say Slatton, but... Oh, no, not Slatton. Oggy, what about you? Oh, is this where Oggy says he missed Hershey's?
49:14Mark Ogden:Oh. What an awful take. No, I've never lived in America so there's nothing I miss about it.
49:19Craig Burley:But you've been here before, you must be looking forward to something about your visit that you don't have in the UK. The sun? The weather? Yes. Yeah, there's still in the weather.
49:32Mark Ogden:It's like just leaving at that, Joey.
49:35Craig Burley:And sharing a hotel room with Nadeem.
49:37Mark Ogden:That big yellow thing in the sky. That'd be nice. Yeah.
49:40Craig Burley:Are you in the same hotel? Yeah. Are you in the nice hotel or the rubbish one, Ogi?
49:45Mark Ogden:No, you know where I am. I'm not in the national hotel. Is Ogi's role going to be like he was at the Club World Cup and in other competitions in which he's just standing outside the stadium just frying under the sun while we go to him and say hey trust me there's something really exciting going on in there kind of thing. Is that his role? I don't know if it's even going to be that prevalent. No, not even that! Yeah.
50:13Craig Burley:Ruth's taking Mark out to eat so he can stop with the nonsense that the Hershey bar is his favourite American food.
50:19Mark Ogden:Yeah, I remember you saying that, that was a bad take. Yeah, yeah, no, it's just a novelty of the Hershey bar. They have quite a bitter taste. It's not like a cabbage dairy milk, is it, but you know. Novelty of a horrible chocolate. I'll bring some over for you, Dan.
50:34Craig Burley:Yeah. Nadam, anything you're looking forward to eat?
50:41What have you all paid for, Dan Thomas? There you are. Hey, no problem.
50:45Craig Burley:No problem. Take the day. And that is it. When is Frank coming over? I know. Frank loves paying for dinner. That is it. That brings us to the end of today's show. Have a lovely, safe journey, boys. I'm on the same plane. That's nice, isn't it? Wonderful. Ali, you're doing Argentina tomorrow? Argentina, Honduras, yes. Beautiful, good stuff. I'm off. Goodbye.
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The FC Crew react the latest reports about Real Madrid and their promising summer transfer window as they are linked to Michael Olise, Erling Haaland, Mateus Fernandes, and even Jurgen Klopp. Then, a discussion on the PFA Player of the Year shortlist and Mark Ogden's audacious predictions for the 2026-27 Premier League Season.
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