Man City's Miserable New Year

24:06Saka was almost unplayable today. He was brilliant both with his left foot and his right foot. He was the key player. God, he really was watching that game, wasn't he? He was indeed. There's too much fluff in the front of us. Arsenal are favourites to win the Champions League. Let's take a look at the defending champions, shall we? They're in action today against Sporting. Another one. Another big headliners today. Sporting getting the victory. 74th minute and it would be the host that would take the knee. Luis Suarez here with the goal. It gets fortunate that the ball bounces straight to his path but then give him credit.

24:41No issues with the finish, takes it really well, very clean, 1-0. Come out, Skellia, though, with score of beauty to make it 1-1. Yeah, can't let him cut inside like that, can you not? And still start to stand off him. Keeper gets a small fingertip to it. But then, in the 90th minute, Luis Suarez there to head it home and give Sporting the win. Clearly, goalkeeper doesn't do enough with the save. either catch it or punch it to the side, but not to the front, in which Luis Suarez jumps on it, able to finish. Jack Astrofik, 2-1. 2-1 there. Win for Sporting, defeating PSG by two goals to one. Let's get to the Frenchman, shall we, on the panel.

25:24Frank, how big a deal is this? Well, it's always a big deal. It's always a big deal when you are the former winner. And with the dominance that you showed at the game, Losing that game is unexplainable. And Luis Enrique tried after the game to explain that he was very happy with the players and the involvement of the players, what they did on the field was great. But the purpose of a game is to win the game when you have the chance to win. And they didn't. And sporting with few got a lot. Just to say it's their four wins out of four at home. and they don't shoot too much, but they're very effective.

26:09But Paris Saint-Germain, with a lot, they got almost nothing today. Well, they all got nothing. They got zero points. But also, I try to understand because they played very well the first half. There was only one team. It was a one-way traffic. And I think they scored three goals. They were all disallowed. But they were there. It's not like players were slow. They didn't try. No, they were doing everything. But what I feel is like they may be or they might be overconfident that something they believe too much in their football, that they are punished because maybe they're not forcing what they have to force.

26:49And it's why I think they don't win that game. Of course, what they showed is that they were far superior than Sporting. but again the result of a game is to win a game and scoring only one goal in that game it's not enough and this may be why well it's certainly why they lost that game. Frank have they dropped off from last season or we won't really know that until they start get going in the second half of the season? We still have to wait because again the first half away from home they were so good and they could have scored like three or four goals and the game would have been over and would have said, OK, Paris Saint-Germain is back to his best.

27:29So maybe it's a lesson to learn from still a young squad and everything is going to get for the best. But, yeah, let's say it's an accident, but you have to pay attention to what happened and Luis Enrique will have to be sure that that team doesn't do that again because soon you're going to face a big team, a better team, and if you lose, you're going to get out of the competition. So you will have to score the goal that you should score and have to score. It's still not a big deal because they're going to get through and we'll see after that. And it's a big team, really. What they show in terms of football, how effective they can be,

28:16you can be optimistic about that. But as everybody, you can be punished if you don't finish the job. You can be optimistic as well about Frank returning for extra time, along with Robbo, Craig and Ali, to answer your questions over on YouTube.

28:36This was the parade in Senegal, of course, celebrating the fact they won the African Cup of Nations on Sunday. They were champions, of course, beating Morocco by one goal to nil in the final. And what a controversial final it was. and there's been a lot of press, a lot of things written about it. And talking about the sportsmanship of Morocco, of course, throughout the tournament, this is in the semifinals. This is against Nigeria, where clearly the ball boys were given instructions to take the towel away from the goalkeepers. Obviously, a wet night, they need that to dry their gloves. And this was something that was employed as well in the final, but it was something that clearly Senegal were aware of because Diouf, the reserve goalkeeper, is there to try and make sure that the goalkeeper gets his towel.

29:24It's defending the towel as well. Who would have thought that a towel would become such a centerpiece of controversy? But that's exactly what played out. And what's interesting as well, as the ball boys, they were encouraged by some of the squad as well. We can just see Diouf here continuing to be chased down by a number of ball boys. Ball boys is a bit loose because you're going to think, well, they're just youngsters who are getting the ball. These certainly maybe didn't quite fit that role. This is Hakimi here throwing the towel away during the final as well. Obviously, the goalkeeper going back, Benjamin Mendy, to return it.

29:57And you can just see here, these are the players who are warming up, signalling to the ball boy to go and get the towel. This is in the final as well. We talked about it yesterday with you, Ali, and Shaka. I just wanted to get... You still have to have an effect. You still have to have a shot at goal, don't you? I just... Just from someone who's played the game, what do you make of this? Do you understand? You're trying to bend the rules to your favour. Is it acceptable? This is just kind of lawless nonsense. You can't have this. This is the amateur leagues where players are going for a pint after the game.

30:34And they've got, you know, it's their day job. This is the elite tournament in AFCON for the continent of Africa. And we have this. I mean, as petty as it is, there wasn't an isolated incident. Yes. You can't have that. You just can't. And you can't have a team walking off because they don't like a referee in decision either. So there's a lot of people in the wrong here. But that's ridiculous. That is absolutely, as petty as it looks, it is ridiculous. And if there's not repercussions for this and other things that have gone out at this tournament, then it will just go on again. But how can you have people almost fighting with each other behind the goal when games are going on over a goalkeeper's towel?

31:27It is just ridiculous. What is striking, Frank, is that this seems premeditated. Yeah, that's crazy. And it's been done many, many times. And I don't still understand the reason why it happened. And I don't know why the towel could be a danger for anybody. or something more important for a goalkeeper. Yeah, Eduard Mendy needed that because it was raining during the final and he needs to dry his gloves, which is understandable. And we've seen that for so many decades. I remember in our time, goalkeepers having their towels and that was fine. I don't know who decided that, but to see a substitute, American substitute, marking the second goalkeeper outside the field.

32:16It's something I've never seen in my life, and I don't understand why. And to see the little boys, you know, taking care of the ball, getting outside, marking, tackling the second goalkeeper is even worse. You know, what kind of world we see that? And I don't understand the reason. If they gave us a reason, a good reason to explain that, I will maybe understand, but I think there isn't. So why do you do that? The match commander, if they even have won it, but they should, because every big game has a match commander. You see, he's above and beyond the referees and the fourth official. And his job is to spot anything on the wall that's going on, be it racially or whatever it is, coming from the stands, or incidents like this, he has to bring it to the referee's attention and he has to stop the game briefly and he has to sort that out.

33:10And they have to throw these culprits out, right? If they continue to do that, which they did, if they throw them out the ground. But you have to stop the game to sort this out. And that's down to the people that are in a position out with the referee who's probably trying to referee the game. So the match commander should have spotted this, they should have stopped the game, and they should have dealt with it. They did not, and it just continued and continued. Robert? Sorry, the damning evidence is that it wasn't just in the final. Yeah. So if indeed there is a match official that is in charge of making sure that things are going the way that they're supposed to, and you see that this has happened in the semifinal, you would assume that it would be one of the things that you would think about and be very aware for the final.

34:00But that wasn't the case. And I take it a step even further than that. We heard and saw what was a very hollow statement by Gian Infantino. It's like, well, AFCON has to do something. If only there was somebody in a position of power who leads a governing body, who oversees all of this, that could actually make a decision. That could actually punish them. Wouldn't it be FIFA? Yes, working together with AFCON. But this is Gian Infantino who's seeing it, who's seeing it happen. And I'm not saying that you make that decision right then and there. But you can't come out with a statement that's like, oh, I'm embarrassed by this.

34:41Somebody else deal with it. No, you are part of the issue. You have to deal with it too. Robbo, am I naive, a bit soft in thinking that I understand ball boys maybe get instructions to do this. But is there no one within the Morocco squad going over there and saying, look, just don't, don't, we don't need this. Don't bother with this. We're better than this. Absolutely. It's pathetic from everybody. Whoever told them to do it is in the wrong. The ball boys for doing it are in the wrong. And the players as well, to allow it to happen. It's pathetic. It really is. And there has to be repercussions.

35:15And Ali's absolutely right. It has to come from the very top, because probably Afghan aren't going to do anything about it, so it's got to be FIFA. And they've got to sort it out, who are the culprits, and ban them or do whatever they can to have the repercussions. But that's pathetic. We get upset when ball boys for home games throw the ball in a bit quicker for throw-ins and then they don't do it for the away team. We get upset by that. This is another level completely. They don't do that anymore. It's one of the reasons they got away from it. They have these multi-ball things. They sit on a cone.

35:42So they don't even have this in a lot of countries now because of certain scenarios.

35:51Let's be honest. By the time Braham Diaz took that penalty kick, the time he left his foot before it got to Mendy, he could have went behind the goal, dried his gloves on a fire somewhere. You know what I mean? So it's just, it's not a good look. It's not a good look. You know, I tried to get some researches, you know, the reason why they were doing that. You know, I thought maybe the coach, Regraggi, the American coach asked the ball boys, or we even saw Hakimi throwing the towel away. So why the press didn't ask the players, American players or the coach, why they were asking for that. Because, again, there is no reason.

36:29I don't get it. And it's like they were more focused on that than on the game. Because, I mean, that's just a detail. And that's appalling. They didn't need that. And that's insane. But, again, we don't have any answer. Nobody has been asked why they were so upset with Edouard Mendy's towel. I want to know why, really. And it's something that I mentioned briefly yesterday, but I think it's worth repeating. The Bullboys don't do this on their own. No, of course not. And this is fanatically chasing players down the field. Yeah. So obviously, obviously, they have been sat down behind the scenes and they've been told to do this.

37:13And to do this, not only sat down behind the scenes, they were being told to do this while the game was going on. Hey, remember what we told you? You've got to go and get the towel. and you just follow a path and you just follow that trail and see where that trail leads. And as soon as you get to the person in a position of leadership who then directed all of this to happen, that's the person you start with and then work your way down. It's A Few Good Men 2. That's what it's sounding like. Definitely. Somebody ordered a coat red. Exactly. Can't handle the truth. Right. There we go. Gab and Jules show is available now.

37:49They break down everything as well as Tower Gate on the latest edition. of their show. There's the big table. So I'll sort of guarantee the place in the next round. Of course, they look like as well they will finish without that playoff matches. Can anybody read that? Then that's impressive. I'll have a number 27. What's that? Number 27? Is that the egg fried rice? Union sent. I can't see that. There we go. More on that. Who's that? More on that, of course, tomorrow. Yes, there are some matches tomorrow. Right, which ones are we not watching? OK, right. That one, that one, that one. That one, that one, that one, that one, and that one.

38:31But it is an interesting time. Marseille taking on Liverpool. Here's Arna Slott. Yeah.

38:38I can't help asking, but what do you think about the rumours about Javi Alonso at Liverpool? Does they hurt you? And do you feel the rising pressure from your friends who are booing?

38:55and maybe you've talked to Javi, maybe he called you. Yeah, he called me and asked what do you think about the team, because I'm going to take over in six months, so can you tell me a little bit more? Or maybe earlier, maybe he takes over tomorrow? No, no, no.

39:14This is one of the most weirdest questions I've ever got.

39:23What's there to say to your answer? I'm working here now for a little bit more than one and a half year and I really like my work over here. I won the league last season, struggled more in the league this season, that's also obvious. So, yeah, what's there left to say?

40:14Oh, there we go. end of the season, however it is, and he knows that, you know, it's unlikely barring a disaster that he's going to be out of job between now and the summer, but next year and the summer and next season is going to be huge for him, huge. I don't expect Liverpool to have a knee-jerk reaction in Saccombe. But he won't get that kind of leeway in 12 months' time. But yeah, Xabi Alonso's out of work. Xabi Alonso played at Liverpool. Xabi Alonso has had a successful career up until Real Madrid with Leverkusen. Those rumours are going to swirl around. But has Xabi Alonso phoned you? He should just have said to that guy, just shut up.

41:03Stevie's on tomorrow to reflect on Marseille against Liverpool. Craig here as well to look at the other big games that he's obviously very excited about in the penultimate round of matches of the knockout stages of the group stages of the Champions League. It's been 10 years then since Mallorca have been taken over by an American ownership. Sid Lowe was sent to celebrate with them. He was speaking to the likes of Steve Nash. He also sat down with the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, Steve Kerr as well. Is there a tactical and or technical crossover? Can you watch a football match, for example, and see things that you think I could apply to basketball and vice versa?

41:46The one thing that I see very clearly is three-man groups. That's the main similarity. I read about the games after the fact, and I'll read about formations. I have a hard time recognizing the formation while I'm watching. But what I recognize is the play in triangles, small triangles of three guys. One guy passes to the other. The other guy's cutting, making a run exactly the same as basketball. That's because you learned the Phil Jackson triangle. That's right. That's right. And that's the similarity to me. But I can't claim to be an expert on the game. But I really enjoy watching it. That special edition of Football America is then broadcast on Thursday, 8.30 Eastern on ESPN+.

42:39Also on ESPN +, of course, every single FA Cup game, Salford City taking on Swindon. This game must have been postponed for some reason. 11 minutes in. Is that the official research? That's what I've decided. Ryan Graydon would score here to make it 1-0. It's a good header. He's able to redirect it, send it back where it came from, looping header. 1-0. Into the second half we go and Salford would make it 2-0. The winner of this tie, by the way, faces Manchester City in the next round. Yeah, well Salford faced them. Was it last year they faced City? Got absolutely pumped. Yes, indeed. Which I did find quite funny.

43:15Because of their ownership, Greg? Yeah. Three minutes later, Oli Parma makes it 2-1. And five minutes after that, James Ball making the game of it 2-2. Does well in just getting ahead of the defender, clean finish, 2-2. And then this from Luke Garbert would give Salford City the win. And they're through then to the fourth round to face Manchester City. The game is all you can see live on ESPN+. Meanwhile tonight, a special guest on Football W, the US Women's National Team coach Emma Hayes joins the gang as they'll be looking ahead to 2026. Was that on purpose? That is it, that brings us to the end of today's show.

44:04I couldn't hear that interview with the Mallorca ownership. I don't know Craig, are you? But just it was in my ear talking. What was he talking about? I don't know, I couldn't hear the interview because I probably thought I was going to absolutely rubbish it. Obviously it's a triangle offence of the Chicago Bulls. As soon as I heard it's a three-man team, I was like, oh, they're talking up. It's a triangle offence, Craig. That show, of course, on Thursday, 8.30 Eastern on ESPN+. Stay tuned. Extra Time is next.

44:34Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time. What do we think about this Champions League thing? Frank Leboeuf is here. Frank's here. Everybody's very angry today. Robbo's here as well. Robbo got angry today, which is always funny for us because once again... He's the one that held the show up. Yes, he did. You were late, Robbo.

44:55No, we don't have to go over this all again. Somebody forgot to plug me in, so I was sitting here for half an hour. What, somebody plugs you in? You could see me. You've got like a socket in your back. That's it. Past ten o 'clock, you've got to charge him up. You've run out of juice from there. Just put straight out, straight in my back, into my back, into the computer. That's what happens. And Frank, what's under your shirt today? What are you advertising?

45:21My sponsor. Right, okay. We don't have to show us. We know. Yes, thank you.

45:28All right. Which loss for City is worse? All right. Robbo, which loss for City is worse, the Derby or today?

45:40I would say the derby because they were totally outplayed and they're outplayed today but it was a much bigger game. I think they're still qualified for the Champions League. They've just lost the title by losing to Manchester United and they were torn apart. They looked sluggish. All the things that we said about Manchester City last year when they weren't playing particularly well and they weren't good at defending in midfield and people could run off the back of them. All those things happened at the weekend and they couldn't control the game. Mainly because the centre-backs aren't particularly good on the ball.

46:09But I thought the performance against Manchester United was so poor, it was worse than tonight. Yeah. Agreed? Yes. Yes, sir. Good. Has Pep lost his step, Frank?

46:25Well, he lost it a while ago for me. And it's been two years that I've been questioning his way of rethinking the football that he was successful with, but doesn't work anymore. And if he didn't lose his step, I think he has to, because he's a very smart person and he knows the football, he has to do something and to react about that because the tiki-taka doesn't work anymore. And yes, he has injuries, but he is the coach of Manchester City and he has two squads, so that's his duty to find a way to sort out the problem. Ali, you played a lot of artificial turf. This question is, did the turf actually affect Manchester City today or is that no excuse for their performance?

47:14Turf is not ideal, obviously not, but that doesn't begin to explain the lack of I would suggest energy of Manchester City. And some of the mistakes that they were making today defensively in the first goal, yes, Max Alain gets himself out of position, goes to challenge a ball that he's never going to get to. But Manchester City does well enough to get numbers behind the ball. And I'll just go back to something that I think is a problem for this group in general. Just basic defending. I'm not talking about elite defending. I'm talking about mid-table, just normal defending. You've got numbers behind the ball.

47:56Now, who can score this goal? Well, the guy who's at the far post. That's the only player from Boisdor Glynn. And everybody's just ball watching. Nobody pays attention to this guy over here. And the same thing happens over and over and over again. The very basic principles of defending, Manchester City get them all wrong a lot of the time. That has nothing to do with the turf. Luton Town, plastic pitch back in your day, was it? Sorry? Did Luton Town have a plastic pitch back in your day? Old man, can you hear me? Yes, they did. What was that like playing there, my love? Was it all right? OK? Was that different?

48:30Did you look forward to that? No. No, because he... Well, I don't know what the difference is with a modern-day synthetic pitch and the old... What do we call it, then? A plastic pitch, you what? Astro-turf. Astro-turf. Astro-turf. Astro-turf. LAUGHTER If you need some word in English, you know I can have you up. Well, those old pitches at QPR, QPR had it as well. And Luton, the only thing I can remember is, well, A, the bounce of the ball. But, I mean, we're talking a little bit. What is it? What's the difference? It's a completely, well, I saw it today a little bit. A couple of passes have been played and it just bounces up.

49:15Right. rather than skid across the grass, and it's kind of bobbling. But you just couldn't figure out the bounce of the ball. A long ball coming through, it would sort of pop up, and then if you made a tackle, oh, my God. Your skin's coming off. I think that's changed now with these fields, I believe, I don't know. You may have noticed. I haven't played on one of these for quite some time. So, yeah, I hated them. I hated them. I don't know why Luton and Kupiar did it, because it's not the weather, is it? although the pitches back in the day certainly weren't very good but they were playable and it wasn't the way go on robo yeah that's for sure sorry the rebound is different that's for sure and even now it's different and he can either slide or or or rebound too much and it's completely different from a normal pitch.

50:10And it should be forbidden for me. Even in Norway, anywhere, it should be forbidden because it's too dangerous still. It's better than what we have done, but it's still not a football pitch. I think it can't be in places like Norway for this time of year. I don't think it would matter how much undersoil heating they had. I think it gets so cold there. Well, you should know that. Why would I know that? I'm not an undersoil heating expert. No way. It gets so cold there, I just think it's impossible for them to get games on. Right. To get games to be playable, week in, week out. It's not just the Champions League.

50:48You've got Jan on the phone. I'll ask Jan, he'll know all about it. I don't know. But again, it doesn't begin to explain Manchester City's struggle today. That's nothing to do with it. Or Roderick, for example, when he goes and tries to challenge him what ended up being the third goal. It's just that has nothing to do with the turf and everything were to do with Manchester City. If you think I'm pulling a face, I'm not. I've just got this chilli con carne coming back on me. Lovely. That's pleasant for Ali. Excellent. This big... This chilli con is just... Frank, do you want to add anything more?

51:22No, no, we let Robbo talk. Wow, OK. If you want to see something. I'm not sure if he's still charged, Robbo.

51:31Are we talking about the AstroTurf? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, well, there was two other teams that had it. Preston North End, who I didn't play against, and Oldham Athletic, who, before they came into the Premier League, the old First Division, as it was then, they played on a plastic pitch, and they used it very well under Joe Royal, and they got to a League Cup final, I think, beating West Ham over two legs when I was playing for West Ham, and they were a good team, but they knew how to play the pitch, and it was really difficult. Pitches have improved. Those, whatever they call it, 3G pitches, are vastly superior to what they were, but it's still not easy to play on.

52:05Question for Robbo. Do you see Arsenal winning the United... United? The Champions League. They look the most balanced side across Europe with squad, pretty solid squad depth as well. Yes, they've got a massive squad. They've shown some resilience tonight against what was quite a decent interperformance at times. They've got a good understanding defensively when they've got their best team out, but they all can bring other players in and do a good job. You'd still say Jesus, Jokeres, are they the best centre-forwards in European football? Probably not. So that's the only one area of weakness. But if Saka's playing at his best and Trossard's doing really well and Ezzer comes into the side, the key player for me is Declan Rice.

52:48He's been magnificent for Arsenal since he's been there and he's probably in that position one of the best in the world at the moment. Anybody who sends a question in, it's not a coherent question or coherent sentence and it is grammatically incorrect, should not make it onto this show. We might not get many questions. I have a question, Dan. Yes, Frank. Yes, artificial. What UCL stands for? I mean, the U. I got the CL, but the U, what it stands for? UEFA. UEFA Champions League. Ah, OK, thank you. Thank you very much. That's all right, no problem. Welcome, Frank. Do we really think UEFA started with an E?

53:31I have no idea. Show me everybody today. I don't buy this Madrid performance, is some Arbelo magic. As happy as I am for another win, does this show these players should definitely be held more responsible for not performing a few weeks ago? Xabi Alonso watches the show. Didn't think he'd tweet in. He's on the photo slot. He's ringing up, so I'll go, hello. What do you think? What? What do their questions say? Does it show the players are more responsible than anybody else for what's been happening this season? There is good use of commas and... Are they always? I don't know. That was your question.

54:12For example, Manchester United, Amarine was stubborn with his back three. Someone comes in and kind of sorts that out. So that's not necessarily the players' question. Sorted it out. For now. Yes. I don't think there's any doubt. No, I get that I'm not buying the Madrid. We'll buy the Madrid, you know, in six weeks' time if this has continued. Yes. Or let's see whether they revert back to type. I don't know. We don't have the answer to that yet. They've played two teams that have... One team in Levante who are struggling, you know, sat in, and another team in Monaco who were too open. And they got...

54:48Villarreal at the weekend will be a good litmus test. Sorry? Villarreal at the weekend will be a good litmus test as to where we are. All right, well done, thanks for that. Which you can see live on ESPN Plus. Coverage starts at 2.30. By the way, Arbelloa hasn't done all that much in terms of making this team different than what it was under Xavi Alonso. There's nothing radical, is there? No, so it's not Arbelloa magic just yet. This is as it has been and will continue to be on the players. And the responsibility will be on the players. Final question, Robbo. If defending in the Premier League is not what it used to be, then why are there so many 0-0 draws and low scoring matches?

55:30Because too many teams don't understand that the way to play football is to pass it forward and get as many runners in behind as you possibly can. When there's chance to play the ball forward, too many teams still pass square and backwards. They switch the play and they've got open space to run into and they go back again. So even though the defending's not good enough, sometimes teams don't play forward enough. there's not enough forward runs and that's why you get some boring nil-nil draws not so much because of the good defending but the teams in possession aren't positive enough a sensible answer to end today's extra time you can unplug yourself now yeah try and be on time next time espn fc returns tomorrow uh liverpool against marseille well they'll just not we'll just not have him back on if he's going to be late i can't be dead we'll start my show five minutes late Ah, right.

56:21Start with Otom, I said. You finished? Yeah. More happiness tomorrow.