Maresca's Man City Rebound Next Year?

25:44It's easier to play your own game when you're joining a team that is in control and you can learn off these guys and you can smoothly go in and out and then eventually you're on the right path. I just feel as though, but why are they going in there now? We've just sat here for, what, 15 minutes talking about all the question marks we have over Man City. You bringing a young kid into a team that's got a lot of question marks, that is not the environment for him to show his best or to learn. Look what happened to Kusanov. Now, to be fair, he looks as if he's came through it. He was excellent at times.

26:22His pace, and he's still learning about reading the game, but he's obviously a good player, and his pace is incredible. But when he first went in, it was just, it was a car crash, wasn't it? And they were having a shocker at the time as well, weren't they? They were struggling. and he got chucked and he made that first game, I think it was Chelsea. Five minutes. Mistake, mistake, mistake, and he's confidence. So you have to really gauge it with the youngsters, where they are, where the team is, where they are. And listen, if they go in and they catch fire and the team's playing great, fine, fine.

26:56But if you're having a bad time, then sometimes you've got to take them out. Yeah, we hope you have enjoyed the latest instalment of Manchester City TV. We'll be back soon. and Manchester City will be in action in the Community Shield on Sunday, August 16th, 10 a.m. Eastern against Arsenal. Nadam will be there for us. ESPN, ESPN Plus and Deportes, as well as the app, we'll have you covered.

27:20As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Granger 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. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome.

27:53You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome? That's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required. Compatibility and availability varies 18+. Now, after back-to-back 17th place finishes in the Premier League, it's been quite a spending spree for Spurs, as you can see here. They are among the top spenders globally and second behind only Chelsea in the summer transfer windows.

28:34Roberto Di Zerbi has some big plans, it would seem, for Spurs. It's not going to be another 17th finish, is it, Craig? It wouldn't have been anyway, even with him as manager, I don't think. But this helps, obviously. And not just signing some quality players like Tonali. And who else is on the list? Signed Van Hecker. Matthias Fernandes. Matthias Fernandes from West Ham. Van Hecke knows that Sanese was a good player at Bournemouth. Andy Robertson is the sort of question, Matt. As much as Andy Robertson has won and has done, there is no doubt whatsoever. Stevie said this last year at one point, that Kerkhez was having to play midway through the season and he was struggling because when Robertson had come in, he looked way off it.

29:22Now, the question is, has he got something left in the tank to go again for a year or two? I think that's a big question mark, particularly the way Deserby plays. So I think Robertson is, and that left-back area has been an issue, Adoghe and one or two others. So, yeah, they've signed some really good players. They have an excellent manager. If I was a Spurs fan, I'd be excited. But I think Robertson is just a big question mark if he can get back to even close to what he was when he was in his pump at Liverpool, which I don't think he can. It's quite the spend, though, from Spurs this summer so far.

30:00Yeah, I mean, it's just totally unspozy, isn't it? It's just not what you expect. But clearly when De Zerbe went in there and took the job, and he's the reason they stayed up, if they hadn't brought him in, there was a good chance they could have gone down. And so when he came in, he clearly must have had some great conversations about what the future holds when he keeps this team up because there's no way that he was taking this job unless he was promised that there was going to be big changes in terms of the playing staff in the upcoming season. And truth of the word, they look as though that's what they want to do.

30:37They've spent the money. Now it's up to him. He's got to do his job now because the board have done theirs. They've given them the money, given them the players. So now it's up to him. And there's no reason why they won't they've certainly been the top half of the table forget relegation, forget 17th forget the bottom half they've got a chance to be in the top six they've got a chance if you're spending that kind of money well you have to, but at the same time listen, we watched a team in Liverpool last year who spent a lot of money and we all thought, oh my goodness, but it didn't work too many players, it didn't work so I guess we need to kill our jets but right now I would say top six I mean, whether this is true or not, but if you're like some Postacoglu, you're sitting saying, well, this is what I wanted.

31:23He said it in a podcast, whether it's true or not. He wanted Semenyu, he wanted these players, and Spurs were being Spurs, as Stevie said, but De Zerbi's going in there. He's got a little bit of the Antonio Conte about him, not in terms of the way they play, but in terms of he doesn't get what he wants. He spits the dummy out. He's an angry man, isn't he? He can be a very fiery character. And so once they got him in, last year I agree with Stevie, they didn't get him in, they would probably have gone. Once they get him in, you've got to back him. Because if you don't back him, he would probably walk.

31:56Signed a five-year deal, but you don't walk it, you'd probably just chuck it. He's that kind of character. So he's a good manager, he's a fiery character, but you've got to back a manager when he goes in. Because Spurs can't keep doing what Spurs are doing. You know, half-hearted signings, new manager not going well sack him half-hearted signings new manager sack him you've got to be a bit more aggressive than that A if you want to get the best players and two if you want to keep the better managers which Deserby is High hopes for you Nadim this year for Spurs? Yeah yeah I think so I think the last two years in some ways have been an abomination obviously apart from that Europa League win somehow but I think with the money that they spent which as Stevie said is very not like Spurs will apply a bit of pressure on Deserby and so on.

32:42But, you know, you look at a team that you had on the screen there and it included one James Madison, it included one Mohamed Koudous, and you've also got the likes of Kuliseski potentially coming back soon as well. So all of a sudden they have more depth, they have more experience and more quality. And most importantly for, say, Spurs, and most importantly for maybe a team like Chelsea, they are not playing in Europe this season. So whereas some of the teams that they'll be up against to try and finish in that top five or six are going to be playing midweek constantly throughout the season for them for long spell it's going to be one game a week and as we saw with man united last year that allows you a sort of margin of error to where you don't need to be perfect but there's a great chance you'll be healthy and if you're healthy and you know you're not as tired as some of these other teams come the end of the season that could make a big difference so yeah i'm back in spurs to be successful this year how about you frank yes they need to i think the the past of that big club uh deserve better nowadays and in the present time so they have to they had to buy player they had to change some some some stuff and I think the the coach gonna be good the player is gonna be better I'm not very worried about Andy Robertson and the Rosa knew exactly what he did what he what he could expect I mean you have a doggy your expense and you would have him maybe on the third spot so he would play maybe 15 20 20 games which is pretty good for for for where it stands right now and the level that he is he is at right now because he's not the Robertson of course we have none and being absolutely fantastic so he's preparing his descent through to the the retirement sometime but he found a good club and he can have some some some hopes to play a little bit but coming back to Tottenham I think it's a team and I agree with Stevie who can finish in the first six depending how it works with the coach and the chemistry that they will have.

34:32It worked a little bit last season. Let's see how it works this season and they will have to start good. Otherwise, question marks will come very quickly. But why wouldn't you finish in the top six? Let's think about it rationally. This Premier League last year outside, well, outside the Arsenal, I mean, it just wasn't very good. Right? It just was not very good. So where's the difficulty for a team like Tottenham, even though they were pretty bad last year where's the difficulty with a good manager and a good side getting in the top six who's going to be the big threat, what Newcastle? Are Sunderland going to have another stellar season?

35:12It's unlikely who's the big so I don't see it's not like they've got a lot of hard looks to jump to get into that position, there's not that many, you know, are Brentford going to be as good under Keith Andrews because that was a fantastic first season but that is difficult to keep up. So it's not as if they've got all these hurdles to jump. It's not like there's Arsenal and then there's the rest at the moment. Is that... But does that come with its own pressures? Because you've spent so much money and the competition isn't there. I don't think so. I think if you're De Serba you're sitting thinking exactly what Craig was talking about there.

35:54I mean normally, under normal circumstances, a team that finished 17th the previous season, going into the next year how many times have you ever spoken about everybody going from 17th to being in the top 6? I mean we've never done it, but that kind of shows you where everybody is in the Premier League and certainly the majority of the so-called big teams that tells you where they are so yeah previously it would normally seem a little strange to go oh this team was 17th last year but they're going to end up in the top six. It just feels right, though. It doesn't feel as though it's wrong. I think Forrest did, maybe not, I don't know where they finished.

36:32It certainly wasn't in the top half. And then they got into the European spot the next year under Nuno. So my point is, there's not, you know, we're looking at Arsenal being the strongest. Then we're looking at City, Liverpool, United, Chelsea. Newcastle are selling the light bulbs and the roof and the doors and the car and anything else in the garage so you're looking at jumping provincial clubs you're looking at jumping the likes of the Brentfords the Brightons the smaller teams with good managers that have probably overperformed but they're not spending that kind of money there's probably a few others Villa obviously got a very good manager but they've sold some quality players so the jump is not as big as you think and let's be honest they shouldn't have been 17th last year they were 17th because they were weak not because they were terrible in terms of terrible players because they were mentally weak and then they hired Igor Tudor who was just, I won't even go there so they're way better than where they were anyway regardless of signing these quality players they need to be in the top six they need to be pushing actually I think for the top four spending what they're spending and looking at some of the other teams, to be honest.

37:50Transfer Talk is where you need to stay up to date with everything that's going on at Spurs, who's coming in and who will be leaving. That's where you can keep up to date with all the information. And where will Enzo Fernandez start the season? Go over to our website to stay up to date.

38:08This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome? That's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required. Compatibility and availability varies 18+. Here we go, some pictures of Yandir Monday, now officially a Real Madrid player following a club record transfer to the club from RB Leipzig.

38:43No stranger to Madrid. the city that is 140 mil a couple of years ago at Leganes and look at this normally they spend that kind of money on like that Galactico you know you're talking about I'm not saying I mean he's a youngster isn't he he's got a lot of pressure but yeah I mean good player obviously very good player but that's a lot of pressure well you'll be able to see how he fares with Real Madrid this season as La Liga is back underway from the end of the month Espanyol taking on Real Madrid on August 22nd We've also got Elche against Barcelona. Coverage of both of those matches will begin at 3 p.m.

39:18Eastern on ABC, ESPN Plus, and ESPN Deportes. It's the week before, though, that it all kicks off, and this is what we've got to look forward to. A number of games taking place, and it's all a bit higgledy-piggledy the opening weekends of La Liga, but don't worry. We will have you covered for all of this, every game available, as always, on ESPN Plus.

39:42This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome? That's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required. Compatibility and availability varies 18+. All right, let's get to Mohamed Salah signing a two-year deal at Trebson Spa, which is the fourth most popular club in the Turkish Super League.

40:17So this move has come as a surprise to a number of people who wondered where Mohamed Salah would land. But it is Trebson Spa. Stevie, were you surprised to see? Absolutely, I was, yeah. I would, yeah. I mean, I think it just shows you, though. He really does, I think he made the right decision leaving Liverpool because I think another season of what he gave us last year would kind of harm his legacy, I think. And so he was smart enough to figure that it's probably going to be the same next season, so I probably should just go. And the fact that he's going to where he's going tells you he just wants to play.

41:00Yes, obviously the money comes into it, but he wants to go somewhere where he thinks he's going to enjoy playing. And that is clear. That's why he's going to Trav Zonspor. He's going to be adored there, isn't he? Of course he is. No, he's not gone there to try and win the Champions League. And he knows going there that winning the actual league is going to be tough. So he's gone there for football reasons, which is fantastic. So, yeah, I mean, for him, it's clearly where he wants to be and good luck to him. Not keen on the pants he's got on, but good luck to him. Where were, and maybe there were, where were the other suitors?

41:36I mean, you mentioned... MLS? I'm talking in the real world here. You know, in competitive... Saudi Arabia? No, again, real world. Not football backwaters. Not places that really nobody gives their stuff about. In terms of remaining competitive and keeping the breakers off. Where was an offer from Italy, which he's played before? Was there... Where was it? Was there anything from Spain? Obviously not. Because you'd imagine if one of the real elite clubs came along, he'd probably have backed himself. Stevie said he wants to play, but he would probably have backed himself, saying two fingers up to Liverpool, look where I've gone.

42:16You wanted rid of me. Slott didn't want to play me in the end. Look where I've ended up. But look where he's ended up. I mean, they're fanatical in Turkey, don't get me wrong. You're right, and they will adore him, probably. And they just love their football over there. the atmosphere is great but it's kind of it's kind of where he is and where he was last year isn't it the fourth best team in Turkey or the fourth is it fourth best yeah I mean the first question is why you do the first question that comes in your head is why but I think in all honesty because he wants to play football and he wants to be there I mean you saw you saw the atmosphere there I mean where else do you get that so yeah I think it's I think sometimes we look too deep into stuff.

43:05I think he's clearly, obviously money comes into it, but he clearly wants to play football somewhere he thinks he's going to enjoy it. How do you see it, Frank? Yeah, I agree with Stevie. I try to find a reason why he would sign to a Turkish team instead of going to Saudi Arabia and earn maybe the double of the wedge he's going to go to travel sports, because he wants to play football. and I think it's only nice and fair and I'm happy for him if he's happy. The Turkish Championship, the Super League, is crazy. The atmosphere is crazy. I remember playing against Galatasaray. You land in another planet and if you want to have fans, it's where you have to land.

43:50I think Greece and Turkey, they're absolutely mad and crazy and games are different there. the level yes it's not England is not Bundesliga is not Liga is not even the league one or the the Serie A but it's a good level and I think for Mohamed Salah it's only great to go there and to enjoy his maybe some last years of his football. Naidem? No I agree and the fact is he's 34 years of age coming off his worst season in over a decade for Liverpool just in general you know with his goalscoring record, he's had issues with the manager, things don't necessarily feel the same, so now all of a sudden he can go to a place where thousands of fans will turn up with flares to sort of greet their new king, their hero, and I think for him being that, that's the reason for him to sort of find that enjoyment with the football again.

44:42If he would have gone, say, a couple of years ago, he'd be saying, well, clearly it's just for the money or something like that, but he's going to be paid incredibly well, probably better than he would be paid anywhere else on planet earth, to be adored by fans and still be playing some level of competitive football, not as a favourite but every time he goes to that stadium he knows he is a king he knows the game will be built around him his team is built for him and I think he's very deserving of that given the service that he's put forward for Liverpool and other sides across the last 10-15 years so you know more power to him and I'm sure he'll do well for them relatively speaking.

45:12I'm not criticising that move by the way it's but I think it is and fair play in Mo Salah and Turkey is a great place to play football there's no doubt about that but it's for those Liverpool fans in particular or maybe some and maybe Mo Salah as well who talked last year as if he was undroppable at Liverpool it's kind of validation from Liverpool's end about where he was in his career the fact that he hasn't walked out of Liverpool and gone to Milan or Spain or or wherever it is I think it's just a kind of validation of of where his form was and his age and actually Liverpool and Arne Slott were right that they had to make changes because he was never going to be the Mo Salah that he was and that's okay, but he talked last year as if he was, you know, it was a disgrace that Liverpool were dropping me the way they've treated me and all that sort of stuff, which wasn't the case.

46:07He just was not playing very well. It was as simple as that. Yeah, so a change of scenery for Mohamed Salah and there'll be a change of scenery for you guys here in the studio tomorrow as we'll switch out some, We'll bring in some others, but make sure to be with us ESPN FC available every single day. Get rid of the dross, you mean? Absolutely not.

46:29This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome? That's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required. Compatibility and availability varies 18+.

46:56Now, Brazilian court has handed out a groundbreaking punishment to international player Victor Gabriel for this challenge on Gabriel Peck, which left Peck with a broken leg. What's happened is he's been suspended from all competitive action until his opponent recovers. Well, I'll be honest with you. It's a bad challenge, but I'll be honest with you, we see that challenge a lot. Players going in and their foot being left up. And obviously the consequence is a broken leg. We saw a worse challenge a year or so ago in Spain, Kylian Mbappe. Didn't even try and play the ball. Luckily, I think it was Elche or, no, it wasn't Elche.

47:41I can't remember who it was. One of the smaller teams. Anyway, so that's a bad challenge, but that's a challenge you see a lot where a player goes in and the foot stays high and it catches another player. So that's not a challenge that is... You see that most weekends around Europe. It's called doing somebody in the business. And we all know when you've done it. If you get caught doing it, then you deserve the punishment that you receive. You probably don't. You may know the answer. I might have a few factors. You may know the answer, you may not. Why is this any different? Did you say this is Brazil?

48:21This is Brazil, and I think it's a landmark ruling in that he's suspended until that player's ready to play again. Why now? Why now? Yeah, I don't know. Is this the first broken leg in Brazilian football? No. Why now? But Frank Leboeuf did bring this to our attention, so I wonder what you think of it, Frank. Well, because I've said that a lot and I know people didn't agree and I was a defender and I will try to defend the people who have been injured. There are two ways to say it. If you are Victor Gabriel, you say that he wasn't malicious, that you tried to play the ball, that you're deeply sorry.

49:05and I want to believe on everything he says. Okay, no problem. But now I put myself into Victor Peck shoes, foot, sorry, where I have a broken leg. For somebody who came attacking me, tackled me at 15 to 20 miles an hour, very fast, and broke my leg. And now I can play football for six months maybe. And maybe I will go back to my best, maybe if God wills so I always said and I'm gonna keep that until my last breath if you break a leg and you and you not allow somebody to play is what he has chosen to play for the for his life you should be banned as as long as the guy doesn't come back that's why I think it's only fair I'm sorry for Victor Gabriel very sorry but you broke a leg in football I play 17 years I never did that he can be randomly whatever it can be but it's not the case so what happens exactly what happens when a player makes I've seen a player break a leg and it wasn't even a foe what happens there she in a player got a broken leg and it wasn't a fair way suspending people in the World Cup what do you mean what do mean he was on a foul?

50:27I've seen a broken ankle and a broken... In the World Cup, Frank, the boy from Qatar just made an ordinary challenge. I'm not even sure whether he actually made any contact. And the guy broke his leg. The Canada player? Yeah. And then, of course, a good friend in charge of FIFA. They banned him for five games. But yeah, didn't do anything with Messi. But that was a challenge that wasn't even a foul. But the guy broke his leg. And this player as well, Frank, he's saying that... Would you want to ban somebody? He's saying that there was... Hold on, one second. Has he brought this up? Have a freaking break bringing this nonsense up.

51:08What if a player makes a challenge and it's not a foul, and as a consequence of the challenge both players are jumping in 50-50 ferociously and one player unfortunately comes out worse than the other with a broken ankle or a broken leg. What do you want to do? Do you want to suspend the other player until the other fella's broken ankle is healed. No, it's a specific action. Of course, I won't do that because the guy didn't do it on purpose. But how can you say that specific action that he wasn't doing on purpose? He wanted to be bad. He wanted to be strong. He went for it. What I'm going to say to you now is you're getting into something that would be a legal minefield.

51:54because we had this, there was this, you'll remember this, Dean Saunders and Paul Elliott. Yeah. Dean Saunders and Paul Elliott, it was a challenge. You weren't at Chelsea at the time. Chelsea. It finished Paul Elliott's career. Dean, and I'm not casting aspersions here. It finished Paul's career, went to court, it was a legal minefield. The most difficult thing to prove in a lot of sports, but certainly in football, is intent. it's almost impossible not impossible almost impossible to prove intent and so if we're talking about who did what and meant what that's a very grey area and a very difficult legal place to go and believe me believe me maybe not in Brazil I don't know but in most other places that kind of thing will be challenged and lawyers will say prove the intent that's the problem Victor Gabriel is saying there was no malice he didn't do it maliciously I knew you have to prove there was and it's a legal minefield Whose side are you on though, Nadam?

53:04Are you on Frank's side or are you on Craig and Stevie's side? Listen, I love Frank but I'm not on his side for this one in particular, not least of all just because there have been lots of games which I've played in where I've seen worse tackles than that with even worse intent I've heard people say I'm going to go and do this I'm going to go and do this guy but because essentially somebody's leg isn't broken they might just get a telling off they might just get a yellow card might get the red and everybody moves on and I think for the case with this challenge here if the guy didn't break his leg the intent of the tackle is still the same and I don't think the tackle itself means that the guy has to have a broken leg for as bad as a tackle as it is I think most people watching the show and listening they have seen tackles similar or worse and I think to go on to Craig's point about say the unfortunate nature of some of this i think it was 2006 i was playing in a league cup game for city against doncaster and i somehow found myself like in the attack somebody played me and i took a historically bad touch all of a sudden it's me and the goalkeeper going through 1v1 but i got to the ball first i tried to sort of chip it over him a little bit and then we collided with each other after i had the shot and i remember thinking what a bad touch that was i can't believe i've not scored then the referee came over and gave me a red card and i was confused He's like, what's this red card for?

54:15It's because the goalkeeper, Andy Warrington, who was playing for Doncaster at the time, he broke his leg. But I didn't even know that it wasn't even a challenge as such. He's basically collided with me. I got this red card. The next morning, the red card's been rescinded. But Andy Warrington still has a red card. You know, so, sorry, I still have a red card. He still has a broken leg. So he wondered to himself, like, there are collisions that will happen within football, some which are meant, some which aren't. There are some people who are unlucky, some people who are lucky. And I think Andy, in that moment, like, he's collided with me, and ended up breaking his leg, but it wasn't because of a tackle.

54:45It was because of one of those footballing actions. And it's not to say that the tackle that was put in in Brazil was the best tackle we've ever seen. But if his leg wasn't broken, would he still be suspended for the same amount of time? I don't think so. So is it about the tackle or is it about the outcome? Because the outcome can really be a case of essentially tossing a coin. Oh, Frank, you're outnumbered today, mate. I've heard them talk about this before. He's bored. he's threw this out to the he's threw a bone to the producer and the producer like it's just it's pre-season he's dived on it like because he really thought that was very useful to talk about it I don't think so what you know what maybe we'll see you know remember pick forward with Van Dijk when Van Dijk got injured we appreciate his No, I don't appreciate his contribution.

55:43We're talking about something that would never happen because of the legal minefield in Europe. So he's brought this up before. But legally... And he was shot down the last time. He was absolutely shot down in flames the last time. And he's coming back for more. Brazil has set the precedent now, though. How many times in that show... How many times in that show we talked about the same subject? are you kidding me or what? To be fair, to be fair, I'd rather talk about a broken leg than Man City for 35 minutes. By the way, I loved how Naden went, it was a historically bad touch. I'm not sure about that.

56:24I think the world you were looking for was normal. I tell you, I tell you who might have an opinion on this one. Gab Mark Wattie on the Gab and Jules show, maybe Frank can go state his case over there, does return on August 17th. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts.

56:42This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. All right, that's all we've got time for on the latest edition of ESPN FC. Extra time's on the way, though. Stick around.

57:14Both Nadam and Frank will be doing just that to answer your question. Any more stupid subjects like Broken Letter? Probably. Welcome into the latest edition of Extra Time. Frank's been bringing legal matters to the show today. Didn't go down too well. All right. We've got Frank, Nadam, Craig and Stevie here in the studio. let's get started with the first question two years ago Liverpool with the best team in England and strengthened bringing in a bunch of super talented players they were heavy favorites to repeat but it didn't happen this summer Arsenal are seemingly doing the same so why might it be different for them

57:56well number one Arsenal are making what one change Am I right? One change? And give my ass? Maybe. That's a big reason. You know, when you strengthen, one or two, in my opinion, is how you do it. Not five or six. And I think the proof's in the pudding. Liverpool signed five or six. And it completely disjointed all facets of the team. They've signed one guy. that's way easier and a way better way to do it in my opinion at the end of the day it's just it's not about the amount it's about who you sign and the right position

58:44ok yep Naden which Manchester team will finish higher in the table this season

58:52which Manchester team will finish higher in the table this season I think to be honest just brought me in for never I will never say Manchester United, even if it's the most obvious thing in the world. So I'm going to go for Man City, obviously, because I want to root for something positive, something good for the world. So, yeah, I'm going to say City will finish higher than Man United. OK. Craig, you've described playing wing-back for Scotland as the graveyard shift. What made it so hard and what other positions would you consider the same? Well, how long's the goal? Well, you're playing wing-back.

59:25Obviously, you've got no winger in front. You've got no full-back behind you. you are the de facto winger and fullback. And if you've got three very experienced centre-halves, as we had then, who have got some nous about them, they don't tend to go out and cover the fullback area because they don't like to get exposed. Big Colin Calderwood, Colin Henry, Tommy Boyd, let's just keep a narrow back three. And you end up running up and down the whole flank, basically. when the ball's up there I want you up there when the ball's on the left hand side make sure when the cross comes in you're at the back post and when the other team have got it on the right hand side when the cross comes in make sure you're at the back post to defend that header that's why it's a graveyard shift Steve he's laughing you're laughing too Frank no no it's just I know Craig and I know how hard he was on the field and how physical he was on the field but I never seen him you're going back and forth you know to the side you know being ready to do that for 90 minutes.

1:00:37I wasn't doing that for my club. I wasn't doing that. I remember that at Chelsea and I certainly didn't do it in Celtic because I was playing central midfield and I was scoring goals and that's the beef I kept going into Brownie the manager saying are you mad are you nuts? Play Jackie McNamara there play something I used to say to him I begged him literally begged him I said play somebody else there no. Nadam it brings up endurance which teammate of yours had the most endurance who could run and run? Oh gosh to be playing as a wing-back probably like a Gale Clichy or to be fair for a little spell, there was Savino, it was towards the end of his career for Savino, but he was great at that.

1:01:27But to make a point of somebody that wasn't, I think if you put someone like a Michael Richards at wing back, you get 45 top quality minutes, then it's one of those. It's definitely one of those. You know, I got quite, you get, Stevie, you get quite shrewd about it as you get older. So I wouldn't do all that running. You just, when you're a bit younger, when you're younger, you just do it, right? The first five or ten caps, you go in there. As you're told. The first five or ten caps, you go in, you do as you're told. Keep your head down. Get run up and down as much as you can. Put some crosses in.

1:01:57Make sure you're defending. Make sure you reveal. All that sort of stuff. And then as you get a bit older, you get a bit wiser to, well, I'm not going to bother this time. I'm going to do it. And then when they're shouting on from the sideline, you've got 20, 25 caps, maybe a bit more then. You can turn around and say, get lost. But when you're young, you're like, oh my God. Yep. Trying to impress. Okay, start, bench and drop. Greatest Defenders edition. Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini and Franco Beresi. I never saw Beckenbauer play. I'll tell you. I saw Beresi and I definitely saw Maldini. I don't know.

1:02:38This is Stevie's. That's a tough one, man. This is like... I mean, I would kind of go Beckenbauer, Beresi and Maldini. How harsh does that sound on Maldini? But I don't think there's been a better centre-back than Frans Beckenbauer. I really don't. And Franco Beresi did the work of four people. We were talking about it the other day. He not only did his job, but he also did the full-backs and the other centre-backs' job because he was in charge of everything. And not only did he do their job, he also did the goalkeeper's job because the goalie had nothing to do. because he made sure the ball never reached him and he took care of everybody else in the defence.

1:03:21I mean, you're splitting hairs here, but I don't think there's been a better set of back than Frans Beckenbauer. You talk about... If there was one thing he did that Berezi didn't do, Frans Beckenbauer could go up the other end of the field and put the ball in the back of the net. Berezi, I don't remember being able to do that. That's the only thing that separates the two of them, but I'm going Beckenbauer, Berezi and Maldini. Struggle not at third place. Did you ever hear the Chris Waddle story about Maldini? No. He played at Wembley, England and Italy, and Maldini was a bit younger, but not young, and he was the best, arguably, certainly the best defender in Italy.

1:04:04Chris, he was telling it on a podcast once, and he gave him such a roasting, Maldini. Waddle gave Maldini such a roasting, that Vialli and Mancini and all the bigwigs might even have been brazed. They were all stood waiting at the tunnel at the end of the game, shaking their heads, saying, we've never seen anybody do that to Maldini before. Chris, he was a great player. He absolutely tore him to shreds. Do you mean things? You wouldn't think of something like that. I don't think I've ever played against anybody who could throw the shoulder and do you like Chris Waddell. And then he'd throw his leg, he'd throw his left leg over the ball as well.

1:04:50And you were like, ah. Just when I saw Muldini's name there, I was like, obviously he was Waddell. But they were actually waiting on him. They were all shaking their heads. I've never seen anybody do that to Muldini before. He was like, Muldini was like, he'd been in some sort of crash. He was like, it's not supposed to happen to me. Frank, do you agree with Stevie on it being Beckenbauer, Barresi and Maldini? I do agree. Even if I don't put Paolo Maldini in contest with Beckenbauer and Barresi because they weren't playing at the same position, Barresi was a left back, the greatest for me of the left backs I ever played against.

1:05:33But I put Beckenbauer because Beckenbauer knew know exactly what to do with and or without the ball. He was a midfielder before and dropped after at the end of his career well the middle of his career maybe and he changed the view of that job we had to have as a sweeper and he was my role model for sure. Barisi was without any contest the biggest biggest conductor of a defense and I agree with Stevie the guy was capable of doing everything for the all defenders Maldini included and and some others coming up and down and I played against him like two or three times and I was like a fan watching him I was on the other side of the field I said well that guy he's not even touching the ball but he's the main the main man of that game that's insane but they can work different class different way of playing yeah he changed the job of a sweeper scoring goals and it was really somebody that you had to watch or watch videos after his career to know exactly what to do as a sweeper okay native next question which new manager will be under the most pressure this upcoming season Mureska, Iraiola, Alonso, Mourinho, Amarim etc etc another one that you may be able to think of?

1:07:07It's a good question I think I'm gonna park the Premier League ones because I think some of those guys will be afforded time because I think they're kind of deserving of their post relatively speaking to the clubs that they're at but I think the one with probably the potentially lowest stock at the moment without the history there is Amarim going to Milan because that feels to me like the one that could be great or could be a disaster. I think he needs to take some learnings for his time at United, the way he was handling the press, the players, you know, everything overall. Because I think the Italians themselves at times, they're not necessarily more welcoming to different sorts of thought about how close should be run, how teams should play and so on.

1:07:44So if it doesn't match up and provide an identity which they can get behind, you know, they're very quick to show you that they don't like it. So I think Amrim going there with his stock potentially not as high as he would want it to be he's probably going to be guided with the most pressure because if they play the way United did when he was last in charge I can't see him staying there for very long. Craig which manager will be under the most pressure do you think this season? I do I mean I agree with all that but I think Mourinho just because it's Real Madrid I think there'll be a lot of people at Milan looking at that the signing of Amarayman and thinking why particularly if they followed which I presume they don't in Italy really follow Man United they're so busy following their own team but I think you know Mourinho getting this opportunity there well let's be honest he doesn't really deserve it does he he was sailing off into the sunset you know everything Benfica was okay they had a I think they had an invincible season in terms of not losing but they didn't they drew a lot of games and they He didn't win the league and he got sacked in Turkey.

1:08:52And all of a sudden he pitches back up because Florentino Perez doesn't really know what he's doing. He's just hiring and firing and they're signing players. So I would say Mourinho. Frank, so many French centre-backs at Chelsea over the years. Which is your favourite? Frank Le Boeuf.

1:09:17The first one, by the way, the first one. We took the risk, but... I would have to go for my teammates, Marcel Desailly, at first. He was a rock, and he decided to come over, and ended up being the captain of Chelsea for many years. N 'Golo Kante, Claude Makelele. I mean, amazing. Center backs, leaders. Center backs. Oh, centre-backs, sorry, centre-backs. Now, really, right now, with all the French players that we saw coming at centre-backs, I wasn't impressed with anybody. I had hopes, especially from Fofana when he signed, but I will keep Marcel Desailles. I will keep Marcel Desailles for sure in the first spot because the guy was just a monster.

1:10:14Okay. Kay, with Borough adding two more Americans, Nafton and Berhalter, joining Aidan Morris and potentially giving them three American starters. What are you hearing from Borough fans about the additions and Borough's chances of finally getting promoted? Go on, answer your own question. Okay. It's Dan's fancy dress shot. There's a lot of excitement because if they can emulate what Aidan Morris has done for the club so far and show that character and work as hard as Aidan Morris has, then, well, we've seen the signs of it today because Berhalter was the player of the game. Don't talk down the barrel.

1:10:49Sebastian Berhalter had the assist today in the EFL Cup game and he got player of the game, I think. But he was definitely one of the standout players today. They've all got the link from Columbus Crew in the past. And so, yeah. Oh, I wonder what... If they can emulate what Aidan Morris has done so far and that chemistry can be... How are they dealing with the culture? What has Aidan Morris done, by the way? Aidan Morris has been one of our best players since he came in. How are they dealing with the culture shock? Yeah.

1:11:20What, going from Columbus to Middlesbrough? Oh, the Whitecaps does oppose Vancouver. They'll love it. They'll love it. Aidan's obviously been able to tell them. Who? I wouldn't know. Aidan? Do you know him? Yeah, he should have been with the US Men's National Team in the World Cup. Save it for Football America. I know, I might be getting invited on there now Because now all the US men's national team can come into Park Borough. After US. Ask me, Frank. Go ahead. I have a question. When the American guy, you know, they come and is it hard for, because we have that in France with the accent, that the American people may not understand everything when Middlesbrough people coming from Middlesbrough speaks English.

1:12:04Yeah, there's no chance. Is that a difficulty? Are you suggesting that even people from Middlesbrough struggle with English? Is that what you're... What are you saying, like, Frank?

1:12:15What's that place? Tall Trees What's the rough place? I mean, it's all Middlesbrough There's a load of them It's all relative We're the women of a fight Stockton Next to Middlesbrough Stockton on Tees Anyway, I'm delighted to see it And hopefully we'll get some more Borough fans So if you don't get promoted Did you blame Americans? Yes, we can. I can go on Football Americas and have a rant. Yeah, feeling good about it, feeling excited as it's been so far. All right, thank you so much for sending in your questions. We will be back tomorrow to do it all over again.

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