In short
ESPN FC discussion of Premier League title races and late-game defensive errors (Man City vs Chelsea; Liverpool vs Fulham), plus managerial/coaching controversies (Chelsea’s likely new coach, and Ruben Amorim’s comments at Man United), and a separate segment on Real Madrid’s 5-1 win over Real Betis with Gonzalo Garcia’s hat-trick.
Guests
Dan Thomas (host), Stevie Nicholl (former player/pundit), Ali Moreno (former player/pundit), plus Frank LePuffalo and Luis Garcia in later segments.
Key claims
- Man City dropped points because fullbacks/outside-backs didn’t defend transitions properly; O’Reilly’s positioning and Nunez’s missed clearance left City exposed late.
- Arsenal are portrayed as better defensively/structured, with Arteta making “small” personnel choices that reduce risk.
- Chelsea’s likely appointment of Enzo Maresca is criticized/qualified: he may be constrained by club hierarchy over team selection, and pressure differs from managing Strasbourg.
- Man United’s Ruben Amorim is said to be effectively asking to be treated as “coach not manager,” implying board conflict and potential exit dynamics.
- Liverpool’s draw: Slot/players blamed for “schoolboy” defending on a short throw and for not closing down Harrison Reid; also criticized for slow, sideways/back passing without urgency.
Notable examples
- Enzo’s late goal for Chelsea vs City (1-1).
- Harrison Reid’s long-range equalizer for Fulham vs Liverpool after a short throw.
- Real Madrid: Gonzalo Garcia hat-trick vs Real Betis; Mbappé absent; pressure on Xavi Alonso discussed.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOManchester City vs Chelsea Analysis
0:45 to 1:46
Discussion on the recent match between Manchester City and Chelsea.
“Chelsea, of course, without a manager going into this tie.”
Defensive Weaknesses of Manchester City
1:46 to 3:45
Exploration of City's defensive issues and their impact on the game.
“well, who's the favorite to win the Premier League?”
Training and Defensive Strategy
3:45 to 6:12
Debate on the importance of training and defensive strategies in top teams.
“Leboeuf at the back would never concede that goal, would you, Frank?”
Analysis of Chelsea's Coaching Situation
6:12 to 9:16
Discussion on the potential appointment of Rosinio as Chelsea's coach.
“pretty sure that they don't work on that during training session.”
Ruben Amarin's Controversial Statements
15:27 to 17:01
Discussion on Amarin's comments regarding his role as manager and future.
“It was all about what Ruben Amarin had to say after the game.”
Consequences of Amarin's Comments
17:02 to 18:54
Analysis of how Amarin's remarks could impact his standing with the board.
“There was the coach of Nottingham Forest, the Portuguese guy, when we say something against the chairman, he was out a week after.”
Impact on Team Dynamics
18:55 to 21:14
Exploring how managerial instability affects player morale and team unity.
“I mean, it really, if we didn't have a feeling, which we all, I think we've all had for a while, or the perception that this club is all over the place, this confirms it.”
Fulham vs. Liverpool Match Analysis
23:57 to 28:00
In-depth discussion on the dramatic ending of the Fulham vs. Liverpool match.
“But it looked like Liverpool had won it 2-1 later on with Gakpo scoring in the 94th minute.”
The Importance of Positivity in Football
28:00 to 31:00
Learn how a positive mindset on the field influences team dynamics.
“And that one is the object of the game is to go that way towards the opposition goal.”
Gonzalo Garcia's Impressive Performance
32:00 to 37:40
Evaluate Gonzalo Garcia's hat-trick and its significance for Real Madrid.
“Real-time updates only in iOS mobile app.”
Show all 20 chapters
Analyzing Real Madrid's Pressure and Tactics
37:40 to 42:00
Examine the implications of pressure on Real Madrid's performance and tactics.
“Now he can work on what he's been doing in the past couple of months and try to be more consistent today.”
Holiday Greetings and Mischief
42:00 to 42:59
The hosts share humorous holiday anecdotes and discuss pranks.
“You should have heard the things he was calling you, Luis, it was disgusting.”
Ding Dong Ditch Discussed
43:16 to 45:09
The team shares stories related to childhood pranks and sports rivalries.
“And as is someone who I thought was a colleague and then developed into a friend.”
Analyzing Late Game Responsibilities
45:09 to 49:49
Discussion on player responsibilities during critical game moments.
“Well, I believe I said how great the goal was on the show.”
Expectations from Captains in Crisis
49:49 to 51:41
Exploration of how captains should handle pressure in challenging game situations.
“Goalkeeper should get on the back, get off my toes and get out whenever you can.”
Memorable Hat-Tricks in Football
51:41 to 55:59
Hosts reminisce about their first hat-tricks and celebrate scoring milestones.
“Yeah, if you're the captain and, you know, if you're guilty for that, like Virgil van Dijk was, maybe you go in the dressing room and say, guys, that's for me.”
Football Memories and Hat Tricks
56:00 to 56:50
The hosts reminisce about personal football achievements and memorable matches.
“I'm hearing it was only eight minutes, the hat trick.”
Frank's Eye and Career Efficiency
56:50 to 57:50
Frank shares a humorous anecdote about scoring goals with one eye and career efficiency.
“But I was more efficient in my career with only one eye than two eyes.”
The Paris Derby: Current Atmosphere
57:50 to 59:05
Frank discusses the significance of the Paris derby and the current vibe between the clubs.
“with the first Paris derby in Ligue 1 since 1978.”
Positive Relationships Between Clubs
59:05 to 59:31
Exploration of the friendly relations between the two Paris clubs and their fan bases.
“I was invited by the club and that was very nice from them.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:01The world moves fast. Your work day? Even faster. Pitching products, drafting reports, analyzing data. Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI assistant for work. Built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 apps you use. Helping you quickly write, analyze, create, and summarize. So you can cut through clutter and clear a path to your best work. Learn more at Microsoft.com slash M365 Copilot.
0:34Welcome in to the latest edition of ESPN FC. I'm Dan Thomas, joined by Stevie Nicholl and Ali Moreno. We'll be talking Liverpool a little bit later on, whether you like it or not. But we'll kick things off with Manchester City taking on Chelsea. Chelsea, of course, without a manager going into this tie. City 1-0 up, deserved the lead, looked like they were going to get all three points. But late on, Enzo with the goal that sees Chelsea take the draw. and Manchester City dropped two vital points. But I want to start off with you, Stevie. How did City blow this? You know, the small things matter.
1:08When you don't put teams away, the small things matter. And what Ali's talking about, the away O 'Reilly, doesn't take him inside, doesn't show him the line. It's just lazy. Gets square on and then he can't recover. I mean, it's just, it's the actions of a guy who's really not a defender who's asked to play defensively. Right. And that's what's caught them. You know, other than the nettle chance, nothing else from Chelsea going forward. That little detail where you play essentially a midfielder as a fullback, that's what it catches up with you sometimes. And it caught up with them today. And we sit here week after week when we have the discussion, well, who's the favorite to win the Premier League?
1:49And I think most of us will say, well, Arsenal seem like the more likely team. And when we have arguments against Manchester City, the first thing that comes up, the outside back position and transitions defensively. And people will say, well, Nico Riley has done a good job. He has done a job. Mateus Nunez has done a good job. He's done a job. They've been asked to play at a position, but eventually you get exposed. And he gets in trouble here because I'm going to address something that Stevie just mentioned there. You don't have defensive instincts. If you're a defender and you know you're in the 94th minute, you gotta force to do something, to force him to the outside, and your body position has to be such that you're not beaten by one move you don't just leave 20 yards of space behind you, get beaten and have nobody to actually cover you so basically, you either force him to the outside, you give him the space, you allow your center backs to get in position defensively you allow trailing midfielders to get in defending positions, you delay delay delay, force him to the outside and nothing happens.
2:54But when you take yourself out of the defensive position and now allow Chelsea to create a chance out of nothing, now you need people to help you on the backside. And that's when the other outside back comes into play, Mateus Nunez. He's not in the position that he should be to begin with and then has the missed clearance. So your two outside backs are exposed. We don't just sit here and talk about these things because we're picking on O 'Reilly and Mateus Nunez. We mention it because these are weak points, and weak points show up when you least expect it, and this was the case for Manchester City today.
3:25Guess who doesn't do that? Arsenal, Marteta. He could have played Louis Skelly. Everybody wants Louis Skelly to play because he's really good going forward, but he's questionable defensively. So what does Arteta do? He plays in Capier there. I mean, those are the little things that will decide the Premier League and right now, it looks like Arsenal's. Leboeuf at the back would never concede that goal, would you, Frank?
3:50No, I'm not sure about that, But it's true that it's a main point. And I think Stevie alluded it last time where he said that, you know, I don't know if teams work during the training session defensively. I don't know what they do. And it can be for Manchester City. It can be for Liverpool this season. It can be also for Chelsea, for sure. It can be for any team but Arsenal. And Arsenal are the first in the Premier League. I mean, I used to play football when Italy was the best championship in the world because they were firstly working defensively. They were making sure that they didn't concede any goal and then try to have some chances.
4:29It was maybe boring. It was a one nil most of the time win, but it was very effective. And nowadays we don't see that and we feel that they don't work on that. And that's clear for us that they don't have any knowledge about the basics, the foundation of defending together. And that's what I see. I wasn't the best defender. But in terms of communication, of work, we knew exactly what our teammate was doing anywhere, anywhere on the field. So Frank, to that point, does the fact that Vardial and Diaz were both off the pitch offer City an excuse and your two main centre-backs are obviously not playing?
5:17Well, it can put the level a little bit below expectation, but the others, they are football players. They are professional players. I remember sometimes being injured and the guy was behind me was the young John Terry. I was a Steve Clark as well And it wasn't Marcel Desai. They knew what they had to do They knew how to communicate because we are working on that we are working six again 11 Twice twice a week, you know where we are playing Only the four at the back the goalkeeper and the two midfield against 11 guys So and we knew we had to communicate for half an hour to make sure we didn't didn't concede any goal.
5:56And most of the time we never conceded any goal because we knew how to cover each other, how to move from left to right. And it could be anybody, any individuals, it worked. But I want to see that. I want to make sure, I'm pretty sure that they don't work on that during training session. More to the point, actually Dan, when you say your two center backs are off the field injured, That's when you have to be even more aware if you are Nico O 'Reilly and if you're Mateus Nunez and whoever has come in and played in the center back position. That's when you have to be even more attentive to details and the awareness, special awareness around you, the defensive, the moment.
6:40What does it call for? If you're Nico O 'Reilly, you cannot go chase a ball that you're not going to get to. You're not going to go unchallenge a ball that you're not going to get to. You give yourself some space so that you can accommodate for a potential mistake so that you can force the play to go backwards and not be on you. So actually, the point that you're making, while it may seem a valid one, it actually goes even more against Nico Riley and his decision-making here because he should be more aware. It's like, okay, these guys are off the field. I need to be a little bit more cautious, a little bit more conservative.
7:10I don't need to take this chance. Six points, Steven. That's a lot. Yeah, it's... I mean, it's not insurmountable, but I think what we're seeing... It feels like more, doesn't it, though? Yeah, it feels as though the further ahead... You just don't feel that City's going to win 18 games in a row. No, no, they're not. They're not. And for the reasons that... We've just picked out one reason why we think they won, and that's because they've got two full-backs who don't defend. So... Six is not insurmountable. It's not huge. just as Ali said it feels as though yeah it really is Arsenal's to lose that old like the 50 40 10 that we were talking about with percentages I think this is kind of swung that pendulum even more in Arsenal's favour hasn't it yeah definitely I mean you know Man City in order to chase Arsenal had to have everybody fit every single time and they had to play a strong team every time you know City's not in a position where Arsenal are where they they're they're deep enough I think to rotate and know that they're gonna win I think when City rotates, you're not quite sure.
8:16You don't get that with Arsenal. Whether they rotate or not, they look as though they're going to win, and generally they do. Forgive us if we don't talk about Chelsea too much, but we will, of course, talk about their new coach. Rosinio looks like he's almost definitely going to be appointed tomorrow, Frank. That's what everybody is telling us. What do you make of it? What have you seen of him in France? Is this a good appointment, or is this too soon for someone who lacks a sort of resume for such a big club with such big expectations? Well, for Strasbourg's fans and Strasbourg's players, he's not a very good news, but he's a fantastic coach.
8:50He's a great coach. He knows how to make people work and work together. What I saw from him in Strasbourg in a year and a half with the Racing Club Strasbourg has been very efficient and I want to wish him the best because he has all the knowledge and the psychology to make the people work and work very well. He did it with young players. So I don't know what's going to happen with experienced players, but we can see Chilwell plays for Strasbourg this year. And according to what I saw and some people were telling me, it's a different guy from before he left Chelsea. So I guess he knows also how to work with experienced players.
9:34So it's going to be a good thing for, hopefully, is what I think, for Chelsea. So I wish him good luck.
9:44there's a smite problem though you're going to have to do as you're told Liam O'Shenia is going to have to do as he's told it's pretty clear that's why Mareska's not there what does that mean? in terms of if there is one thing that you must be in charge of as a coach or the manager what do you want to call it when it comes down to the football who's playing, who's not playing who comes on, who comes off You have to be in charge of that. All the other stuff you can accept. But it absolutely looks like that's the problem Maresca had. And so any coach with any real self-respect, if he's not able to do those things, then I'm sorry.
10:34No, you shouldn't be. If he understands... Is this appointment a good thing or not? Well, it is for the hierarchy at Chelsea because he's a young manager and they know that they can tell him what to do. Will he make them better than what we've seen? I don't know. I don't know a lot about him. I appreciate that because that's a very good answer because we don't know. There's so much on this show we don't know and we pretend we do. But what we do know is he's going to be told what to do. That's a horrible place to start. Any manager who walks into a job knowing that there will be times when he can't pick and choose who's playing and who's not, That is a non-starter for anybody with self-respect.
11:15Whether that's true or not. Stevie, what do you... Go ahead, go ahead, Frank. Sorry, Ali. What do you think it happened to him in Strasbourg? We know that Chelsea is the owner of the Racing Club of Strasbourg now, and players that he built the team with had to go to Chelsea last season. Like Andre Silva, for example. and we were told that many players are going to leave if they're good enough. So every year he has to do something and he doesn't decide. But for the two years that he's been, he managed to deal with what he had. So I don't know if it's going to be an easy task, for sure not. I don't know if he's going to get all the power.
11:56I don't think he will. But I think he's good enough to manage and to not find any excuses like Maresca was trying to get. and I thought he was going to work for him. So there's one little problem, Frank, that he's going to have. Pressure. Pressure. I mean, Maresca, when he loses a couple of games, is under pressure. You're picking the wrong players. You're picking the wrong team. That's part of the reason he's not there because he's sitting every night in his house after they've lost and he's not been able to play somebody. All he's had to do is he's told and he's getting pelters from everything coming from inside the building.
12:36and the fans outside the building. That's called pressure. And that's the difference between managing Strasbourg and your job is to bring on young players. At Chelsea, your job is to win. That's a different ballgame. And a lot more, of course, on this, on the latest edition of the Gavin Jules podcast. That drops on Monday. Be sure to check it out. I'm sure we'll be discussing it on tomorrow's show as well. Yay! Workplace chaos, deadline slipping, inbox overflowing. your team's stretched thin. When you need someone who can step in and make an impact, this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. If you're hiring, hoping the right person sees your job post isn't much of a plan, Indeed Sponsored Jobs boost your job in search results so you can reach quality candidates faster.
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15:26Leeds 1, Manchester United 1 is how it finished Ellen Road, but that wasn't the big talking point. It was all about what Ruben Amarin had to say after the game. I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United. And that is clear. I know that my name is not Tuchel, it's not Conte, it's not Mourinho but I'm the manager of Manchester United and it's going to be like this for 18 months or when the board decided to change. So that was my point, I want to finish with that. I'm not going to quit. I will do my job until the other guy is coming here to replace me.
16:15love it absolutely love it fragler buffett is with us right first off his official title is head coach not manager so he's asking to have a role that he didn't sign up for yet he's only realized however long down the line this is this is sack me now isn't it pay me off yeah i mean this is mariska mark ii right he wants out he's like you know what i'll stay here till the end of it if you want me to that's fine yeah I'll do the job but you know this is the job I signed up for yeah I'm not in charge so don't be giving me pelters when things go wrong because I can't do what I want to do so yeah I'll be here till the end of my contract and then you can bring some other guy in to do as he's told Frank is there any coming back from this for him I'm sorry I didn't hear what you said can he come back from this like how do you communicate with the board your bosses after you've come out and said this I don't want to have this job I want more responsibility when you've been rubbish so far.
17:13I agree with you. I think he wants to be out. There was the coach of Nottingham Forest, the Portuguese guy, when we say something against the chairman, he was out a week after. No, no, thank you. Yes. And that's the same thing for me. And if you want to make comments like that, because you know exactly what's going to be the exit. And you want that exit, you even wish that because it's impossible for the board, even for everybody working around to deal with him. So I'm not really surprised. I think the guy is fed up. He didn't find a solution for that. Did he try? I don't know. But for sure, Manchester United is not better under Armourine.
18:02So yeah, maybe it's better to see something else. I mean, this is so egregious and flagrant that I almost think that he didn't know what he was saying. I mean, you can't possibly go into a press conference and say these things and not expect for there to be repercussions and for there to be consequences. For the longest time, I've been saying somebody has to tell this guy to just shut it. Just stop talking. Don't get so cute. He tries to get cute and gives these explanations, and he always finds himself in cul-de-sacs, and he can't get out. He can't find an off-ramp, and then he says something that you're just like, what are you talking about?
18:45I'm not the manager. I'm the coach. I'm not the coach. I'm the manager. What is the point? And then to then call everybody else out and say, you guys do your job. I'll do mine. I mean, it really, if we didn't have a feeling, which we all, I think we've all had for a while, or the perception that this club is all over the place, this confirms it. That whatever communication we thought existed between decision makers and the manager, or the coach for that matter, it doesn't exist. They're not seeing the same plan. They're not seeing the same objective. And if this club is ever to get back to where they once were, to their glory days, the first thing that needs to happen is that the objectives that are set forth by the club are both for the manager, the coach, the board, the front office, that they all are trying to execute the same thing.
19:40And clearly, that doesn't seem to be the case right now. It's a different story. We're seeing here, well, he's ranked 14th since he took over. If I'm top of the table and I'm going to the board, look, I want more responsibility. I think I've shown you what I bring, then yes. But what he's done is nothing to write home about and nothing to be sat there going, I need to be the moment man in charge. Well, I think there comes a time, it's a little bit like the Mareska situation, to be honest. I think there comes a time when everybody's piling on, saying how you're not making the team better because of this, because like so many things, you are just not making this team better.
20:14They're worse than when you came. And I think eventually you just have enough. Right. It's one thing to fail when you've been able to try and implement everything you want to implement. That's a different ballgame to failing. And you know that half of it is not your fault, but you're carrying the can. You're the one that's getting hit every Saturday night after the game. You're the one that's getting it from the fans, getting it from programmes like ours, and everybody behind the scenes, it's like they're getting off with. Nobody's really saying that much. So I just think he's had enough. And he's like, you know what?
20:56I'm not going to resign. You can get rid of me. And I'll just help myself on the way. Okay, so be it, Stevie. But if you're in the trenches, if we're at war and we're in the trenches, and they're shooting us from that direction, we don't go and show up and go like, hey, guys, I'm over here. No, you don't make yourself a bigger target. and this is what he does all the time. Do they have shepherd's pies? Well, wait. Maybe you'll run out there. It just feels like he himself brings all the attention, negative attention, to him. This doesn't help him in any way. Honestly, it makes him look like an idiot.
21:33Like, what did you think was going to happen here? Does it make himself look good and does it make the club look good? Does it make any of it look good? Frank, does this affect the players at all?
21:46No, I don't think so. I think even the player, I think they're fed up with him because they don't know what to do. And players like Zilzer, who had a very good game, the 30 minutes that he played, I think he's wishing that he's going to go. So, yeah, I know he won't affect. The players, they like him. They're going to be sorry for him, but they're going to wait for another one, and they're going to try to seduce or please him and carry on their career. but in the dressing room maybe they're going to say I think that guy wants to go but that's the only thing they're going to say the biggest problem with that situation though is the players then start playing for themselves and there's no togetherness everybody's like well you know what he's gone so I just need to make sure I'm alright so there's no togetherness and this team already struggles with it yeah exactly no matter who the coach is Mark Ogden will be joining us on the next edition of ESPN FC.
22:44To chill. Happy New Year, everybody. Full of good news.
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23:36It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment, my way. Visit VivGuardMyWay.com. That's V-Y-V-G-A-R-T MyWay.com. And talk to your doctor about VivGuard Hytrulo. Brought to you by Argenics. What an ending to the game between Fulham and Liverpool. But it looked like Liverpool had won it 2-1 later on with Gakpo scoring in the 94th minute. But then Harrison Reid with an absolute worldie from outside of the box would give Fulham that equalising goal. This is what Arna Slaught had to say after the game. So many points have disappeared for us.
24:18Of course it's frustrating. We rely throughout the whole season on luck and bad luck and that is something we have to improve. That a shot in the last minute doesn't lead to us losing points and that is what we are trying. We haven't done that yet. Frank Nipuf is still with us, but, Stevie, I rudely interrupted your thoughts on the winning goal. Yeah, that's... What's he talking about? Game-tying goal. We'll talk about that in a moment, but let's just talk about the equaliser. If you look at the equaliser, so they think it's a throw-in. So, everybody's back to think it's going to be a long throw.
24:52Now, as soon as you see that the throw-in's going to be short, somebody has to be in charge whether it's either of the centre-backs your captain probably should be or your goalkeeper to push everybody out instead they all stand on the six-yard box including the goalie there are nine Liverpool players standing on the six-yard box who thought Arison Reid was going to do that? that's not the point the point is you eliminate what you try and do is you try and cut when you're playing the game you try to cut down percentages that's what you're doing you're doing things if you go in the ball, 100%, there you go.
25:27But then you're starting to go right. Isn't that a one in a million shot when you're talking about percentages? Harrison Reid said he'd never do that again. Yeah, and that's all great and he deserves praise and well done, Fulham. But from a Liverpool point of view... Can you just do your well done, Fulham again, please? From a Liverpool point of view, the basics of defending, when the ball comes backwards, then you move out. Everybody just stood. I mean, it's schoolboy defending is what it is. Again, I'm not taking them away from the strike, but if there's somebody closer to him and he has to be hurried and he's not able to get himself in a perfect spot, size up the situation, I've got plenty of time here.
26:10That's not how it should be. Somebody should have been sprinting out to him to put him off. But they weren't. And that's why they lost two points. Wasn't this just one of those things, a moment of genius? That was absolutely fantastic. The goal is nothing to take away from it. But I agree with Stevie. And I was with Olivier Dacour, the former Everton and Leeds player. And we say, why Van Dijk is not sprinting towards Reid? Why is he waiting? Because he has nobody to mark and he's not doing anything. He's going a little bit forward. Then he put his hands on the back and then wait. Instead of sprinting.
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26:46That is the one guilty for that. Well, yes, of course, Reid maybe wouldn't have done anything to that shot. But you have to try. You have to try to disturb and put pressure on Reid. And it's what Van Dijk didn't do. But, yeah, what a goal. What a crazy goal. And for a guy who almost never scored a goal. Yeah, yeah. Not bad at all. Right, back to Arnig Slott's quotes. Talking about luck and about how things haven't worked out or they haven't made their own luck enough, Steve, so far this season. they've got exactly what they deserve today right, nothing to do with luck nothing to do with luck at all you know, they're unlucky that at the end of having to play Sobers lie and Cutters in the way the area is attacking, now that's bad luck, that you've got that amount of injuries that you have to do that, but at the same time, when you step on the field you can't run around saying well we're unlucky today, we don't have so on now you've got to play and they didn't play I mean Fulham just went like that right I tell you what you can have it and try and beat us and guess what Liverpool didn't even try and beat them you know it's one it's one thing to have five or six hundred passes but there has to be a purpose of why you're passing it you don't just pass it around well we'll just keep it for 90 minutes and we'll get a point you you have to be positive and what happens you know we talk about the modern game and there are certain things that whether you played in 1910 or 2010 or now, there are certain things that are the same then as they are today.
28:27And that one is the object of the game is to go that way towards the opposition goal. And so to be positive when you get the ball, your first touch, unless somebody's squeezing you tight, your first touch has to be a positive one to go forward. And what happens is, it's a domino effect. Because your teammates see you being positive, you're looking to go forward, so they'll start moving, or they'll drop off, and people will make runs. But when you get the ball, and you go backwards, and stand on it, and stop the game, everybody shuts down. Everybody goes to sleep. And where does that come from?
29:02It comes from the man on the ball. And it comes from the coach at the start of the game, who, yes, you want to keep the ball. But you know what? The object of the game is to go forward. So we need to be positive. And the first half was frightening. I mean, you said it was boring. I'll tell you what, it was worrying. Absolutely worrying. I can even take it even further, Stevie. And I would say it's not just the decision to play the ball backwards. You rarely see, if you watch Liverpool play today, you rarely saw any players that once they pass the ball to actually sprint into a position to get the return pass or put themselves in a position where they can get a return pass.
29:43So many times, and it doesn't matter who it was, whether it was McCallis or whether it was Florian Verst, they pass the ball sideways or back, and then slow jog. There was never a purpose of, I'm passing this ball so then I can get in that space and get it again, or at the very least, drag a defender with me so that a passing lane is open. It's all A to B to C, slow in the movement of the ball, and slow in the movement of the player. Frank? Yeah, Arnaud Slot was talking about the luck. You know, if he's talking about bad luck or good luck, he has to talk about the first game that they had at the beginning of the season where they were winning every time the last minute because of luck.
30:23So you have to force the luck to come and to be on your side. That's what it is. And it goes with what Ali and Stevie just said. You have to go forward in order to maybe show that moment where the luck has to go your side. And it's what happened last season with Liverpool and never happened this season or right now because they don't force it, because they don't go forward, because they don't try. They are in one gear, same gear, and they don't go forward. They go sideways. It's why maybe they don't have that like that he's talking about. Rich Eisen here. the tax deadline will be here before you know it.
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32:09Real Madrid would kick off 2026 in style. All the talk going into the game is the absence of Kylian Mbappe through injury. However, Gonzalo Garcia would replace him and in style, barging the perfect hat-trick. Real Madrid looked a bit dodgy in the second half, but in the end, it's a great result to start the new year, defeating Real Betis 5-1. We welcome in our own Garcia. It's always a good day to be Luis Garcia. Luis, 5-1. Maybe the second half, that scoreline papers over some of the cracks, but let's focus first, shall we, on Gonzalo Garcia. That is schoolboy dream stuff, isn't it? Yeah, exactly.
32:47As a kid from the academy and a fan of Real Madrid, if you have the opportunity to play at the Bernabeu, starting replacement of Kylian Mbappe, probably one of the best players in the world, those are big shoes to fill in. And I think today it was amazing. A fantastic job, scoring three goals, but not only that, giving the opportunity to other players to get involved into the game, running and working for the team, giving that balance that is needed in this Real Madrid side to try to help the team overall to make a fantastic performance. I think that he's been one of the best games of this Real Madrid.
33:21And we have to give a lot of credit to this young talent, 21 years old from the academy, because we saw what he was capable of during the Club World Cup, but we haven't seen him so much during this season. 2026 might be totally different for him. Talk about taking a chance. Yeah, and it's hard not to cheer for a guy like that after you see the interview. And you can see in his face and you can feel the excitement of what it means to him. and we must be very honest about this when we talk about Real Madrid. We don't see enough of this from Real Madrid, players actually coming through. They seem to buy talent.
33:52They seem to outsource talent, but not actually develop and nurture talent in the manner in which we have seen here from Gonzalo Garcia. As it pertains to him taking advantage of his opportunity. When there was the announcement of Kylian Mbappe being out for three weeks, it's like, oh, no. Where's the offense going to come from? and it is a fair question to ask because nobody else was producing at a high level and at a consistent level as Kylian Mbappe was for what we have seen the whole season. And so, yeah, the opportunity is on Gonzalo Garcia. He took it as an opportunity. Other may have thought this was a burden.
34:30Other may have thought this was pressure, and he took it on. And I mean, he took it head on. To be able to do this under normal circumstances would be great. But when you have Kylian Mbappe sitting on the stands, and given the pressure that is currently on Xavi Alonso and Real Madrid, that every single performance and every single game is evaluated, analyzed, broken down, almost to the point to where it's like, at 3-1 today, there were boos going on at Santiago Bernardo. They were winning 3-1, and there were boos at Santiago Bernardo. That's how much pressure there is on this team. So when you think of the important of Gonzalo Garcia's performance, the productivity, the goals, the result, the performance, all of it together, it's actually elevated in terms of that importance.
35:16Because they needed the three goals today. They needed his goals and he was able to produce. Yeah, they needed them. As Ali rightly says, there's this fragility to Real Madrid that we saw in the second half. Three one up. And yet the pressure is still on that defense. It's still on Courtois to pull off these saves. Yeah, I think we sit here every weekend. and say the same thing. Courtois has again made saves that make the difference. And it seems a silly thing to say when you look at the scoreline of five, but there was a period when that first goal went in, there were 3-1 up, all of a sudden the composure disappeared.
35:52You know, and every single time that happens, the back four gets it. But let's be honest, there are, what, six other players in front of that back four that for some reason can't do anything to help the back four. And then when the back fours ask to appear, they can't do it either. So that's probably why Courtois is one of the best goalkeepers in the world because an average goalkeeper playing for Real Madrid right now, they would be a long, long way behind Barcelona. How much does this take the pressure off Xavi Alonso considering the week that he's got ahead, of course, Luis? Atletico Madrid on Thursday, who weren't very good today in their 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad.
36:32And then in theory, Barcelona at the weekend in the Super Cup final. Yeah, I understand that after the previous week when there were a lot of rumours of Xavi Alonso staying or not, depending on what the game it was against Sevilla, I think right now the rumours are gone far away. I think that they understand and the supporters understand that Xavi Alonso is going to stay at least until the end of the season and waiting to see if he managed to get a trophy. But definitely starting the 2026 with a good result, bringing a young talent, not remembering that Kylian Mbappe is not involved, that he's not going to be involved in the coming games, and much more with a trophy in front of them.
37:11I think the pressure is moving on to whatever it is in the next coming months. Definitely a good start for Xavi Alonso. It's trying to hope of having a good game against Atletico Madrid in the midweek. Today, the Atletico Madrid, what we saw, is not different from what we haven't seen from Atletico Madrid in 2025. So we can expect Real Madrid challenge for that trophy. But definitely, Xavi also must be secure and confident that now he can manage Real Madrid. Now he can work on what he's been doing in the past couple of months and try to be more consistent today. we have a good Real Madrid, but not consistent enough to what we can expect of this quality squad.
37:55Xavier also was comfortable enough today to make a big decision. The team was falling apart. At 3-1, they were losing control of the game. And to Stevie's point, you're not getting help defensively from Rodrigo nor Vinny. And he knows that taking Vinny off the field is going to become news, because it's always the case. And he did not hesitate. They needed something different. They needed more balance. He brought in Arda Guller and Mastantono. Rodrigo, come off the field. And yeah, Vinny, come off the field as well. And it helped the team. Now, if these things don't work, then again, pressure goes back on Xavi Alonso.
38:37But today, he was secure enough and confident enough to say, this is what the team needs right now. And it paid off. 5-1, I think, flatters Real Madrid. 5-1 wasn't quite a true reflection of the game. But what we can say is that for the first 60 minutes, Real Madrid were as good as they have been this whole season. And that was based on energy, intensity, and work rate. When this team works, and this is something that Gonzalo Garcia helps with, when this team works and works well together, they can beat anybody. But their drop-off is so significant as well that that's when they become vulnerable against any team.
39:16Luis, what's the best goal of his hat trick? Oh, it's difficult. I think the three of them are quite good because of the movement and the ability to put the ball in the back of the net. This one, because of the movement, going in the blind spot of the defender at the back, is quite good. Also, the composure, but I think this one is something different. The awareness, the distance, understanding what is happening with the ball, giving the opportunity to the ball to go down and hit that fantastic volley apart away from the keeper, I think it's top class that one this one is of course once again the movement and the ability of finding the right speed at the right time but definitely the second one that volley from outside the box is a top I know that everyone can see Kylian Mbappe doing that so because he's a kid and he's 21 years old doesn't take away any credit I think it's a fantastic goal Do you know when you hear us talking about composure?
40:10Yes. That's what's so great about that goal, he's 21 The second goal, you mean? Yeah. He's 21. He's getting an opportunity, but he has the composure because he's waiting for that ball to come down. And you have no idea what's going through his head. His computer is running at 1 ,000 miles an hour. And all he wants is, please come down. Please, can you come a little quicker? But he doesn't panic. He lets it drop and takes his time and gets himself composed. And that's a perfect strike. That's the greatest thing about that. As a center forward, can I make a case for his third goal because of the movement to free himself up?
40:47How he sets up the defender, Nathan. He takes him inside, outside, and then back to the inside. By the time he goes back to the near post, Nathan sloths. I have no idea what it is. He doesn't. But that takes movement away from the ball. And that takes, actually, instinct as well, in that you're setting up your next move with your initial, okay I'm going to go this way he thinks I'm going that way I'm going to come back this way and by that time the defender is gone and on top of it then you have to finish it in the manner in which he did with a back heel so I'll make the case for the third goal just in the movement alone perfect hat trick of course left foot right foot header Stevie your hatch against Newcastle was that what it wasn't the perfect hat trick oh useless sorry disappoint well so speaking of disappointment Luis Ali brought this up on yesterday's show and I feel that we need to address it face to face.
41:37Am I correct, Ali, that you sent Luis out Merry Christmas? I did. And there was no response? Ignore me. Wow. Luis, ghosted me, totally. Luis, your defence? No. I have no defence. I hate Ali. Because he's one of my favourites. I was, I think, at some point doing something. I said I will text later and I forgot. Sorry, Ali. Well, it's disappointing. You should have heard the things he was calling you, Luis, it was disgusting. When he says I'm one of his favorites, but he did not return a Merry Christmas, I wonder how he feels about those that he's not his favorite. Well, that is very true, Luis.
42:23Thank you very much. Looking forward to another great year with you.
42:58That is it. That brings us to the end of today's show. Frank LaPuffalo hanging around, as is Ali and Stevie. I need to talk to Ali about something. Be sure to stay tuned to find out what... What? What? What? Welcome in then to the latest edition of Extra Time. We welcome the beautiful, the one, the only, Frank LePouffe, is with us, as is Stevie Nicholl. And as is someone who I thought was a colleague and then developed into a friend. However, that was shown very different this Christmas holiday, Ali, I'm afraid. Why is that, Dan? Well, I'm not sure if you're aware of something called Ding Dong Ditch.
43:34which I'm afraid I was a victim of during the Christmas holidays. What are you talking about, Dan? And it was the Moreno children who were involved. But I feel I know who was the ringleader. What? Or not once, but two separate evenings disturbing my very important evening regime. Ding-dong-ditch, I'm afraid, is something, Ali, that is very much frowned upon. And this is not... I know nothing of what you're talking about, Dan. I guess that's the American term for it. Yes, what's the English term? It's chap and run. Chap and run. There we go. No idea what you're talking about, Dan. Yeah, Ali, I do not believe you one bit.
44:09You wouldn't do that, huh? Of course he would. The ringleader of them all. No. Yeah, the Morenos. They wouldn't do this without Daddy's permission. Accusation. Is there evidence of this? Well, yes, I do have it on my ring doorbell. Oh, there you go. For your children. Oh, well. And am I anywhere in the picture? Your car is around the corner, parked. Can you see me at all? I can definitely see the car. So you said Melissa was driving. I have no idea what you all are talking about. This is a thought. Let's drive to West Ham to ding-dong, ding-dong. Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Frank, I hope you admire the brilliance of Harrison Reid's goal and not conduct a 10-minute analysis of how the Liverpool defence could have set up better.
44:51That was Steve Nicholl's excuse, of course. Frank, as well, was talking about the defence. Yeah, but the first thing I thought was to give him credit. You're not just appreciating a brilliant goal, one of the goals of the season. It's difficult to appreciate a great goal when it's against your team, Dan. You know what I mean? Well, I thought surely as an objective pundit you'd be able to do that. Well, I believe I said how great the goal was on the show. You could put aside former Liverpool legend. I won't apologise for what I said. Oh, all right. It's not that controversial. He could be getting another ding-dong ditch, by the way.
45:26That's what he's getting. What is it? Chap and run? Chap and run. Chap and run. When a team goes up late and then throws away the win because they didn't calm down and see it through, who is most responsible? Coach, captain or everyone, Frank? That's good, obviously referring to the fact when Gakpo scored, Liverpool thought they'd won it. And see that through. That's for... Give me the... Which team is that? What team goes to a play? Gakpo scored and then... Oh, OK, for Liverpool? Yes. Oh, yeah. You know, we know that when you score a goal, you have the tendency to slow down or maybe calm down, I don't know what it is, and lose a little bit the concentration that you should have.
46:15But who is the most responsible? The players. I would say the players because the coach cannot do anything, the captain cannot do anything. It's more the players on the field all together who didn't do the job. So I would say the players. Yeah, the players, but I would pull it in a little bit. Your captain, your experienced guys, your goalkeeper. You know, as Frank said, you know, when you're up late, the tendency is to drop deep, right? But that's when your experienced guys have to come in and play. Get everybody not to do that. So it's the goalkeeper in particular, because you shouldn't be letting people stand on your toes.
46:58Number one. And then your captain and your experienced guys around you. I mean, you've got World Cup winners in the team, but you're standing on the six-yard box. Yeah, that shouldn't happen. But it was a great goal, Dan. No, it was a fantastic goal. Fantastic goal. It's considered the goal of the season. It's definitely going to be in the top ten. And maybe number one. That's how good it is. Well, will it be king of the pitch? We'll see. Is that still going in 2026? What's the dressing room like after dropping two points? Are there scuffles between players or is it just silent? This is referring to the City game, of course.
47:37Frank? I think the outwards. People are getting upset. mostly the coach, the captain, the experienced player that Steve is saying. I think sometimes they point others because you try to understand what happened and how it's possible that you're dropping two points at the last minute. So you have to find somebody guilty I guess so some people can get very nervous and upset. What would you be like Ali in that situation? Well, it depends on what the circumstance is. If it's a terrible individual mistake, it's different than the team not recognizing a moment in which you have to step out or whatever the case may have been.
48:22So it really depends on how that goal comes about. If it was a controversial penalty kick call, for example, then all your negativity goes towards the referee and not to the player. Again, it depends on the circumstance and how that goal was scored. But it's never a good feeling. It's never a feeling which the locker room is like, that's all right, guys, we'll get him next time. It's never like that. It's funny because the two we're talking about today are the perfect examples of how different it should be, what the coach says. Okay. So the one with O 'Reilly, not only is it a young player that's made a mistake, but there's still other opportunities to clear it after that.
49:07and so you don't really want to be pointing the finger at O 'Reilly. You kind of, you don't brush over it, but you don't make a big thing of it. Okay. The Liverpool one, to me, is the opposite. If I'm the coach, I'm going in and I'm absolutely raising my voice and I'm absolutely pulling the captain out because the captain in Van Dijk was the nearest player who should have been closing the ball, but I'm also having to go at the goalkeeper and the other experienced guys. And it's along the lines of, I can't do anything when I'm sat on the bench. You guys need to take care of stuff. I can't do everything.
49:46So the goalkeeper's to blame because you didn't tell everyone to push out? Absolutely. Goalkeeper should get on the back, get off my toes and get out whenever you can. And Van Dijk should be closing the ball. And it's so different for both goals. Is there any argument to say, obviously I'm being in the dressing room, that Slott is hesitant to do that with Van Dijk because he's such an important player for Liverpool. But in doing that, sets an example to the others. Correct. At the end of the day, it shouldn't matter who it is. Right. Then it shouldn't. But there are exceptions. And one would be the young guy, O 'Reilly.
50:24A young guy who's just still learning the game. It's not a good time to dig him out. But the captain, when he's front to centre of it, Absolutely, because the young guys that go with the team and the 17th man or whatever it is, are sitting there and they're listening to the captain getting it. That's a great example for them that nobody, nobody is above taking criticism. Nobody. Especially when the captain, has gone after players on the field as he did with Kirkus. So when he has made it a point, to show somebody else up then as a manager you can also make the point hey you kept harry wilson on site okay you did this you didn't step out now you you wanna you wanna massage the situation you you don't just get in his face and do this but you point it out just do it and run no not not a chap and run no no no no not that but you you but you make sure that you deliver the message And this is when managing is more than just putting players in position.
51:36This is when you have to know who do you push and when do you push. Frank? Yeah, if you're the captain and, you know, if you're guilty for that, like Virgil van Dijk was, maybe you go in the dressing room and say, guys, that's for me. I should have gone for it and I'm very sorry about that. You know, to make sure that you take it and you show your position and the fact that you accept responsibility for that. But just to laugh about it, you know, I have friends in the Liverpool dressing room and I was told that Arnaud Slott started to point finger to Virgil van Dijk. You know what said Virgil van Dijk?
52:12Like Stevie, that was a great goal. That was a really great goal. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You've got friends in the Liverpool dressing room who told you... I'm just joking. I'm just joking about the fact that Reid scored a fantastic goal, you know, and that Van Dyke has an excuse. That was a great goal. It was a nuanced joke. Sorry, Frank. There was a joke there, and then there was another layer to the joke. It's a cultural thing. Oh. Yeah. Lost in culture. I don't think I was listening properly. Ali. I got it. I got it, Frank. It was funny. Yeah, it was funny. I know. I know you got it.
52:46That's a Latin, Latin, Latin humor. That's not an Anglo-Saxon one. You know, whatever. What? Let me translate that. That's Latin humour, not Anglo. OK, all right. Thank you, Frank. Thank you very much. Ferrari, should Xavi Alonso bench Vinicius Jr. and play with Mbappe as the 7, Ramos as a 9, and Rodrigo as an 11? Well, it's a conversation that we had following the match, and that there's a conversation to be had that is, if Vinny continues to be a problem for Xavi Alonso and Real Madrid and his contract extension, and all of that is part of the conversation. And then you have, on the other hand, this young kid, Gonzalo Garcia, who's Real Madrid through and through, right?
53:29And he's scoring goals. And Kylian Mbappe has been telling you that I'd rather play on the left-hand side and have the freedom to go wherever I want to. And there is an opportunity there for Xavi Adonso to make that decision. However, if you make that decision, there is no coming back from it. There is no Vinny at Real Madrid in the future, if that indeed the case and the decision that you make. So that's when you have to be really careful as to how you go about making sure that this is exactly what you want. It's great to have Gonzalo Garcia scoring goals, but when Kylian Mbappe comes back from his injury, it's going to be Mbappe down the middle and Vinny on the left-hand side for the foreseeable future.
54:10Mr Moreno. Oh, I like that. Gonzales scored his first hat-trick. Do you remember your first? Yes, I do.
54:212004 against DC United in the old RFK Stadium. I'm guessing it wasn't the perfect hat-trick? Well, it was perfect to me, Dan. It was perfect to me. And the third goal was a back-heel goal. What was the total yardage of the three goals combined? I'm going to say it didn't get to 18. Right, okay.
54:46If I think about it, I'm serious. I don't think he got to 18 if you had them all three together. Did any of them hit the back of the net, man?
54:55Wait a minute. They were all side netting, so technically no. Stevie, you scored obviously a famous one against Newcastle. Was there one that preceded that at all in your professional career? No, no. Remind us of these goals.
55:14Erm... One was to the header outside the box, was it? Was that part of the hat trick? No. OK, good. No. No, you got my... I'm trying to think of the first one now. Right. It's a toe poke. Right. First one's a toe poke. What position were you playing? I was playing right midfield. First one is a toe poke. The third one is a dinky doo. Oh! Nice. YouTube. And the second one was from Moreno range. Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh fantastic! And do you still have the ball? My son has the ball. Does he? He does, yes. Did Liverpool sign it? Not signing it by the way. Well yes, unfortunately as time has gone on, you can't see the signatures anymore.
55:57Oh that's a shame. Yeah, because I should have put it in a case and blah blah blah. It's not like you Stevie. No, I know. It was sitting in a loft for young. That's why I gave it to Michael. Michael. Michael, it's a ball. I think it's a ball for you. Just a quick question. Did it hit the back of the net? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Do you still have your ball, Ali? Yes, I do. Where is it? In the loft? I'm hearing it was only eight minutes, the hat trick. That's right. There you are. I'm concerned that Mike Rodriguez, our producer, looked it up because he didn't believe you. You think I made up the story?
56:33Actually, I think I scored that season. I scored in the first five or six shots that I took on target. Oh, nice. But how many shots on target did you have? Well, that's a different question, Dan. That's a different question. And where's the ball? The ball is somewhere in the basement in a box. There you go. The usual. Frank. Yes, I scored on that trick once. was two penalties and there was a third one made and made made by the same guy against uh khan in uh with strasbourg and i didn't want to shoot the the last one so i gave the ball to a friend of mine but i stayed up and the guy missed it and the ball came back to me and i scored
57:19yes yeah and i scored yeah and i scared i scored the three goals the second half and i I broke my eye the first half. But I was more efficient in my career with only one eye than two eyes. But we didn't have the football. In France, at the time, nobody gave me the ball, you know, and so I'm sad. I'm very sad. Yeah, of course. That's Frank's sad eyes. You're going to be all right, Frank. Good piece of acting, that, Frank. Frank, what's the vibe in Paris today? A deep question, but fear not. with the first Paris derby in Ligue 1 since 1978. Is this a big deal or just another match?
58:06It's not a big deal. It's nice because we all saw the two stadiums very close to each other, which wasn't the case when Paris FC was in Ligue 2. They were playing in another stadium. It's where the Stade Francaise in rugby plays as well. It's a very nice stadium, of course, smaller than the Pacte des Princes. But there is no animosity between the two clubs right now. They have to create something, a history, and it's mostly created by animosity. And it's going to be hard if that exists in some decades. But right now, it's just fun. It's just nice. And I think the two clubs, they appreciate each other.
58:42I went to see one game of Paris FC last time. And many former Paris Saint-Germain players were in the stand, like Rai, the Brazilian player, and some others. That's only nice. It's like they appreciate each other right now. Let's see how it works with the fans in 10 years from now. Why were you there? No way you were just there for fun. Who was paying you? No, no, no. I was invited by the club and that was very nice from them. Yes. And that was really nice. They drew that game the last minute, so it was quite good for the atmosphere. But it's nice. It's a very nice club. and with very good people working with it.
59:27Yep, who give out brown envelopes of fun. Thank you very much, Frank. Thank you very much, guys. Just a reminder, ESPN FC back on your screens tomorrow where inevitably we'll discuss Amerine's future with Mr. Mark Ogden.
59:52As 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. 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.
From the publisher
The FC crew look back at Chelsea snatching a late equalizer to take points of title contender's Man City. Plus, the guys breakdown Ruben Amorim's interesting comments after Man United's 1-1 draw to Leeds. And, the panel discusses Liverpool's draw to Fulham & Gonzalo Garcia's perfect hat trick in Real Madrid's big win over Real Betis.
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