In short
ESPN FC’s opening-week football roundup, focusing on Real Madrid’s La Liga opener under Jose Mourinho (“Mourinho’s Madrid Escape”), plus early Premier League shocks (Man United at Hull; Spurs at Brentford) and upcoming fixtures (Barcelona/Atleti, Newcastle/Liverpool).
Guests (studio)
Kay Murray (host), Casey Keller (former goalkeeper/analyst), Stevie Nichol (former defender/analyst). Additional correspondent: Rob Dawson (Manchester United reporter).
Key claims
- Real Madrid won 2-1 vs Espanyol late; the decisive goal came from broken play/rebounds, highlighting a need to improve chance creation and midfield balance.
- Carlos Espi (new signing) is framed as crucial: nine goals in Levante’s late-season rescue; paid €25m; provides a “number 9” presence for rebounds.
- Vinicius Jr’s crowd/discipline reactions were criticized; Bernardo Silva was criticized for drifting from central midfield, leaving space and contributing to Espanyol’s goal.
- Man United and Spurs were “outfought” and lacked intensity/urgency in opening defeats.
Notable examples
- Espanyol equalized via Calatrava; Espanyol’s Roberto Fernandez missed a header tap-in.
- Spurs lost 3-0 at Brentford (Lewis Potter, Janel, Coyote). Man United lost 2-0 at Hull (Semi Ajayi, Noble Mendy).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOReal Madrid's Opening Match Analysis
0:46 to 2:00
Discussion on Real Madrid's performance in their first La Liga match under Mourinho.
“where Dan Cid and Ale were in presence for Espanyol against Real Madrid.”
Key Moments of the Match
2:00 to 5:46
Analysis of the goals, key plays, and player performances during the match.
“and plenty of material for Real Madrid to get after and Jose Mourinho to get after as well.”
Tactical Discussions and Raft of Issues
5:46 to 7:41
The panel discusses tactical issues and challenges Mourinho faces with the team.
“maybe a little bit unlucky, didn't take their chance.”
New Signings and Their Impact
7:41 to 13:14
Evaluating the performances of new signings and their fit within the team.
“I don't understand the purpose of it all because then he's caught up in everything else other than playing the game.”
Manchester United's Disappointing Opener
14:28 to 20:38
Analysis of Manchester United's performance in their defeat to Hull City.
“In the Premier League where Manchester United suffered a shock defeat away to the newly promoted Hull City.”
Marcus Rashford's Impact and Future
20:38 to 22:06
Discussion on Marcus Rashford's performance and his role in the squad moving forward.
“Were Manchester United better when Marcus Rashford came on?”
Need for Reinforcements at Manchester United
22:06 to 23:28
Review of Manchester United's squad needs and potential transfers after the match.
“And one of those changes is that Marcus Ratchett is going to have to start.”
Tottenham Hotspur's Troubling Start
23:28 to 28:00
A critique of Tottenham Hotspur's performance in their season opener against Brentford.
“Yeah, so a tough start for Michael Carrick.”
Spurs' Opening Day Concerns
28:00 to 31:20
Discussion on Spurs' performance and their lack of fighting spirit.
“It means that they can focus on the Premier League.”
YouTube Channel Promotion
31:20 to 31:40
Promotion of the YouTube channel and upcoming content.
“Yeah, so big upsets for both Manchester United and Spurs today and a lot to look ahead to in that Premier League season.”
Show all 21 chapters
Barcelona's Upcoming Match
31:40 to 32:30
Preview of Barcelona's match against Elche and the team's challenges.
“We must get back out to Spain now because the boys have got a trip on their hand.”
Transfer Targets and Challenges
32:30 to 34:28
Discussion on Barcelona's transfer targets and team dynamics.
“And we're also assuming, and I think it's a safe bet, that Julian Alvarez is not coming.”
Upcoming Premier League Matches
34:28 to 35:02
Overview of upcoming Premier League fixtures and key matchups.
“That game of course on the ESPN app tomorrow and the big one, myself and Ali will be attending.”
Liverpool's Season Outlook
35:02 to 38:02
Analysis of Liverpool's current squad and expectations for the season.
“You don't know what to think of Liverpool.”
Liverpool's Season Outlook
40:08 to 41:13
Analysis of Liverpool's current squad and expectations for the season.
“You know that purple ShopPay button you see at checkout?”
Intro to ESPN FC
42:01 to 42:41
The hosts set up the episode and tease upcoming discussions.
“I can't help to wake my brain's wired, can't I?”
Big Six Club Embarrassments
42:41 to 44:39
Discussion on which Premier League club faced the biggest embarrassment this week.
“These guys will be answering your question in extra time.”
Liverpool's Season Kickoff
44:39 to 46:55
Analysis of what to expect from Liverpool in their upcoming season opener.
“What do you want to see in the new signings from this summer and the signings that weren't quite a hit from last summer?”
Stevie's Teammate Pranks
46:55 to 50:00
Stevie shares a humorous story about a prank involving a false Puma sponsorship.
“And the guy in charge was a guy called Derek Ibbotson.”
Sports Skills and Spelling
50:00 to 52:12
The hosts share personal anecdotes about their lack of skills in various sports.
“and I had too many beers and I told him, I said, by the way, I did go.”
Mourinho on Real Madrid Victory
52:12 to 55:22
Jose Mourinho discusses Real Madrid's recent victory and players' performances.
“But because we had the last game of the day, which was Espanyol against Real Madrid, we've been able to hear from Jose Mourinho speaking after that victory.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00In ESPN's wild world of college football, every Saturday begins with a ritual. And then, the migration turns to mayhem. Predators hunt, territories are defended, rivals clash. In this wild world, legends are unleashed on Saturdays. No one brings you closer to the wild than ESPN. College football on ESPN kicks off August 28th. Witness the wild on ABC, ESPN, and the ESPN app.
0:34Dan Thomas:Hello and welcome into the latest edition of ESPN FC. Kay Murray, Casey Keller and Stevie Nichol here in the studio. Lots to look back on today, especially in the Premier League, where we saw some upsets on the opening round. But we will kick things off in La Liga and head out to Cornella, where Dan Cid and Ale were in presence for Espanyol against Real Madrid. We got to see Mourinho as Real Madrid for the first time, and they left it late, Dan, but they got it done.
1:01Kay Murray:they most certainly did K goodness me talk about a blockbuster ending it looked like they were going to drop two points but in the end of course it was their star new signing sit do you know what it had to be Carlos just being away 21 year old from Levante a guy who rescued them from relegation last season and he comes on and scores a goal he's the one genuine out and out centre forward they have and boy did they need him in the end Ali well they did there was a chance there for Kylian Mbappe early on in the second half which means from my kind of range but But then after that, Real Madrid, while they had a lot of the ball and they seemed to be on the verge of creating something, they never really did create something that was significant enough.
1:38And really the goal, while it is a blockbuster finish in terms of the result, Dan, the goal itself is broken play, broken play, rebound, rebound, rebound. There it is, goal. Yeah. And so it just, look, if you're Real Madrid, you take the win. If you're Jose Mourinho, you take the win. but they showed us a lot of things today that there's plenty to work if you're Real Madrid and plenty of material for Real Madrid to get after and Jose Mourinho to get after as well.
2:08Kay Murray:Sid, talk to me about Carlos Espi. Who would have thought that would be my question? Honestly, I think last season, I think you can make a case for saying that he was the single most important player for a club last season. He scored nine goals in the second half of the season, having come from almost nowhere to rescue Levante almost single-handedly. No player ever does it single-handedly, but almost single-handedly. It was a big surprise when Real Madrid signed him in the summer, paid his€25 million by outclaws, because the idea being that they wanted a profile, remember José Lu, of a number nine who could come on as a sub and win you the game.
2:38Kay Murray:And there it is. OK, we've seen the winning goal. Let's see the rest of the action, shall we? The cameras were all over Jose Mourinho as he came and took charge of his first game, of course, since 2013 for Real Madrid. And inevitably, we'd see Diamande. He'll be on the bench. We'd see him in the second. Oh! Nice porch, I didn't know he was. Oh! Who's he scouting? Not anybody here. Sitting there with Alan Pace, of course, the owner of the club. There we go. A little incident here. Should this have been worse? A little kick out? Should have been red? I think you can get red for that. Yeah. I think you can get red for that, absolutely, yes.
3:14Kay Murray:Nothing was given. Vinicius Jr. feisty throughout the whole game. Real Madrid taking the lead here. Jude Bellingham. It was a good service on Adela Guller from the left-hand side. Jude Bellingham with a powerful jump in between the defenders. I'll tell you what, early on in the game, Jude Ranehan, really throughout the course of the match, I thought he was the player of the match for Real Madrid. Good goal, good finish. And there you kind of thought, oh, Real Madrid are going to run away with this, it's going to be boring. But Real Madrid kind of took the foot off the gas, Espanyol got stronger, and Calitrava here would make it 1-1.
3:44Kay Murray:Yeah, in truth, this didn't come from nowhere. We've had five or six minutes, I know five or six minutes isn't much, but in which Espanyol had started to take the game to them, started to create chances, there was a handful of kind of semi-opportunities. And I agree with Ali that Real Madrid kind of took their foot off a little bit. I wonder if partly driven by the fact that they're a goal up and they think, well, we're a great counter-attacking team. We don't need to go and press quite so high anymore. Kylian Mbappe with a chance here. A couple of turns that he had in the first half in which he left the back line well behind him.
4:11But now it's time to finish and the finish just wasn't there. And here's the other one. Yeah, we saw this one here, didn't we?
4:16Kay Murray:Dimitri Vichovic again making the stop. Yeah, and this is what obviously Mbappe will do. He'll get in behind. But what Real Madrid need, and I think this is where Carlos SB comes in, is someone who can give them a presence in those moments in which they haven't got space to run into. This was the chance of the second half. Real Madrid belling him off the crossbar. How did Pape miss this? It's a good save from Dimitrovic off the crossbar and then it's tapping. It's from my kind of range that... No! He just jumps straight past it, doesn't he? He completely misjudges the way that he's got to jump and goes straight past the ball.
4:44Kay Murray:Or he just misses a tapping. Good explanation, but he just missed a tapping. So a couple of new signs. Cucurella got a nice reception, didn't he? Yeah, of course. World Cup winner coming on. And also he's got a pass to Espanyol as a youth team player as well. There you are. Diamande obviously making his debut, the most expensive signing in the history of Real Madrid. As we see Valverde here, we've seen him do this before. Yeah, he didn't actually get hold of the ball particularly well. We're right behind this goal and we can see that he didn't get a really clean contact on it and probably would have expected to do a little better.
5:12Kay Murray:And it looked like maybe Real Madrid would drop two points there, but then it is a scrappy old goal. But that's what Espys has been signed for. And the president of ESPY inside the 18-yard box. As to your point, Sid, Kylian Mbappe is taking on players and you need somebody else to jump on a rebound. And there he is. It is a center forward score. It is my kind of range. It is a broken play. And Real Madrid don't care because it counts for three points. Yes. Jose Mourinho. Excited. Very excited indeed as the whole team would make it down into the corner flag to celebrate with ESPY. As Real Madrid get the win.
5:46Kay Murray:You look at those stats, you think, oh, Real Madrid, maybe a little bit unlucky, didn't take their chance. There weren't that many chances clear-cut for Real Madrid. They were definitely the better team, but this has definitely left more questions for Jose Mourinho to answer with regards to how he's going to set this team up to get the best out of those front three. Let's not forget, towards the end of the first half, Espanyol have a chance by Roberto Fernandez, a header that is a tap-in that is somehow he misses it. And it could have been 2-0 and really should have been 2-1 for Espanyol, I should say.
6:16He misses that chance. Real Madrid comes out at halftime, you're thinking that there's going to be something better from Real Madrid, that there's going to be dominance. And while there was dominance, that didn't really translate into clear opportunities. And so in the case of Jose Mourinho, I suppose that you can kind of build in the excuse that, listen, you're working your team back into fitness. You're working your team back from the World Cup. We haven't really seen what his starting 11 is going to be on the field. But what I don't like or didn't like from Real Madrid today is that first 15 minutes, excellent.
6:45Everybody present. Everybody running. hard work and then once they go up then they took a step back which is something that they did so often last season and that's the part that I think the attitude of Real Madrid has to change and it didn't change today it may change over time with Jose Mourinho but it didn't change today because they decided to give the ball back to Espanol and give them the initiatives that's unacceptable
7:05Kay Murray:we weren't going to see a completely different Real Madrid despite the personnel despite Jose Mourinho on the bench but there were similar problems so I think is that fair to say I think we saw last season. And I think what Ali's talking about is right as well. There were periods last season when they were pressed high, and it was the ability to maintain that throughout a game, or the willingness to maintain it throughout a game, and I think we saw elements of that again. I don't think it's natural to, or I don't think it's unnatural for them to be faced by some of the same issues as last year.
7:32Kay Murray:I think that issue of finding a way behind teams that play deep is going to be there, and that's partly why SP is there. But yeah, of course these are issues that they have to work through, and we still have question mark about the front three the three superstars how do you find the right places on the pitch for them to work well together let's talk felici's junior we saw a bit last season this frustration coming out let's start off with the incident do you think it should have been a red card i mean it's a loft tap yeah yeah he's down he kicks him without the ball i suppose you can make an argument for but i don't think it's enough for a record now it's significant in the match because calatrava the guy who kicks at vini junior ends up being the guy who scores the goal the game-time goal for Espanol in the first half.
8:10Regardless, I just think Vinny Jr., the one time that he was defending over here in the first half and he was in a 1-1 situation and the ball just kind of bounces off of him and goes out of bounds, he's already getting after the crowd. The crowd is getting after him. And I just don't see the value of it. I don't understand the purpose of it all because then he's caught up in everything else other than playing the game. And when you're here live watching it, every time, every single time, he has a chance to react to the crowd to react to the referee to react to the opponent he's doing it and he forgets about the very basic thing that makes him a great player react to the ball react to the play react to your teammates he doesn't do that enough for me or he didn't do that enough for
8:50Kay Murray:me today there were three new signings to start bernardo silva wasn't it canate and dumfries how do we rate their performances today well i don't think we saw a huge amount from any of them i I thought we saw Bernardo Silva look a little bit out of place at times. I thought he was, his performance actually I thought obliged Fede Valverde to do more running than he would have wanted to, albeit Fede Valverde, what he does so well is run and cover a huge amount of ground. I don't think we saw very much from Dumfries. We saw maybe a little bit more from Trent, certainly in an attacking sense. But then we know that, don't we?
9:21Kay Murray:We know that we've got two different profiles of defender there. One that will defend a bit more and one that will play a little bit more, albeit Dumfries is an athlete and can get up and down the pitch. And so I don't think we were surprised really and truly by the performance of those players. I think Bernardo Silva's role, if Jose Mourinho is going to be stubborn enough to think this is the guy that's going to play central midfield for me, they're going to run into trouble. Let me stop you for a moment. Is it stubborn or is it faced with no other alternative? No, I think there are alternatives.
9:55Kay Murray:Okay. And Bernardo Silva is a very good player, but he's a player that is not tactically disciplined because he wants to go and get on the ball. And because of that work rate on trying to go and get on the ball, as a central midfielder, you have to have the discipline to sit centrally. We saw him today, and I pointed it out to you many times while we were watching the game, Dan. He's over there drifting to the right. He's over here drifting here. He's over there drifting over there. And he's not in a central position, which then, to your point, makes Fedor Alverde have to cover 20, 30 yards at a time, in which then he gets himself out of position.
10:24And think about where the goal comes from for Espanol. They build down the left-hand side. Yes, a 1v1 situation. Sport defending actual Gallardo, Guller, and Denzel Donfries in a wide area. But the runs deeper from deeper from Espanyol, Calatrava walks into the box wide open. And in walking, where is that run coming from? And who's not picking up that run? Where is the space? The space in that central position. Central position. And so while Bernardo's hero will be important to this team, I don't think he can play that role or you can give him that responsibility because more times than not, he's going to leave space open because he's too busy trying to get on the ball.
11:00Kay Murray:Yandere Miande making his debut, the most expensive signing in the history of Real Madrid. What sort of impact did he make, in your opinion? I suppose that we expect a lot when a guy like Yandere Diomande comes in because of the numbers, because of what the transfer fee was. Then the first time that he touches the ball, he plays it backwards. And I'm like, look, I don't want somebody to go and play it backwards. They're about to take a throw in and he's pointing, hey, just play it back there. No, no, you get the ball. You, in a 1v1 situation, get after somebody. When he started doing that, he became more dangerous for Real Madrid.
11:34And Real Madrid, even if it was by rebounds, they were now creating more opportunities.
11:38Kay Murray:Are we being too negative? Real Madrid did win. It depends what you mean by we being too negative. No, because naturally the first game of the season with a new manager, you're looking for things that are new and we haven't seen them. But maybe yes, in the sense that we shouldn't expect to see them on the first game. We shouldn't expect to see a really radical change from before. And we saw some of the flaws of before, but we also saw a team that, as you say, created sufficient chances to win the game. Did win it, did win it a bit late, but probably deserved to win it as well. Too negative? I don't believe that we're being too negative.
12:10When you bring him back, Jose Mourinho, it creates an expectation. It elevates what this team should be. You make all the investments that you have made in players. You make all the changes. And so, okay, let me see. Let me see. Let me see it. And what we saw today is that at times, yeah, there is something there that you can build upon. But then at times you saw some of the same issues that we saw last season. And so I don't sense that it's being too negative as much as it is, look, the problems are still there. The hole in the center of midfield is still there. The role, I think, of Cucurella is going to help Vini Jr.
12:43Because in Cucurella being down the left-hand side, sometimes forced Vini to get in a more central position. and then that forced him to go and combine with Kylian Mbappe and go and combine with the speed, which actually sort of the genesis of the goal, if you will, comes from broken play by Vinny Jr., broken play from Kylian Mbappe, and even by numbers, just by numbers, you're able to then go and score the goal. So there are certain things to build upon, but let's not kid ourselves. This team has issues that are going to have to be addressed.
13:08Kay Murray:And Jose Mourinho, of course, will be looking to address those on Wednesday as Real Madrid have their first home game of the season as they take on Real. so you should add like every other single La Liga game this season. You can see it live on the ESPN app. Shohei Otani's interpreter was fired today. Ipe Mitsuhara ran up gambling debts to a Southern California bookmaking operation.
13:31Dan Thomas:The inside story of the biggest scandal in modern baseball. He was absolutely bananas the amount of bets he was making. I've never seen anything like it. From 30 for 30 podcasts, this is The Betrayal of Shohei Otani. Presented by Gusto. New episodes available now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Need parts fast? O 'Reilly Auto Parts has fast. Need them now? We've got now. No matter what you need, we have thousands of professional parts people doing their part to make sure you have it. We're O 'Reilly Fast. Just one part that makes O 'Reilly stand apart. The professional parts people. Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly.
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14:28Dan Thomas:In the Premier League where Manchester United suffered a shock defeat away to the newly promoted Hull City. Semi Ajayis got the opener in the 17th minute. Soon after that in the 38th, Noble Mendy headed Hull further ahead. It was a dream return for the Tigers, but a tough start for Carrick and Co. As we welcome in Rob Dawson, our Manchester correspondent, to talk more about what we saw today. Outfought, Rob, outplayed. Is Carrick under pressure already with this result? Well, I wouldn't say he's under pressure, but it was certainly a disaster today in terms of the result, the performance. I think the one thing that you have to do against a newly promoted team on the opening day of the season is match their intensity.
15:13And it just never happened. You can talk about technical quality and being better on the ball and creating better chances. But there just wasn't really anything there in terms of passion from the United performance. There wasn't any energy. There wasn't any athleticism in that display. And you can see by the stats there, you can perhaps look at the stats and think that maybe United, if you haven't watched the game and think maybe United dominated the game and were a little bit unlucky, that just wasn't the story of the game. If anything, Hull could maybe feel a little bit hard done that they didn't win by more goals and United really were well beaten.
15:46Dan Thomas:Yeah, it's taken the air of cautious optimism out, I suppose, of some of the fans coming into this season. Given what happened last season, you now know that Carrick is in permanently. You've seen the new signings that have come in, Stevie, and then to lose this way on the opening day to a newly promoted side, it's not a great start. No, it's not a good start. I mean, it was always going to be a difficult game, but it's a game you expect them to win. If you're Manchester United and you want to be at least in the top four and maybe fighting for the title, you have to go to Holland win. And they never looked like winning.
16:23And honestly, they made one chance in the game. one chance is all they made and Bomo had a great shot in the first half that was saved but it didn't come from Manchester United it was a defensive mistake so in the whole of the 90 minutes they made one opportunity and Bomo had them when it was 2-0 other than that they were slow the build up took forever I mean Telemans and Santos making the league debuts were bang average and actually looked as though they thought they were playing for the middle of the table team because there was no urgency about them. There was no energy about them. I'm really not sure how to explain what they did in the game because basically they went sideways.
17:12And that was about it. There was no forward passing, no penetrating passing, and it was slow. And Bruno Fernandes would never end the game because of that. And so Bruno Fernandes, there's no question, is their number one target to get the ball to if they're going to create chances or score goals. And they couldn't get them. And so they delivered nothing going forward and deservedly, as Rob said, got beat 2-0.
17:36Dan Thomas:Bruno Fernandes was talking after the game. He said, same mistakes as we did last season. Every away game, we give too much of the ball to them. well i mean there's i mean if the stats showed that they had you know double the passes double the possession stuff like that so i would say it's probably more important what you do with the ball than necessarily just having the ball if you're if if if you're not penetrating against the defense if you're just playing sideways and back who cares if you have the ball you're not do it the whole around fine have the ball back there pass the ball around without actually hurting us it's it's how you're able to have that intensity against a team that's come up that understands they have to be a little bit defensively conservative they're not going to just open up and let you get at them so then what are you doing when you have it and if you're going backwards and square you're doing the job for them and if you if you're going to sit and watch this game if you're Man United and think it's about what you didn't do going forward well defensively you were a bit of a mess as well let's be honest when the opposition is 28 % of the ball and they've got nearly the same amount of shots on target as you I mean I'm sorry Haim Maguire for me is not a top class centre back he's not he's great with the ball at his feet but in terms of defending I'm sorry I don't see it and heaven is just okay you know you've got Luke Shaw the second goal Put your head where you might get hurt.
19:09I mean, he's getting out the road of it. I just don't... I'm so surprised at this Manchester United side of what I saw today. I just didn't see any urgency, either defensively or in the attack. Which is weird, especially when Carrick had said
19:24Dan Thomas:what he'd said before the game, that it wasn't going to be easy against a newly promoted side. It didn't look like a side that were ready enough to expect that, did it? Well, no. The way the game started for me, you're sitting watching and you're going, this is it. This is what we're going to get. And it's just going to be a case of how they're going to try and go on the break. And so Manchester United just have to be smart. And so they haven't defended well, they haven't attacked well, and they haven't been smart. It is tough to win matches. Not a lot to get a hold of in a positive sense, is it?
19:58Dan Thomas:There wasn't a lot of positivity. I mean, Rob, you were at the game today and then came the news that the trains weren't running back to Manchester from Hull. I mean, yeah, just to kind of rub salt in the wounds of the United fans who made that 100-mile trip to Hull. They got told halfway through the second half that all the trains home had been cancelled and the Hull fans greeted that with a massive roar and started singing, you're going home in an Uber, which was going to cost about£150. We really couldn't have got much worse for those United fans who made that trip to Hull today. they've seen the team put in a woeful performance.
20:28All that pre-season optimism has disappeared over the course of 90 minutes and then they've had to face a taxi ride home because the training's been cancelled. It couldn't really have gotten much worse.
Read the full transcript
20:38Dan Thomas:Were Manchester United better when Marcus Rashford came on? Let's talk a little bit about him if we can, Rob, because he's been given the number nine as well. Is that a statement from Carrick? Yeah, I mean, perhaps a little bit. Carrick has been asked about that and said, no, it's just a number. but you have to kind of think that he's been given the number nine shirt because United see him as a key part of their plans going forward. Obviously, he's had to come on today earlier than Michael Carrick would have wanted. He came on at half-time because Patrick Dorgue, who started on the left wing, was dreadful in the first half.
21:07When Marcus came on, I think the first thing to say is that he got a nice reception from Man United fans. There was concerns that he maybe would get a little bit of a mixed response after what's happened over the last 18 months, but he clapped the away fans and they gave him a nice reception. and once he got going on the pitch, he was okay, which really made him far better than most of the United players who played today. He at least tried to get the ball down and attack down that left-hand side. He had a couple of opportunities to create chances and cross and have shots himself. Nothing really came off, but that was really the story of United in general and not just him.
21:40I think at the moment, obviously, we have still got a little bit of time before the transfer deadline. I think if a club, if a big club were to come in with an offer for Marcus Rashford United, would consider that. It doesn't look like that's going to happen at the moment. And as things stand, he's going to be a part of this squad going forward. And judging by the performance today, he's going to have to play a key role because the next time United play against Ipswich at Old Trafford in a week's time, you'd expect that Michael Carrick is going to have to make changes to his starting XI. And one of those changes is that Marcus Ratchett is going to have to start.
22:10Dan Thomas:And what about more incoming players? Did we see today that there is a need for further reinforcements? I think so. we're obviously expecting Carlos Belieber to come in from Brighton they've agreed a£70 million deal with Brighton that should go through next week he will add vital energy in the centre of the pitch one thing United have lacked not just today but over the last few years is legs and athleticism in midfield Carlos Belieber will add that I think you could argue beyond that they're probably short of another left back to help Luke Shaw or at least add competition at left back I think they probably need help up front as well.
22:47They spent a lot of money last summer on revamping their forward line, but you could argue that they still need another centre-forward. Benjamin Sesko has played today for the last 20 minutes, although he's not fully fit. Joshua Xerxi was on the bench today. There's been interest in him from Italy, from Napoli and from Juventus. There is still a chance that he may go. If he was to go, United would have to bring in another option to take the load off Benjamin Sesko. So it was one of those performances where you could watch United today and make a case that they need reinforcements in every single position.
23:18I think the only player who came out of today with any kind of credit at all was probably Senna Lamans, and he's picked the ball out of his net twice. That just kind of sums up where United are and what kind of performance they put in at Hull today.
23:29Dan Thomas:Yeah, so a tough start for Michael Carrick. And as Rob mentioned, it is Ipswich next up, and that is another newly promoted side coming up for Manchester United. Anything you'd like to add before we move on, Stevie? No, not at all. No? Casey? I mean, again, how in your opening match is there not the energy? Yeah, that's right. That would worry me a lot if I was Michael Carrick. Okay. It was a day of upsets and surprises. I like things my way. My coffee, my schedule, and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo Pre-Filled Syringe, which contains F-Gartigamide Alpha and Hyaluronidase QVFC.
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24:59Dan Thomas:Despite a high-spending summer, Tottenham Hotspur lost their Premier League opener away to Brentford. First-half goals from Keane Lewis Potter and Vitaly Janel were followed up by Michael Coyote's finish just four minutes into the second half. 3-0, it would finish to Brentford and a miserable start for Spurs. Is it too soon to say new season, same old Spurs? Well, on that performance, no, because it's the same thing. It's possession, but then look at the shots. It's possession, but where are you going with it? What are you doing with it? But matches are won in the final third and the defensive third.
25:37And Spurs were second best in both. And that's what would worry me. It's nice buying some shiny new toys and doing some things. But where's that grit in the final third? And where's that decisiveness in the attacking third? Defensive third, we're just going to pass the ball around you and put it in the net. and then in the attacking third, we're just going to step on it and play it backwards.
26:04Dan Thomas:Yeah, I mean, it's not the start that would have been expected when you've seen the players that they brought in this summer so far, Stevie. You know, you'd have to be worried. If you're a player, coach, owner, fan of sports, you've got to be worried about what you saw today because they got bullied from the first minute to the last minute. And sometimes in a game like this, you can put it down to well just one of those days but you look at the make up of the Spurs team and the Spurs squad and they don't actually have the physicality to stand up to anybody who's going to bully them I mean they just don't have it even the two most most teams the two hardest guys are the two biggest strongest animals that you rely on are your two centre backs and Van Hecker and Sinise today they got bullied as well.
27:00So where's this strength coming from? So, listen, when they go and play against your Man City's and your Liverpool's and your Arsenal's, it's going to be a game of football. But if I'm anybody else halfway up the table that just wants to stay in the league, all you've got to do is get in the face and out-muscle them and fight them and bully them. Because today they got trodden on.
27:24Dan Thomas:Yeah, it was not a best start for Spurs today. and there'll be a lot of talk about it as well because Rob, after those back-to-back 17th place finishes people are saying it's no way going to be that this season but does that switch expectations a little bit? I think it's a reality check. You know, Casey at the top of the... just said there that we're going to talk about a lot of the same things we spoke about with Man United and that's exactly right. You know, there was a lot of pre-season optimism at Spurs. They've got a manager that they like in Roberto De Zerbe who managed to save them from relegation last season.
27:56They've spent an awful lot of money in the transfer window there was hope at Spurs that they would be able to kick on this season, that there's no European football. It means that they can focus on the Premier League. I've heard Spurs fans talk about the possibility of even making that jump to get back into the Champions League places this season because they've invested so much in the squad. And today the performance just suggests that there are far more problems, far more of the problems from last season that just haven't been addressed. And there was an interview after the game from Archie Gray, and he suggested that Spurs had been outfought today.
28:26Now, that to me is a massive worry. I think it's unforgivable for a football team to be outfought by anyone, but particularly on the opening day of the season, when you can feel that kind of pre-season optimism and the whole season's ahead of you and you don't really know what's going to happen. To admit that you've been outfought on the opening day of the season, I think, would set alarm bells off for Roberto De Zerbi because how is that possible on the opening day? If you're going to fight and match a team ever, presumably that's on the opening day when you're full of energy and full of optimism.
28:57And if it wasn't there today, when is it going to come back and how are they going to rediscover it? But to Stevie's point and Ross's point, who are the fighters? There's a point when sometimes you've got to buy a couple fighters to be able to fight. It looks like they have a bunch of ballplayers who are then like, oh, wait a minute, I don't want to fight with these guys. We're so good, we can play around them. Well, you had fighters in your Champions League winning sides. I played with plenty of fighters on the teams that I played with. But yeah, at some stage, you've got to actually be able to just roll your sleeves up and fight.
29:35But if you don't have anybody on your side who can fight, good luck.
29:40Dan Thomas:Let's talk a little bit about the two names that have come up. Obviously, we know Savino coming in at Spurs. There's a fighter for you. That would help. So that would have helped to do it. Let's roll his sleeves up and get some tackles in for you. So much has been made, Rob, of this 150 million, if it's to come to that with these two players. Did we see today that more players actually are needed here at Spurs? I think more players are needed because recruitment is important. But I want to echo the thoughts of the two guys in the studio. It doesn't matter if you recruit well or badly. If you put 11 players out on the pitch who aren't willing to fight, then it doesn't matter who's out there.
30:19You can go and spend as much money as you want. If the spirit isn't there, then it doesn't matter. Now, Roberto De Zerbi has made a point that he wants reinforcements in attacking areas. The deal with City for Savinho is agreed and that will go through. City are also expecting the Marmouche deal to go through at some stage, although it's not as advanced as the Savinho one. But to go back to the original point, it doesn't actually matter. It doesn't matter who's out on the pitch. if the collective spirit isn't there. Now, it's obviously very early in the season. Spurs, I'm sure, will get better.
30:52I think I counted four new signings in that starting 11. It is going to take time for those new signings to gel. And you would expect that to happen with more time on the training pitch with Roberto De Zerbi. But I imagine he's sat at home now thinking, well, it doesn't actually matter what happens on the training pitch. It matters. The only thing that matters is developing that fighting spirit, that desire to want and go and win football matches. because if that's not there, then it doesn't matter. Nothing else matters. If that's not there, you may as well not turn up.
31:20Dan Thomas:Yeah, so big upsets for both Manchester United and Spurs today and a lot to look ahead to in that Premier League season. Thanks so much for joining us, Rob, to talk more about everything that we did see today. Make sure to check out our YouTube channel where you can stay up to date with extra time. On the latest edition, Casey and Stevie are answering your questions. We must get back out to Spain now because the boys have got a trip on their hand. It is boys on tour. They are in Barcelona right now, but they are heading down to Alicante because tomorrow it's Elche against Barcelona. So, Dan, we need to know more about that game.
31:56Kay Murray:Yes, indeed, Kay. Early start tomorrow. We'll be on a plane. Is that how planes go? That's my plane impression. I hope our plane is better than that. Do you know what? I hope your plane is like that because I'm not joining you. I'll be heading to Madrid for the Atletico game. Of course, you'll go to the Atletico game. I'll be on a train and not on a... Well, me and Ali will be side by side as Barcelona kick off the defence of their title. Rodri won't play. We know that he hasn't trained. He'll train on Monday. The big talking point, inevitably, with Barcelona going into the season, who's going to score the goals, Ali?
32:25Kay Murray:Because Ferran Torres is gone and so is Lewandowski. Well, let's assume that nobody walks through that door, right? And we're also assuming, and I think it's a safe bet, that Julian Alvarez is not coming. And so, assuming that nobody's walking through that door anytime soon for Barcelona, then how do they go about staying competitive and remaining the favorites to win the league and to retain their title? You're going to have to have the very best of Lamin Yaman. You're going to need the very best of Rafinha. But more importantly, you're going to need Rafinha to be on the field, to be fit and ready to go.
32:57Suffered a lot of injuries last season, a lot of soft tissue injuries. That went on to the World Cup, happened with Brazil as well. So he's going to have to be on the field as well. And then the rest are just going to have to fill in the gaps. And the rest is a combo package of all sorts of players that could potentially score goals. We don't know exactly who that player is going to be, but it's Anthony Gordon, it's Hansa Adelcarim, it's Karim Adeyemi, Fermín López, Dani Olmo, a bunch of guys who are capable every so often of scoring goals. And if indeed they take turns to do so, and they do so by committee, then maybe Barcelona are able to fill in that gap.
33:33Kay Murray:We've talked a lot about Julian Alvarez and the possibility of him joining. that looks like that's done doesn't it yeah absolutely all the noise is coming out of Atleti so then who whoever they can get um I know that sounds like a very kind of dismissive way of putting it but I think there's I think thank you sir thank you I think there's an element of that obviously they've tried with Lautaro Martinez they've looked at other players as well but bear in mind that they had a very very clear target and they had what they thought was an approach to make that deal work and I think there has to be some responsibility taken maybe slightly less from Barcelona and more from Julien Alvarez Camp about the way they went about it, about the things that they did that they thought would force the hand of Atletico Madrid and what it actually did was entrench Atletico in saying no.
34:14Kay Murray:So much so that if you look at the timing of what's been said this week it's very, very clear that what Atletico did was go and find out if they could get a sale for Alvarez to somewhere else but not to Barcelona. Gentlemen, thank you very much. Have a lovely trip to Atleti. That game of course on the ESPN app tomorrow and the big one, myself and Ali will be attending. It is Elche against Barcelona. Live tomorrow, you can see that. 3.30 on ABC. Our coverage starts at 3pm Eastern.
34:43Dan Thomas:So, that's what we've seen today. This is what's coming up tomorrow. Brighton against Aston Villa. Manchester City taking on Bournemouth. Newcastle against Liverpool. On Monday, it is Fulham against Chelsea. Alvaro Abelola against Xabi Alonso. But, we want to talk about that game that you see. Newcastle against Liverpool. I'm nervous. You don't know what to think of Liverpool. I really have no idea what we're going to get. I can honestly tell you. You know, normally, normally you can go, well, you know what? I know the defence is going to be tight because we're good solid. I can't say that. I know midfield normally will dominate.
35:21It's just a case of, you know, can we break the opposition down? And then even looking at the front, three. Are they going to score a goal? You've seen it's a bit of a rebuild. I just, I haven't. I have absolutely no idea what to expect. New manager, new, yeah. The only thing that I'm hoping is that Areola, whenever I see Bournemouth sides, they always have an energy about them. Now, they don't always win. But we haven't seen any big clubs show up in the opening match without any energy. No, no. So right now, the only thing I'm hoping for is that energy. and at the end of the day, Liverpool have some talented players and if they can put Areola's energy in it, then we may do something.
36:09But I can't honestly say they will.
36:12Dan Thomas:Let me just add something as well to bear in mind for tomorrow. At St James' Park, there's a Kevin Keegan tribute. Shaka Hislop's gone over there as well. So you can only imagine what the energy's going to be like with already one of the best sets of fans in the Premier League, Stevie. Yeah, I mean, it's going to be... it's going to be frightening the noise you absolutely will be able to cut the atmosphere with a knife, particularly during the tribute, because there will be absolute silence, I mean the guy was a god in Newcastle not quite a god in Liverpool, but not far off it and so that silence is going to be eerie and then of course as soon as the ref blows to get the game going, you're going to have the biggest eruption.
37:00So it would be a great place to be in terms of being a football fan. But after that, I'm worried about the game.
37:08Dan Thomas:So when you get back to Liverpool, we were asked to do our predictions this week, Casey. But to Stevie's point, it's hard to know because you look at the players, they've got some great players in the squad there. You look at Andoni Uriola and you see what he's done before. And so that's why you do have that thought, maybe, maybe. Maybe, but then you're also looking at it and you're saying more players out than in. Where's that? I think for a few years there, we kept thinking, okay, Liverpool are bringing in the piece. The piece are too needed because everything else is in place. This feels more like a little bit longer project than just, we improved a little bit this year.
37:50Now we just need that piece or those two pieces to take us to the title, this feels like a longer project. Yeah. Are you? Are you? Well, I'm hoping to get in the top six right now. And by the way, the only good news for Liverpool is that Newcastle are in a similar situation. Agreed. The only difference is they're going to have this crowd behind them. Big time. But do they have enough, even with the crowd? But see, sometimes when you are in those tribute games, sometimes it takes the focus off of the match and it's more on the tribute. Can Liverpool come in and maybe think that there's a little too much focus on the tribute?
38:37Well, I'm expecting that not to affect Liverpool. I'm expecting if it affects anybody, it'll be Newcastle because of the expectation. So there's a lot of hopes and a lot of ifs and I thinks, but until we get gone, we don't know.
38:55Dan Thomas:So you just scoffed at the word title but do they have the tools to be one of the best challenges to Arsenal this season? No, why not? No chance. I've just sat here and told you defensively they've got problems. They've got problems in the middle of the park. They don't seem to me as though they're going to be able to dominate. More so than any of the other challenges. And going up front.
39:16Man City's still got questions but they're in a better position. Yes, there's questions at Chelsea with Alonso, but they're playing once a week. And you saw what Man United did last season with a squad that's not close to what Chelsea have. Yeah, I just, no, I don't... I can't honestly see Liverpool challenging for the Premier League title. If Liverpool get in the top four, I will be absolutely over the moon.
39:46Dan Thomas:OK, well, we will be talking more about that game on tomorrow's ESPN FC. Be sure to be with us and we'll see what kind of reaction we'll get from Stevie after that match between Newcastle and Liverpool. I'm feeling ill already. I might not make it. Every day on ESPN FC. If you've shopped online, chances are you've bought from a business powered by Shopify. You know that purple ShopPay button you see at checkout? The one that makes buying so incredibly easy? That's Shopify. And there's a reason so many businesses sell with it. because Shopify makes it incredibly easy to start and run your business.
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41:00Your customers already love it. If you want to see less carts being abandoned, it's time for you to head over to Shopify. Sign up for your$1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com slash network. Go to shopify.com slash network, shopify.com slash network. In a contracting business, you're either growing or you're grinding. Success is no longer about hard work alone. It's about using AI to accelerate impact. Service Titan is the only integrated intelligence that seamlessly automates your entire workflow from first call to final invoice. born in the trades built for visionaries ready to stop operating and start automating service titan ai for the trades what about this go lasso for bristol city from don ballard Hi Yeah, you don't see me Yeah, I Yeah Pretty special Are you impressed
42:10Dan Thomas:He just got smacked I'm not a fan I'm not a fan I know you like The class there If that doesn't go in Right I know Ronnie Moran I can hear in my head He'd be saying Why didn't you lay it off He had three options In front of him Lay it off Then he'd smash it in the net It's a reason why It's called a career goal You know what's happened And since we started talking about Liverpool, he's suddenly gone on the kick. Yeah, he's gone nuts. I can't help to wake my brain's wired, can't I? No, you definitely can't. And neither can we. Who's responsible? That's the question. Thank you so much for being with us on the latest edition of ESPN FC.
42:41Dan Thomas:Stick around. These guys will be answering your question in extra time. I've got the questions right here. We'll see you there. Welcome into the latest edition of Extra Time. Stevie and Casey answering your questions today. Let's get started, shall we? Which big six club embarrassed themselves more today, Spurs or Manchester United? Good, Mom. I think so. Yeah, I think simply because of the expectation, two years in a row, 17th place, fighting relegation. Now they put a bunch of money towards the squad and you get thumped away from home. at Brentford, not at Arsenal, not at Man City, but at Brentford.
43:27And the first time I think Spurs had ever lost at Brentford, and you do it convincingly with all this hope and hype and everything else that came along with it. Yeah, the luck game was only three. Yeah, two missed penalty, and yeah, could have been worse. That was more of a shocker. Yeah.
43:44Dan Thomas:Okay, Stevie, what was your chosen snack while watching Manchester United's shambolic performance? Well today I had a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit. A chocolate biscuit? Yeah. Just one? Yeah, A. He's a changed man, Casey. I'm disciplined now, aren't I? Yes, yes. When I think of Stephen, I think of discipline. Well actually I had two, but I gave one to the dog. The dog had tea? The dog wouldn't leave me alone, he'd enjoy watching the game. Ah, okay. But did you have sugar in your tea? No, no, no. Oh, no. No. Well, but caffeine. Never. The caffeine never hurt the dog. Ever since I walked in the building site, I never had sugar in my teeth.
44:28Dan Thomas:Neither do I. No. Yeah. No. No. Not about it. Do you like tea? I don't mind tea, but I'm a coffee guy. I'm Seattle. Oh, class. I know. Okay. Stevie, as a manager, what are you looking for in Liverpool tomorrow as they kick off their season? What do you want to see in the new signings from this summer and the signings that weren't quite a hit from last summer? How long is this? Do you know the first thing I want? A clean sheet. That's the first. If they keep a clean sheet, then you've got a chance. You've almost got a chance. If you don't let goals in, you've always got a chance to build. Because you've got ESAC.
45:10You've got VERS. If they don't, it just takes one opportunity for them and you win the game. And then what happens is you start building and then the confidence grows. And then the opposition start looking at you differently. I mean, it's amazing. Keep a clean sheet and then onwards and upwards.
45:30Dan Thomas:OK. For Casey, as a fellow American, which of these three elevated their status in this country because of the World Cup? Kane, Mbappe or Haaland? And why? I keep thinking of all the Haaland memes that were all over the place. And I think Kane and Mbappe probably already had enough. And then Holland kind of came in like, what is this? And I think the non-football soccer fan kind of looked at this guy and went, this is crazy. And then some of the stats that came out that I think there was one of his runs, I think would have been the third fastest run in the last two years in the NFL. And they think they saw this six foot four Viking running around going, what is this?
46:23And I think then everything that followed with social media. So and then and then how does he top it off? Going home with the stuffed raccoon or whatever. Yeah, I mean, I mean, Holland took it to another level.
46:35Dan Thomas:Yes, he did. Stevie, you were once sold an eleven hundred pound car with fake tires from Alan Hansen, who never mentioned the fake tires until your car broke down. Do you have any other stories of your teammates scamming or pranking you? Got a load of them.
46:57I had just broken into the first team. And Kenny Lovlish was with Puma. And the guy in charge was a guy called Derek Ibbotson. And Ibo actually was a miler in his day. Anyway, I digress. And Kenny came up to me on Friday and said, oh, by the way, because I was buying boots. He said, by the way, he said, Puma wanted to give you some boots. And they wanted to give you some money for wearing them, a contract. I was like, ah, I was trying to keep it all cool. I was like, what? He said, yeah, I said, when's this? He goes, well, he said, he's coming back for Europe. he's actually with all, he's at a track meet because he's with Puma as well, the athletes.
47:46He said, but he's coming back, he's flying into Manchester on Sunday morning. He said, so, he said, if you want to meet him, he'll meet you at the service station there at 11 o 'clock. So I went like that. Aye, well, all right, fine. So I'll go to home, I said to Elna, by the way, you'll never get us. Puma went again and wanted to wear boots. He's like, oh, that's great. and it was all cash as well, right? Under the table job. So, going the next day, Saturday, we got the game, play the game, go home, go out, set the alarm, get up, Sunday morning, me and Elna, we drive to the service station, get there about quarter to eleven, nice and early, so we sit there, so about eleven o 'clock, sat in the cab park.
48:37I'm getting around. Getting about 10 past, quarter past 11.
48:45I'm telling him, he must be inside. So I got out of the car and I walked inside and I walked all around the service station looking for a roadboat. Couldn't find him, came back to the car. It's 11.30 by this time. So I get back to the car and I went, I can't see him, he's not there. She goes, well, can you not go and call him or something? I goes, well, I don't have his number. She goes, well, how did you know to meet him? Have you never spoke to him? I said, well, Kenny told me. She went,
49:21she said, well, I'd known that. We wouldn't be here now. We'd still be in the line in our bed at home. You stupid. I went, well, I didn't. So we go home. I get into training on Monday morning. and Kenny comes in, I'm sat in my chair. And Kenny goes, by the way, he said, I'm sorry. He said, I was just having a laugh on Friday. He said, and I meant to tell you on Saturday about the game and the whole thing. He said, I forgot all about it. He goes, you didn't go, did you? I went, how stupid do you think I am? I was like, of course I didn't go. I knew you were stitching me up the whole time. And then about a week later, we went on a night out and I had too many beers and I told him, I said, by the way, I did go.
50:05He was like, oh, no.
50:08Dan Thomas:See, you know what? You should always listen to your wife. You should have just said that out to her in the beginning. Well, if I told her. Yeah, exactly. But I didn't. OK, good story. What's one thing you are terrible at?
50:24I'll tell you what, OK? Well, I've got a lot of things I'm terrible at, by the way. But sport-wise, I am absolutely garbage at basketball. Okay. I cannot throw a ball in the hoop. Anywhere ball, any other thing with a ball, I'm usually sporting belly. But basketball, garbage. We always enjoyed handing an American football over to the guys who were an American. and have them try to throw it to somebody. That was always extremely entertaining.
51:04Dan Thomas:Because I feel like you watch any American guy and Ogall a lot of the time, they can always throw the spiral. They can all throw a baseball as well. We're like that. Well, unless you play cricket. Because the cricket guys... I play cricket. Well. And I still throw it like that. Like Johnny Kerr. Me and him with his boy. Oh, yeah, he goes on baseball. We're throwing a baseball around, right? I'm like, ah. The two of them are like, ah. Oh. I'm like, ah, my fingers. Craig was a good basketballer, right? Craig was a good basketballer. I threw out a first pitch at the Mariners game during the World Cup.
51:44And it's a little bit of muscle memory, but I definitely wanted to throw a little bit. I had somebody come over to the house and throw a little bit before I went just because it had been so long since. Anyone who looks stupid? Yeah.
51:56Dan Thomas:Anything you're just not good at at all that you're terrible at? I should be a better speller than I am. I was a decent student, and my wife makes fun of me at my spelling, for sure. There and there, I will mess them up constantly, even though I know. But I still do it. So that's the end of Extra Time. But because we had the last game of the day, which was Espanyol against Real Madrid, we've been able to hear from Jose Mourinho speaking after that victory. So here is more from the Real Madrid boss.
52:27We deserved to win, but Espanyol did not deserve to lose. If you know what I mean, we had great control, great pressing, especially in the second half.
52:45We risked a lot and deserved to win. Vinny's no saint, but what they do to him is too much. From the first minute. I think it's something that's game planned. It's something that repeats from every opponent.
53:04I hit him, then you hit him, then I hit him again, and then you hit him again. And if I get a yellow, then you hit him.
53:16He needs to have a great emotional control. I've talked to him about it. I hold him that if he scores a goal, he needs to be attentive to the way he celebrates so that I can have him on the field. It's tough. We live in a social era of anti-bullying. With Vinny, we're still with the bullying.
53:43Dan Thomas:Let's get to what he said here about Vinny. He did start saying Vinny's O Saint, but they do come out for him. I just want to get to the earlier decision in the game, which Ali didn't see too much of. That decision came in the fourth minute when he was fouled and he retaliated afterwards, but you can see why he did. Should that have been a red card? Well, yes, it should have been. But after that, boo-hoo! I mean, come on, give me a break. He's absolutely doing... He's just saying that to try and get on the good side of Vinny. Because Vinny embarrassed himself with the way he was diving about. Might he have said something different to Vinny inside the dressing room?
54:20I don't think so.
54:21Dan Thomas:You don't? No. No. But there's only a way it changes for Vinny, and it changes for Vinny by not reacting, and that you have to be disappointed enough to say, you know what, people and teams understand that if we wind you up, we have a chance of getting you sent off and causing problems and distracting you from, or Vinny, from doing his job. and so until that changes, teams are going to continue to do it. Vinny was inside the box 10 yards from goal, maybe even closer and rather than, he's past the defender and if he stays on his feet, he's got control of the ball. Rather than do that and try and score, Vinny decided to throw himself on the ground.
55:04If he's going to speak to him, he needs to speak to him about that. But not the other ones.
55:12Dan Thomas:Not the first time but the last time we'll be speaking about this with Vinnie Jr. on ESPN FC. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for sending in your questions. Make sure to be back with us tomorrow on ESPN FC.
55:39Buster Olney here for La Quinta by Wyndham. When you're traveling for work during football season, you've already got enough on your plate. That's why La Quinta by Wyndham makes mornings easy with a free breakfast featuring hot waffles and other favorites. Fuel up, tackle the workday, and when the day is over, you've earned a front row seat for kickoff and earned Wyndham Rewards points with every qualified stay. Tonight, La Quinta, tomorrow you shine. Book your next trip at LaQuinta.com. Terms and conditions apply.
From the publisher
The FC crew examine Real Madrid's close call against Espanyol. Ale Moreno, Dan Thomas, and Sid Lowe give a pitch-side analysis of what Jose Mourinho's squad looked like. Then back in the studio, Kay Murray, Steve Nicol, and Kasey Keller discuss Manchester United's stunning loss. They dive into Tottenham's disappointing display and look forward to Liverpool's tough test against Newcastle.
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