In short
ESPN FC episode previews the Champions League final PSG vs Arsenal, discussing tactics, mindset, injuries, and predicted lineups.
Guests
Stuart Robson (former player/analyst; focuses on pressing, defensive matchups, and final experience), Gab Marcotti (ESPN soccer writer; expects an open game and highlights PSG defensive oddities), plus recurring hosts Dan Thomas, Ali Moreno, and Xhaka Hislop.
Key claims
Arsenal may “curveball” with a more aggressive, front-foot approach rather than their usual pressure-absorbing style; PSG’s defense can create problems if Hakimi vacates midfield and leaves Marquinhos 1v1. Robson argues Arsenal can win if they press PSG well, referencing last year’s semifinal where Arsenal dominated early phases. Marcotti and others argue PSG’s experience and Luis Enrique’s evolution matter.
Notable examples
Arsenal’s left-sided build-up/pressing vs PSG last year; PSG counter-attacks that killed games; combined XI includes Saka, Rice, Gabriel, Saliba, and Raya vs PSG midfield quality (Carvajal/“Carrotscalier” and Dembélé). Injury notes: Arteta says Timba and Madueke fit; Luis Enrique says Hakimi will play.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOCoaches' Mindsets for the Final
0:45 to 1:51
Discussion on the mindset of the coaches and their strategies for the final.
“PSG taking on Arsenal, the final frontier.”
Analyzing Team Strengths
1:51 to 3:24
Analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of both PSG and Arsenal.
“Stuart Robson joins us and Gab Marcotti, who will be attending the final.”
The Pressure of Expectations
3:24 to 5:12
Exploring the impact of expectations and pressure on players and coaches.
“And I also think that PSG, and I saw them a lot this season, they do some strange things defensively.”
Experience in Finals
5:12 to 6:26
Discussion on how experience affects performance in finals, focusing on PSG's advantage.
“And it's a challenge that PSG have already been successful at going back to last season.”
Combined XI Discussion
6:26 to 7:45
Building the combined XI of the best players from both teams and their qualities.
“We've talked about Luis Enrique and how he has evolved as a manager from his time with the national team in Spain as to what he has done with PSG, making the tough decisions.”
Predictions for the Final
7:45 to 14:00
Predictions and analysis of how the match might unfold and the potential outcomes.
“There is Robbo back in the day before he hated Arsenal.”
Arsenal's Goal Dilemma
14:00 to 15:10
Discussion on Arsenal's struggles to find a scoring solution against PSG.
“Because also, the question that we've asked for Arsenal for many, many, many months, Where is the big goal coming from if it's not a set piece?”
Arsenal's Goal Dilemma
15:50 to 16:01
Discussion on Arsenal's struggles to find a scoring solution against PSG.
“When you're at work, you never know when you're going to get interrupted.”
Arsenal's Goal Dilemma
16:05 to 16:40
Discussion on Arsenal's struggles to find a scoring solution against PSG.
“V Pro, no matter how many interruptions you have, your laptop won't be one of them.”
Atletico Madrid's Stance on Transfers
16:41 to 19:19
Analysis of Atletico Madrid's communication and transfer strategy regarding their star player.
“someone's been very busy on the atletico madrid official social media site posting a lot and i I mean a lot.”
Show all 19 chapters
Julian Alvarez's Future
19:20 to 21:40
Speculation on the future of Julian Alvarez and the implications of his contract with Atletico.
“I do think at some point, if you're Argentina, if you're Lionel Scaloni, you're wondering, hey, Alvarez, maybe you should kind of say something here or give some sort of indication here?”
Anthony Gordon's Move to Barcelona
24:39 to 28:01
Debate about the implications and expectations surrounding Anthony Gordon's transfer to Barcelona.
“He was officially presented as the latest addition to the squad this afternoon.”
Analyzing Canate's Departure from Liverpool
28:01 to 31:46
Discussion on the unexpected departure of Liverpool's Canate and its implications.
“that had played his last game for Liverpool.”
Analyzing Canate's Departure from Liverpool
31:50 to 32:08
Discussion on the unexpected departure of Liverpool's Canate and its implications.
“That's the energy State Farm brings to insurance.”
Pochettino's Future Amidst World Cup Preparations
32:09 to 40:08
Exploration of Pochettino's position and potential job offers as the World Cup approaches.
“Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.”
Manager of the Year Controversy
42:01 to 43:49
Discussing whether Mikel Arteta deserves the Premier League Manager of the Year award and the changing trends in voter behavior.
“Traditionally, Premier League Manager of the Year goes to the manager who won the league.”
The Lengthy Man City Investigation
43:50 to 46:04
Exploring the prolonged investigation into Manchester City and the implications of the lengthy process for football governance.
“I think Iriola has done a fantastic job at Bournemouth.”
Coaching Dynamics in Serie A
46:05 to 50:48
Analyzing the frequent coaching changes in Serie A and the impact of club ownership on decision-making.
“The unofficial answer is that these guys on the panel, they all have day jobs and they're not getting paid that much to be on the panel.”
Memorable Meals While Traveling
50:49 to 55:08
Recollecting favorite meals experienced during travels, highlighting personal stories and shared experiences.
“Look at Parma, who they get this guy named Carlos Cuesta.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:28So good, so good, so good. Welcome in to the latest edition of ESPN FC. I'm Dan Thomas, joined by Ali Moreno and Xhaka Hislop. In less than 24 hours, we know which team will be crowned Champions of Europe. It is, of course, the Champions League final on Saturday. And what a final. PSG taking on Arsenal, the final frontier. Here are both coaches.
0:55Well, they are defending the trophy. So they were the last ones that had the right to leave that trophy and they are actually the champions and we are here to take that away from them. I think we deserve to win the last Champions League. We were, for me, the best or the better team. And it's more easy when you have the possibilities that we have as a coach and the facilities that the club and, of course, the level of the players that I have to achieve. those goals. And in this moment, we are thinking about the future. The future is winning tomorrow, another important trophy, and that's the goal.
1:37We have to play tomorrow with such a clarity, a lot of courage, and a relentless desire to win. If we have those three aspects, I'm sure that we're going to be close to win. For more on this, let's welcome in. Stuart Robson joins us and Gab Marcotti, who will be attending the final. Gab, you look at this, it really should be a cracker. Yeah, and you know what? I kind of think it will be. A lot of people talk finals. They look at Arsenal defensively. They look at Paris Saint-Germain, obviously much more attacking, but also capable of being patient and playing possession at times. And, you know, some people have sort of predicted something drab, but I'll come out and say it.
2:22I have a sense that Arsenal are going to try to throw a curveball. They're going to go for it. I don't think this is going to be sort of the more conservative Arsenal that we saw for large parts during the run-in. And I think we're going to have a bit of an open game. And it was an open game when they played each other last year as well in the semifinals. So I think Arteta might be tempted to go down that route. Even you, Robbo, with your negative glass half empty ways, You look at this, you've got the best team in Europe against the best team in England. Yes, and I think it will be a good game.
2:58And I think Gab's absolutely right. I think Arteta's got nothing to lose. I saw the three games last year and Arsenal were as good as PSG in most aspects of the play. And they forced PSG to play in areas they didn't really want to play in, or they try and play in where they pass it out to the left, the left-sided centre-half, who passes it out to the left back in the corner area. And Arsenal pressed them quite well. If Arsenal press really, really well, I think they can cause PSG problems and PSG will struggle to find ways through them. And I also think that PSG, and I saw them a lot this season, they do some strange things defensively.
3:29Yeah, they're a good team, but they do some strange things defensively. Hakimi, if he's playing, sometimes goes into midfield and he leaves Marquinhos 1v1 with the wide player. And that happened many, many times over the course of the season. And if they do that against Arsenal, Arsenal might cause them problems. We talk about routine as a player. That's what you kind of hang your hat on. That's what you want. On this sort of occasion, it's impossible to have that though, isn't it? Because you're in a foreign place, a neutral ground, a lot more hype around the game. You've had two weeks since you last kicked the ball, pretty much, building up to this final.
3:59How much of a difference does that make to the player's psyche going into this? And don't forget about the expectations as well. Yes. What you're playing for and what it would mean for Arsenal to win this, what it would mean for PSG to defend their title. So there's a lot of things that go into play. And so as a player, yes, you're trying to find continuity, consistency. What time do I wake up? What time do I have breakfast? When is my training? When do I take my nap? And when is it that we have team meeting? And I can go and repeat that over and over again up until the day of the match and hopefully be ready to play.
4:35Difficult to do because this is not just another match. And as much as a player, you like to tell yourself that and you like to convince yourself of that and the managers will try to convince the player that this is just another game. Do the things that brought you to this point and you'll be successful. We're talking about human beings and we're talking about players with expectations. We're talking about players that want to get the best out of themselves and the best out of their teammates and want to go and achieve these things. So easier said than done. It is a challenge for players to keep perspective and to trust that what got you to this point will be good enough to win tomorrow.
5:09But that is a challenge that each one of these managers is going to have to face. And it's a challenge that PSG have already been successful at going back to last season. Arsenal are going to try to prove that tomorrow. PSG have been here, done it. And how much of a difference does that make? They have that experience and that understanding of what it takes to win a final. And Arsenal are yet two. And that's a challenge. Again, to Ali's point, now for Arsenal, certainly they are players who have not been in this circumstance. I've had to deal with the couple of weeks that have come, the opening whistle can't come soon enough.
5:42That's what you want. That's what everything is geared towards. That's what you're used to. Never mind all the press and all the noise and everything that comes up in the Champions League final. You want that whistle to go, and all those things are long forgotten. It's a difficult ask in terms of the emotion of the game as a team that has not played at this level a final for some time. Also, it's very different in the build-up to the final three stages. Because in the knockout stages, you always have those two legs. And even that is a different game to manage on the one-off final and everything that comes with it.
6:21I think experience counts here. And PSG certainly have that in their favor. Experience not just for the players. You asked me about the players. About the managers. We've talked about Luis Enrique and how he has evolved as a manager from his time with the national team in Spain as to what he has done with PSG, making the tough decisions. Kylian Mbappe, it's just not going to work and somehow we become better without one of the best players on the field and how he's gotten the best out of Dembele and Karaskelia. And you're thinking about all the things that Luis Enrique has done and they go on to win the title as they did last year in Champions League.
6:58We've also talked a lot about Mikel Arteta and the nervous energy that is ongoing in the sidelines. and it's something that is impossible to ignore. How does he handle the moment as well? Is the moment too big for him or is he prepared for this very moment, for these expectations to actually behave like a manager and that his players go and execute a game plan out on the field that allows them to win this title? Now, there are a couple of injury doubts for both sides going into this tie. Arteta confirmed today that Timba and Madueke will be fit. Meanwhile, Luis Enrico is asked about Hakimi and about his fitness.
7:36He says that he will play. Why am I telling you all this? Well, it's very important when you think about, oh yes, the combined 11. Stuart Robson was given the task to do it. There is Robbo back in the day before he hated Arsenal. Way, way back in the day. What have we got? Saka, Rice, Gabriel, Saliba and Rhea. So just about PSG edge here, Robbo. They do. They've got, I think, just about the better players. But I had to put the two centre-halves in for Arsenal because defensively they've been excellent. It's a great combination. They've got a bit of pace. They've got a bit of strength. They know how to play with each other.
8:15Saka, on his day, I think is one of Arsenal's most important players and he can go inside and hit balls with his left foot. And Declan Rice is an outstanding player. Declan Rice is the all-round midfield player. He can be defensive. He can be attacking. He can pass the ball. And then you look at all the PSG players. So much quality. The midfield players can run the game. Carrotscalier, who we know can do anything very, very quickly and cause problems. And Dembele, who has been a revelation since he's been a centre forward. So there's so many good things in the two teams at the moment. Gabs, you concur with that 11?
8:52Yeah, we did this on the Gab and Jules show. Robbo, you'll be pleased to know Jules had exactly the guys you had. I might have gone for Pacho ahead of Gabriel, but there's really very, very little in it. And again, it's interesting because you look at this, they have more players in there. Paris Saint-Germain do. And yet, like we said last year, it was so close to Donnarumma to make all those saves. And a year ago, a lot of these guys weren't available. There was no Gabriel for Arsenal. There was no Havertz, there was no Giochores, there was no Eze. And of course Donnarumma's now gone and replaced by Saffrono.
9:37So, I don't know. For me, we're going to move away. Like I said before, we're going to move away from the script and I think we're going to see a pretty open game. Shall we take a look at the odds? Do you want to add anything to the Combined XI, gentlemen? Sure. Let's take a look at how the bookies have things set. They think the PSG will win back-to-back Champions League titles as they are favourites. Arsenal of course in search of their first ever Champions League win. So what does everybody say? Get ready, get your reading glasses on because we have to fit a lot of people onto this page. There we go.
10:10Oh, me and Jürgen think the same. Wow, that's all you need to know. Is that how Jürgen feels about it? What's wrong with Jürgen? Jürgen's going to Mrs Klinsmann now. See, I told you that. No, if I tell that one. Gab, Kay, Jan, Nadam and Robbo all going for Arsenal. Meanwhile, the rest for PSG. Robbo, I think you going for Arsenal is certainly something that will strike quite the concern for Arsenal fans. It certainly will, yes. But, you know, I explained a bit earlier on why I think, and Gab's absolutely right, the three games last season, Arsenal certainly weren't outplayed. And even though they lost the home leg in the semi-final, the first 25, 30 minutes, Arsenal dominated the play.
10:55PSG couldn't get out. And then they scored a goal on the counter-attack, which just killed off the game. But Arsenal actually played well over the three games. They completely dominated the first one. They caused problems in the second with their attack in play. And they dominated the midfield in the third one, only to be caught on the counter-attack. So I think Arsenal, if they go about the game as they did in those three games, they've got a chance. If they sit back and play as they have done in the game against Athletico, against Sporting Lisbon, then I think they might have a problem. Yeah, that's the thing.
11:26If you're an Arsenal fan, you're full of positivity given what happened throughout the whole season. But then you think back to, say, the Carabao Cup final and the way you approach that game and what happened. So surely from that, you've got to learn your lesson, haven't you? Do you? That's what life's about, isn't it? You should. You should. Life lessons with Dan Toss. You've got to grow and learn. The thing for me is, with Arteta and Arsenal, I think Arsenal are the best defensive team, certainly the most disciplined defensive team in European football. And that's their strength. And maybe that's where Mikel Arteta goes back to, playing to where Arsenal have found similar successes.
12:07Similarly, nobody's going to sit here and expect PSG to sit in a low block and defend. That's just not their strength. So I disagree with Sturz and Gab in that I'm expecting Arsenal, at least for the first 25 minutes, to sit back, kind of try to take some of the emotion out of the game, play their way into it, play their way past that emotion, and then hope for the best. And you've got PSG to win this? I have PSG to win this. 2-0 was my prediction. I'm just not convinced that Arsenal are prepared to play on the front foot in the way that I think they need to, given what we've seen from them in the one final they've played this season.
12:45Your prediction, Ali, was 1-0. Well, and I hope that Gab and Stewie are wrong. I mean, and actually that they're right. I hope that they're right and that Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are willing to go and chase PSG and press PSG and take a step forward rather than taking a step back. But over the last two months or so, what we have seen from Arsenal is that they have a tendency, instead of taking a step forward, they take a step back, and they absorb pressure. And fine, they seem to trust that that's going to be good enough, and they set pieces, and they may have advantage in doing that as well. If they get in a back and forth with PSG, I don't think that's something that Arsenal will be successful doing, because they just don't have enough in the attack, certainly not as compared to PSG, to trouble PSG in the manner in which PSG could trouble Arsenal.
13:39I don't think Arsenal will get after PSG. I think they will absorb pressure. It is what they tend to do. It is what Mikel Arteta tends to do when things get tight. They take a step back rather than a step forward. And in doing that, it allows PSG all the initiative in the game. And then PSG is just going to have to find a way to crack through Arsenal, break them down. It'll take just one goal. Because also, the question that we've asked for Arsenal for many, many, many months, Where is the big goal coming from if it's not a set piece? Well, we don't have that answer just yet. And I don't think they're going to find that answer against PSG in the Champions League final.
14:15PSG, of course, are looking to be only the second team. Oh, look at this! This is my brilliant prediction. OK. Alright. This was in January. I gave a parlay of PSG to win the Champions League, Arsenal to win the Premier League and Spain to win the World Cup. Yeah, but one question. Didn't you just pick Arsenal? Yes, there have been some events over the last few weeks that led up to me changing my mind on Arsenal. Trying to maybe curry favour with certain supporters. Oh my god! Sell out! Sell out! Sell out! Love you Arsenal. Marteta's the best in the world. Very likeable.
14:56PSG looking to be the first team since Real Madrid. Oh, no. What has happened to you? To win back-to-back Champions League titles. Ah, boy.
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16:39atleti have had enough of barter that's the front page of asks that dropped today since then someone's been very busy on the atletico madrid official social media site posting a lot and i I mean a lot. We've tried to pick kind of the best of it. Over the past few months, we've been subjected to a relentless smear campaign against one of our players. Calculated leaks, fake news, constant disrespect, the Kool-Aid version of the propaganda machine inventing little stories, phone calls before head-to-head clashes. But of course, it would never occur to us either to have the vice president of the referees on the payroll or to rely on political favours to register players' respect and values.
17:22An offer is leaked and said that it's been sent, but nothing has arrived here, Atletico. This is over. We're very angry. And this was our way of showing it. What's clear is that Atletico holds all the cards. The player is protected by a€500 million release clause and has a long-term contract until 2030, and we're counting on him for next season. Julian cannot be signed through a fixed fee paid over several years, plus add-ons. It's 500 million euros in cash that would have to be deposited at La Liga headquarters. Agents live for this. It's normal. It's what they usually do because it's their job.
18:00The problem is Barcelona. Take that. Robbo and Gal, I don't get it. They were quite subtle there. What's happened? I love a little bit at the end. hey, it's not the fault of the agent. The agent in this regard, who helps look after Julian Alvarez, also looked after Barcelona's sporting director, and I'm pretty sure was okay with this news coming out in the way it did, through Fabrizio Romano and whatnot. But then in the end, it's not the agent's fault. No, no, no. It's Barcelona's fault. Yeah. Because that particular agent and that agency has a longstanding relationship with Atletico Madrid themselves.
18:47And you want to stay on their good side, too, because you need each other. So, look, agents are going to do their job. If Barcelona leaked this news or the agents leaked the news that there was a 100 million euro offer, but there was no 100 million euro offer. and it doesn't matter because Atleti aren't going to entertain it anyway. All Atleti have to do is say, hey, we didn't receive an offer. Or just say nothing because you've got nothing to respond to if no offer actually came. I don't think$100 million is going to get this done from Atletico's Madrid perspective. I do think at some point, if you're Argentina, if you're Lionel Scaloni, you're wondering, hey, Alvarez, maybe you should kind of say something here or give some sort of indication here?
19:36Because on the one hand, I'd let you say, you're going nowhere and you're happy to stay here and you're much loved and you're key to our plans. But at the same time, some people, whoever they are, are pushing you in the other direction. And Barcelona want you. And there's a World Cup. And you want this wrapped up, I think, as quickly as possible. But I think that's the reality for players. If you're Julien Alvarez, why wouldn't you want to go to Barcelona? Well, you would. So then how do you play this, considering your club has come out and said, well, you're not going unless it's 500 million?
20:09Look, this flirtation has been going on for a while, it seems. It's not just now. And we chose to read this excerpt, but there were other things coming from Atlético Madrid that were quite funny. Bad bunny tickets. Yes. And all sorts of things. In exchange for Pedri or in exchange for this player or that player. And while it is funny, and while they have taken this sort of hard position, does this mean that then Julian Alvarez is going to Barcelona? Because in the end, we have got to understand, as hard as it is, that these contracts that are in place, and these transfer fees that are in place, and these release clauses that are in place, they're all dependent upon the player.
20:57I like to believe that there is power in a contract, old school as I may be. But apparently, if the player just says, nah, I want to leave, then the clubs lose negotiating power. And the longer this goes, and now Atletico Madrid have cornered themselves because they have said, this is not happening. It's over. This is our position. But what if Julian Alvarez says, no, actually, I don't want to stay. I want to leave. And you're forcing this through. and now Atletico Madrid are kind of going, well, we already played our hand. Yes. We already put our cards on the table. It's not happening, but the player says that he doesn't want to stay here.
21:36Julian Alvarez, actually, not Atletico Madrid, Julian Alvarez holds the cards. I believe in contracts, but nowadays contracts seem to be just circumstances and not binding at all. Where will Julian Alvarez be at the start of the season, Gab? Well, just to respond to what Ali said there, he's right, and I think what... At the same time, what could happen if Alvarez says this? Because Atleti would then have the leverage of saying, all right, you don't want to be here. You have a contract for another four years. Obviously, you're not going to just not play football for four years. But then that can also be a marker that's laid down.
22:11OK, we said no to 100 million. Because remember, there were other Cubs that were interested in Julio Alvarez as well. Arsenal, funnily enough, were linked with him. Bayern were linked with him. if we've set the 100 million baseline, Adeti could be coming out and saying, all right, well, we'll never sell you to Barcelona. But hey, Bayern, if you can kick it up to 110, get an attractive offer in place for Julio and Alvarez, let's say Barcelona, of course, still have those financial restrictions. They can probably offer Alvarez more money if it's about money. They can certainly offer Alvarez's agents more money to get the deal done.
22:48So it does complicate things a lot. In terms of where he's going to end up, I genuinely don't know. I mean, given how strongly Atleti came out with this, I don't see how much Barcelona can realistically raise the offer, given, again, they've got these restrictions, given that they just spent money on Anthony Gordon, and given that surely, surely they need to bring in another alternative at centre-back as well. And then it becomes a question of, do you want to go and sacrifice Rafinha? Do you want to sacrifice Fermín López? Fermín López is injured. But do you want to sacrifice Daniel Olmo? Do you want to sacrifice Ferran Torres, who's got a year left?
23:32They've got a lot of financial commitments coming up down the road as well. So they kind of have to thread the needle a little bit here as well. Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start? Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin? Or what that clunking sound from your dryer is? With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro. You just have to hire one. You can hire top-rated pros, see price estimates, and read reviews, all on the Thumbtack app. Download today. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy.
24:10But 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, clickgrainger.com, or just stop by. You mentioned, obviously, Anthony Gordon signing as a Barcelona player this week. He was officially presented as the latest addition to the squad this afternoon.
24:48And he also addressed the press, which he did so in Spanish.
24:54So it's been a long time since Barca didn't invest so much money in a new footballer. So how do you bear that responsibility that they paid almost 80 million euros for a year? I'm ready for this challenge. I'm very aware of the history of this club. and the incredible players that have won this shoot. I wanted to speak Spanish because as a kid, I believed I would play for Barca, believe it or not. I have a physio in Newcastle and we spoke every day and I told them one day I'll play for Barca. So I want to learn Spanish. Oh, God, you are a failure, Dan Thomas. What do you mean a failure? You are a failure.
Read the full transcript
25:32This man has been in Barcelona for 10 minutes and he's addressing the media in Spanish. I don't know. Huh? Can he order two beers at Larry's?
25:43Robbo, it's been a bit of a head scratch of this one for people. Do you agree? It is because is he going to get in the team in front of Yamal or Rafinha unless Rafinha goes somewhere? But I don't think he is. He's going to have to play second fiddle to them. Is he a centre forward? He has played at centre forward for Newcastle, but I don't think that's his best position. He's a player that likes to play on the left wing, which is Rafinha's position. Ferran Torres could also play out there and make those runs from outside to in. So he could be a player that sits on the bench, a bit like Marcus Rashford did, but this time they're actually paying for the player and he's going to be their player.
26:19So it's a little bit of a strange one, but he's a good player. There's no doubt about that. He's got pace. He can do things. He can score goals. He can go past people. But is he better than the two players that are going to play in those wide areas? No, he's not. Meanwhile, Gab, just final on this subject of transfers, what's going on with Kanate? I thought he signed in. I swear we did a segment on him signing a new contract last month, but he's off. I thought so too. I mean, he told us he'd reached a deal. This is an absolute mess. It's extremely embarrassing. First and foremost, the player's been made to look dumb.
26:55From Liverpool's perspective, it's not a good look, not a good situation. After the kind of summer you had before. It's not a question of like, oh, you fools. you should have signed Konante at whatever cost. No. But to have this come out like this at this stage without warning, you know, if you don't want to extend the guy for whatever reason, he's asking too much money and you want to rebuild your back line, you come out and you announce as before and you have replacements lined up. Like, you know, somebody beyond Jeremy Jacquet and Leone, who are still kids and both coming off injuries as well.
27:32That didn't happen. So I think this is a real black eye. I hope we get an explanation. Maybe it's not Liverpool's fault. Maybe it's not Kanate's fault. But more likely, it's both their faults. This is a really, really bad miscommunication. I think somebody dropped the ball here. Beth was talking about this, Xhaka, and she was saying, Kanate on the last day of the season, when Salah was saying goodbye, Robertson was saying goodbye, didn't look like a player that had played his last game for Liverpool. yet from everything we've seen over the last 24 hours, he has. With regards to contract negotiations and the way things play out, are you surprised this has happened?
28:12Absolutely. Listen, from both perspectives, Canate and the club, if his contract is running out and there is no agreement, Sydney not very, very close, then you've got to start making plans for what's to come. Both Canate as a player, where is he going to be playing come August? maybe a good World Cup kind of changes that or offers different options and similarly from Liverpool. Again maybe you see a talented during the next month and a half that kind of sparks that but to be at last day of the season kind of giving the impression at least outwardly that all's well between the two makes absolutely no sense.
28:53I just don't especially in such a key position for Liverpool, where they've had issues, where they don't have that much by way of a ready-made replacement. To just have this kind of fizzling in the way that it did, I did not see this coming. Obviously, Robert, he had a shocker this season. So if they said they weren't going to renew him, people would understand. But I think it's the manner which has taken people by surprise. Well, I think what's happened is that he wasn't sure whether Arna Slott was going to stay. And he probably thought Arna Slott's going to go. We could get Xavi Alonso to come as the manager.
29:29And if that's the case, I want to stay. He might not have had a great relationship with Arna Slott. We don't know that. And then when they've announced that Arna Slott's still going to be the manager for the start of next season, he's thought, maybe I'll move on now. It's not right for me. I'm not happy with what's going on at the moment. So that's why the sudden change of mind when they made sure that, or they said that Arna Slott is still going to be the manager. Go on, Gab. No, no. Look, it's entirely possible this is a stop process. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Even now, it's not 100 % clear to me that Arne Slott will, in fact, be returning as manager next season.
30:08There's a lot of things they need to figure out. The recruitment as well. Are Richard Hughes and Edwards sticking around? If so, in what form? What changes are they going to make? It's obviously all up in the air. I think it could be something more likely that, you know, I don't know if you've ever had this happen to you. you go and you try to buy a house or a car secondhand, and at the last minute, the price changes. Maybe it's representatives or something saying, you know, coming out, we've seen this happen before. They agree everything, and they say, oh, by the way, you need to pay this much in whatever fee, or you need to get this much bonus, or whatever.
30:42Come on, we've done 99 % of it. What's an extra X thousand? And then Liverpool's saying, you know what? Screw this. I don't know who my coach is going to be next season. I don't know who's going to be in charge of the recruitment. I don't want to commit money to somebody into their 30s and then have on the last day somebody go and ask for more money. I'm just saying scenarios, right? It could be any of those things. Certainly, as Beth reported and as was obvious watching television, if Cunate had been leaving, he was the centre-back that delivered the title, they would have given him a send-off.
31:16and I think that's what should have happened. Clearly something's happened in the last couple of days. Second-hand cars. Shaka only buys brand new Maseratis, don't you, Shack? That is it. You see my Ford Fusion? Solid. How many miles? How many miles has he got? He's got over 350 ,000 miles at this point. Just a reminder, extra time is available over on... Oh, Shaka's got his feet. Oh, they were nice, Shack. Yeah, baby. Yeah.
31:46This episode is brought to you by State Farm. You know those friends who support your preference for podcasts over music on road trips? That's the energy State Farm brings to insurance. With over 19 ,000 local agents, they help you find the coverage that fits your needs. So you can spend less time worrying about insurance and more time enjoying the ride. Download the State Farm app or go online at statefarm.com. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. This is what everyone's talking about. everything's on the table this is what champions come to take this is what everyone came to see and the slam no do-overs no second chances no more Mr.
32:30Nice Guy this is winner take all and it's all happening now on the home of the NBA Finals don't miss it June 3rd on ABC and the ESPN app
32:45Okay. Here we go. We had started off with emails from Mauricio Pochettino. Latest thing, of course, for the US coaches is that link to Milan. It's all about this first sentence, really. No, I have not met with AC Milan. It may be possible. My representatives met with AC Milan because they need to do their job. Of course, we have approaches, but that is a conversation. We have friends in football. All my representatives work for me to try to find the best possibility for the future. That is normal. If a club came and said, oh, Maurizio, we want you, but you need to start tomorrow. I say, sorry, I commit with the U.S.
33:21national team. Well, thank you so much. Thank you so much. Right. Will Pochettino be the coach of Milan at the start of the season, Gab? Let's start there. I mean, I have so many things to figure out right now, including who the chief executive is going to be, who the director of football is going to be, who's going to be, what is the process going to be to hire the next coach. I don't think you want Jerry Cardinali and Zlatan Ibrahimovic just going and talking to people. I always love these stories. They come out, oh, he met with Milan. What does that mean? What, the notion of the club? He met with the club crest?
33:57He met with the mascot? Who was he talking to? Did he meet with all the guys? Did he meet with like Fulano and Tare, all the guys who themselves got sacked last Monday? Who the hell did he meet with? And, you know, and I think that's the issue with these stories. I am sure, I'm 100 % certain his representatives are pitching him to Milan, as well as to Bournemouth probably, as well as probably to Liverpool. Anybody who might be looking for a new coach because this deal with the U.S. men's national team is up after the World Cup. That's not a secret. It's normal. Like Pochettino says, they're doing his job.
34:32They're doing their job. It's just that the Midan angle of it got out, and now he's got to deal with this nonsense. I'm sure he's in the process. I think what's pretty obvious is that it can't be a very lengthy, deliberative process or an interview if they want to coach in place by the end of June because he's going to be working at the World Cup. So I think he's just one of many names out there. Midan have a ton of things to figure out. I hope they learn from the mistakes of the past, and they kind of go, you know, start putting the building blocks with the people above before they rush into the coach.
35:08They're looking at other people. I'm sure they would love to take a run at Hidrola, for example. And then they'll see and they'll take it from there. Is this really a big deal, Robbo? It's not a big deal at all because every manager, if his contract's up at the end of the World Cup, he's going to be looking for his next job. the problem for him and the problem for his agents or maybe they've caused it that it's come out so everybody thinks that he's disloyal to the to the US national team but that's not really the case as long as he does his job properly remember Lopetegui when he was manager of Spain before I think it was the Russian World Cup he was the manager and this and let it out that he was going to sign for Real Madrid afterwards and they sacked him two days beforehand I don't think the US national team are going to do that from to Pochettino are they so I don't think he's done too much wrong i think he'll do a good job during the world cup and he'll leave at the end of it no big deal shak but sorry it's right down one thing that is problematic and the i mean you do well to bring up lupet lupetegui there and this is a warning if another club comes forward or if minan tomorrow announced that budget you know is going to start working for them after the world cup well you 100 don't want and this is why lupetegui was turfed out immediately a guy in a big club who's got a four-year contract with a club team who's coaching at a World Cup, inevitably that club team will be on the phone to him every night.
36:32What about signings? What about this guy? What about that guy? And then it becomes a distraction for the coach. This has happened before. It happened with Lopetegui. It happened with Conte. Conte stuck around relatively well before going to Chelsea. But it can definitely become a problem based on the magnitude of the club. So I think that is something to consider. I praise Pochettino for his honesty, but until he's announced, it's not an issue. As I said yesterday, in a vacuum, no, it's not that big an issue. Players do have talks and negotiations with other clubs. That doesn't affect their playing or their professionalism.
37:13And similarly, with this in a vacuum, I don't have an issue with Pochettino or his representatives talking to clubs about what's to come immediately after the World Cup. But we're, what, two, maybe three weeks removed from there being an announcement or something of the other between Pochettino and U.S. Soccer Federation that they're in talks to continue. My bigger issue is here. A couple of months ago, Timothy Weir comes out and says, the ticket prices are just out of control. And the usual soccer fan in the United States won't get to appreciate this tournament for what it is. Pochettino came steaming out the traps to say that he had no place to discuss that that he's a player he's got to work up to think about that's his focus and nothing else you have an issue with Timothy Weir speaking up on behalf of U.S.
38:03soccer fans but it's okay to be carried on conversations with a club about what's to come next for me the hypocrisy is just out of the roof on this one Don't, don't pass down judgment in this holier-than-thou way that Pochettino seemed to do with Timothy Weir and then come back now and try to explain to everybody, yes, it's all right. What's going on here? Nothing to be seen here. It's not me. It's my representatives. That, it just, it beggars belief for me. And it doesn't end there. Again, it doesn't happen in a vacuum. It was reported months ago when Spurs were needing, looking desperately for a manager that Mauricio Pochettino was indeed in conversations with Spurs.
38:49Those were the reports. In fact, when Spurs were playing against Atlético Madrid in Madrid and Mauricio Pochettino was in the stadium, now the conversation there was, was he there to watch Johnny Cardoso or was he there talking to Spurs? Now those were the reports. This is not something that I'm making up. Those were the news that were put out there. So this flirtation of Mauricio Pochettino with other jobs, instead of all the other jobs, instead of the one that he's actually right now in charge of, of a big moment in U.S. soccer history, which is hosting a World Cup. And he is the leader. He's in that leader position.
39:30And he is the one that then is flirting with everybody else. again, it's not in a vacuum. If it was a one-off, you kind of go, well, yes, he's sorting out his future. That's understandable. But I don't know that you do this now. You're hosting a World Cup and you're the leader of the organization. You're the leader of the team that's hosting the World Cup. And you're flirting? Well, not you. Your representatives are flirting. There's a time and a place and it feels like this is not the right time nor the right place to do How many of his sleepless nights do you think he's having over there? Oh, zero.
40:06Zero. If you want to hear more from Shaq on this subject, he's joined by Janusz Hork on the latest edition of Football Americas. That's available to watch now.
40:20That is it. That brings us to the end of today's show. Be sure to stay tuned, though. Plenty of questions on extra time. There's always a smorgasbord of subjects, including what's the best meal that you've ever had? Oh, simple as that. I look forward to Gab's answer. Yes, ham and pineapple pizza. Stay with us.
40:44Oh boy. Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time. We've got Jack and I have... The reason I'm laughing is that we started the show 15 minutes late because of Robbo's technical issues. Yes. And Robbo's not the best technical person in the first place. He's not a calm influence. When you think of calm and relaxed. Patient. Patient. Robbo is in the top of your list. How were you Robbo during it all? I was completely calm. I knew it all came right in the end. Down my hand. Somebody came up. This is it. I wasn't getting, I wasn't having a hot flush. I wasn't getting a fidgety touchy. That's all, as you know Dan.
41:23Would I be like that? Robbo, I've seen you stress and it's very funny. We've done this already. What are the thoughts on Athletics' response on their social media platform and how they used AI to create fake offers for the likes of Pedri, Lamin and Rafinha? Are they just salty? I'm sure with all your social media accounts, you've been following this very closely, Robbo. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, all my social media accounts. Yeah, I'm all over it. I saw all the sort of sarcastic comments that they made. And yeah, it was quite funny, wasn't it? To start with, will Alvarez go to Barcelona? That's the key question.
42:01I think he probably will. Traditionally, Premier League Manager of the Year goes to the manager who won the league. But this season, so many outstanding small English teams winning European trophies or lead their club to European spots, shouldn't the voters pick someone else? Who are these voters and are they just lazy? Oh, no. I think Arteta deserves everything he gets. Dan. That's not what you were saying a few weeks ago, Dan. Sorry, Robert, you've got technical issues again. I can't understand what you're saying. Gab? So, they're either lazy or they're stupid. Oh, wow. And they're also different from the people before.
42:42I looked at this, basically every single year for like the last 12 or 13 years, it's been the guy who won the league, that's correct. The one exception was Jurgen Klopp, the year he finished second in like 99 points. They said, oh, we can't give it to Petr again. But what's really weird, there was a time immediately before that when they felt very different. I looked at the list of managers of the year and you had like Harry Redknapp winning it. Wow. 2009, I think. Alan Pardew. Tony Pulis winning it. So they go from making these, let's say, interesting choices or choices for clubs that had maybe overachieved with more limited budgets, to suddenly, oh, let's just give it to the winner.
43:31So I don't know if somebody upstairs says, like, guys, you've taken this too far. You're being stupid. And so they just decide to hand it to the winner. But I think bottom line is Arteta is very good. He's not the only one who's been tremendous this season. LeBris, Iraola, pick your poison. There's a lot of guys who've done a phenomenal job. Who would you have, Robbo? Who would I have? I think Iriola has done a fantastic job at Bournemouth. They play good football. They've overachieved. They do spend a lot more money than people give them. Didn't win anything, though, did he? Palace won the Conference League.
44:04Villa won the Europa League. Arsenal won the Premier League. Yeah, that doesn't count. Right. I'm going to go for Iriola and the Brentford manager. Because Brentford, at the beginning of the season, when they lost their manager to Spurs... Do you know his name, Robbo? Ended up being disaster, Thomas Frank. No, I don't know. What impression he made. Give him that guy. He did the best job. He did the best job. There we go. For Gab, with 150. They finished much higher than they were meant to. With that guy. Well, so did Sunderland. Everyone had Sunderland going down. Keith Andrews, that's his name.
44:39Keith Andrews. For Gab, oh dear, serious Gab. Here we go. Oh boy. with 115 charges ever be settled in my lifetime? What's taken so long for a judgment? I wrote a whole article about this like a year ago. Oh, why it's taken so long. Did you miss it, Dan? You didn't read it? I was looking up the Brentford manager. No, it's very simple. The weird thing about this, and by the way, I saw somebody put up the stat, but Pep Guardiola was in Manchester City for 10 years. He spent seven and a half of those years under investigation. Whatever way you think about it, whether you think the club are guilty or not guilty, nobody should be spending seven and a half years being investigated.
45:28Nobody. So it's just so unacceptable that it's taking so long. The reality is nobody knows for certain. These three people have gone away. It's been more than 15 months since deliberations. deliberations, sorry, since the case itself finished. They went away for 15 months, and it's taking them this long to either figure out if Man City are guilty, if they're guilty, guilty of what, and then to write what they call the written reasons, which is kind of like the legal thinking behind each one of the charges against them. And they want to apparently make sure that the legal thinking is correct enough that it's not going to be challenged.
46:10So that's kind of the official answer. The unofficial answer is that these guys on the panel, they all have day jobs and they're not getting paid that much to be on the panel. And they have mortgages to pay. So they're not actually devoting this much time to going and producing the written reasons because they might have other cases that they're involved in. I mean, they're lawyers after all, they're judges. So the reason this is taking so long is that they're busy with other stuff and they're not prioritizing this. They already know, broadly speaking, you would hope, how many of the charges Citi are guilty of or not guilty of.
46:55They just have to now take the time to do all that boring legal writing. You can't do that when you've got a day job. Okay. If you would have read the article, you would have gotten that whole breakdown. I'm sorry, this really angers me. The bottom line, I'm not saying the Premier League is the most important thing in the world, but the bottom line is that it shouldn't take 15 months to determine the outcome of these things. 15 months, they're not talking to anybody. They're just sitting there with their legal books reviewing the testimony and the evidence in court. I think along the lines, when they review this, and I'm going to speculate, Premier League should have come up with a much quicker process.
47:43Should have given them more funding so they could go and focus only on this and get this wrapped up. As Kyle Ancinotti said, football is the most important of the least important things. and I don't think this process respects football or football fans, let alone Man City or the other Premier League clubs. I'm going to ask this question instantly regressive. That was the extension on the article. Wait, wait, wait. That was the extension on the article, wasn't it? I just want to ask one thing, Gav. No, don't. Why, when it comes to other clubs, is everything so much quicker? Well, if you ask legal minds, they say, but this case is so complicated.
48:23cities are so litigious if we get one comma wrong uh they're going to they could sue they could appeal um they come up with all sorts of reasons um other cases normally are a lot simpler right hey was the guy hiding behind the tree in the case was he filming or not and then they asked oh yeah sorry we've been fine okay that's easy bish bash bosh this is a lot a lot more complicated it's actually 130 charges apparently. They haven't even bothered to change the stupid name because it's been going on for so long. We start calling it, oh, 130 charges. You know why with 115 charges? They miscounted a press release and they said 115 charges and then people look at this, wait a minute, you've actually charged them with 130 counts, not 115.
49:16Oh yeah, sorry. I mean, this is how cack-handed this whole thing has been. The guy in the hotel room next to you, Gab, is going to be like, why is he even shouting after the 15? What is he charging? What's going on? Right, Xhaka, who has the better season? Crystal Palace, Manchester United or Aston Villa?
49:38Aston Villa. You finish in Champions League sports, you've won the Europa League. Aston Villa. For the panel, what on earth is happening to Serie A? Oh, no. The panel? The panel, really? It seems like it's one person in the panel. That bloke in the hotel room next to him is getting ready. Why are all the coaches moving around from one team to another in spite of repeated disappointing results? Oh, you mean like Sarri leaving Lazio to go to Atalanta, Allegri stinking it up at Milan to go to Napoli? Because unfortunately we have a group of owners in Serie A, Not all of them, but who are totally unimaginative when it comes to people who buy into the fan reaction.
50:28They worry about the media reaction. And so, you know, they prefer going and like reheating people. We call it minestres caldati. You know, when you reheat your soup, you may make soup on a Monday and it gets served to you again by Wednesday over and over again. That's what they're doing with these people. And frankly, embarrassing. But there is a positive in all this. Clubs who don't do that do well. Look at Inter with Kivu. Look at Como with Cesc Fabregas. Look at Parma, who they get this guy named Carlos Cuesta. Nobody knew who he was. He's like on the side of the milk carton. He was actually Arpeta's like third or fourth in commanded Arsenal.
51:09And they have a good season. And they stay out. So when you think outside the box even a little bit, you get results. Otherwise, you go down the same nonsense with Sarri. Oh, and my favourite part, Rino Gattuso to Lazio. Hey, how about that? He was so impressive leading Italy. Yeah, let's reward him with Lazio. Come on now. Robbo, the Ballon d 'Or ceremony is in October. Will you be going... Oh, sorry. The Ballon d 'Or ceremony is in October. It's going to be moving from Paris to London this year. Will you be expecting an invite and will you attend? Well, first of all, I won't be expecting an invite.
51:45and if I was given an invite, I wouldn't go anyway because it's not something I particularly believe in. No. It's, as Frank Le Boerth would always say, it's a team game and all that sort of stuff. Yes. And it's not about individual players. You know, the results are on the pitch. That's all you have to worry about. Good players play well and good teams win games. You don't need something else. And you win the league, you get a trophy. If you win the European Cup, you get another trophy. If you win the Carabao Cup, you get a trophy. You don't need a Ballon d 'Or to put on your mental piece as well.
52:20What a massive surprise as an answer. Gav, why do you always use full names of fellow ESPN pundits when you refer to them on the podcast? What, on the Gavin George show? Yes. Well, because there may be some people, believe it or not, we have our own audience. There might be some people who don't watch the FC show and there might be people who watch the FC show who don't listen to the podcast, although very few and it would be irrelevant to your question anyway. So yes, the reason I don't just mention Craig is that how the hell are they going to know who I'm talking about? They might not be watching the FC show.
52:57They might be thinking about another tall, grumpy Scotsman named Craig. So yeah, that's essentially the reason. Let me say, is that tall? I'm quite sure. What's the best meal that you've ever had while traveling? Let's start off with Mr. Marcotti. The smokehouse in Cardiff where you had the peanut butter, what was it, the peanut butter martini? Yes, oh man. I had a tremendous meal in Rio de Janeiro, actually. I forget the name of the restaurant, but it was in sort of, I think it's called Santa Marta or Santa Caterina or something like that, which is sort of this neighborhood overlooking overlooking Rio.
53:38While traveling, especially to a tournament, that was probably my number one meal. Nice one. Robert, do you have a favorite meal on your travels? I do, yes. I've been to Coworth Park, and had a tasting menu there, which was absolutely fantastic. And I went to Milan once, I think Gab was there, and I ordered something. I wanted the menu along with Ali, and we weren't allowed to see the menu. So I'm not sure, not sure what the meal was in the end, because Gab said we weren't allowed to look at the menu. Do you remember that? Not the sort of restaurant where you look at a menu. Well, to know what I'm going to eat, probably.
54:17The guy tells you what you're going to eat. Honestly, you can't take these people anywhere. Shaka. I went to Capri with my lovely wife many a year ago. And everything there was really good, Dad. That's all I've got for you. OK, thanks very much, Jack. Ali? You know this well, Dan, and I hope you agree with me. It wasn't just about the meal. It was also about the company. That was very nice. In Milan. Covering Champions League final. Yeah. My lovely wife was there. You were there as well. She wasn't at the meal, though, was she? Yes, she was. It was memorable that she was there. I don't remember that at all.
54:58I thought it was just me and you. And Melissa was in that meal, too. She was, she was, yes. Yes, where Gap was not allowing people to order from the menu. Yeah, but that was awesome. That's a very, very... What a wonderful experience that was. Yeah, that was brilliant. Very nice. What a lovely way to win. That is it. That brings us to the end of today's show. Just shout 115 for us again, Cam. Charges! 115 charges! The prep release! We will be back tomorrow for the Champions League final. Who will it be, PSG or Arsenal?
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From the publisher
The FC Crew preview Saturday's UEFA Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal, breaking what this match means for each club. Also, Atletico Madrid hit back at Barcelona on social media amid Barca's pursuit of Julian Alvarez. Then, reactions to Anthony Gordon officially signing for Barcelona and Pochettino's comments on his link to AC Milan.
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