Real Madrid Silences Barcelona

24:47Literally a 12-game scoring streak for the big Norwegian. They're coming to an end today. Frank, but just hearing Stevie say, you know, you're wondering if Pep has an answer And if he's looking for one, who does he look to for it at this point? Well, it's hard to say. He has all the tools and all the elements to individuals to find the thing. But today, you cannot deny that at the end of the game, in the last 20 minutes, City tried everything to score a goal. They scored one. Mahmoud was offside. But you have to give credit to the opponents. I mean, you have Martinez in goal, World Cup winner.

25:24and in the middle of the park, Kamara, McKean, and with the last one, Onana. They were tremendous today. They worked so hard. On top of it, Matikash, Pau Torres, everybody at the back, and of course Martinez. They played for their lives, and they were counter all attacks from Manchester City. They worked so hard. It would have been another team. Maybe City would have won that game, but you have to give credit to the villains. I mean, they worked very hard. They scored a beautiful goal from Mati Cash, and they never gave up. And it's maybe why Manchester City didn't win. I mean, the post-conference, the press conference that Guadalas made, he said that he was very happy with the team, that he said they didn't score a goal, but he was very happy because they created a lot.

26:15And I still kind of agree with him. It would have been, again, against another team. We opened up a little bit more. I think City would have won. So trying to complain or to criticise City today is pretty harsh for me because they're not the city that we used to see. They have maybe the talent to go forward and they didn't show that today. And it's true that Ireland didn't score that goal, which normally makes a difference. But it wasn't the bats Manchester City today. There's one thing that might change it. The only problem is, I don't see how Pitt changes his philosophy. Because the one thing that you know when you play against Man City is they'll let you get back behind the ball.

27:05They don't look forward early enough or quick enough. That is the only thing that would change this City side. Clearly, when they have to break a team down, they've shown in nine games that they can't do it consistently. And so they have to go forward quicker. But that goes against the things that Pep's looking for. It's all about keeping the ball. It's more important if we have the ball. Well, it's not working. And unless you change it, you're going to go through the season winning games, drawing games, losing games because of it. So if you want to change, then that's the way to change it. Look forward early.

27:46You'll get more goals from Haaland, but what you'll do is you'll open up space for the others to get a goal. The biggest thing you need to do is get a goal. Somebody needs to get a goal just to get the cobwebs away, brush the cobwebs all away. But unless they go forward earlier, you wonder if it's ever going to happen. Well, let's bring back the Premier League table as it stands right now. Just as a reminder, Arsenal, there are four points clear at the top. Jules, let me come to you for this one because you're the one that reminded us that, look, we're still only in October, a lot of football left to play.

28:16We're looking at that top four that has Sunderland and Bournemouth. And then you're looking at the top five. That's where you'll find Manchester City. Down in seventh is Liverpool. I'm not even going to throw Manchester United into the title race conversation. But you said that you expect people to still kind of challenge Arsenal because there's a lot of football left to play. But where is that challenge coming from? We still come from Tottenham. There's a North London derby coming up very soon, I think, in three weeks or so, after the international break in November. There will be bigger games.

28:49Liverpool will come to the Emirates. Arsenal will have to go to the Etihad to play Man City too. So there's still a lot of games to play. But the boys are right. They are currently the best team in the Premier League. They are one of the best teams in Europe. You don't see them giving away anything, as we mentioned earlier. And once your character is probably a bit more settled and integrated in this structure, once the guard comes back as well, they should be even stronger. That's true. But then you also know that Liverpool will get better. They have to. United are already improving. The City will also get better once others start scoring and not just earning Ireland.

29:25So it's obviously not over. But you are a quarter through the season. And if you're to Laos at the start of the season, considering the start and the fixtures they've had so far, We mentioned aware of Newcastle already, aware of Liverpool already, aware of United already. I hope to City, to have that amount of points and be that clear with that goal difference, they would have signed with their two hands, two feet, two legs, two anything you want, really. So, of course, they are in the best position possible. Stevie, which teams or team can you see stopping Arsenal? I don't know. I honestly don't know.

29:58You just tell me this is Arsenal's to lose. Well, you can't rely on City. You can't rely on Liverpool. I mean, Bournemouth aren't going to stay up there. Sunderland aren't going to stay up there. You know, the team that look as consistent or as close to the consistency that Arsenal has shown is Spurs. But they're a little weak up front, in my opinion. So I can't honestly turn around and say I expect this team to be hanging on to the coattails of Arsenal. because right now I feel as though it's Arsenal's to lose. That's kind of how I feel this early. Wow. Arsenal fans living the dream right now.

30:39Speaking of Spurs, they were also in action today.

30:52Three minutes in. That piece of play sums up the problem that Everton have, the biggest problem they have. They have nobody up front. They have nobody up front. 19 minutes in now. Kudas here with a corner. Headed to the post. But Mickey Vandervan gives Spurs the 1-0 lead. Yeah, nice set play. Bettencourt comes late into the far post. Heads it back across. Vandervan, right place, right time. 24 minutes in now. And here we go. Everton. Garner thinking he has this goal, but then the goalkeeper appears to be impeded. Oh, he is impeded. He's impeded by two players who are both offside. Good call by VAR.

31:40You're loving VAR today. 51st minute, Van der Van once again from the corner. Spurs 2-0. Yeah, Pickford's got to do better here. You know, Pickford's size and just his physique goes against him with situations like that. 89th minute now. Do Spurs have one more in them? and they do. It's Saar scoring from close range 3-0 to Spurs. Beautiful cushioned header from Chelsea. Yes indeed. So the Spurs do go marching on in this one. Everton snapping or having their unbeaten streak at their new stadium snapped here. That's it for the show. Don't go anywhere. Extra time is next.

32:25Welcome into Extra time. Alexis Nunez here with Stevie, Frank and Jules still hanging with us. Let's get right into these questions. Hopefully there's not many Liverpool ones because Stevie's rattled. Rattled. You're rattled. I'm annoyed. You're annoyed. With me or Liverpool? Let's be honest. Just let me have a moment, Stevie. It's not often I get these moments. All right. First question from Anders. was Dani Carvajal in the right to approach Lamin Yamal post-match to confront him about talking too much about Real Madrid. Jules, what do you think? I just think it was inevitable. You knew at the end of the game this would happen.

33:04It was a very feisty game. There was a lot of tension from the beginning. It was a tight game still. And you knew at some point, especially if Real Madrid won that game, that it would come after Lamin, whether you agree or not, whether you like it or not. We discussed it a bit on the show before. of course, and the boys, Makan, everybody discussed it too, whether you like it or not. For me, this was inevitable, especially after the way Robert Goodborn to see Vinny, to see Carvajal go after Lamine, and Lamine responding, to be fair, and this is what we're going to have for the next 10 years or so.

33:36Yeah, well, I mean, it's interesting to see this one, because even Frankie de Jong came out after the game and said, look, both of them are teammates on the national team. Surely, especially as one of the more senior players in Dani Carvajal, you pull the young man aside and talk in private you don't make a big show of it's on the pitch stevie uh unfortunately that's the very sensible adult approach however when a game of football is started then all bets are off and as soon as the game as soon as that final whistle goes there are all kinds of things going through your head and considering what yamal said i have no problem with danny carbajal just quietly reminding him to keep his trap shut in future.

34:16Yeah, you weren't a fan of what La Minha meant. No, it's so stupid. You know, football players don't need any more encouragement to go after the opposition. But he's not a big classical... Don't be stupid. And I'll tell you what, his manager, his manager should sit him down and say, Ray, if you didn't believe me, because I'm assuming he's had to have told them about speaking out. Yeah. But you should sit him down on Monday morning and show him the end of the game and just point the finger and say you're responsible for the majority of that. Exactly. And try and get the point over to Jamal to just keep your mouth closed, do all your talking on the field, and everything will be a lot easier.

34:59Frank? Yeah, I agree with the guys. I mean, Lamine Jamal is very young. Maybe he's an experience in that matter. Even if I don't think so, I think he was looking for that. But if you are if you're a Real Madrid player You say well, you know what? What I feel inside me before a game like that will be 10 times bigger because I want to make sure that I'm gonna Shut his mouth and I'm gonna tell him after the game and he always been like that With all due respect to Lamine Yamal with all his talent Danny Cavaral even if he's a teammate I'm gonna tell him and he would have been the same with Thierry Henry with me playing for Monaco and me playing for Marseille or Strasbourg or you're playing in Europe with Chelsea against Monaco and the young Thierry Henry opening his mask and I would have played with him like 15 days after with the national team and I would have gone to him at the end of the game say well Thierry you know what shut up but Thierry was smart enough to have never done that because he knew it doesn't help your team it doesn't help your team it doesn't help your image I think Lamine Yamal made a mistake and And he paid for that.

36:08Yep, indeed. Next question, shall we? Although I do love it when there's some fireworks. It's a little classical. We need someone talking out a turn. At least for us in the media. We live for it. Next question, though. What is Liverpool's biggest challenge in the back line? What caused it? And how would the panel fix it? Stevie, let's start with you. You look perplexed. How long have we got? Oh, as long as we need. You can go along the four along the back and question everything they're doing. And the only thing that would make a difference is changing it. But who are they going to change it with?

36:52Joe Gomez, who's been out for forever. So you get on the training field and you try and get some sort of cohesion together and if it means you're there at nine in the morning until nine at night to work on certain things so that you actually become one which they previously were, this time last year they absolutely were one now they're absolutely all over the shop. So the only thing you can do when you can't change the personnel is get out and start working with them. Nothing else is going to change it. You don't get a wee magic wand just before the kickoff and you sprinkle it on everybody and all of a sudden everyone's all right.

37:34It's called hard work and it's called getting on the training field and doing it that way. That's where you do it. That's where it comes from. Frank? Yeah, well, you know what? They didn't lose the talent that they had last season and the mojo that they had. It didn't vanish like that. So it's all about working week in, week out, all together. They're also psychologically working together to know that everybody depends on the others. And it's what happened last season. It's what happened every time Liverpool won a title. It's because they worked hard together and they were trying to help each other, which is not the case right now.

38:12The individuals, they're not a team. They're not even a squad. And it's why they fall apart. And that's what it is in football. And it's what they have to find back. but as Stevie said, it's only working every day during training session that you could see the change in the weekend. You know, in my time and I think Frank's time was pretty similar, when you had a situation like that, Ronnie Moran would turn around to us and say, it's about time you lot went for a beer, isn't it? Because you can sort, you know, people always laughed at us when we said, how do you sort things out? We said, we'll go for a beer.

38:54They'd be like, oh, yeah, yeah. But it actually works. Because what happens is, everybody starts off very quiet, and you have a little beer, and then when you're two or three down, people start talking. And then you start really... You get it out. You get everything out, and when you've got a problem with somebody, you get it out. And then what happens is, it galvanises you. So that you may still make some mistakes, but when it galvanises you, somebody's going to be there to cover up your mistake and because of that you reciprocate and you do the same so when you get a back four who are all covering each other's backside when the mistake comes along or a little error in possession or or positioning whatever it is that's the start that's that's the start yes you go on the field and you train and you practice things but you need a togetherness you need four guys looking after each other's back.

39:48And once you get that, it's amazing the difference how defenders respond to it. Stevie, they don't drink anymore. They don't smoke. They don't party. They go home and they play PlayStation. Yes, yeah, but they don't have the fighting spirit that we had. We were drunk, but we had that fighting spirit. Well, we need to start them. There you go. Oh, the game's gone. But you know what? Jules always has everybody's number. Jules, I don't know if you have Virgil van Dijk's number. to call him up so when he has another crisis meeting, he should probably do it in one of the many pubs in Liverpool. Yeah, I know.

40:24I agree with the boys. I also think that there's a structure to find, a right balance to find for Arnish. We can look at the back four, of course, and rightly so. But this Liverpool team has been too open at times, really too open. They've been basketball games, and this is not how you win games certainly not in the Premier League. So whether you saw your midfield first as well as your back four, whether you go and sign another defensive midfield, in January, another centre back in January maybe, but January is in another two months. So you still have all of November, all of December to go through.

40:54So work with these players to find the right balance, the right structure as well. All right, shall we go to the next question? Because it's back to El Clásico. While the result was 2-1, Madrid completely dominated Barcelona. Do you think Madrid will capitalise on this and play better from this point onwards? Well if there's one thing winning a big game like this does is it pushes you forward in terms of believing. And so when you've got a living guy stepping on the field who believe that they're the best, we're going to show we're the best, then absolutely it just pushes you forward, no question.

41:32Yeah and it helped that they lost every single Clásico to Barcelona last season, Frank, but now they finally broke that streak, that must be mentally such a good thing. Yeah, that's a ton of events for them and psychologically will bring so much confidence and hope for the rest of the season. And even if they are big stars and they know their football, they know that working together very hard will bring them something. Today, especially defensively, they were good. Well, they weren't dominating the game like Roy Kamath is saying because Bassa had most of the time the ball, but they were solid.

42:10They were working all together and in the Clásico it's always about details. And I guess they sorted out more details than Barcelona did. So it will bring something special to the merengue for sure. Jules, do you see Madrid getting better and better now? Yeah, I think they have to. In the same way that they were not too down when they got smashed by Atlético and if you think about it, they reacted quite well to that heavy defeat. they can't get too carried away either by this win. It was better collectively, certainly especially in the first half of what we've seen before where really Mbappe has been carrying this team through the season so far.

42:49So let's keep building that collective strength but don't get carried away either because there's still a lot of things to work on. All right, pushing on to the next question which I think Stevie's going to absolutely love. Percentage chance that Manchester United finish above Liverpool. You guys may have laughed off this question the other day but surely it's a serious debate to be had now considering how poor Liverpool is. Let me just say I did not send this question in.

43:16Well, if you want to be really... You should answer, Alexi. No, no. If it's one thing, I may be a Manchester United supporter. We know the answer. But I am realistic and I'm very pessimistic. If you want to be really rational about this and take the red glasses or the red shirt or whatever you wear... If it's one thing we are, it's rational. And just look at it. Manchester United can't get much better. Liverpool are a mile off what they're capable of. So right now you have to say that United will not finish above Liverpool. Ooh, Frank, what do you think? Manchester United can't get much better?

43:58I'm quite like Stevie. Even if I think that what I see changing is the way that they work together. where before they were more like individuals, you know, playing a part from the others. The last game and the game before, I found that there was a fighting spirit that I didn't see for a while at United. So there are hopes for the fans, but I think we're still far, far away from the top. And like Arsenal, I guess Liverpool's going to come back, even Tottenham getting better. Hopefully Chelsea is going to get better, hopefully. But at the end of the day, I think I'm quite surprised with what I see with Manchester United because I didn't expect to see them being that good, I would say.

44:50Jules? I would love to say for you, Alexis, that United will finish above Liverpool, but I'm sorry. I have to go with the boys. I still think they are a little bit behind. They are improving. Certainly, there's a lot of things, even through data that we see and stats that we see that are better than last season or the season before. I still don't think they belong to that top top of the Premier League just yet. Listen, I wasn't saying I agreed with it, you know. But you do. No, I definitely do. It's Manchester United finish above Liverpool this season. I'm taking everybody out for dinner and you can order whatever you want.

45:26Nothing is off limits. Remember that, I said that here.

45:33I'm still changing my mind. You can have the dinner, I'll have the beer. You'll have the beer. Oh, a cheap day, that's fine. I know Frank can, well, Jules is also a cheap day because he only drinks water, but Frank will be ordering that champagne that much. I do know. Oh, yes, it will be champagne. It will be champagne, but I have to tell you, be careful with Stevie, because I went out with Stevie. Stevie doesn't eat, he only drinks. So be careful, the amount of beer would be really above your expectancy. All right, maybe I shouldn't have even offered dinner. I should have just offered drinks.

46:04Start saving now. Start saving. Okay, all right. Well, that means that you're expecting United to finish ahead of Liverpool. No, I think you just need to cover your bases. Okay, fair. All right, I love that. Next question. How should Xabi Alonso handle Vinny Jr.'s public dissent at him being substituted? Stevie, you hated seeing this. I absolutely think, I always hate, and I always talk against it when a manager publicly criticises one of his players. But there is always the exception, and this is the time to do it. Particularly after you win. Absolutely he has to publicly tell everybody that this behaviour is unacceptable for a Real Madrid football player and leave it and make sure the message is clear and it's obvious who we're talking about You don't even have to name them You just come out and say I will not be putting up with this behaviour from any of my players This is unbecoming of a Real Madrid footballer we're we're not about that we're about class that that to me is how you handle it and you absolutely put it in the press frank um yeah i agree for the public side of it but internally in the dressing room i will put vinnie suginior in front of his uh his acts uh in front of the others and i would say you know what that's the first time and the last time what you showed today he shows selfishness and on top of it you say to the world that you don't understand why Rodrigo comes in because you're much stronger in your head than him so you didn't respect your teammate you don't respect the dressing room you don't respect my decision so I want you to apologize in front of your teammates because that's impossible it's unforgivable what you've done to the to the wood and you show to the world because yes you have talent yes you're a big player but you belong to a squad so you respect the others so apologize to Rodrigo please wow name them and shame them that's the Frank LaBeouf way Jules do you want to chime in yeah but the only thing that I find even more disappointing is this is not the first time this season and I would have expected already Xabi Alonso to maybe add the words with Vinicius about his behavior when he's not starting or when he's coming off before the 19th minute before the end of the game and yet he does it again in the biggest game of all games in the whole world and that's why I'm really disappointed in Vinny because I thought Vinny had gone past that really yeah clearly not do you did you bench him for the next game is there a fine coming probably a bit of that as well I think sometimes that's that's the way players understand yeah one thing that we've been applauding Xavi for is his man management up until this point so I guess we will see how that pans out next question probably too premature but does Arnes Slott have enough equity to last the entire season, even if the slide at Liverpool continues.

49:12Yes! Ladies, come on. Leave him alone. We'll nip that one in the box. Hedges has to be a man you're at 85. Has to be. This is Hedges' question. Has to be. Everton. Everton. The Toffees. Jules, what about you? What do you think? Because you're the actual journalist here that has the ears on the ground. How much equity do you think he does have? If this Liverpool slide continues. Plenty. He's got nothing to worry about. The club is definitely behind him, 100%. This is a bad patch for sure, but he's going to work things out. They're going to get much better. They're going to finish high in the league.

49:53And there's no worry for him to have about his job at all. But there's work to do, for sure. And last season was a marvellous season on every level for him. and now you just, you know, has to go down to work and make it work. Hey, this is the thing. People forget. Yeah. It wasn't that long ago that Liverpool almost never got in the top four to qualify for the Champions League with Klopp. I didn't hear anybody asking for Klopp to be sacked if they didn't get in the top four or anything like that. But now you've tasted success. You've tasted success. Back to back to back. Klopp did the same. you won the Champions League in the league and then almost didn't qualify for the Champions League.

50:39You wouldn't have sacked him, would you? Yeah, but Stevie, Stevie, a year ago, I would say it started a year ago, maybe a little bit later, November, December, everybody agreed that Liverpool were the best team in the world and would win everything, everything, the four titles and the collapse. I have to say the collapse regarding to what they were capable of doing. And you have to agree with me that the Champions League, the FA Cup, the Charity Shield, whatever. No, not Charity Shield. The other one, the League Cup. They didn't achieve anything. Yeah, Carabao Cup. They dropped for the past four or five months of the Premier League.

51:20They started to drop. So it's been more than almost a year that we don't recognize the Liverpool that we have seen. so there is something well he has all the equity that he needs to stay but I would be the board I would say man ok but you have to work hard you have to do something because for a while we are not recognizing what Klopp was doing at the end and what you did for the first five months so that has to be back you agreed with him there well he's not wrong I mean you know, the Champions League exit was sort of the start of the slide. You lose the FA Cup because you play your resis. Carabao's a bit the same.

52:07So, yeah, I guess if you really look at it, the worry would be that as bad as the start's been, it actually did start, I wouldn't go far back to say five months towards the end of the season, but the last, what, nine weeks? weren't good. So, yeah, that would be the only, that would be the real concern. Jules, you had a final thing to say on this? No, I agree, yeah. I agree with the boys. And again, it'd be very interesting to see, you know, what happens. He was bold, I think, and brave enough to drop Mo Salah, for example, in the Champions League game, the two Champions League games, and put him on the bench.

52:46Let's see what happens, for example, now they play in the League Cup, and then they will have the league, and then the Champions League again next week. So there's four games to come. the space of just, what, two weeks or so? So there's a lot of football to be playing, not much time to work on a training ground, but he needs something now. All right, final question now. This one, sorry, Jules, but it's for Stevie and Frank. You'll understand why. If someone recognises you from your playing days, are they more likely to mention a great play that you made or a mistake? Well, it depends where you go.

53:22Liverpool are great play. Scotland a mistake? Correct. If I go to Liverpool, then yes, great play. Anytime I ever go to Scotland, the first thing everybody ever says to me is, oh, I remember you missed that chance against... I'm like, oh, cheers, thanks. So it does, it depends where you go. Scotland, Pelters. Liverpool, pats on the back. Pats on the back indeed. Frank, what about you? Let me guess, for France, it was definitely all the great plays, but for Chelsea mistakes? Oh no, no, no, for France I did horrible mistakes with Marseille against Paris Saint-Germain and once a month, you know, somebody sent me a video with me giving a fantastic assist to Ronaldinho scoring a goal at home at the Velodrome against us.

54:14It's part of it, you know, people did tease, I live in Paris and I was the captain of Marseille So once in a while, I have somebody, you know, reminding me one of the mistakes that I made. But I remember going to Newcastle as well. And I tried to put the ball with my head to my goalkeeper. And I think Alain Chirac got it and scored. So sometimes, you know, you go there and say, well, thank you for the assist, Frankie. And I say, well, I don't mention it. But, you know, that's details. That's details. We have to look at the big picture. But we made mistakes. We're only humans. Jules, when you recognize Frank, do you remind him of his mistakes for France or any great place?

54:51Never. He's your legend. He's my friend. Exactly. I remind him of the World Cup final. Aww. Aww, look at that. Yeah, he's my brother. Frenchies unite. Frenchies unite. I only remind Stevie of his great place for Liverpool, even though I wasn't born when they were going on. But I do have black and white videos. It was a real luck. It was a real luck. It was a real luck. I was trying to tee up something. I mean, of all the weekends, there'll be two days in a row over here. Just let me have two happy days. I've not had two happy days in a row. No, you've had two happy days. I've not. Well, that's true.

55:25But you know what? Everything in seasons. Everything in seasons. All right, that's it for Extra Time. Thanks, guys, and thanks to everyone for sending in your questions. The good news is we will be back on ESPN FC tomorrow to look back at all the action on the weekend, plus the La Liga game on ESPN, plus Real Betis, Atletico de Madrid, Join us.

56:13She answers the question. 24-7 and without a language. That's just the app that understands us. Steuern completed? Safe! With Viso Steuer. Now to try it out.