In short
The episode (ESPN FC) focuses mainly on Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, plus broader club-management talk.
Guests
Kay Murray, Shaka Hislop, Stevie Nichol (studio panel), plus Mario Melchiot and Stuart Robson (former players/analysts).
Key claims
Real Madrid must balance attacking with defensive structure at the Bernabéu; Bayern are described as the most balanced European side. Panelists debate whether Real’s front three (Vinícius Jr., Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham) can work together, with Bellingham potentially playing deeper/late into the box as a “number 10.”
Notable examples
Real’s counter-attacking vs Manchester City; Bayern’s late comeback vs Freiburg without Harry Kane; Real’s mentality concerns after dropping points vs Mallorca. Leadership is questioned: Melchiot argues Real lack true leaders beyond superstars, noting Carvajal as the only real leader but unavailable. Vinícius says he didn’t “connect” with Xabi Alonso’s methods and praises Arbeloa.
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 Recent Struggles
0:45 to 2:18
Discussion on Real Madrid's performance in the title race and upcoming Champions League match against Bayern.
“A little later on, we're going to be talking about Mikel Arteta's latest training ground technique.”
Bellingham's Impact on the Team
2:18 to 3:32
Analyzing how Jude Bellingham's return changes Real Madrid's dynamics on the pitch.
“You have to put your talents in the service of the team.”
Tactical Considerations for Real Madrid
3:32 to 4:42
Exploration of how Real Madrid can effectively integrate Bellingham, Mbappé, and Vinicius Junior against Bayern.
“and Bellingham will play on the left and the other two will play up front with obviously Vinny Jr.”
Bayern's Tactical Advantage
4:42 to 6:06
Discussion on Bayern Munich's strengths and how they might exploit Real Madrid's weaknesses.
“In terms of the three of them, yes, they've got to play.”
Leadership Issues in Real Madrid
6:06 to 7:36
Debate on the leadership void in Real Madrid and its impact on their performance.
“There will always be a handful, but you also have to remember that the rhythm for some is not...”
Mindset Challenges for Big Games
7:36 to 9:06
Exploration of Real Madrid's mentality in high-stakes matches versus smaller games.
“Let's stick with you if we can then, Stuart, because we talk a lot about the mindset with Real Madrid.”
Comparing Leadership in Different Teams
9:06 to 11:20
Comparison of leadership structures and dynamics in Real Madrid and other top teams.
“Will they be able to do it against Bayern?”
Vinicius Junior's Reflections
11:20 to 14:02
Vinicius Junior shares his experiences and challenges during Xabi Alonso's tenure.
“that they would run through a brick wall for me.”
Vinny Jr. and Xabi Alonso Connection
14:02 to 16:42
Explores Vinny Jr.'s experiences under Xabi Alonso and his current relationship with Abeloa.
“because he is the one that drives the passion but you also have to remember it's not only about how much influence do you have on each individual?”
Bayern's Defensive Challenges
16:42 to 20:25
Discusses the key players for Bayern Munich and their defensive responsibilities against Real Madrid.
“Vinny, so far certainly under Alonso, was only interested in doing what Vinny wanted to do.”
Show all 23 chapters
Arsenal's Emotional Struggles
22:29 to 28:00
Examines Arsenal's emotional challenges in recent games and coaching methods to cope.
“This is Sporting against Arsenal and Xhaka Stewart and Mario are all confident for Arsenal in the first leg and to advance.”
The Mood at Arsenal and Liverpool
28:00 to 28:50
Discussion on the recent performances of Arsenal and Liverpool, exploring the expectations and pressures on teams aiming for major trophies.
“I think a few have been jogged in his memory as he's listened to them.”
Assessing Arsenal's League Position
28:50 to 29:50
Analyzing Arsenal's strong position in the Premier League and their chances in the Champions League amidst recent struggles.
“The thing about the league is they're nine points clear.”
Comparative Season Performance
29:50 to 30:56
Comparison of current Arsenal's season with Liverpool's previous year and the pressure of being at the top.
“So, yeah, it's OK for us to sit and go, oh, it was four, oh, now it's only three.”
Liverpool's Managerial Challenges
30:56 to 33:30
A critical look at Liverpool's struggles, focusing on managerial decisions and player performances as confidence wanes.
“Why do you think I haven't been back since 2017?”
The Situation with Virgil van Dijk
33:30 to 36:10
Discussion on the form of Virgil van Dijk and concerns regarding his performance ahead of the World Cup.
“and what the feeling is in the Netherlands about it right now, Mario?”
A Substitution Faux Pas
36:10 to 37:38
An amusing anecdote about a player’s mistake during a game and its implications for team dynamics.
“and I think that's going to be a tough one.”
Pressure on Arsenal and Real Madrid
40:00 to 42:00
Discussion on which teams face more pressure to perform following recent results, with insights into Arsenal's and Real Madrid's situations.
“After this weekend's results, which team is under more pressure to bounce back this week?”
Arsenal's Champions League Chances
42:00 to 43:34
Discussing Arsenal's current form and their ability to win the Champions League.
“And hey, London, oh my god, when you go to London now you have a lot of friends that are Arsenal supporters and they're not nice to me, so that's why I'm watching this.”
Chelsea's Suspension Situation
43:34 to 45:07
Analyzing the implications of Enzo's suspension and player dynamics at Chelsea.
“But to Robert's point, they rediscover some of their earlier season form.”
Frank Lampard's Success at Coventry
45:07 to 46:54
Evaluating Frank Lampard's management and future needs for Coventry City.
“So I think they have to find a balance and I don't feel they have found it yet.”
Injury Impact on World Cup Aspirations
46:54 to 49:09
Discussing the psychological impact of injuries on players ahead of the World Cup.
“It says, how would you grade the job Frank Lampard has done at Coventry City and what do the Sky Blues need to strengthen ahead of next season in the Premier League?”
Light-hearted Discussion on Food
49:09 to 51:12
A humorous exchange about food preferences and eating experiences.
“wishing him the best in his recovery right now Last question Stevie, tough times Really tough times Mario Stevie what's the most amount of crisps you've eaten in a day?”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00From 30 for 30 podcasts.
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0:39Hello and welcome into the latest edition of ESPN FC. Kay Murray, Shaka Hislop, Stevie Nichol here in the studio. A little later on, we're going to be talking about Mikel Arteta's latest training ground technique. Stick around for that, but we will be starting with Real Madrid, who lost points in the title race at the weekend. And so Diario As is now talking about the Champions League reconnection. Because after dropping further behind Barcelona, next up for them it is Bayern in the quarter-finals. And ahead of it, Alvaro Abelhoa was asked about Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe coming back into the team.
1:18Mbappe knows perfectly well what Real Madrid is. Definitely. He dreamed of being a Real Madrid player. We've all seen images of Kylian Mbappé wearing the Real Madrid jersey, dreaming of being a Real Madrid player. What he has done to come here has not been easy. I would like you to ask me this question after the match against Bayern.
1:42So, how does Real Madrid change with Jude Bellingham? Because you've been playing for some time in a system without him, and he's a player that changes things.
1:57What changes is that with Bellingham on the field, we're a better team. I'm convinced with him. And I'm sure we'll see it tomorrow on the pitch. He has different qualities than other players. When he's on the pitch, he has to know how to adapt to the team and the team to him. That's football. The connection between players. You have to put your talents in the service of the team. It's a good problem to have.
2:32So let's now welcome in Mario Melchiot and Stuart Robson to talk more. I want to start with you actually, Stuart. We spoke to our Madrid correspondent, Alex Kirkland, ahead of tonight's show. And he said the talk is that Mbappe, Vinny and Jude will all be playing in this one from the start. Would that be a mistake from our below? or how is that going to work? Well, if they're all fit, I think they probably have to play. Jude Bellingham obviously had his problems injury-wise, and it's interesting there that he said, the coach, that he's got to adapt to the team, and the team have got to adapt to him.
3:03So in between the lines, he's saying that Bellingham can do his own things at times, and that's what the problem has been with Real Madrid when Bellingham's been playing in the last year and a half. He seems to want to do his own things. Where is he going to play? Will he play out on the left-hand side? Will he play in the number 10 role? If he's playing out on the left-hand side, that's something that Bayern can make most of because they can attack down that right-hand side, their right-back can get forward, create a 2v1 against the full-back and that's a problem for Real Madrid. But I think because it's such a big game, I think all those three players will play and Bellingham will play on the left and the other two will play up front with obviously Vinny Jr.
3:37drifting out to the left on occasions. Stevie, how would you incorporate the three? That's a good question because pretty much nobody has been able to do it. Alonso couldn't do it Abelola hasn't been able to do it albeit Bellingham's been out for a long time so for me Bellingham has to be the guy who comes late into the box has to be like a number 10 which means that you need to play with two up front in my opinion so I think that's how I would do it if I was him I would have Vinny and Mbappé up front and I'd have Bellingham coming in later and everybody else filling in around them the one thing I'd like to say though Arbeloa showed his inexperience in that little clip there.
4:21You know, when you make mistakes or your big players don't perform, the press will come after you quick enough. But don't set yourself up. Come and ask me this question after Bayern. If they get beat 3-0 and Mbappe has a stinker, good luck with that. You're setting yourself up to fail. So that was a big thing I took from that bit. In terms of the three of them, yes, they've got to play. but you have to play Berlheim as the guy getting in the box. It's a really attack-minded line-up, if all are included, which you understand from Abelor's perspective. I say that though, I think Bayern Munich are probably the most balanced team in European football right now.
5:01Should you go that attack heavy is flirting with real danger? But you look back to the previous round, I certainly thought City would have gotten the better Real Madrid. They play attacking, particularly the game of the Bernabeu in that first leg and they effectively win the tie in that first leg. So maybe that's the thinking here again. As much as we're talking about Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe and all that the Champions League means to Real Madrid, you feel that if Real are to get the better of Bayern over the two legs, they have to win it in this home tie. So he's taking those chances, hoping that it pays off.
5:38But again, for me, Bayern, who they've shown themselves to be, that could prove a real big risk. Yeah, obviously we're looking at this game, Mario, and we did get to see what a great counter-attack inside Real Madrid can be against Man City. Shaq has mentioned it as well. But as a defender, what would you prefer to face? The counter-attack inside that we saw against Man City or those three that people have doubts about playing together at the moment? Oh, I understand it. You know, like they want the three up front to start. There will always be a handful, but you also have to remember that the rhythm for some is not...
6:13I mean, Jude was out. You understand? Oh no, he came on in the weekend, but still, you know, look, as a player, you want to play all the time. And you want to start games. And sometimes, so that could be a little difference to him. Okay, he rested some players because Fini didn't start. But away from that, I think playing against a counter-setting team is a team also that knew that on the ball, that's what City wants. but Bayern wants that too because in their league they are always dominating you understand they are always having the ball waiting in the weekend if you saw how they got back into the game it's because they get the ball and then they dictate the tempo and try to win okay they want it in what 15 minutes at the end but away from that I feel like facing now Madrid what Xhaka said is very crucial for Madrid if they want to make a difference you're at home you got to make a difference straight away because for Bayern even a draw at that game in that stadium will be great for them because the next game is in Munich and that stadium can be rocking when you come, especially a team like Madrid.
7:10Robbo, you know both these teams well. You're on the commentary a lot for both of them. Does it make sense for Real Madrid to go toe-to-toe with this Bayern Munich? I think they have to at times. They've got to get balance right. When to attack, when to defend. You can't go all out attack and say, I'll go toe-to-toe with the opposition because Bayern would pick them off. But they can't also be too defensive so that Bayern can dictate the play. You've got to pick the right times. And if they've got those two up front, they've got the pace, they can get balls in behind. If they've got Bellingham joining from a slightly deeper position and they get some sort of control in midfield, I think they can certainly at home and they press the ball fairly high up the field, which they have to do at times, they can give Bayern a really good game at the Bernabeu.
7:53It might be different away from home, but I think they've got to get the balance right between being good defensively and playing on the front forward and creating as many chances as they can, which they did in the first leg against Manchester City at the Bernabeu. Let's stick with you if we can then, Stuart, because we talk a lot about the mindset with Real Madrid. We've been doing that this weekend. We hear about how they are ready to get up for these big games like Bayern, but then we see them drop points in La Liga against teams like Mallorca. We've seen Arbeloa say that Mbappe came to Real Madrid for games like this against Bayern.
8:24These big games. Is it a concern, their mentality, going into these smaller games, that they can't get up for them? Well, the mentality hasn't changed under Arbeloa as it was under Ancelotti, as it was under Xavi Alonso. The players at the moment are still players that play when they want to. You know, we've seen some really poor performances in La Liga where they've been slow in possession. They haven't closed the ball down. The recovery runs haven't been good. And we've also seen them play in the Champions League where they've been high intensity, closing people down, playing balls over the top, playing at a very good pace.
8:56So you can't just pick it up one week and then ease off the next week. You're going to find yourself in trouble. And that's what they did at the weekend. You can't just turn it on and off like a tap. Will they be able to do it against Bayern? They'll be up for it. The crowd will be up for it. But it's still going to be difficult for them to play at the temper they want to with the players they have in their squad. Does it come down to a leadership issue, Xhaka? You know, we had this discussion yesterday. And again, you talk about leaders within this Real Madrid side. who are you looking at exactly in terms of leadership you want to look at Kylian Mbappe but since his arrival and spoke about Real Madrid's failures so to speak of last season Vinicius has had his issues earlier in the season which he also spoke about so who's the kind of natural leader to this team in terms of getting them up for those league games that somehow they just don't perform at the same level for but in terms of this tie leadership is an issue this tie certainly for Real Madrid takes care of itself I say that not saying that Real Madrid win by a long shot but you've seen the best of Real Madrid in Champions League nights and I think at this stage against this kind of opponent you may see the best of Real Madrid yet again we'll ask you after the game shall we that's really easy let me lean on you Mario and you Stevie, when you've gone into a team like Liverpool, like Ajax, a big team like that when you step into it how does it work, how does that dynamic work with those leaders and getting the balance in the team Well if you're lucky you've got good leaders and you've got guys who actually are in charge of the team and in charge of the dressing room and that goes on onto the field, if you're lucky that's what happens, that's not what this Real Madrid team is they don't have leaders in my opinion, they have superstars who who in Vinny and Mbappé don't want to do any of the hard work, don't want to do any of the hard yards.
10:56And you've got Bellingham, who it seems like is a bit of a moaner. He's a bit of a, you know, he wants to do it his way. And if it doesn't go the way he wants, he's blaming other people. Should the best players be expected to be the leaders? Absolutely. They absolutely should. Every single great player I've played with, I have known from the first whistle to the last, that they would run through a brick wall for me. They would do every single thing that they want me to do for them. They would do it for me. You can't say that about those three superstars. Certainly you can't say it about Vinny and about Mbappe.
11:33And so that's a problem when you're playing against Bayern. The fact that Bellingham and Mbappe weren't there against City is how the game ended up panning out the way it did. And they looked great. and from going ahead and particularly 3-0, the tie was done. Even at the Etihad, it was done. You can't say that when Mbappe's going to play and Vinny's playing and Bellingham's playing because we don't know what we're going to get and Abeloa doesn't know what he's going to get. He can sit there all day and say, oh, ask me after the game because I've got Vinny and I've got Mbappe and I've got Bellingham.
12:11But the truth is, he doesn't know what he's going to get either and when the head coach doesn't know, good luck against a proper team like Bayern Munich. To that point, and Stevie's right, this is a team of superstars. You think about this Real Madrid roster in its totality, the only player who you think of as a leader, a leader in this team, is Carvalho. And he's not available. And so being a leader or being a voice or focus, when things are going well, as it was against Manchester City, that's the easy part. But when things are tough and you need somebody to step up and somebody to really show character.
12:49Carvajal is the only name that comes to mind. Carvajal and Valverde are the only two names that come to mind immediately. I'm not sure Valverde is that player in this team. And as I said, Carvajal not available. What was the situation for you in Ajax, Mario, when we compare it to this Real Madrid team? Compare it to, OK. I can only highlight the one that, you know, when I tried to get in and was the one that won the Champions League themselves the year prior to me. But what I heard, I was prepped in advance because the captain we had at that time was Danny Blind. I heard there was one player talking about the night before a training session.
13:27He went partying and it was a very important game coming up. And I heard the story that they told me. They said, no, he went to the coach. He said, this guy is not good for the team. Hey, let me tell you something. The kid was very talented, but he never ever played for the first team. because you know like and and looking at madrid they have a very passion team when they need to be but um what's like i said you know valverde of course yeah if your captain doesn't play because you're going to question him and you want to make sure that he can match with you and that is the downside for him because he's not always starting and then yeah valverde is because i like him as because he is the one that drives the passion but you also have to remember it's not only about how much influence do you have on each individual?
14:11And sometimes it starts with the guy that's the biggest star. And I know there are more stars, but the biggest star, let's say you highlight Mbappe. If you go to Mbappe, you need the guy that has influence on the team. He needs to be able to talk to him and needs to be able to move him. And if it doesn't happen, that's when you struggle with leaders and who's going to follow. Let's talk about Vinny Jr. then, because he's been speaking in the pre-match press conference. and for the first time he's been asked about Xabi Alonso since he was sacked and the whole situation there. Here's what he had to say.
14:48Xabi Alonso's tenure was a hard time for me because I played many matches but very few minutes. Each coach has their own method. Each coach has their own ways and I wasn't able to connect with what Xabi wanted me, what the team wanted. But it has been a learning moment and I've learned a lot. This time has also allowed me for much reflection and to improve as a person. I hope to continue like this with Abeloa, with whom I have a wonderful connection. He has always given me confidence and always showed me what exactly I have to do.
15:26It's interesting to hear that, isn't it, Robbo, where he says outright, I wasn't able to connect with what Shabby wanted and then goes on to say he has a wonderful connection with Abeloa. Yeah, I mean, we've all been players and we all get on with some managers better than others. But with Vinny Juni, he made it quite clear that Xabi Alonso wasn't for him. Xabi Alonso was asking him to do things that he didn't really want to do. But I think all he was asking him to do is work harder when the team didn't have the ball. Get into a good position. Close the ball down when it's your turn to close the ball down.
15:56Make recovery runs when you need to. Make sure you stay in the position that you're asked to play in. so you know if it was me and I was looking forward to who you would keep at a football club I would never base anything around Vinny Junior because I couldn't trust him I couldn't trust him as a player and I can't at times you can't trust him about how he behaves on the field so he wouldn't be in my in my thoughts and I understand exactly why Xavi Alonso was probably not a favor he didn't favor Vinny Junior but then when he's on he's absolutely on and he makes a big difference to the team. Yeah.
16:30That part of it you can't argue with. Unfortunately though when you're earning a set of money here, it's when you have the reputation that he has, you have to be doing it week in and week out and then when a team needs you, you have to help your team. Vinny, so far certainly under Alonso, was only interested in doing what Vinny wanted to do. there are not too many there are not too many players in the world that can get away with that and he can't get away with it in this Real Madrid side if this Real Madrid from back middle to front were just sensational lights out that they could afford that Vinny could do what he wants then that's a different ball game but the fact is Vinny's one of the superstars Vinny's one of the supposed leading lights and he has to be one of the players that takes the team forward.
17:27And he can't do it. He can't do it. That's not his game. And no wonder he's saying how much he loves Abelor, because Abelor has let him do what he wants. He's like a big kid. He doesn't like the guy who keeps him in check and loves the guy who lets him do what he likes. That's what Vinny is. Go ahead, Mario, because he said he wants to stick around. Vinny does at Real Madrid, wants to extend that contract. Yeah, yeah, but you know, we're all talking about the quality of Vinny, you know, like that's definitely, he makes a difference definitely, especially in the big games. Games like this, you want a Vinny in your team because you, okay, as much as he's unpredictable, that's also how you play against him.
18:06But then on the other part, you have the moments where we, what Robo said, you understand like what he had with Alonso. In that position, you still have to do your job when we don't have the ball. I don't want you to be running as much. Like if you're playing in front of me, I don't want him to run as much as I do in trying to win the ball back. But I definitely want him to help me out at least, you know, cover a line or be in the area. Just give us a feeling. But he wants to play the game the way he wants to play it. And when he plays it the way he wants to play it and he's playing it good. Oh, my God.
18:36I love Vinny. But when Vinny is just watching everybody. Oh, my God. He's really giving me a hard time. Yeah. So it is Bayern Munich next. And as we mentioned, Robbo, you've called a lot of their games too. They were the weekend. We saw them come back late on against Freiburg when they'd been two goals down. That was without Harry Kane as well. If they're to advance in this tie, who's it going to come down to? Which players are going to make the difference for Bayern? Well, I tell you who the two players that are going to have to have good games and be very aware are the two centre backs. Because when you watch Bayern and you've watched them many times, Gay, the two full backs get really high up the field and they just sometimes leave.
19:11And it could be two v two at the back. Those two at the back, Upamecano and Jonathan Tarr, have got to be very alert. They've got to defend the spaces down the side when Real Madrid are playing on the counter-attack. And they've got to make sure they defend well in the 1v1 situations. Because, as I said, Lyman, Stanisic, whoever's playing at full-backs will be high up the field. Kimmich is good on the ball, but I don't think he's a great defensive player. So there's areas where Real Madrid can cause them problems on the counter-attack. So those two centre-halves, I think, if they have good games, Bayern will well will certainly get through over the two legs yeah over the two legs because we've got the predictions of the panel for that game coming up on Tuesday and everybody has got Bayern advancing but Mario and Robbo do think that Real Madrid will make it tough at home we'll find out how it all plays out on tomorrow's show and make sure to be with the team on tomorrow's show to look back on all the big games in the Champions League A SoFi personal loan is here to help you achieve something once thought impossible.
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22:52I actually don't get how everybody's jumping on this. You don't mind it? No, it's what he's doing. What he's doing is he's trying to make it light-hearted, is what he's doing. You know, I sat here the other day talking about, you know, how mentally he has to get them from getting knocked out of the cup and losing the Carabao Cup to getting prepared for this big game midweek. And that's part of what he's doing. He's making it light-hearted. He's getting everybody enjoying themselves, trying to forget about what's just gone and look forward and all of that stuff. So I actually have no problem with that.
23:28Excuse me. And I can assure you, I've done some of that nonsense myself. Did you do any of that nonsense when you were in Arsenal, Robbo? No, I wouldn't do any of that nonsense. But I think it goes back to the emotions. An Arsenal, I've always said, are too over-emotional. You saw the game against Southampton at the weekend. And in the very, I think, second or third minute, Gabriel is 1v1 against Fellows, the Southampton wide player, and he defends it brilliantly. He shows him down the side. He gets a slight tackling. And instead of just getting on with the game, he stands over Fellows. I don't know what he was saying to him, but gesticulates with him, pumps his chest.
24:05You're thinking, you're way too emotional. You know, what is going through your head at that particular time that you want to do that? He did the same when he almost gave a penalty away. And that's the problem with Arsenal. At times, they're too emotional. and Arteta is the cause of that on many occasions. You look at the way he's behaving on the side of the field. He's putting fear in the players. He's making it very anxious. The crowd are feeling it. So Arsenal are a good side. But emotionally, that's where they've had problems over the last two years and they're having problems now. And maybe that's what Arteta's trying to get out of the squad when he's doing these training sessions.
24:37Did you like it, Mario, the little training session? Oh, I love Stevie's answer. You know, I knew he was doing some crazy stuff. He's the only coach between all of us. So that's why I was listening to him. No, but I mean, every coach has his moments. I'm telling you, like, you know, we always do, like, prior to big games, we do something. I would see if it was lighthearted to get our mind off the game and then later on put us back into it. And, of course, we had that. Sometimes we had it with food. I'm telling you, we ate some crazy stuff. I was eating stuff that now no one would eat. You know, like French fries with Louis van Gaal was no problem.
25:14If you put that down on the table, people will look at you and go, are you crazy? We're playing a big game tomorrow. But at that time, I was coming out of school, seeing French fries in front of me. I'm telling you, I was knocking it down like crazy. And the next evening, I played a Champions League game. I didn't care. I was fine. You were absolutely fine. You know what, Shaq, I'm just that listening to the story, just wondering what tactics Stevie did bring when he was trying to recreate what Mikel Arteta is trying to do here. I think if you look back, Stevie is the first one to use a light bulb in training.
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25:45Stevie is the originator of the lightbulb trick how do you come up with these lighthearted ones though? oh there's loads of books just go and get some coaching books or even a kids book what's the craziest one you've done? well probably the stupidest one we used to do was like try and have somebody fall over somebody else oh you try to distract what I'm trying to do is distract you right so that one of the boys can get behind it it's simple it's easy and there's not a person that doesn't laugh when somebody goes over don't not just you know which talks about uh coming to training one day of peter reed having everybody play cricket everybody's playing cricket and that that is again light-hearted a change just a change of of of the rhythm that is far i i love I love that story because I could see how that residency plays.
26:44Yeah, I remember. Yeah? I think it was. Go on, Mario. I'm sure Stevie did one of those. Like, we all had it in the dressing room. They hide your clothing, man, when you're in a hurry. I'm telling you, they just hide it. They put it somewhere and you're like, where is it? And they all know you're in a hurry. And they did it once with a player with us, Bamagida. They put it in the fridge. And he had to take it out of the fridge. The kid is from Nigeria. He's nice and warm. all his clothing in the fridge. We were like, what are you guys doing? Some of the guys. No, Stevie did some of them. Do you need to put some in each of the shoes?
27:18Or socks? It's just anything. Powder. Anything you can find your hands on, put it in somebody's shoes. It's just stuff that takes the focus away from the serious thing. There would be nothing worse than having the last two games that Arsenal have had, and you come in, and it's like... A video session. Meeting at nine. Yeah. We're going to talk about what happened. Oh, my... You're just driving players into the ground mentally. So you do the complete opposite. And it matters not what it is, and it doesn't matter how stupid it is, that you do that to try and get the cobwebs away and get people enjoying themselves again.
27:58Yeah. Even Robbo's enjoyed all those stories there. I think a few have been jogged in his memory as he's listened to them. Yeah. Yeah. He's had a little giggle there. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I've heard all about Stevie's jokes and pranks. through many of the Liverpool players, and some of them can't be repeatable, I can tell you that. No, you've got to go and read Stevie's book. Thank you, Robbo.
28:19But let's talk, though, about why they're having to lighten the mood a bit at the moment, because just a few weeks ago, some of us were talking about a quadruple and bringing it up. Many media outlets were talking about Arsenal winning the quadruple. We know that's not going to happen now. However, Robbo, you can actually draw parallels here, because remember, with Liverpool last year, there was a lot of talk about that we saw what happened in the cup competitions the domestic ones that is we saw what happened in the champions league but they did go on to win the premier league is that much more normal to be focusing on that is that much more attainable and when we talk about this some outlets that do uh it is just talking a little bit too big you want to win every game you want to win every tournament but to win four things or win three things is very very difficult and you are going to lose the odd game here and there and if you lose a cup game you're out you Arsenal didn't go into that game against Southampton thinking we want to go out in the competition so we can focus on the league.
29:14The thing about the league is they're nine points clear. And I know Mancini got Arsenal later on. But Arsenal are in the driving seat. They should win the Premier League. The Champions League is something different. That's going to be harder for them. But I think they've got every chance of getting to the semi-final. The FA Cup and the League Cup, they wanted to win both those. They just didn't play very well. And that's the concern. they're not playing particularly well at the moment and there's still one or two players that are out key players that might not play against Sporting Lisbon they need to put in a good performance they need to get a good result and it might just settle everybody down but they're going to win the Premier League I don't think there's any doubt about that it's whether they can go on and do well in the Champions League You know when you were talking about Liverpool last year that was exactly where they were please can you tell me if there was anybody in Liverpool or at Anfield when that Premier League trophy was presented, who even remotely cared about the Champions League or the FA Cup or the Carabao Cup.
30:12There's not. So, yeah, it's OK for us to sit and go, oh, it was four, oh, now it's only three. Oh, now it's only two. But the truth is, if Arsenal win the Premier League and nothing else, you won't hear a single word of complaint from anybody to do with Arsenal. The thing is, though, it's not just Arsenal this season and Liverpool last. is every single season, everybody who's top in January, once we start the FA Cup, let's talk about quadruple, if they're playing in the Champions League. Similarly, right now we're talking about Barcelona. Can they go out and do the treble? Will it be Bayern Munich?
30:48Whoever sits in top of their league domestically, we've got five or six candidates to do a treble or quadruple. Yes, we're always ready for it. Always ready. Always ready. Especially UK. I know, it's my job. I've got to do it. I've got to do it. When you go to England, trust me. They'll let you know. Why do you think I haven't been back since 2017? All right, let's talk about Liverpool then. Liverpool now, not Liverpool then. Stevie would like to be talking about Liverpool then and their struggles. Stevie Robbo has finally conceded that it maybe is time for Anaslott to move on. What do you think of that?
31:28Finally conceded. I've listened to him the last three weeks and he's rubbish Arna Slott and Liverpool and said how poor they are. So I think he was sort of going down the route that Arna Slott was going to go or needs to go. I saw them at the weekend and I thought they started the game OK. The first 15, 20 minutes, they played with a bit of purpose. There was quite good link-up play between Wetz and the centre-forward, Eketike, and they were dominating midfield. But as soon as they went a goal down, everything came to a halt. They stopped closing the ball down. They lost confidence. You can see there's no confidence in the team.
31:59The manager now isn't quite sure how to change things. The players aren't quite sure how to change things. And instead of them working harder, they take their foot off the pedal because they're not quite sure what they should be doing. You know, when Van Dijk, if you look at some of the goals that have gone in, you can't say he's at fault, but he hasn't done enough to close the ball down. He hasn't read the danger. And that has come because he's not full of confidence. He's not reading the game. He's not alive and alert. And you can say that about nearly every Liverpool player at the moment. When they're playing well, it's OK.
32:29as they did against Galatasaray in the first 20 minutes against Man City. As soon as one or two things go wrong, then it all falls apart. And that's where a good coach, a good manager and good leaders on the field stop it at source. And that's not happening with Liverpool at the moment. So what would you say, Robbo, if I were to ask you whether they should keep him or not? I would say he's got to go. He's got to go because you can see that he's not able to change things. The players aren't able to change things. I think his time has come. I think he did a great job last year. It was a hard transition from Jurgen Klopp to him.
33:04He did it brilliantly. This year with the changes, you know, you thought they were going to be even better because some of the players they bought I thought were going to be exceptional. They haven't been so. He hasn't quite got the balance right. They're not playing with the same intensity. The confidence has gone out of the team. And at the moment, it doesn't look as though he's going to get it back. And that's when the manager has to go. Let's head to the orange corner, the Dutch corner with Mario, if we may. and continue this conversation on what should happen with slot and what the feeling is in the Netherlands about it right now, Mario?
33:36It's not good. You know, I feel sorry for him too, you know, because the way his team is playing, it's giving me the feeling that the grip is gone. And when the grip goes, that's when the difficulty comes in. Look, he has still got a couple of games left because I don't think they should make a change, of course. This will be crazy. If you make the change now, you've got to finish the season. and then you just got to sit down and make sure that you have a hard talk in the sense of like if there's no future planning for the club and they want to move away from the way they want to play in the way he wants to play yeah and then you you know you have to make a decision but away from there when i watched the game i was like what's happening you understand like in like robo said they started well but haaland one of the key things if you get like we're talking about haaland that he has an okay season, but he scored 46 goals in 50 games in one season, and this this season, and then you could see how they were defending him.
34:29That for me was the biggest question mark. The kid was on the move, and that's the hardest part, of course. When a striker's on the move, it's very hard to stop him. But every time he was on the move, both of the guys were looking, where is he? Because they were always a second too late. And I feel like, yeah, guys, you understand? The problem is not only the coach. I think also the lines between the team, it's too packed, they're too stretched, there's no system. And I think the team looks really bad at the moment. All right, let's talk about Van Dijk then while we are in this Dutch corner, because Robbo did bring him up, Mario.
35:01It wasn't his best game against Man City, that's fair to say. Are you concerned about the player right now with the World Cup, just a couple of months away? Yes, because, you know, like here he was late, you understand, the tackle. and he kind of said like, oh, I wasn't, but look, he clearly doesn't even touch the ball and he touches his foot, so I couldn't give it to him. And this is coming from a guy that I always liked the way he played and the way he plays his games, but he is every time a second too late, what I just said prior to this, always a second too late, and that becomes a problem, because when you get older, normally you become, what I say, I don't call you old, I call you seasoned, because then you understand the game better, you read the game better.
35:47But now he gives me a feeling that he's doing a step back. And if he doesn't, you know, step that up, the World Cup will be a very tough journey for him because it's a totally different system. He plays in Holland and the one he plays at Liverpool. At Liverpool, you stay compact and try. Okay, they're not now, but they normally have that. And Holland, they demand a lot more for him in the sense of like taking more risk with having the ball and try to dictate the tempo sometimes from the back. and I think that's going to be a tough one. So he's got to be really careful if he keeps going like this.
36:16Yeah, there were some errors on the pitch in this game, Rob. You were on the call for it. There were some errors in the dugout as well when Ryan Cherky almost committed quite the faux pas by putting on a shirt that he'd swapped on. Yeah, interesting. He had a brilliant game. He gets a round of applause, a standing ovation off the crowd and he gets substituted and he decides to go across to the Liverpool bench, get the shirt of Eketike and then put it on backwards, by the way. and somebody in the, I think one of two of his teammates said, get that off pretty quickly because it doesn't look good and quite rightly he got the shirt off quickly, but what was he doing going across to Eketiko while the game's still going and getting his shirt?
36:55What was he doing, Mario? They were buddies, I think they're buddies in France right, but he's got that a little bit carried away because sometimes you also can make a joke at each other in the sense of like I put your jersey on but you know who's the winner this is, you know, and I think what I said in the national team but Turkey is also we have to remember Turkey was also one of the contenders that Liverpool was looking at and you don't do that no don't put the jersey on because you're going to put yourself in trouble and I don't think he should I'm happy that someone at the back told him because it can be very sensitive and it can hit wrong and it definitely was going to hit wrong so it's good he took it off yeah okay so that's that on that lots to discuss on the latest Gavin Jewel show You can find that wherever you do get your podcast that dropped today.
37:43They're reacting to everything we saw over the weekend in the world of football.
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40:29the first question. After this weekend's results, which team is under more pressure to bounce back this week? Liverpool, Arsenal or Real Madrid? Stevie. I'll go Arsenal. Yeah. Yeah, I'll go Arsenal. I don't think anybody's expecting Liverpool to bounce back. At least you. I think Bayern Munich are favourites against Real Madrid. They go through eventually. So, yeah, I think the pressure's on Arsenal. Agreed. two two two big results back to back in the two cups yeah uh without question also also the team with the most pressure to bounce back arsenal robo now i'm going to go with real madrid because that's what again if arsenal win the league nobody would be talking about this but real madrid aren't gonna i don't think are gonna win la liga they didn't win the the uh the uh the spanish cup they haven't won anything so far.
41:30If they don't progress in the Champions League, it's going to be a massively disappointing season. Arsenal will still have a good season because they're going to win the Premier League. So, Real Madrid for me. Okay. Mario? Robbo. Hi, man. I love you, man. You're so cool, Robbo. You changed the whole dynamic. Okay, we go. I go Arsenal. I got to give it to Robbo. I go Arsenal because back-to-back losses. And listen, even if they won't become champions, if your team becomes Champions, they feel the heat now, I'm telling you. And hey, London, oh my god, when you go to London now you have a lot of friends that are Arsenal supporters and they're not nice to me, so that's why I'm watching this.
42:10Okay, so three of you for Arsenal. For all, does Arsenal have a chance to win the Champions League playing as they are, relying on set pieces and gritty defending? Robbo.
42:27Sorry, I missed the question there because somebody was talking in my ear about moving, switching something. So I'm not quite sure what they were talking about. That does happen sometimes. OK, does Arsenal have a chance to win the Champions League playing as they are, relying on set pieces and gritty defending? No, they can't win the Champions League playing as they are at the moment because they're not playing well enough. and defensively against Southampton, they were all over the place. Bad decisions, White made a mistake and he's going to probably play because Timber is out, I think, in the week.
42:58They're going to have to be more creative. They're going to have to get their sender forward in top form. He scored goals for Sweden. He scored one against Southampton. Xocherez is going to have to play well against his old side. They can't win the Champions League plan as they are at the moment. But if they get back to what they were doing at the beginning of the season when they were defending well, scoring set plays and also being creative with their passing and individual brilliance at times, they've got a chance, but not at the moment. Yeah, but especially after that training session this week.
43:24Well, yes, yes. Between that and the bulbs. Playing as they are, they can't win the FA Cup or the Carabao Cup, given the way they play now, let alone the Champions League. But to Robert's point, they rediscover some of their earlier season form. Let's remember, this is the same team that beat Bayern Munich in the group stage of the tournament. They can't go on to win it. But they form right now, which is why, going back to the previous question, they need to bounce back. But everybody agreed up until Mr. Awkward himself. Yeah. Just always being awkward, Robbo. Yeah, Awkward, Awkward. Next question is for you, Mario, because it's a Chelsea question.
44:01Thoughts on reports that Enzo's teammates have asked Liam Rossini to lift his suspension for the Man City game. So remember, it's a two-game suspension for his comments. But we're hearing from an Argentine journalist that his teammates are asking the coach to lift it. I don't think the coach decides it. I think it's the club that made that decision. I don't think, you know, Liam Rosinha is the one that called that shot. Because even when he spoke about it, the way he said, like, you know, he's a nice kid, I like him. There's nothing but I just had to make the change. I think it's a club change.
44:35When it comes to this, look, in my time, I never had this situation. If you did something wrong, the coach might put you on the bench or whatever, and put you back in. So for giving him two games, maybe for me it's a little bit too long, but we had it last time when I was on, we said it was a wink, he was being clever, and yes, he understand the comment that he made wasn't right, because it doesn't help him. That's why I say the comment was alright. But away from that, to punish him two games, come on, hey. There also comes a moment on the opposite side, when the club doesn't want you anymore, they get rid of you really quickly.
45:07So I think they have to find a balance and I don't feel they have found it yet. I want to ask this question genuinely, right? Regardless of what you make of the suspension and the reason for it, the four guys who've played, three other guys who've played here, have you ever heard of a player getting an internal suspension, a suspension from the club, and players going to the manager to ask for it to be overturned? I've never heard of them. I'm genuinely asking that. Have you heard players knocking on your door asking to overturn a suspension? No. Absolutely not, no? It'd be great if they did. Because if you think they've looked stupid over this, if they actually did this, they would look even more stupid!
45:47Get out! Honestly, I mean... The fact that you shouldn't have had it in the first place, and they've given it all this, trying to be all, we're going to show everybody we're in charge. If they actually overturned it now, if you thought it couldn't go any lower, it would. Have you ever seen this yourself, Mario? no that's why i said for me no and you know like going to the team and asking like it will be the captain that has to go but he's the vice captain so what he has to go to to reach james and say hey can you go and talk for me dude because you know or he comes to him and saying like nah it's too much they're making too much of a show of it now you got to get on you already made the decision let's carry on regardless if you have men united next men united after the city game i I mean, hey guys, you made the decision, you don't want to become even more of a comedian, just carry on.
46:37Rappau? It's madness, isn't it? At the moment, the more that Liam Rosinia talks and the Chelsea hierarchy talk, the more stupid they make themselves sound. I mean, they're just making some big, big mistakes in the press. And there's another one, you know. So, yeah, it's not going well, I don't think, at Chelsea. But they've got a chance of winning the FA Cup. Yep. So, as I say, it's a good season. The next question is for you Robbo. It says, how would you grade the job Frank Lampard has done at Coventry City and what do the Sky Blues need to strengthen ahead of next season in the Premier League?
47:12Well, first of all, you can only give him a 10 out of 10 at the moment because they're doing brilliantly at the moment. They're top of the table. They're going to win the title. They're going to get promotion. They were a side that were sort of on the edge of the playoffs last year. They've had difficult spells as well, but they're a good side and he's done a great job. What do they need to change or get better for next season? They probably need to strengthen the squad. They probably need to improve the midfield slightly. But overall, Frank Lampard has done an excellent job for Coventry City.
47:40Must be nice to be top of the championship. All right. How brutal is it to a player's psyche to deal with a potential serious injury right before the chance to make your first World Cup like Patrick Adjerman today? He's come off in the 41st minute for the Derby against Stoke game. That's a blow. And so far, that's quite the blow, isn't it? That really is a blow for Ajermak. Now, listen, I'm not sure he would start, he would have started, but certainly I would make the argument that he had to be in the US squad. And I know there was debate about it. I would make the argument that he had to simply because he offered something different from everybody else.
48:16Certainly all the strikers in the roster. and given his progression through college at Rhode Island into the pro-game and into English football with Derby. And I woke up at home, so that's a blow. You know injuries are going to come. They're never fun. They're never at the right time. But I don't think there could be any worse timing than this. I know how bad. I had to pull out the 1990 World Cup. I needed a shoulder surgery because if I hadn't had it I would have missed definitely the start of the following season so I know how bad I felt but at least I had played in one so the fact that he hasn't ever played in one and he's not even got the opportunity to go, must be devastating Obviously we're all wishing him the best in his recovery right now Last question Stevie, tough times Really tough times Mario Stevie what's the most amount of crisps you've eaten in a day?
49:21In a day? In a day. I once had 14 bags of crisps.
49:30This is factual by the way, this is factual right? Yeah, I was on a Scotland trip. So whenever we used to go on a Scotland trip, Eleanor used to pack me crisps and stuff, and so I had a big plastic Matts and Spencer's bag of crisps so it was like 14 in them so I was going upstairs to I think was that like my cliche's room I was going up to see him and Willie so I thought I'll take I'll take the bag away man if they might want a bag of crisps I took the bag away anyway I just sat there they didn't want any and before I knew it It's on the lot. Oh, God. Oh, my God, man. There's only 14, though. Stevie, man, you make him...
50:13Oh, God, boy. Stevie, okay, let me ask you. Can I ask you something, Stevie? Imagine one day I make it to meet Mr. Stevie. What are we going to eat together, Steve? Tell me what are we going to eat. Mimps and crisps. Well, I know what I'm eating. I don't think you'd eat it. Yeah, me. Yeah, Mario, it's very picky. The good thing, Stevie, what I would say, Stevie, what I would say, Steve, it doesn't show that you eat that sort of food. It doesn't show at all, does it? You're still at all. Think of fitness. Body's a temple. Body's a temple. I learned from Chaka. Yeah, it's definitely... I stopped at 13.
50:48I stopped at 13 bags, though. Oh, boy. Just to remind you as well, that the big bags like this, like the family size, that's what Stevie brings in to eat on his own. You know he's going to eat it because he opened, you know, when he ripped the side down and opened them all up. Yeah, yeah. So there's no stealing that back out. No going back. Oh, boy. Oh, Stevie. All right. Thank you so much for sending in your questions today for the panel. And make sure to do it tomorrow because we'll be back to do it all over again. Hey, sports fans. The ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service.
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