In short
ESPN FC episode covering Manchester City vs Newcastle (Carabao Cup, two legs), previewing City vs Manchester United, plus major discussion of Real Madrid’s new manager Álvaro Arbeloa after Xabi Alonso’s sacking, and quick transfer/league notes (Chelsea-Arsenal, Barcelona’s signing, Conor Gallagher to Spurs, Michael Carrick at Man United).
Guests (backgrounds)
Dan Thomas (host). Craig Burley (former professional footballer, pundit). Xhaka Hissop (pundit/analyst). Frank Leboeuf (former France and Chelsea defender, pundit). Sid Lowe (football writer/journalist, La Liga specialist). (Other segments include Michael Carrick/Wayne Rooney talk via panel discussion.)
Key claims
City were more clinical than Newcastle; VAR debates and Newcastle’s missed chances mattered. Séményo is expected to start vs United, with Doku and pace on the wings. Real Madrid’s intrigue is whether Arbeloa can change the team’s “togetherness” and discipline, especially tracking back. Fans may feel players have “nowhere to hide” after Alonso’s exit. For Man United, Carrick’s hands-on coaching and character could stabilize results.
Notable examples
City’s 2-0 lead via Scherke; Séményo’s early City impact (two goals mentioned, one vs Exeter). Mbappé refusing guard of honour after Alonso’s request. Vinícius Jr contract leverage and expected behavior change. Bellingham’s social media response to Alonso. Carrick hiring Steve Holland; Rooney discussed as potential coach.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VONewcastle vs Manchester City Analysis
0:48 to 2:12
Discussion on the Carabao Cup match between Newcastle and Manchester City.
“We kick things off, though, with Newcastle against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.”
Semenyo's Impact on City
2:12 to 3:16
Evaluation of Semenyo's performance and potential role in upcoming matches.
“We can, you know, I think that's a big debating point, this whole VAR thing.”
Tactical Decisions for Upcoming Matches
3:16 to 4:36
Discussion on tactical decisions and lineup considerations for Manchester City.
“I think Cherokee will come in, but come in for who remains to be seen.”
Predictions for Chelsea vs Arsenal
4:36 to 5:40
Predictions and insights for the upcoming Chelsea vs Arsenal match.
“But I think Bernardo Silva is more of an all-around guy.”
Fiorentina's Managerial Changes
7:59 to 14:00
Discussion on Fiorentina's managerial transition and its implications.
“It's taken out is the front page of sports.”
Vinicius Junior's Future Under Arbeloa
14:00 to 15:00
Discussion on Vinicius Junior's performance expectations after manager changes.
“Now, he is bright enough, it should be, to know that if he continues in the same vein under Arbeloa, he isn't in a very strong bargaining position, or as strong as he would want to be, for getting the dosh.”
Fan Reactions to Vinicius Junior
15:00 to 16:00
Exploring fans' frustrations with Vinicius Junior's performance and attitude.
“OK, well, inevitably, overall, Abolo was asked about Vinicius Junior, and inevitably, Abolo has said all the right things.”
Kylian Mbappe's Guard of Honour Dilemma
16:00 to 16:50
Analysis of Mbappe's refusal to participate in the guard of honour and its implications.
“And so I think what the fans think now is, well, actually, the players have seen a manager go.”
Real Madrid's Current Struggles
16:50 to 18:20
A critical review of Real Madrid's performances and fan discontent this season.
“The footage that emerged of Kylian Mbappe refusing to do the guard of honour after Xavi Alonso said the players should do it after the trophy presentation.”
Respect in Football: A Dying Concept?
18:20 to 19:40
Debate on the concept of respect in football and its relevance in current rivalries.
“We've seen some really poor performances home and away this season.”
Show all 24 chapters
The Influence of Kylian Mbappe on Team Dynamics
19:40 to 21:00
Discussion on how Mbappe's presence affects team dynamics and management at PSG.
“Xavi Alonso lost, what, the Europa League final?”
Blame and Systemic Issues in Football
21:00 to 22:20
Exploration of systemic issues in football and shared responsibility among players and management.
“Real Madrid were fine, weren't they, till he came along?”
Balancing Star Power and Team Cohesion
22:20 to 24:00
Analyzing how to balance star players with team cohesion in football.
“fact that Paris Saint-Germain brought a lot of the players to deal.”
Social Media Dynamics in Modern Football
24:00 to 25:20
The role of social media in player-fan interactions and its implications.
“They're probably one of the favorites along with Spain to win in North America.”
Xabi Alonso's Departure: Reflections and Future Prospects
25:20 to 28:00
Reflecting on Xabi Alonso's departure from Real Madrid and potential future opportunities.
“That was in reference to obviously the fact that they picked up that he didn't go on to social media.”
Reflection on Managerial Changes
28:00 to 29:20
Discussion on the implications of managerial changes in football.
“We talked about this yesterday a little bit.”
La Liga Player Transfers
29:20 to 30:57
Insights into recent player transfers in La Liga and their impacts.
“Do you know what, for the next coach, I don't know for Aberloa how long it's going to last, but for the next coach in Bria Madrid, they have to ask a question before signing.”
Current Game Analysis
30:57 to 33:10
Analyzing current games and player performances in recent matches.
“I really hope it goes well because he worked really, really hard.”
FA Cup Highlights and Managerial Talk
33:53 to 35:38
Recap of FA Cup shocks and managerial changes in football.
“Here goes Semenyo, charting for Semenyo scores on his Manchester City debut.”
Manchester United's Current Situation
35:38 to 37:06
Discussion on Manchester United's challenges and management decisions.
“I just want to see where you're going with this.”
Frank's Marseille Experience
42:42 to 44:24
Frank shares a humorous story about his first training session at Marseille.
“Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time.”
Leadership in Real Madrid's Locker Room
44:25 to 47:26
Discussion on the lack of leadership in Real Madrid and its impact on team dynamics.
“What I'm saying is, you're blaming me for bringing him down.”
Generational Differences in Player Attitudes
47:27 to 48:20
The panel discusses how player attitudes have changed over generations.
“Why do you have to sound like Butley when you do it?”
Coaching Aspirations and Club Loyalty
48:21 to 54:31
Frank expresses his desire to coach Chelsea and the discussions around club loyalty.
“Do you think I'm going to run for you if you don't make any effort for us?”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:01The world moves fast. Your work day? Even faster. Pitching products, drafting reports, analyzing data. Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI assistant for work. Built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 apps you use. Helping you quickly write, analyze, create, and summarize. So you can cut through clutter and clear a path to your best work. Learn more at Microsoft.com slash M365 Copilot.
0:35Welcome in to the latest edition of ESPN FC. I'm Dan Thomas, joined by Craig Burley and Xhaka Hissop. Lots going on today. Later on in the show, we'll be discussing one of the biggest clubs in the world, hiring a new manager. Plus, Manchester United have confirmed Michael Carrick. We kick things off, though, with Newcastle against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup. This is over two legs, of course. Manchester City with a huge advantage to make it through to the final. Semenya would make it 2-2 since making that move from Bournemouth to give City the lead after the break. Newcastle had quite a few chances, but it was the visitors who scored the set.
1:06And second, Scherke making it 2-0 to put City very much ahead. For more on this, Frank Leboeuf is with us. Frank, it's all about taking your chances, isn't it?
1:18Exactly. And Wissar and Voldemort will have a bad night because sometimes you don't need to control a ball to shoot it. one touch is more than enough and it's what Vissa should have done on the first chance that he had and Volta Madder as well and they didn't and City were more clinical than Newcastle and as Craig said, it's already dead for me. Vissa was, you know, that first chance he had, I think it was Shaq and I, we said, I think we both went I think Volta Madder would have put that away and then he came on and stumbled over his I think that was kind of summed up the evening for Newcastle.
1:58I mean, James Trafford had to make that save. You saw on the clip there was a couple of other really good balls in in the second half from Newcastle. Voltemarra couldn't get on the end of it. But I think City deserved it. You know, Semenya, great start to his City career. Thought he had two, but he got one. We can, you know, I think that's a big debating point, this whole VAR thing. Doku on the other side gave Lewis Miley a hard time, particularly in the first half, the first 20 minutes. He's not a full-back. and he roasted them every time. So they have all these options going forward. I know they have the problems at the back, but all these options they've got going forward now.
2:34So does Semenyo start against United? I think so. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, what he does with Doku, I don't know. But you've got Doku on one side, Pacey in quick. You've got Semenyo, Pacey in quick. Very good in the final third. He's got two goals already for City, although one was against Exeter. but getting in the right place at the right time. And I think Semenyu does play. O 'Reilly played in midfield tonight and did a good job. Obviously, that's his natural position. So, Rodri will come back in there. He came off the bench. He'll come back in there. Not sure how the back four will look.
3:09Do you think that front five is the front five for the United game? I think it could be. You know that? No Reinders, no Cherky. What about Cherky? All right, Frank, I said that. No, listen, we're off the cuff here. It's live TV. Too late. I think Cherokee will come in, but come in for who remains to be seen. I mean, does he leave Docco out and sort of shovel somebody out there or move some menu across? Or does he leave Phil Foden out? Who hasn't been the worst? I think he'll play Bernardo Silva in these big games. He generally always does. But I think one of those guys in the front line will probably set aside for Ryan Scherke because he's been very, as I mentioned in the highlight, first six months of the season, very good.
3:56Left after me, I'd play the two wide men in Semenya and Doku. I just feel the pace that they bring from both sides, unsubtle seems. And unsubtle Newcastle and albeit young Mairi on the day, but I just feel that's where they look their best. And then you have genuine options through the middle, whether you go with Foden and Bernardo Silva as you do today, you've got Rinders, you've got Cherky. What would you do, Shaq? Don't say Cherky, just annoy him. Do what? Don't say Cherky, just annoy him. I'd play Foden and anybody else in that case. But to Craig's point, I'd prefer Cherky over Bernardo Silva, if it were me.
4:38But I think Bernardo Silva is more of an all-around guy. He plays that role, but he also goes back and he helps out. It'll be Rodri that will play in that position. He goes back and he does these other duties, picking up the ball, getting in the full-back positions, taking off centre-halves, and then appearing in the final third. Even at his age, he's still doing that. Ryan Cherky's more... I think it'll be, for me, it'll be Foden or Cherky. I think for the reasons that Bernardo Silva covers more ground. To go back to your wide players, though, think about United. I mean, there'll probably be a back four at the weekend.
5:11This back three, I would imagine, from Amarim, is going to get decimated. And Mark Ogden's favourite player, Diego Dalo, if he plays. Doc Obalick in his lips, because Dalo's not playing well. If it's Dorgoo on the other side, or Shaw, I don't know if he's back, available, or whatever. But on that side, Semenyo, they can really pin those United full-backs back, because they've been really weak in that position this season. Last word to you, Frank. Of course, we've got plenty of time to look ahead to the United City game. Why did you bring it up? Well, because it was the only interesting thing I could think of after this game.
5:45Frank?
5:48What again? What? Chelsea taking on Arsenal tomorrow. This is everybody's predictions looking ahead to that game. He's not prepared to listen.
6:01No, no, I was listening, but you didn't hear the beginning of the sentence. I didn't hear the beginning of the sentence. It was modelling. Sorry. I want to enunciate better for you, right? 6 ,000 miles away. That's all right. Don't worry. It wasn't very interesting. Yeah, thank you very much. Chelsea against Arsenal. That's the first leg tomorrow. Here's everybody's predictions for that tie. Rosinha, of course, in charge. Do we have everyone's predictions? There they are. Everyone thinks Arsenal are going to win, apart from Xhaka, who's going for a draw. Yeah. There you go. You can see him saying...
6:35Let's have a humongous... No, let's not do that. Let's do it. Interesting things to talk about. Let's do it. Chelsea against Arsenal then will be the main discussion point tomorrow on ESPN FC. If you're ready for an oil change, trust the professional parts people at O 'Reilly Auto Parts to recommend the best products for your vehicle. Right now, get five quarts of Valvoline full synthetic motor oil and a Wix filter for$35.99 and receive a$15 O 'Reilly gift card after rebate. Upgrade to a Wix XP oil filter for just$2 more. Limits apply. See store for details. Stop by your local O 'Reilly Auto Parts store or shop online at OReillyAuto.com.
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7:58They're the ones with the bear on the box.
8:05It's taken out is the front page of sports. He has no idea, did you? I know exactly what that is. Show me now. U-turn by Fiorentina as Alvaro Abelola comes in and is officially the man to take over from Xavi Alonso. He faced the press today and spoke about the team. I think we've all seen the last few games of the season and how hard they worked the other day in the Super Cup final. I think we have not only a great squad, but a team of lads who are willing to give their all, knowing what Real Madrid demands. Let's not forget that there are players who have won six European Cups and many of them have already been champions with Real Madrid.
8:49It seems that is quickly forgotten and winning with this badge can only be done on the basis of those values you mentioned. on the basis of effort, sacrifice and perseverance.
9:07For more on this, let's welcome in, Frank Leboeuf still with us and Sid Lowe, who has marked the departure of Xavi Alonso by getting rid of his horrible beard. So at least that's one positive. And his glasses from yesterday. Sid, what's the point? Hang on, I thought the glasses were supposed to make me look clever. No, no. I can put them back on if you want. Rossini, that's the only reason he got hired, they say. Anyway, right. Serious stuff, Sid. What's the point? If they're not going to listen to Xavi Alonso, they're not going to listen to Carlo Ancelotti, why is this squad going to listen to Alvaro Albaloa, who hasn't got anywhere near as much experience as those two?
9:42I suppose part of the answer to that is how much they need to listen to him. Will his message get through to them better? Will he connect with them better? Will he ask different things of them that they're more inclined to listen to? because you just said then they didn't listen to Xavi Alonso and they didn't listen to Carlo Ancelotti. Now, it's true that the final season of Ancelotti didn't work very well, but his previous seasons were pretty good where he was twice European champion, in fact, three times if you had the two different spells together. So I think that's part of it. It's about a connection with them.
10:09And also, you know, these kind of decisions don't always need to be seen purely in footballing terms, but also partly in political terms, in terms of the sense of the relationship and also the sense of where it's going now. And of course with Xavi Alonso, I think the club or certainly the president felt that this wasn't progressing
10:28What what what do you think? Well, I think I think it just brings another level of intrigue to to our La Liga coverage because you know Barcelona have been a great talking point. They've had great success under Hansi Fleck, but they give us a story every week with this sort of bonkers high line and really entertaining football and we thought we were going to get some great story which we have in a negative way with Real Madrid but we thought we were going to get this and Sid touched on it yesterday was this whole change of structure which we thought we were going to get but in hindsight was probably a bridge too far the intriguing thing now is as we sit back and watch the title race every weekend is how what's the aesthetics of Real Madrid is Arbolog going to be able to make a difference are these players some of them not all by the way are some of them going to change are some of them going to listen are some of them going to grow up there's no there's nothing no stones when thrown at the likes of Kelly and Mbappe he's pulled his weight but there are quite a few some have been injured but there are some who have not and who have been very problematic some more public than others and I think that's going to be the intrigue now is Arbelo going to get that tune out of this team and everybody's on harmony or are we going to sit and watch them every weekend and go this is just the same they'll press when they want to press they'll run about when they want to run about and they'll try and flick a switch and turn it on.
12:09That's going to be the real intrigue for me watching Real Madrid going forward. What the difference Arbeloa can make. Because that was the interest for me with Xabi Alonso. What can he do that Ancelotti... And Sid's right, Ancelotti was great, but not in the last season. And what could Xabi Alonso do to make this big difference? And we all sat back and go, come on, this is going to be fun. And it just wasn't. And I hope for Arbeloa. is going to be at least fun for him. How's he going to make them on harmony or in harmony, as the rest of us would say? Listen, I think Abelhoa's first task or first need is to be a man-manager, which oddly, I thought, really, Javier Alonso went wrong.
12:48You never would have thought that Javier Alonso, given Sydney's playing career... But can you see my point? If I'm Vinny or one of these players who refuse to defend or refuse to trap back, if I've got Abelhoa telling me to do that, why am I listening to him, especially when I know he's only temporary? I take your point absolutely. But to Sid's point, there's so many layers to this. One, work up to come and you don't know what's going to happen immediately before or after in terms of manager availability. There was this dynamic between Vinicius and Xavi Alonso where Vinicius is refusing to sign a contract unless he was out to the picture.
13:25So there was so much for Fiorentino Perez to consider, not just from a footballing perspective, but from running a football club's perspective. And so he felt the best thing to do was at least try to button that up with Vinicius Jr. And then you figure out what the next steps are in terms of who comes in and who's the longer term replacement. No, he hasn't, correct me, I mean, unless I've missed something, he hasn't agreed this new contract yet, has he? Vinny, no. No, no. So he's got what he wanted. He's realistically got what he wanted, which is Alonso out. Now, he is bright enough, it should be, to know that if he continues in the same vein under Arbeloa, he isn't in a very strong bargaining position, or as strong as he would want to be, for getting the dosh.
14:14That's what it's all about for him, he's getting the money, he's getting the big payday, he's being one of the top guys. Continuous poor performances and bad attitude and inconsistency isn't going to get that for him. Now, I think part of that was down to the fact Alonso was there and they were butting heads. But he's got what he wanted now. So I think we'll see a different Vinicius Junior. And I'm not saying for one minute that's right. I am not. But I think the way the cards have sort of folded for him and Alonso, he's been holding the ace. But to continue holding the ace with Florentino Perez for his contract, he's got to show that he's willing to perform.
14:53So I think, right or wrong, we may see a more productive and energetic Vinicius Junior in the second half of the season. OK, well, inevitably, overall, Abolo was asked about Vinicius Junior, and inevitably, Abolo has said all the right things. And I'm very lucky to have Vinicius Junior, who I think is one of the most unbalancing players in the world, a player loved by all fans. Everyone saw the match he played last Sunday, and that's Vinny we want to see. a Vinny who smiles, who enjoys himself, who dances, who plays, who is capable of unbalancing a classical and making a difference. So that's the only thing I'm concerned about and what I want to see from Vinny right now.
15:41Sid, I'm intrigued what the fans are saying about all of this. Well, let's pick up on that Arbelov quote when he says he wants to see a Vinicius that smiles, that enjoys it in the dances. He doesn't say, I want to see a Vinicius that tracks back, that works hard, that runs, that breaks his balls for the team. He doesn't say that. And I think that's quite significant because, of course, the fans have been frustrated with Vinicius' the level of his performance, obviously, but I think it's been bound up more in questions of latitude than in actual performance level. And so I think what the fans think now is, well, actually, the players have seen a manager go.
16:16Most of the fans weren't necessarily in favour of Alonso going. And so I think what they think now is the players are even more exposed than before so you have to respond now because they were already whistling Vinicius they were already frustrated with the performance level and they were already not blaming the manager so if it continues to be poor with a change of manager I think there will be that sense and you know Craig was talking about it just then Vinicius has got what he wants it's not necessarily about Vinicius it's just that that perception from the fans you've got what you wanted now you've got nowhere to hide anymore uh it's It's interesting, Frank, and I wanted to get your opinion on this.
16:51The footage that emerged of Kylian Mbappe refusing to do the guard of honour after Xavi Alonso said the players should do it after the trophy presentation. Just explain a bit, obviously I haven't been in this environment, how big a deal is this, somebody saying no to a manager in this circumstance?
17:11It's not a big deal. Oh really? I'm sorry, I don't see what that's... Yeah, it's not a big deal for me. I would have never done the God of Honor thing. You lose, you want to go home. You're devastated. You're ashamed for the club, the fans. You don't want to spend time to play the gentleman and be nice to the opponent.
17:36Of course, if you're Barcelona, you can do that for Real Madrid because you're the king of the world. But if you are the loser or the runner up to be nice, you want to go home. You know, you don't want to do nice things to anybody. It's a fight that you face, you lost, you go on, bye-bye. You're not the nice guy and you don't want to be the nice guy. So for me, it's not a big thing. If I can have a word on Real Madrid. You know, I thought with Paris Saint-Germain a couple of years ago, we had the example of what not to do. And with all the coaches that they had, it never worked because the players were doing what they wanted.
18:13Oh, I thought, you know, it was a lesson for the world of football. It doesn't seem to be for Real Madrid because that's what they are going through right now. We've got to stop all this, haven't we? I mean, they're getting walloped. They're not playing well. Sid mentioned it. The fans are whistling. We've seen some really poor performances home and away this season. Sometimes the results have been there, but the performances, the eye test, looking at the way they've played has been pretty bad. As I said the other day in the show, you're lucky to count on one hand the performances this season.
18:43Certainly in the league that you went, well, that was good. Maybe two or three at most. And here they've just been beaten again by their biggest rivals in this cup final. I mean, Frank's right. We have to, you know, the last thing in a player's mind, and I think Xabi Alonso here, you know, it's just a manager trying to, who thinks he's doing the right thing. Okay. He thinks he's doing the right thing to be, to give respect to Hans. I suppose from the outside looking at me, I'm just thinking, what if Carlo Ancelotti had asked him to do that? Would they have turned their back on him as well? I think there's every chance.
19:18Is that just a complete lack of respect we're seeing? I think that ship has sailed with Alonso, to be honest. I don't know with Angelotti. You know as a player, though, if you had a manager... No, I'm not doing that for any team. Here's my question. As a player, I don't know of teams doing guards of honours for a cup final like this. Right. Xavi Alonso lost, what, the Europa League final? Yep. Does anybody remember Leverkusen doing Guard of Honour then? I've just find it... Barcelona did do it for Real Madrid when they won the Supercopher. Oh, well... When they've done it before. I find it odd.
19:56I find it odd. When that was itself, it gave Rangers a Guard of Honour. They'd have killed us. I tell you, the windows in our houses, the players' houses, would have been bricks thrown at them. Yeah. There's a... I mean, we have to stop... This is a kind of social media driven thing now. It's got to be respect. This is a sport. This is a contest. This is a business. This is a livelihood. Managers are getting sacked. You know, Amarim gone wasn't good enough. Chabby Alonso deemed not good enough. The list is endless. This is big boy stuff. This isn't let's be respectful. You know, let's just roll the sleeves up.
20:34Let's go and get stuck in. They're the enemy for the day. I might go for a beer with them. behind the scenes back in Spain, that's okay. You can have mates in the opposing teams. That's fine. But during that few hours of a matchday, Shaq, you're playing for your team and I'm playing for mine. I find it really odd. Really, really odd. Sid, Frank mentioned obviously Kylian Mbappe and what happened at PSG. Real Madrid were fine, weren't they, till he came along?
21:04It's a slightly facile conclusion to come to, but I think it's a natural one for people to come to. And of course, one of the things that really underlined this was what happened in the summer. So you have the situation in which Paris Saint-Germain have won it all. They face Real Madrid in the Club World Cup, in which Real Madrid have won three games in a row. Kylian Mbappé comes back for the first time and they beat them 4-0. And at that point, I include myself, by the way, at that point, lots of us picked up on that very famous clip of Luis Enrique talking to Kylian Mbappé and basically saying, if you don't track back, this is disastrous.
21:34Trying to get through to him and not finding a way. Now, it is a bit simplistic. It is a bit reductionist. And, of course, Kylian Mbappé has scored 29 goals this season. But it's true that that's something that people are starting to focus on now. People are starting to focus on the manager that came and went at PSG, the teammates that came and went at PSG, the failure to win the European Cup at PSG, and now the fact that he joins a European Cup-winning team that then doesn't win the European Cup and the team he's just left does. Now, again, it's a bit easy, but it's very, very tempting to go down that route.
22:05Of course it is. in doubt, blame the Frenchman, Frank.
Read the full transcript
22:12Well, you know, when I was talking about that, I wasn't blaming, I wasn't only blaming Kylian Mbappé. I was blaming the system and the fact that Paris Saint-Germain brought a lot of the players to deal. Messi, Neymar, Mbappé and others, they were doing what they wanted. That's what I was aiming, really. And that's what I see with Real Madrid, where clearly the players, they do what they want with Ancelotti, with Alonso, and supposedly they're going to do the same with Arbeloa. I have no doubt about that. And you have to change maybe the individuals, but mostly the spirit of it. So I don't want to talk about Frenchmen or whatever.
22:49I want to talk about the togetherness of the people who don't work together. And we don't, of course, for some of them don't track back, like Vinny, like him, but luckily it was in Paris Saint-Germain with Neymar, Messi and Mbappé again. So they have to deal with that. Who's guilty? I think first, the board is guilty, the system around the board is guilty, the coach is guilty, and the players are guilty. So everybody is, and somebody has to find the right way to create a chemistry and a hierarchy. Well, France have done it. And that would be the argument. PSG, the dynamics wasn't right, the dynamic at Real Madrid at the moment right.
23:32And I don't agree with what Deschamps has done with France, but Deschamps has accepted, and if you talk to Julian, Laurent or Frank, he's accepted whether we think it's right or not, and I don't. I don't think it's right that Mbappe does what he wants for France, but that's how it is. And he has to build this French team around him to make sure others are doing the dirty work. And it's been somewhat successful. They won a World Cup in 2018. They could have won one again in 2022. They're probably one of the favorites along with Spain to win in North America. But they've accepted with Mbappe and the team that they have to get the balance right in other positions.
24:11The problem at Real Madrid is not just killing Mbappe. And so therefore the dynamic and the balance is not right because when you've got at least one more and maybe two who are looking at the Frenchman and going, yeah, I've been a bit like that myself for a couple of years, I think I'll just join in, then that's a problem elsewhere. You can maybe carry one player, a superstar. If you look at Argentina, for example, winning the World Cup, they were not the greatest side. Messi was a luxury that Scaloni knew he had to get all these people around him that were just good footballers, but working their socks off.
24:48And that was getting the balance right. And that's what Real Madrid and our Balor are going to have to do. Alex brought this up, of course, on yesterday's show, the majority of the Real Madrid players took to social media to show that to support Xavi Alonso, to wish him good luck in the future. Jude Bellingham was one of those who didn't. He addressed that today going, until now I've let far too many of these slide about hoping, always hoping the truth will come out to light in its own time. But honestly, let me say what a load of poo. Truly feel sorry for the people that hang on to every word of these clowns and their sources.
25:22Do not believe everything you read. That was in reference to obviously the fact that they picked up that he didn't go on to social media. He didn't thank Xavi Alonso. Rumours that he didn't like the way the Spaniard was running the club, Sid. It's a weird world, isn't it? Because you can be as disingenuous as you like. Take the social media. God, when I had my liver transplant, I had people coming out saying they love me. I'd no cross the road if they saw me coming. It doesn't count really. It's not real life, is it? And that's precisely the reason why you put the social media tweets out there.
25:56downwards because you wanted all these people to tell you how much they loved you. Of course. Deep down, you knew that they did not. But thanks for your love, Sid. I appreciate it. I mean, yeah, yeah. I mean, all these clowns that Bellingham is talking about, that's us, right? That is us. We're the bad guys in all this. Now, for what it's worth, I should make this very, very clear at this point. Bellingham has put a tweet out now. And it actually made me think, you know, the fact that we were kind of counting these players, you know, ticking them off as they said something. Imagine you're like one of the three or four or the five or six left who hasn't done it.
26:29And you see everyone go, oh, look, here's the list of the bad guys. Go, maybe I should put a tweet out. I didn't much like Alonso, but probably time I did. It's like a card going around the office. You've got a sign to say happy birthday, even though you hate them, Shane. You've got all kinds of issues. Just kind of come to... If everyone has signed the card and you haven't... Hope you're never transplanted. Hope you're transplanted as well, you horrible little bitch. You must hate this, Bernie. This is right on the street. Well, you know, a few managers have felt sorry for when they went, but at the end of the day, it's just, you know, it's the world we live in now, isn't it, where everybody's looking to see who's responding to the recent sack and, well, if he doesn't respond, he doesn't like him and he's fallen out with him and that's just the world we live in.
27:17I wouldn't get involved in any of that stuff. No, no. It's like buying everyone a present for Christmas apart from one person, Shaggy. and you feel obliged. Once again, you're just airing all your... I'm with Craig in that I don't understand a lot of this need for players. And not just in this situation. To rush to social media to apologise for a poor performance or whatever it may be. I don't get it. I will just say this is something for the new players and leave it at that. If you did not get along with Xabi Alonso, if you don't think he was getting the best out of you as a player. Why go on social media and be too faced about it?
27:58To tick a box? To tick somebody else's box at that? I don't get it. We talked about this yesterday a little bit. I don't know how much, whether I'm summarising this wrong, Sid. Alonso clearly wouldn't have wanted the job to go badly. That's just a ridiculous thought. Of course not. Nobody wants that to happen. But having known what he knows now and over the last few months, do you think he is somewhat probably going to be pleased in the sense that, you know, OK, it didn't work out, but I'm out of this scenario and I'm away from this and I can go and just take stock again?
28:42100%. I think there will be hurt pride. I think there will be disappointment at how it's ended. I think he will feel that this is an opportunity, maybe lost. but I think right now the feeling will be yep, better off out and also with the assuredness and the certainty that there will be other clubs who want him now that clubs will look at what he did in Germany and that will eclipse what's happened in this pre-spell at Real Madrid that clubs all the way through the Premier League the best four or five clubs in the Premier League will all be thinking this is someone on the market that we would very much like to have here so yeah, in that sense, absolutely 100 % Frank, I'll give you a last word on everything what would you like to use it on?
29:21Do you know what, for the next coach, I don't know for Aberloa how long it's going to last, but for the next coach in Bria Madrid, they have to ask a question before signing. Can I ask Mbappé and Vinicius Junior and Judith Billingham to track back? Is that possible? And if they don't do that, can I put them on the bench or I will be sacked? That would be the next crucial question because otherwise it will never work. and as I took the example of Paris Saint-Germain, we have the certainty that if not everybody is working, that doesn't work. A couple of other bits from La Liga, Sid. First one, Giao Cancelo, official now at Barcelona.
30:02Yep, official, not the player that they wanted initially because they wanted a central defender, but given that he was an opportunity on the market and they think that maybe Jules Koundé can end up being a centre-back, so it bolsters their defence, if not precisely the profile they were after a useful player. Is that their business done? How many levers can they pull for this window? I think that probably is their business done. And by the way, Real Madrid think that their business is done as well, at least that's what they're briefing. Well, we'll have a lower last till the end of the month. Sid, meanwhile, last bit, Conor Gallagher looks like he's going to Spurs.
30:31What happened at Atleti? Why didn't it work out? He didn't really get the opportunities. I think to start with, we all thought he was very much a Simeone player because he was intense, because he was aggressive, which is exactly what Simeone wanted, but I think he never quite had that role of being able to control the midfield. And I think at times, in truth, I don't want to oversimplify this, but I think Simeone looked at his midfield options and just thought there are better players around than him in terms of controlling and running the game. I really hope it goes well because he worked really, really hard.
30:59He was very personable. He was very likable. Everyone at Atletico Madrid liked him, but I just think in the end, it was just a sense of, well, the level of our midfielders means that he's just not an actual starter. How much level you got left on your battery, on your iPad, Sid? Well, if I said that Conor Gallagher's level wasn't quite high enough, mine is way, way, way below there. And it's probably got a little bit less energy than Conor Gallagher. We're going to do an Oviedo special now. Oh, we're going to have to do that. We can't do that anymore. What a terrible tragedy to miss out. I trust you, Dan.
31:32I trust you to do it right and do it well. It's way too obvious in this show now people that just go, batteries. I know. That's it. Echoes, batteries, I just can't do it. Thank you very much, Sid. Much appreciated. Of course, there was a couple of reactions today. Conor Gallagher may have played. I didn't watch. No, he didn't play. Let's go. Come on, Defo. God's sake, man. He's not going to play. Well, he might have done. Why not? He's making a move, didn't he? Yeah, but Conor Gallagher's making a move. There's a goal going on. Griezmann. Griezmann scores. 1-0. That's all it was Bottom line for Gallagher Is people that bury us Which is better players There we go Rest of the games For you Real Madrid against Alvacete Of course Our below us First game in charge And in the Spanish Super Cup Champions Barcelona Take on Racing Santander As you know Managing maintenance Repair and operations Is never easy But for the ones Who always rise to the challenge Grainger has your back From professional Grade products You can count on To fast Dependable delivery They're there To help you keep things running smoothly.
32:38Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. In pro football, if a coach can't see the whole field, he's missing out. It's that simple. If you run a commercial trade business and you don't have service, Titan, you're coaching blind. You need real-time visibility into project profitability. You need to know which jobs are making money and which ones aren't before it's too late.
33:11And you need to see the entire business in one place, from service work to construction. Service Titan is the end-to-end platform that helps you do all that and more. Win larger contracts, accelerate your workflows, and maximize your profit. Visit servicetitan.com to learn more. It's the biggest day in the history of Macclesfield Townsville. He's got the head around and scores! Macclesfield won Crystal Palace holders of the FA Cup, Neil. It came through to Buckley Ricketts, and it's in. Macclesfield 2, Crystal Palace 0. It's the holders who go out, and Macclesfield 117 positions below them. Five divisions below them.
33:47One of the greatest FA Cup shock of all time. In the words of the documentary, welcome to Wrexham. Saved! And there is your Hollywood ending. Here goes Semenyo, charting for Semenyo scores on his Manchester City debut. It's a useful hit, it's a really useful hit. It's madness when Sobberts like. A little bit disappointed with our goal for Manus. I don't think the player does that against Chelsea or against Arsenal, already getting in the Champions League game. That's more like it. That is the Florian bit that was advertised on his arrival. Cissé, oh, astonishing! Here's Lewis Reid, oh, stunner!
34:25Martins cross, it's Barnes, it's Edda and Newcastle United have won it right at the death. Here's a chance, oh they've levelled it, Marcus Tavenier 3-3. Yacchite, it's saved by Ramsdale and Newcastle have won it. More boos for Spurs, another home defeat. Tempest fraying significantly in the dying moment. Here is Danny Welbeck, it may be the goal that put his old club out at the FA Cup. Another poor day for Manchester United.
34:59That was, of course, Fletcher's last game in charge. Michael Carrick now takes the reins at Old Trafford. That was confirmed today, beating off, apparently, Ruud van Nistrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Frank is here with us. That's like Jan racing the fish, isn't it, really? Go on. There's some great analogies today. What I mean like that? you haven't beaten off Jurgen Klopp has he Carlo Ancelotti that's what I mean good luck I would have given it to Solskjaer only kidding good luck to him but yeah I mean that's the decision we discussed it yesterday with Augie when he was on from Liverpool you know Barad and Wilcox now have to be sitting there just biting the nails thinking they've got a couple of really tough games coming up yep City at the weekend obviously City at the weekend and I think it's Arsenal-Liverpool anyway it's one of the better teams do you like the help Shaq has given you?
35:54It's Arsenal. Shaq's here. I just want to see where you're going with this. It's Arsenal. And then even for them. It's false. It's like, but what I'm saying is what we talked about yesterday was if they lose these four games and then you lose the... Listen, it probably won't happen but the way United have played with the injuries and the defence and all the changes it could when you look at these Although Spurs are no great shakes, you just never know. Then what do they do? They've got the... I was going to say they've got the interim in charge, but they haven't called them interim, have they?
36:28They've just given... Apparently, there's no interim title. A bit like Arbeloa. Head coach until end of the season, which is what interim means, really. Head coach. So they don't want to have another decision to make because it's all falling apart. So there's a lot of pressure on Michael Carrick to come in and get enough results to not make the people who are already looking stupid, if we'll be honest, making the decisions, make them look more stupid because they're going to have to go and make a different one. He's a very level-headed guy, I'll give you that. He's got coaching experience. He's brought in Steve Holland, who was Gareth Southgate's assistant for England.
37:00So he's brought in an experienced assistant to try and help him. And I think one of the reasons Solskjaer apparently never got the job was because Carrick's more hands-on with the coaching. Solskjaer, when he was in charge, basically kind of did a manager's job and just left the coaching to Carrick and to Kieran McKenna, who's now the manager at Ipswich. And they wanted somebody now that was actually on the training field a little bit more working with the players. And I believe that's why Carrick was chosen over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Rooney was on holiday with Carrick last week, apparently in the Bahamas together.
37:32He was asked if he would join the coaching staff. He said he definitely would if asked. Who? Wayne Rooney. He used to play for Manchester United. And I'm presuming... I'm just wondering what your opinion... Michael said, well, I'll call you. Well, there's been no answer. Would you appoint Rooney? someone who knows the club DNA and all that sort of malarkey? No, I think obviously Wayne Rooney's been a great player and is a huge name, but Wayne Rooney's far away into management recently has been an unmitigating disaster. So I don't really, apart from the fact we are just getting drowned in this ex-Man United stuff with this club, it seems that there's nobody else out there at the moment that can even lay a glove on some of these ex-Man United players.
38:19And it seems to me that's the way the club were thinking as well. There was a headline in one of the papers last week. United are canvassing all these ex-players. My God! Broaden your horizon. But anyway, that's the decision they've made. I think over the two, Solskjaer and Carrick, I think that's the better, the lesser of two evils for me. But how it will go over the course between now and end of the season, let's be honest about it, nobody knows. Nobody has a clue. And that's the thing. As disastrous a season as Manchester United has had, they're still three points off Liverpool in the top four.
38:55No, I don't see Manchester United finishing top four. But suppose all of a sudden Michael Carrick gets enough of a tune out of this squad to have them threatening Liverpool. Why would he be able to get a tune out of a squad that nobody else has?
39:11Not that he has to get that much of a tune. It's not that much of a turnaround. It's a three-point gap between them and Liverpool. So they don't have to be playing incredible football. They just have to be playing marginally better than they have been now and Liverpool be marginally worse than they have been. Both of those things can happen. So it turns around and gives Manchester United another decision to make if that were to happen. Listen, good luck to Michael Carrick. He has coaching experience, to your point. Can I give Wayne Rooney being involved as a manager? I'm not sure he'd be that willing to be a coach, even at a club like Manchester United at this point.
39:48He's got the people around him that he wants. Sydney has proven himself, at least in Middlesbrough, to be a good man-manager. We'll see. We'll see where this goes. But I still don't think that this is a great United team, but it's not a great league. Frank, should Manchester United fans be excited?
40:08Well, they can get something special from Carrick, the spirit that he had when he was a player and what he showed starting coaching is somebody who has a character and comparing to let's say Ole Gunnar Solkjaer who was more talented player, more artistic, Carrick goes straight to the point and maybe we'll turn some United players as warriors and let's see how it works. He cannot get worse than what it is right now so um i don't want to wish him good luck but i i think he's the guy who can maybe do something a little bit better why don't you want to wish him good luck frank you know i'm neutral because i'm nothing for and against manchester united that's it but surely you want everyone good luck you want everyone to succeed in life uh my friend first first of all my friends then after me maybe michael carrick but i'm not sure about that again.
41:10Wow. For more on this, maybe a little friendlier as well. I don't know, it is the football reporter, so full of smiles. And today's comedy show. Be sure to check it out. I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule, and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo Pre-Filled Syringe, which contains F-Gartigamide Alpha and Hyaluronidase QVFC. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time. It's my treatment, my way. Visit VivGuardMyWay.com. That's V-Y-V-G-A-R-T MyWay.com. And talk to your doctor about VivGuard Hattrulo.
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42:24Thank you very much for watching. Of course, there's more from Frank later on and his delay with Greg and with Jack, as we'll be answering some of your questions for extra time. Oh, they look lovely.
42:42Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time. Craig and Shaka here in the studio. Frank LaBeouf joins us as well. Have you ever joined a club with an interim manager, boys? Anybody? No. No? Joined a club with an interim manager? Yes. No. Frank? Oh, never give us time to answer. What do you mean? Well, you're thinking I was going to go to Frank and you could always come back in with an answer. Otherwise we'd be here all day waiting for you to... Look at me, I've thought already. You've never... You really haven't bailed me out today at all. You just sat there when I was in my moment of need a couple of times.
43:14You just sat there... You're not close, sir. I thought, go ahead. You sat there, po-faced. Po-faced. Oh, yours. Let's get up. He's been next to him for too long. He's all Happy Larry when he's on Football America, isn't he? Comes on this show, he's bread and butter, by the way. Look who he's sat next to. Well, that's enough to bring anybody down. Frank, interim manager. No, not really, but I have a very good story about when I signed for Marseille and my first training session, the coach came to welcome me. I tried to find his name, was a former Yugoslavian guy, trained Nantes, and after Marseille, he would maybe come back to me.
44:01He said hi to me. We did a training session. He said, I'm very pleased to have you. He said that we did the training session. At the end, he went. He shook my hand. He said, well, that was a real pleasure. I've just been sacked. Goodbye. What a beginning with Marseille. You think I'm a dagger on things? That was a good story. It was Ivic. I think it was... It was Ivic, I think. Okay. All right. Ivic, the coach. The coach. What I'm saying is, you're blaming me for bringing him down. Frank, he shakes your guys hand, he gets a sack. Okay. You get my point? No, not really. Well, you're not that bright at that point.
44:44Not really. Are you sure it was just a liver transplant you had? You didn't take part of that brain out, as small as it was. Oh, bro. I'm feeling good, by the way. Yes, for the panel, do you think the locker room at Real Madrid is devoid of of senior leadership like Kruz or Modric or Nacho to tell the players to put aside their differences for the good of the team.
45:11I don't know if it will work. Maybe they would need somebody who can create that togetherness and the chemistry of the players they need and the understanding that they need to work together. And that's the main thing, you know, when they had Ronaldo, they had that example of the player we didn't track back. It was a big star. But the players and the coach were new and were working together. And the example of Kroos, Benzema dedicated his football for Ronaldo. And when he left, he took over. Modric, of course, they knew exactly what was the meaning of playing together and sacrificing to the others and to the big star.
45:55Nowadays it doesn't work like that. And I don't know if even a guy like Kroos or Modic will be able to explain to the players how it works because I'm not sure they're going to listen. They do have those players. They've got Militao, they've got Rudiger, they've got Dani Carvajal, who's been there and seen it and done it all. And he is a very respected guy. And you've got Thibaut Courtois, one of the best in the world. Goal keyboard. Maybe they've tried. I mean, I wouldn't, you know, QMN and Kamavinga, they're not youngsters anymore, they've been around, but I wouldn't consider them experienced pros.
46:30You know, people would respect Kaelin Mbappe, people should respect Jude Bellingham, I would suggest. But, you know, like I said, Danny Carvajal, he's been, he knows that club, he's been in that dressing room for a long time. He's, and he's a very, he's not a shy character. You know, you see him on the touchlines when he's not playing. He's out there getting involved. So they've got senior players that others should be able to listen to. Younger people like Mastantuano and Guller and Gonzalo Garcia and all these sort of younger guys. And people should be telling Vinicius Junior and Rodrigo or whoever it is that's not pulling away.
47:08Hey, you need... Yeah, but sometimes you can tell people over and over again, you know, don't stress, it's all right, it's only highlights, and yet you still kind of... That's when you've got to lay the hammer down. Right. In some sense, not condoning. I'm just saying, maybe a little bit more hands-on. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Do it. Why do you have to sound like Butley when you do it? We had boys in the Scotland team, you'd do that to you five minutes before. You know when the old bell... Yeah. The whistle of the bell goes. Yeah. We had a couple of maniacs running around shaking people. You'd be like, just getting your sock done or your chin.
47:44The next thing you know, something's whacking in the head. I try to remember if nowadays there were players who tried to not track back when they lost the ball, were lazy and thought that the other will do the work for them. I don't remember that. Big players like Gianfranco Zola, like Zinedine Zidane that I played with. But even before, I don't remember them doing that because they would have done that, as Craig just showed to the world, you know, we'd have some words and other things in the dressing room half time. They'd say, oh man, what are you doing? Do you think I'm going to run for you if you don't make any effort for us?
48:26And yeah, grab him like that and make sure that the guy wakes up. So it's generational for me. That's a new generation of some players. Because they allow themselves to do what they want. It looks like society at some point. Ginola didn't track back. But you put... Don't use that word in front of Frank. Yeah, never mind. Why? Never mind. Who's that? No, no, nobody. Nobody. Nobody you know. Well, you know, you don't have to be the big guy in the dressing room. Frank will tell you this. If people weren't pulling their weight at Chelsea... I'm not suggesting he would win the fight, but Dennis Wise was going to have a fight with you.
49:09Right. It was going to be amazing. You can't imagine Fran Garcia calling anyone out. No, but I can imagine Danny Carvajal doing it. Yeah, but he hasn't played for months, has he? I mean, he's about your size. Danny Carvajal? Yeah, but I reckon he'd beat you up. Well, that's not difficult, is it? I don't think that's... I can tell him where the first place to hit you. Yeah, a good punch on the lever, yeah, that would be nice. Right, clip that off, HR, thank you. Save that for a really deep. Put that in my pocket. Craig, who ends the premiere? And that. There's a lot of people, I don't know why, there's a lot of people want to do damage to you.
49:54Well, you and Frank. Craig, who ends the Premier League season with more goals? Xocharez, Marino or Havertz? That's a bit harsh. Well, Xocharez is a top scorer at the moment. Yeah, exactly. So, yeah. Xocharez. This is just the Spurs fan pick that one. You know what he's like. Yeah, well, yeah. He's got to find some sort of negative with Arsenal. He's having a hard time. Because his Tottenham team... Yeah, he's having a hard time now. Is Xavi more suited Xhaka to coaching Spurs and take them upwards like Leverkusen. I can't even watch the games anymore when he comes up. Say again. Producer mate.
50:31All right. He's just too negative.
50:36Nobody's interested in sports. You know when the people just don't get it? Yes. You know. Yes, I know. Tottenham. We have the same discussions every morning. Let's talk about Xavi Simons. No. Let's talk about Xavi. Shelby, Thomas Frank. What does this mean for Thomas Frank? No. No, no, no, no, no. Is Xavi most... Vicky Vance of N. No. Right. Shaka, to the question. Do you remember what the question was? Is he more suited to coaching someone like Spurs than Liverpool? Because of his experience at Leverkusen. Yes. No, I prefer to see my Liverpool. It's like Sid was saying, you don't feel his stock has been that damaged.
51:09No, it's not. It's Real Madrid. Yeah, exactly. Well, Leverkusen, he was having the players pressing in high intensity, and Liverpool are built for that. They're just not doing it this season. Would you sack slot now and bring it in? No. And when I said that last year... What did you say? You laughed at me. What? Real Madrid Saka. You said a lot of Saka that I laughed at, but that doesn't narrow it down. Carry on, carry on. You're laughing at it. Nothing. You're laughing at yourself again. No. Has Eddie Howell taken Newcastle as far as he can, Saka? And should he target a bigger club or the England job after the World Cup?
51:45Has he taken Newcastle as far as a bigger club? Has he outgrown Newcastle, I suppose, is what this is saying. I don't know. I don't think he's... Well, they might get in the European places this year. I don't think he's outgrown Newcastle to that point. Newcastle have their issues around their spending that they're trying to address. As long as they kind of figure that out, I don't see why they don't continue to push on. We're not even 12 months gone, Newcastle won their first title. First trophy in God knows how long. Yeah, all right.
52:18Don't cry. What player outcasted by Amerind and sent on loan has the most potential to return to Man's United and change the narrative, Craig? Hoyland, Rashford, Onana or Sancho? Well, we can rule the last two out. Onana's chucking them in, I believe. Oh yeah? Yeah, Sancho, bit part at Villa. Very much bit part. I've crossed him off. The answer really should be Marcus Rashford. and probably is but that's an attitude issue which has never been the case for Hoyland his attitude has been great he just had a tough time at United I mean I would have to say Rashford Final question Frank seeing that club legends are eager to coach their former clubs would you ever offer yourself to Chelsea if the opportunity arose?
53:14Yes, yes. I would change my life if it was the case. But I will make sure it's not only for seven months. So I will make people work around me and talk to the players before. Well, if it's possible. But yes, I would love to get that job. Because of your love of Chelsea, yes? Yeah, because it's my club. It's my club for life. You know, I won nine titles in five years with Chelsea and France while I was playing for Chelsea. So it says it says a lot, you know. So you would do it. You would do it obviously then for free because of the love that you have. Even though the fans hate him, though. Of course, just just just the rent of the of the of the flat, as you say, in England.
54:04for my time being there. I'd love him to get the job and then, you know, every time they're out of bad result, we could just absolutely smash him. A bit like we do anyway, you know. Would you have Craig as your assistant? No. Obviously, another Chelsea legend. Kipman. Kipman. Good luck with that. Oh, I would... Yes, I would put him on the bench to make sure the fans can throw him something, you know, to be unhappy for 10 years that he was saying bad stuff to Chelsea. I'd be the conduit between Frank and the players. Really? Like a smooth transition. There it is. Oh, fuck yeah. Shaka, where would you coach?
54:43Out of everywhere. Tron DeBago. Yeah. Yeah. So if Dwight rang you up and said, come and be the goalkeeping coach, would you do it? For free? Well, Frank's doing it for free. I'd do it for flights every month. For flights and my flat. I'll do it. How? Just think back there, perfect for the Carnival. I was next month. Get your feathers on. Next month. I was next month. You're getting feathered up. Are you? You're too old for all that, aren't you? I mean, you're knocking on a bit. You can't be doing that. You just wait. There we go. That is it. That brings us to the end of today's show. For more serious analysis, join us tomorrow as we'll be looking back also against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.
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From the publisher
The FC crew react to Man City's 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semifinals and praise Antoine Semenyo for adapting to life under Pep Guardiola very quickly. Sid Lowe also joins the show to continue to react to the fallout from Xabi Alonso leaving Real Madrid and Alvaro Arbeloa taking over as manager.
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