Should Solanke's First Goal Stand?

20:52Andy Davies:that Andy's right, there is so much going on here that I think the problem is for the VAR and incidents like this is that there is a lot going on. There's ricochets and possible clearances, maybe a Fulham player, a United player played it and all that sort of stuff, and they don't want to get it wrong because they have gotten stuff wrong and they've been absolutely smashed for it. And I think there is, I would imagine, an awful lot of pressure when it's not a simplistic decision in the booth. And therefore, I think that's kind of understandable. I think the ones that we sit and look at at home and go, right, come on.

21:31Andy Davies:We've seen it on two replays or one replay. Let's damn well get on with this. Those are the ones. I think ones like this that are more complicated, I sort of can understand it because the VAR wants to make sure he's getting this right and not missing something. Because if he misses something, every Tom, Dick and Harry is going to jump on it. and these are the ones that are slightly more convoluted. Sounds like you can go over there and help them.

21:53Mark Ogden:Sounds like you're on their side, you want to improve. I think it's good. Do you know what? I think it's a good idea.

21:59Andy Davies:He's committed. I said this to you. I was terrible with referees when I was playing at Chelsea, Celtic and Derby. Right, terrible. But I got way, way more respect for officials when I stopped playing. I wouldn't do it. I couldn't do it. You know when we talk about ex-players going to be referees? I couldn't do it. You wouldn't even be able to get your socks on. You wouldn't even be able to referee an underage game. I don't want to be a referee, thank you.

22:29Mark Ogden:I'm happy here. I don't need that. Honestly, why are you being so nice to him when you've been so angry with all our other referees? Well, I'm bedding Andy in.

22:44Mark Ogden:That's that stuff for me. No, I can't. Right, last one Andy. Surely even you can't defend this. Why are they going so far back for an instant that isn't even clear when they chalked off this Aston Villa goal? Okay, so yeah, I totally agree in terms of how can they be sure. There's obviously no clear evidence in terms of footage or a still to show the ball's out of play and that will be the question for PJ Mo to come out and explain. listen I think we can all look at that and say the ball is probably out of play however there's no definitive picture that's been released that I've seen that clearly shows it is and that's a question I'm sure Aston Villa are asking PGMO and the Premier League to justify and come up with in terms of the time taken this is considered as the attacking phase of one attacking phase of play.

23:44Mark Ogden:So it's gone from one box to the other box in under 20 seconds. It's not broken down. So that will be considered as one attacking phase of play. So I'm quite comfortable that the phase of play is correct. However, I do have questions over what evidence and what footage and what steals they have to confirm that the ball would left the field of play. And that'd be a question, as I said, that I'm sure Aston Villa are asking the Premier

24:07ESPN FC Crew:the league and and the pgmo to to confirm i i i get that it's it's the same it's the same phase of play because at no point did brentford even get a foot on the ball between the ball supposedly going out and andy's right there there's no it looks to the naked eye as we sit here that the ball goes out the ball is out but that happens so many times a season where you aren't you aren't definitely sure it happens so many times in offsides where to the naked eye it looks like is offside but automated VAR says that's completely different. So without that definitive view or technology stepping in to say it's definitely out, then you've got to go with the call on the field.

24:50ESPN FC Crew:And the call on the field was, the ball was still in play. I just don't, I find this inconsistent in how they've applied, well, the law or interpretation of it.

25:04Andy Davies:It's quite simple. The phase of play stuff, I kind of understand, even though it's one end of the pitch to the other. But if there's... Bearing in mind the on-field decision was a goal, if there is not a definitive... And it did look as if it was out. Look, if it's not definitive on any camera angle, the goal has to stand.

25:22ESPN FC Crew:Simple as that. Here's another question. How long does a phase of play last? Andy, how long does it last? Because Vrna could have passed the ball around another two minutes. and with old Brentford touching it, and we can say, well, yeah, still the attacking phase. No, it's called the attacking phase

25:40Mark Ogden:because there's forward movement chakra, and I think if you look at it, I think you'll struggle to argue against that. I think the moment the ball would come backwards, I think that's when the phase of play would be reset. They've literally gone from back to front, I think it's four players, only four players have touched it before it's in the back of the net. So I'm looking at it thinking, for me, that is one attacking phase of play. have gone from one of the pitch to the other, Brentford are nowhere near it, there's four touches and it's in the back of the net. So I think that's quite understandable and considered one attacking phase of play.

26:15ESPN FC Crew:I get that. I agree. It's one phase of play. My argument is, is there some kind of time limit, touch limit to this? Because Villa could have passed this ball around

26:25Andy Davies:a number of other times. Have you not just listened to Andy? As long as there's forward movement. So it could be five minutes? No, you can't keep going forward for five minutes without either giving the ball away or having to strike it. So if the ball gets to the byline and it's cut backwards,

26:40ESPN FC Crew:is that a phase of play or no? What do you mean? The ball gets to the byline and it's cut backwards. And somebody scores from the ball that's cut backwards.

26:49Andy Davies:Yeah, because it's all the one phase of play. Then the ball's coming backwards then.

26:51ESPN FC Crew:Then the ball's coming backwards. This is just a silly argument. I'm just asking.

26:55Andy Davies:Is this a silly argument?

26:56Mark Ogden:There's no definitive line. It's down for the VAR to make that judgment. And I think on this occasion, he's got that part of it right. The interesting part and where the questions will be asked will be in terms of the decision to disallow the goal because of the ball league in the field of play. And the footage or the information they use to decide that will be interesting. And I've not seen anything to prove one way or the other, to be honest. Andy, great stuff. Thank you very much. Much appreciated. Join us, Nundberg. Pleasure. Definitely. Referee's course. ESPN FC, of course, has a YouTube channel.

27:29Mark Ogden:to check out the latest videos, be sure to go there. See, I can't be nice. Weird.

27:36ESPN FC Crew: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. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click Grainger.com, or just stop by. Save money and get a better view of the road when you replace your worn-out wiper blades at O 'Reilly Auto Parts.

28:14ESPN FC Crew:Right now, save$10 on a pair of Rain-X Latitude wiper blades. They feature beam blade technology to improve windshield contact for maximum visibility. The professional parts people will even install your new wiper blades for free. Choose Rain-X Latitude wiper blades at your local O 'Reilly Auto Parts store or online at OReillyAuto.com.

28:53Mark Ogden:Obviously, about the decision, the referees, maybe the first goal shouldn't have stood, but that is not an excuse as to why City were so bad, once again, in the second half. Mark Ogden is still with us. Mario joins us as well.

29:08Andy Davies:I'll be, you know, Mario, yes, you know, happy Mario. But Oggy, not being nice to Oggy. Right, OK. Nah, he's got his grumpy Man United head on.

29:17Mark Ogden:We'll talk about Manchester United a little bit later on. Well, they can't defend, can they? Tottenham, that's the problem. Well, City can't defend it. Sorry, well, Tottenham can't either. But how do you explain what happened in this match? How can City... Look, I know, we talked about defences, and they've got bad full-backs, but overall, how can you not create a chance in the second half after being so dominant in the opening 45 minutes?

29:40Andy Davies:Because Tottenham... Who's that down to? Because Tottenham was so pedestrian in the first 45. It was so easy for Man City. I've seen this from Tottenham before. I've seen this from Thomas Frank's side a lot. they have been rank rotten for games in the first half and then they've had a scalding from the crowd and they've came out and they've been better. Not always got a result, but they have been better. They've actually ran about and checked. They did it with Villa in the FA Cup. They couldn't have been much worse against Villa in the FA Cup. They got beat in the end, but second half they made a game of it.

30:11Andy Davies:This was exactly the same. Man City did not like it and could not cope with it when Tottenham finally got their ginger up. when Tottenham finally started making some challenges, when Tottenham started pressing them, City couldn't handle it. And when you get at City and they lose their composure, they have to then rely on their defence and their stability. And they don't have that. They had it for the first six games of the season and then it left. People said, oh, look at City's defence early in the season. And what do we say here? It's got no longevity. They don't handle it when people punch them in the nose.

30:47Andy Davies:Bodo Glimp did it to them. over there. So the reason they were so, in my opinion, the reason they were so comfortable in the first half is because they've got good players and when you set off really good players and give every one of them 10 yards on the ball, they will just spray it around. But they couldn't do it in the second half because Tottenham finally woke up. And they made their own mistakes and also we can talk about you know the sulanke goal the two goals certainly the first one uh the second one you got nico o'reilly and it might have been kusanov i can't remember who or gay or whoever it was two of them uh hesitant going for the ball and conor gallagher gets in and he's quicker again he's sharper and he gets in and all of a sudden they're putting a cross in and I don't see many people talking this morning once again about Erling Haaland been through on goal in the first half with a simple little lob simple lob over Vicario and I mean look, that's not difficult that's not difficult so, you know, there's no real excuses here you can't, the referee is not why although it was a big call they had opportunities to put this game to bed they did not do it

32:15Mark Ogden:and they paid the price for it Mario, the problem is for Pep Guardiola, fans of Manchester City as Craig said, this isn't a one-off this isn't a second half where they just haven't been able to find the gas pedal after being so, so dominant in the first half we've seen this since the start of the year Manchester City not turning up when they're needed when they want to be in this title race when the doors opened slightly, yet again, Manchester City dropped points and handing it to Arsenal.

32:44Andy Davies:Yeah, I think, you know, like what Greg already said, I think the first half they had Rodri and Silva were dealing with it. They kept on picking the ball up and bussing around it. But when it comes to Man City, it's just that the consistency that they had before that we always could bank on and say, like, oh, they got it, they got it. It seems like now it's crumbling, you know, like it's dropping points at occasions where we normally don't see that happen to them. And that's why I think now, like even when you highlight, you know, you highlighted, you know, a number of draws in the games today, you understand, when we expect them to overtake certain things, they don't.

33:20And I think also what was very important in this game, Thomas Frank knows that he's in trouble, you understand,

33:27Andy Davies:in the sense of like he might not say that to his team, but you can see that the way his team is playing. But the second half, one of the things that is really English is winning your second ball. And the way Gallagher won that ball was not only winning the ball, it was also a kid that wants to prove a point. You come from Chelsea, you go to Spurs, you want to prove a point and say, like, hey, listen, guys, I'm here now. I want to win. And I want to prove to London that I am supposed to be here. So in that sense, I think Spurs reacted really well in the second half. And, of course, the first goal changed the whole game, regardless if it was a foul.

34:01Mark Ogden:Oggy, looking at this overall Semenyo comes in, Gai comes in obviously to try and boost Manchester City's squad, to try and help their title race, we're not seeing that obviously at the moment, where do we stand on Pep Guardiola and his future? Because is it that he's just run out of ideas the players aren't listening to him, where do we stand on this? Well I mean

34:22ESPN FC Crew:I have to run out of ideas, I mean first of all the Semenyo stand has been good because he's scored quite a few goals and kept them competitive really I think what it is with Pep I think obviously only Pep will know himself what he's going to do he's contracted until the end of next season I don't think anybody right now thinks he'll stay but we've thought that three or four times over the last five or six years and he always signs a contract it feels different this time but I think that's because it seems like there's a bigger rebuild and whether Pep has the appetite for the rebuild and you know yeah they've signed Gay yeah they've signed Semenya but for me the midfield is the problem because they haven't got any midfield you know Rodri great player that he was he's still struggling to overcome the crucial injury he's not as mobile or as effective as he was.

34:59ESPN FC Crew:And then who else has he got? You know, Nico O 'Reilly was playing there at the weekend. Then he's a full-back. Then you've got Bernardo Silva, who, again, he's pretty much checking out. He's going to leave in the summer. And then beyond that, you know, Reinders is average. You know, they haven't got a player like a De Bruyne or a Yaya Torre or, you know, the great players, the great midfielders that City have had under Pep Guardiola. They've no power. They've no legs. So Pep's to be looking at it thinking, no matter what I do, I can't get this midfield to work. As soon as somebody goes out that midfield, you mentioned Colin Gallagher, somebody that gets around them, they can't handle it and he hasn't got the players to make a difference so they can sign all the defenders in the falls they want if they're not controlling the midfield they're not going to win games and that's why they've won one of the last six and that was against Wolves

35:40Andy Davies:Yeah but that's their problem, isn't it? I mean, is he working with his who's still there, the sporting directors I know some of them, one or two left who's still there?

35:50ESPN FC Crew:Well, Chiqui Bagiristan left so obviously Hugo Vallada came from Sporting Lisbon and it's Ferran Soriano who's the chief exec from Barcelona, so in terms of Pep's kind of team, Chiqui was the guy that he worked in tandem with to get players in Hugo Vajana, obviously sporting have a different profile of players that they need to attract he's come in, but obviously Chiqui Paguristan was part of the group that brought in Nico last year who hasn't been great, brought in Kuzhinov who hasn't been great, the signings over the last 18 months, 2 years, have been patchy and that is the problem, we've seen it with all the great teams in the past, Man United, Liverpool when you replace great players with less great players, sometimes average players, you have an effect and City is suffering that right now.

36:29ESPN FC Crew:Pep's a genius, as we know, but if the players aren't up to it and the midfielders aren't up to it, you're going to struggle.

36:35Mark Ogden:What's going through the players' minds at the moment, Mario? Obviously, Oggy mentioned Bernardo Silva's checked out. Are players starting to think about their futures? What's going on? Like Haaland?

36:44Andy Davies:Bernardo Silva was brilliant in the first half.

36:47Mark Ogden:But again, that was because... But if you've got a player that's leaving at the end of the season... But that was because he was allowed to be given that space. Yeah. I'm just trying to get into the mindset of these City players. How much do they care, I suppose? They didn't turn up in the Manchester derby. They didn't turn up against Bodo Glynn. They didn't turn up in the second half yesterday. That has got to be a problem, isn't it, that needs addressing? And how much is that down to Pep? And how much are these players checking out?

37:12Andy Davies:I'll go back to last year before the proverbial hit the fan, right? I remember a Carabao Cup game. at Tottenham actually, you remember? When it was all smiles at the end. They were losing. They were getting beat. It was near the end of the game. The camera cut to the bench and there must have been some comedian in there because they were all laughing and smiling. And I think there is a question as a player, even if you don't, even if it's not foremost in your mind, subconsciously, if you've been as dominant as they were for a period in England, subconsciously when you know a manager maybe has lost me and that's understandable if indeed Guardiola has lost that bit of drive like Klopp lost that energy at Liverpool didn't have the energy he admitted it and Guardiola's been doing it at the top for longer day in, day out and people might say well you're not digging a road but it's a mental thing and when players can sense that a manager might be coming to the end and that the team are not as strong and that things may be changing, subconsciously maybe you just lose, even if you lose 5 % or 10%, it's not because you're not trying, it's not because of your attitude, it's just things just change.

38:41Andy Davies:If you lose even 5 % or 10 % at this kind of level, then your results drop. and maybe there is a case from both players and, Augie mentioned it, Rodri's had serious injury. You know, they've got injuries to Vardiole and Diaz and Stones has been permanently, it seems, on and off the treatment table for a couple of years now. These are experienced players and these things were being camouflaged at the start of the season by Elling Haaland's form, by Haaland's goals. and you can only camouflage it for so long unless he has the season of all seasons, which, you know, he's gone through a bit of a drier patch.

39:26Andy Davies:And when he goes through that drier patch, it puts the pressure on the rest of the side. And when the rest of the side start to creak, whether it be the midfield, which hasn't quite got the legs, but that's their issue. Nico Gonzalez was 60 million. You know, Tizani Rinders was a top player at Milan. Maybe people don't think he is in England, but he was... And I think he's a good box-to-box midfielder. I think you just have to find ways to use him correctly. But when then that puts pressure on the weakest part of the team, which under no doubt is the defence, now you're looking at Donnarumma, who, by the way, has been excellent.

40:04Andy Davies:And that tells its own story. Absolutely excellent. But for Donnarumma and Haaland's goals, they're in Liverpool's position. Yes. Not even in the top four.

40:14ESPN FC Crew:See, this is the thing for me. Listen, I get the point about Guardiola maybe needing a break, but he had no problem taking that sabbatical after Barcelona. He had no problem taking a sabbatical after Bayern Munich. Why is he pushing himself through that this time around? That, for me, doesn't...

40:33Andy Davies:Because he doesn't... I think he doesn't... When they had this bad spell last year, and this is only my opinion, I might be wrong, I don't think he wanted to be seen to be walking away from a tricky situation. He's chucked a towel, and I think he wanted to make sure he could show people he came through that.

40:51ESPN FC Crew:A fair point, but then you started touching it. Augie raised it, but you also, you have Guardiola with his backroom staff, whoever it may have been, spending an awful lot of money to address some of these issues. You mentioned Ryan does. Augie described him as an average player. Spend an awful lot of money on him. Mahmouche, 12 months ago, spent an awful lot of money on him. Now all of a sudden, these players who are highly sought after, it wasn't as though Pep was trying to pick a diamond in the rough here. People knew who these players were, knew their talents, knew how good they were. They're spending money to bring them in, and yet they simply aren't performing under Pep as anybody thought they would.

41:34ESPN FC Crew:So you have a lot of injuries to your back four, certainly, and you're taking a beating for it. But that is no excuse for the underperformance of Rinders, of Mahmouche, of being unable to create a single opportunity in the second half against Spurs. Erling Haaland or not, you cannot create a single opportunity in an entire 45 minutes. That is really poor showing, in my opinion.

42:03Mark Ogden:Mario, Craig mentioned it. Just take me back to the psyche of these players. Like, is there a 5 % drop-off?

42:13Andy Davies:Yes, because I think, look, Pep have tweaked a lot of things, right? You know, we highlighted the plays that he brought in, but also the system that he played. You understand? Sometimes he plays, you know, like even the right or the left back could be a midfielder and he puts them in. He always implements new things, because the things that he implements, Arsenal is using it. Regarding if Arsenal, Chelsea was using it. The same kind of similarities because they were part of his background staff. But still, you see that he tweaked a lot of things and new things he came up with. But now it almost looks like some of the teams have an answer to it.

42:48Andy Davies:And the answer that is into it is that they know that he wants to control the tempo of the game. And they hold the discipline to him. When he was at Barcelona, similarities were happening. Okay, great time. He cannot compare maybe to it. But then he comes to City, and what Craig said, I totally agree with it. I don't think he wants to walk away leaving the team. He's a real winner, and I think his pride is bigger than, you know, just walking away from a team that is not performing the way he wants it to be. And because of that reason now, it's going to take him a lot more energy and power to tweak things and turn things around because the way the players are performing right now, they dropped something.

43:28Andy Davies:and what they dropped, he's there every day. He can see it and he sees that the ones that he had prior to this were all the ones that wanted to be the champion, were going for it. I think these ones clearly want to be champions too, but they had the need and the anger and the discipline to go after it. And now it's just a little bit less than that.

43:48Mark Ogden:A lot more on this on Extra Time, by the way, which as always you can check out on YouTube. Mario back with us to discuss that and the Gavin Jules podcast. Oh, how can I forget that? That is available now.

44:03ESPN FC Crew:Rich Eisen here. The tax deadline will be here before you know it. And you just want to know your taxes are actually being handled. But the old way? You hand everything off and then silence. Days pass. Weeks pass. You start wondering, should I send another follow-up email? It feels like you're chasing updates and getting nowhere. But now, taxes are different. because your taxes are done for you by a TurboTax full-service expert. With Intuit TurboTax, you can match with your dedicated tax expert and hand off everything right in the app. And while your expert checks for every deduction, you'll see real-time updates on your phone so you always know exactly where things stand.

44:42ESPN FC Crew:Suddenly, you're not refreshing your inbox. You're going for a run, grabbing a coffee, scrolling anything other than a just-checking-in message because your TurboTax expert is handling it. keeping you in the loop. So this tax season, get your best possible outcome and every dollar you deserve without the guesswork. Visit TurboTax.com today to learn more. Real-time updates only in iOS mobile app, only available with TurboTax full-service experts. Watching someone close go through loss really changes your perspective. You see how quickly grief can turn into financial stress, and it's something no family should have to deal with during an already difficult time.

45:21ESPN FC Crew:Experiences like that make people think differently about planning ahead and protecting the people they love. Life insurance isn't about expecting the worst. It's about being prepared and knowing your family will be supported if something unexpected happens. That's why life insurance through Ethos is worth considering. They make the process fast and easy. Everything is 100 % online so you can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and even get same-day coverage. There's no medical exam, just a few simple health questions. You can get up to$3 million in coverage, and some policies start as low as$30 a month.

45:54ESPN FC Crew:As of March 2025, Business Insider named Ethos the number one no-medical exam instant life insurance provider. And Ethos has 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, with over 3 ,000 reviews. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos now by going to ethos.com slash sports. In as little as 10 minutes, you can get your free quote and up to$3 million in coverage at ethos.com slash sports. That's E-T-H-O-S dot com slash sports. Ethos.com slash sports. Application times and rates may vary.

46:34Mark Ogden:Three in a row then. Manchester United defeating Fulham by three goals to two at Old Trafford. How could you possibly find a negative in what's been going on? Over the last couple of weeks. Well, coming from me, let's welcome Mr Negative again. I know. Mark Ogden. That's not me. Mark Ogden, you've written an article where it should be all love. Carrick's done brilliantly and you're saying the problem is now that Manchester United have to make a decision on what they're going to do about their future. What's the rush? Calm down.

47:04ESPN FC Crew:No, I did make the point that they've got a window. It's about another four to six weeks where they have to make a decision because Carrick is probably overperforming expectations. When they hired him, the objective was stabilise the ship, get us into Europe, top six, and then we can move you on. Or we can say thanks for your help and we'll get a coach in the summer. But what he's done, he's won three games, he's beaten the best two teams in the country, he's played football that many United fans want to see. And it's almost like created this kind of movement to get him the job. Now, it's too soon to give Carrot a job.

47:34ESPN FC Crew:Of course it is, it's three games. But equally, if he continues to do well, United have got a problem in the sense that do they abandon this successful appointment that he's overperforming because he's kind of embraced the DNA? Do they throw that away because they want to go for an elite coach? Or do they think, you know, let's stick with Michael Carrick and back him to do it next season? The problem with that is the delay. If you're a player that Man United want to sign right now, you need to know who the mind is going to be next season because you need to know what the tactical formation is going to be next season.

48:03ESPN FC Crew:because we saw with Ruben Amorim, if you get a 3-4-3 coach or a 4-3-3 coach or whatever, you need to know that you're going to fit in that system. So all the time that Man United waste between now and the end of the season, it could cost them players because players want certainty. Wait, wait, wait. Aren't you contradicting yourself here?

48:17Mark Ogden:Because when you were on when Manchester United got rid of Amorim, you said the number one choice, if you could choose anyone, would be Thomas Tuchel after the World Cup. So why is that decision different to waiting for Carrick to see how he does till the end of the season and then make an appointment in the summer, indeed after the World Cup?

48:36ESPN FC Crew:No, because you bring Tuchel in after the World Cup, you don't bring him in before them, but you can make the decision now to hire Tuchel. His contract expires at the World Cup, so there's no reason why Man United can't go to Thomas Tuchel and say, we know your contract expires in the summer, will you be our manager next year? Yes, great, so fine, that's the job done. When players are trying to sign for Man United, they'll say, Thomas Tuchel's going to be the manager next season, Thomas Tuchel's going to do this, etc. So you can make that decision now. Obviously, he's not going to leave the England job right now, but you can say to him, right, this is what we're going to do.

49:01ESPN FC Crew:the summer. I mean, there are various different issues. Harry Maguire, for instance, his contract expires in the summer. The new coach coming in might want an experienced battle forward. They might want Maguire around to be part of the squad going forward, just to be the bridge between now and in a couple of years' time. Another coach might say, no, no, move him on. I'll go with your winnade in heaven. I'll go with youth. You can't appoint a manager after those decisions have been made. So there's a lot of issues to be addressed.

49:26Mark Ogden:You can't have a deal with Thomas Tuchel before the World Cup. Lopategui had that issue, obviously, when he was going to take over at Real Madrid and Spain. Because fans won't like it. Of course you can. Fans, you know what they're like. You know exactly how they're going to play out. Tupul does rubbish at the World Cup. He's too preoccupied at Manchester United. And then everything goes wrong at Manchester United. I agree with Augie here. Of course you can. But hang on a minute.

49:48ESPN FC Crew:The alternative is that you go through the World Cup with Thomas, are you going to take the Man United job? Thomas, are you going to take the Man United job? Thomas, this distraction is costing you the World Cup. So you can't win either way. Because if he takes the job before and it clears the air, everyone knows he's being disloved to the country. If he doesn't have a kind of a decision, and every single game at the World Cup he's distracted by Man United talk, again, he's being disloved to the country. So you've got to part the noise. I mean, you've got to do what's best for Man United, if you're a Man United director, do what's best for Thomas Tuchel.

50:16ESPN FC Crew:And his contract expires at the end of the World Cup. He can line up a job after the World Cup, here and now. What's he going to do? Get to the World Cup final and say, right, what am I going to do tomorrow? He needs to know what he's doing. And equally, if you're a guy that's going to take the Man United job, if it's Thomas Tuchel, if it's Carlo Ancelotti you don't want to wait until the middle of July to say right I'm going to take the job because you've wasted so much time in the meantime you need to know now or certainly the next six to seven weeks he's going to win the World Cup I know I'm having a bad day

50:42Andy Davies:I know I'm having a bad day I was nice to a referee and I agree with Augie I think the better Carrick does the more I think in a sense this may sound strange it would be ideal for United if Carrick did well but not too well. They don't want it to be a disaster obviously but if he does exceedingly well I mean he's not going to win every game but if this run continues and there's an excitement we have a scenario where they may give him the job because they feel that that's gone well and supporters like him and players like him and then we have another Solskjaer scenario next year and they're back at square one.

51:30Andy Davies:So what do they do? I mean, do they put off the search whilst Carrick is... So I see where Augie's coming from. But in some sense, that's for United's board to deal with. They've put themselves in this position. They stumbled over Eric Ten Hag and, you know, hired Ruben Amarim. It was all a mess. So they've left themselves in this position. so it's going to be interesting to see what they do but the better Carrick does and the less choices that are out there that seem feasible and as you say if England fans are if Thomas Tuchel seem to be not and we've got this nonsense over here at the moment with you know and this is small fry compared Timothy Weah talking about ticket prices and Marieta Poitier going focus on the World Cup Can you imagine if Thomas Tuchel was having these talks with Man United and the England fans are going, oh, he's not focused.

52:32Andy Davies:This is what happens when you hire a German. He's not interested. I've already written my letter. I mean, it's not that England are going to win the World Cup because they haven't got a hope in hell anyway. But if he has, because Harry Kane's goals are going to dry up, we know that. What? He's got the crystal ball. No, man, no. If Thomas Tuchel has an average, if Thomas Tuchel has a stinker of a World Cup, even with his resume, how do you sell that to United? So it's a very difficult scenario. And what do you think, Mario? No, I think, look, like what, you know, like Mr. Ogan said, I totally agree because in the sense of like the duration is going to be very, very important here.

53:13Andy Davies:I also think the culture of the club, if you bring someone in that understands your culture, you also have to be aware that you have tried so many times to bring people in that had no, could not bring the culture back into the club. And now it seems like something is happening. It doesn't mean, look, okay, it's so early. I don't want us to scream too loud because I speak to even, when you speak to my United fans, you understand they're happy, but they're still waiting because they've been hurt so much in the process where they are right now. But what I feel like he's doing a great job and he is bringing certain things.

53:48Andy Davies:Okay, Casemiro was read enough. How can you play that good? You understand? because people were looking at you and thinking like, oh, he ain't good. Okay, Maino, Maino, people, how can you have a coach that didn't even look at the player, didn't like him at all, and now he's arguably one of the important players? Fernandes didn't even have the best game, but he clearly does what he needs to do. Shekho comes on, he understands the way, okay, he had an opportunity with a header before, but the way he finished his ball off, I was like, okay, this is what we want to see. This is what we expect somebody that was doing clearly certain things like this in Germany, want him to do it now.

54:23Andy Davies:Okay, maybe he loses up and does some things. But I feel Man United have to protect their culture and go after someone that understands your culture so you can bring things back. But if you're going to buy, get somebody again in that doesn't respect or wants to bring a whole new thing in, guys, you're going backwards instead of forward.

54:40ESPN FC Crew:Here's my thing. I think Manchester United have to be prepared to be ruthless. and to Mario's about culture. Salix Ferguson was as prepared as anybody to be ruthless. When he felt it was time for you to go, you were gone. End of story. There was no appeasing and what was nice to the fans and what the fans expected. And now if Michael Carrick, and I'm with Augie here, that they have to make a decision one way or the other. And if it is, regardless of what Michael Carrick does between 9-year and end of the season, if they make that decision at the end of February, end of March, whatever it is, that we're moving on and we're going after somebody else.

55:19ESPN FC Crew:Secure that. We keep turning out Thomas Tuchel. Let's be honest. It could be any one of a number of managers. But they get that manager secured. And even if Michael Carrick has an incredible run between now and the end of the season, just say thank you. You have to be prepared to be ruthless. Thank you very much. We're moving on. Let's be honest. If Michael Carrick goes on an incredible run, he'll find another job just as easily as anybody else. Not Manchester United. Not Manchester United. But let's keep in mind, this is Michael Carrick, has experience in Middlesbrough, she now had a good run at Manchester United.

55:50ESPN FC Crew:Let him have a longer-term view with somebody else in terms of preparing your skill set. I'm just saying it's not as though Michael Carrick is going to be out of football if Manchester United decide we're going to go somewhere else. United have to be prepared to be ruthless. They're a big football club that have just over the last few years, whether it's Socia, whether it's Ten Hag after he won the FA Cup, have been too willing to appease and it's cost them.

56:13Andy Davies:Thomas Tuchel as well, this talk. I mean, I'm not quite on board with this genius, right? Go and ask Bayern Munich fans. Go and ask Chelsea at the end. So you wouldn't get Thomas Tuchel? Well, see what you think about it, right? I say go and ask Bayern fans about the football. Go and throw in the league.

56:32Mark Ogden:I'm just saying give me another name then.

56:33Andy Davies:Well, I don't have another name, but you're asking me about Thomas Tuchel. That's the one we're talking about. I mean, Thomas, let's be honest, right? I mean this. What's Thomas Tuco done for England?

56:48Mark Ogden:Well, we'll find out. We'll find out this summer, won't we?

56:50Andy Davies:He qualified. They beat a bunch of... You see the teams they've beaten? Well, then... I don't think anybody is saying... What has he done recently? It's because there's nobody else out there. Or not many. That's why. Those are the odds. Beating whoever they beat in the qualifiers.

57:07Mark Ogden:I don't think anyone has looked at Thomas Tuco coaching England and gone, You know what? It'd be great if Manchester United. It's because of what he's done before, isn't it?

57:15Andy Davies:People in England at the moment think he's the second coming. I don't think they do, Craig Burley. They do. They don't. They do.

57:21Mark Ogden:You've been on that social media too much, Corey. That's what you've been doing. No, no, no.

57:29Andy Davies:Everybody can carry the way with beating these teams in the qualification. I don't think anybody is. I watch it. You might sit at home in your underpants. I watch it. I do. I listen. Who are you watching? I'm watching the games. I'm watching the reaction. I'm reading the journalists. What they're saying. Some of them. Until he goes to the World Cup and takes England to whatever it is and they look the business,

57:54Mark Ogden:I'm not having it. Let's get this show on. Come on. I need to get back in my underpants. Thank you very much. Mario will be back for extra time. Oggy, stay with us. Just a reminder, extra time is always available on our YouTube channel.

58:10ESPN FC Crew:Intel you want to know about. Kodiak frozen power waffles and flapjacks are built for busy mornings. Heat it, eat it, and you're out the door. No long prep, no complicated game plan. They're packed with 12 to 14 grams of protein per serving, a good source of fiber, and crafted with 100 % whole grains, not refined white flour. So you're getting something that actually fuels you. And there's depth on the roster. Buttermilk and vanilla, blueberry, chocolate chip, even gluten-free options. Breakfast that delivers. Snack that delivers. Find Kodiak frozen waffles and flapjacks in the frozen aisle at your local grocery store.

58:48ESPN FC Crew:They're the ones with the bear on the box.

58:50Mark Ogden:When was the last time you felt in control of your business finances? Expenses tracked, invoices sent, taxes ready. That's where Found comes in. Found brings your banking, bookkeeping, invoicing, and taxes together in one simple app. Manage expenses, invoice clients, send payments, and prep for tax time right where you bank. Join the hundreds of thousands who have already streamlined their finances with Found. Open a Found account for free at found.com. That's F-O-U-N-D dot com. Found is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by lead bank member FDIC. It is the final day of the transfer window.

59:25Mark Ogden:Would you believe it? The headline of it all is Liverpool signing a player that isn't going to even come until this summer. Jeremy Jacquet is committed.

59:34Andy Davies:Why don't we do transfer deadline day specials anymore?

59:37Mark Ogden:Because nothing happens.

59:41Mark Ogden:Oh, boy. Well, Oggy, nothing happens anymore.

59:45ESPN FC Crew:No, it's dismal, isn't it? It's just a big hype machine. And, yeah, Jeremy Jacquet, the big deal. Come on, it's... What am I supposed to say? It's been a bit of a letdown. You know, the big clubs have really stayed away, apart from City, who did their business early on. So I think we're all looking forward to the summer. I mean, within five minutes of the window closing, I was asked to say what's going to happen in the summer. and that's where we're at because nothing's happened this window so we're talking about why didn't Liverpool get this done today though

1:00:13Mark Ogden:why don't get him in for the rest of the season or that just was never an option

1:00:16ESPN FC Crew:because it was no it was never an option so it was a case of moving now to make sure that Chelsea didn't get in for the same arrangement so Chelsea were keen I mean it's happened before I think Christian Poulos it was the same when he went to Chelsea these deals do happen whereby you put a marker down you sign the player now and bring him in the summer but it makes you wonder I mean it's£55 million for a 20 year old kid from France unproven might be great, but they could have got Mark Guay for half of that in August. Oh, regrets. And, you know, that would probably have been a better deal.

1:00:44Andy Davies:Did Liverpool make any attempt for Mark Guay before he went to City in this month?

1:00:52ESPN FC Crew:They were told pretty clear that they couldn't compete with City. City's, you know, pay off their willingness to pay the fee. So, Liverpool were interested, but City just blew them out of the water and it was a case of, right, we can't even go there. We've missed our chance.

1:01:04Andy Davies:What, in terms of wages? Well that's what happens You give the big wages To Van Dijk and Salah There you go

1:01:11Mark Ogden:There you go What have they done this season? Exactly Ogi thank you Ogi thank you very much Let's take a look At the notable signings Atleti have been a bit busy Lukman has gone there

1:01:22Andy Davies:There's a chance for us all Strand Larson

1:01:24Mark Ogden:49 million There's a chance for a comeback

1:01:27Andy Davies:There we are There we go

1:01:30Mark Ogden:Good 49 million I'm sure they'll be talking about Vardgas On the next edition Of Football Americas transfer deadline. Here we go. This will bring you on today. Everything has happened today. Not a lot. Spoiler alert. Of course, if I get signs from Seattle Sanders, Herc knows him well. Be sure to get his opinion along with Ali and Cristina on the next edition of Football Americas that drops at 8.30.

1:01:58Mark Ogden:Despite everything, there is still very much a title race on in La Barcelona, of course, winning on Saturday. Real Madrid leaving it extraordinarily late against Raya, but a 2-1 victory sees them maintain a one-point difference between them and Barca at the top. Have Real Madrid turned the corner with that win? Turned the corner with the extra nine minutes, which was... It was such a weird ending to the game because everyone's just throwing themselves to the floor trying to get a penalty, and in the end they got the penalty.

1:02:29Andy Davies:Yeah, well, obviously, there was the Vallecano red card, which was a red card. So that's on them, because he had a bad touch, and it was a crazy challenge on Dani Ceballos. And then all of a sudden, you know, they've got a little bit of momentum, Real Madrid, because they had no momentum. They were, once again, for the bulk of the second half, at home, you know, it's a derby, obviously, to Fajacanar on the outskirts of Madrid. It's definitely a penalty on Braham Dias. This team with Mbappe and Vinicius and Bellingham and all these players, they played on the counter attack. Yeah, Mario had more possession, didn't they, for the big part of the second round?

1:03:14Andy Davies:They had more possession, they passed it better, their movement was better, and once again, this team was just about to be obliterated by the Bernabeu crowd and the red card helped him and then the last challenge just absolutely was your get out of jail. They were rotting again and he had Gonzalo Garcia comes on, the front man and plays on the right-hand side.

1:03:40Mark Ogden:Yeah, just explain that a little bit. You looked at the final team that was out there for Real Madrid. Is Ablo, he's just scared to make any changes involving Vinicius or anything?

1:03:48Andy Davies:Yeah, it looks like it. And then you bring the young man on and you put him on the right-hand side. when clearly he's just, that's not his position. It seemed like he wanted to do anything rather than upset somebody that wasn't doing a lot, somebody who had a big head and a big ego and he may have to answer questions about it. In some sense, it showed that maybe he's going to be a bit of a weak leader, no matter what he says in press conferences.

1:04:15Mark Ogden:He said he's not Gandalf the Wizard. He's what? Gandalf is Lord of the Rings? Yes. Yeah, there you go. He's not a wizard. It'll take time, Craig, for him to work his magic.

1:04:24Andy Davies:Yeah, well, can't wait. He speaks well in press conferences. He apparently is very single-minded, but I think with one or two of the superstars, I think he's going to be weak. And I think that weakness may be his short-term downfall. But trust me, they were as bad yesterday as they've been, and they did not deserve to win this game, but they did. And that is their solace.

1:04:57ESPN FC Crew:I thought Abelos' press conference yesterday was really weird, was really odd. Praising the crowd for the role that they played when, truth be told, the crowd whistled just about all game. And the crowd justifiably whistled all game, especially when you look at the second half performance. Now, yes, it's odd to be talking about a team that won in this tone, but give them everything that's gone on and this game was a struggle you're at home and you re it really was a smash and grab from from real madrid i have no idea where where the nine minutes came from and you could almost feel a penalty being awarded at some point in that nine minutes exactly how it played played out listen real keep themselves in touch with with barcelona there's still a bit of a a race or still a race on but it's going to take a whole lot more to convince this crowd to back the team certainly the way that are below are things they did yesterday.

1:05:50Mark Ogden:Just a reminder, of course, every single La Liga match is live on ESPN plus Real Madrid, of course, looking to keep on the coattails of Barcelona at the top of the table, taking a look at the matches that are coming up. Valencia against Real Madrid is the late game on Sunday. Saturday, early start for Barcelona as they play host to Mallorca.

1:06:22Mark Ogden:Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time. Chuck and Craig are here. Craig was so nice to our new referee. I wasn't really. I disagreed with him. Yeah, but you did it in a really nice way. Even if I disagreed, you were really nice. Oh, I know your job is so hard. I'm sorry, Abby. I have to disagree. I don't think any expert wants to be a referee. It's a really hard job, isn't it? I didn't want to do it.

1:06:47ESPN FC Crew:That's right. I retired. I thought refereeing was so hard. Oh, I've got so much more respect for referees now. What was this?

1:06:55Andy Davies:What is this? I didn't pitch my voice like that. I wish I had a... Let me tell you. Let me tell you. Yes. The way forward... I can't speak for everybody else. Okay. The way forward for me and this show is to have a...

1:07:14Mark Ogden:I can't even say it.

1:07:16Andy Davies:I can't even say it with a straight face. A reasonable discussion. Non-astiness. Wow. You know Don's here next week. But I'm away. How are you, Mario? Are you well, mate? I'm good, I'm good. I'm listening to Craig what he's saying. You know, he's so hell of a man. Hey, Craig, you are nice, he said. That's good.

1:07:38ESPN FC Crew:That's good. He said you were nice. I thought, actually, I... Andy.

1:07:44Mark Ogden:But I thought we'd be the next player, referee friend. I thought we'd be the next player. He said, don't mention that. He got a bit angry when I mentioned that. Oh, did he? Yeah, he wasn't happy. There you are. Too much for Peter Walton. Oh, Peter. So Craig, who do you see as the manager? I'm going to send Peter a video and say, hey, we've got somebody else now. He'll send you a video of a hole-in-one. Anyway, Craig, who do you see as the manager for Liverpool next season? Alnysslot. Alnysslot, you think he's going to stay there? Xhaka? Jabialogsou. Oh, OK. You get the deciding vote, Mario.

1:08:16Andy Davies:I go for what Greg said. Slot. I think Slot is going to... I want Slot to also stay. So that's also my point. So, yeah. I want him to carry on and I hope that he can keep this momentum going. Especially the connection of words now and Eketika is working a little bit. So let's keep going. I think he'll start the season. I'm not suggesting he'll finish it. OK. That was the question. Yeah, it was.

1:08:40Mark Ogden:Feeling better, are we? I'm feeling much better. Oh, I can tell. Very much better.

1:08:44Andy Davies:I remember you were...

1:08:45Mark Ogden:I'm not sure if you've seen the viral video of what happened, of course, in the West Ham Chelsea game when João Pedro kind of pushed Chouret and turned around and thought, what have I done with my life? Oh, my God. Mario, would you have stepped up and had a go with Chouret if you saw him throw one of your teammates to the ground like what he did to Cucurella?

1:09:09Andy Davies:Listen, listen, one thing you never understand, if you attack a wolf, you've got to stand your ground. If not, don't do it. That's all I can say. And he attacked him, so you know he's going to come at you.

1:09:21Mark Ogden:Yeah, that's true. Shaka, did you ever run out of your goal to defend people, to help your teammates? I'm a peacemaker, Dan. Lover, not a fighter. That's right, Dan.

1:09:33Andy Davies:Hey, Xhaka, you were not a peacemaker in the goal. You didn't play around, so don't act like you were always nice. I was a peacemaker, Mario. You were a bad boy too. I was a peacemaker. She could be a bad boy.

1:09:43Mark Ogden:No. What would you have done? Would you have stepped in to save Kukarela? If it was me, if it was Kukarela, I would have joined then. We are Traore.

1:09:54Andy Davies:Even if he's on my team. Absolutely. I'd have gone like that. Yeah, gone. His lovely hair.

1:10:01Mark Ogden:Give him another dick. How much does belief carry a team to victory, especially for an Arsenal group that hasn't crossed the line in recent seasons? How psychological is it, Mario?

1:10:15Andy Davies:A group that hasn't crossed the line in the recent season. Oh, yeah, definitely, because they're always coming so close. So I think psychologically, they... I think when they get so close, there's a certain hesitation happened in the sense of, like, don't let this happen again because now if they don't win this season and I don't even want to talk for them don't win this season because everybody's helping them around them if you see how many teams are dropping points come on guys this is your opportunity and your forwards are definitely not producing what they were producing prior to it so maybe that's gonna come up in the last what is it maybe 14 15 games now Shaka you were angry at VAR today what do you

1:10:55Mark Ogden:guys think about giving VAR a time limit for a decision? I am all for that.

1:11:01ESPN FC Crew:I'll be honest, when we started with VAR, I was like, no, take what time you need to get decisions right. But I find so often you can look at it, you look at one replay and you can tell what's going on, but somehow VAR has to watch it six or eight times and then decide to call the referee over, he has to watch it six or eight times. Otherwise, you're thinking it's obvious here at this point. So while I was against it to start with, I'm at the point now, like yeah, if you can't figure this out in two minutes and three replays, then whatever happened on the pitch stands.

1:11:37Mark Ogden:What do you think? Should there be a time limit?

1:11:45Mark Ogden:Can I think about it? You can phone your friend, phone Andy and see what he says about it. Have a couple of weeks off. Think about it. Mario, what do you think about Xavi Simon's performance yesterday? Is this what Netherlands fans and Spurs have wanted to see? Koeman like him.

1:12:04Andy Davies:I saw already the last couple of games. I felt like, you know, the way the intensity, the way it is in England, in the beginning it was hard for him. And I felt him like, I could see him growing, growing steadily. And when I watched yesterday, you could see, you understand, that he was always trying to pick up the ball and trying to open things up. So yeah, I definitely think he has progressed so much. And I'm sure Holland should be happy for this because this is a different kind of energy that Siemens is giving to them that Holland didn't get from him.

1:12:32Mark Ogden:Final question, Craig, if Pep departs this summer and leaves behind a poorer performing Manchester City that didn't win the Champions League or the league, will this diminish his legacy as arguably the best ever Premier League manager or being on par with Fergie?

1:12:49Andy Davies:I don't want to compare and contrast managers in the league but I don't think it diminishes I don't think I think if it's gone a bit stale at the end which it seems to be at the moment I don't think that diminishes any achievements I think people are too quick to do that I really do I think people are just too quick everything turns a little sour at the end it did for Wenger you know Ferguson had his tough times but he was able to rebuild but even he knew at the end that it was going to get tougher so I think he will go I don't think I do think he will go I don't think if he goes and they're unsuccessful this year again I don't think it will diminish anything they did in the past because they were the best team in England for quite a stretch and when he does go I think Chabby Alonso will get that job not Maresca not anybody else I think Alonso will get that job

1:13:43Mark Ogden:well there you go you heard that here Yeah, from Craig Burley. Thank you very much. I've come to the end to dawn, haven't I? That will take us straight. Anyway, ESPN FC is back tomorrow. Which Carabao Cup is it tomorrow? Arsenal-Chelsea. It's Arsenal-Chelsea at the Emirates. 3-2. Oh, yes. Rosinia says he's playing out his strongest team. Big boys. Yeah. Mario's playing.

1:14:11ESPN FC Crew: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. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by.