Webb Backs Liverpool Disallowed Goal Decision

26:01Nigeria hasn't even gotten past Gabon and he's already talking about the intercontinental playoff. You have to have Nigeria. Well, you don't have to. You know how I feel about their World Cup jerseys always. I know that this is how you make your picks, but that's not a... If Nigeria 25, I'll get you a Nigeria World Cup jersey. Oh, wait, is that for Alex? Just Alexis? Just Alexis? Just me. Just Alexis, yeah, not you. Best kids every single time. Every single time. Just for that reason, I'm disagreeing with you and I'm picking Congo. No! Yeah, that's right. That's it. Oh, he's such a spoiled sport.

26:38All right, Colin, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us. And just a reminder, these big African qualifiers are all on ESPN this Thursday, Nigeria Gabon at 11 a.m. Eastern Time and then it's Cameroon against Congo at 2 p.m.

26:57All right well let's have a look at this now we know that Arsenal's defense was recently breached at the weekend in what was such an entertaining game against Sunderland and just have a look at some of the the I suppose you could talk about the records that Arsenal were putting in terms of that defense 10 game winning streak in all competitions snap and it was the first time that they conceded two goals since May 11th against Liverpool. Well, our Rodra from ESPN, he managed to catch up with David Raya and this is what he had to say. Is the last game where you surprised with the physicality of Sunderland?

27:34No, we knew the physicality but obviously they are very very strong team. They knew their strengths and we knew what they were capable of. They're to fight until the end and of course they they they just caught in the last the last few minutes where it's a very very disappointing moment for us but no we weren't we weren't very surprised is that the first team that could sort of match arsenal's physicality i think in the premier league anyone can match the physicality is just the way the way they play the way they they approach the game and they know the strengths they just come up from from the championship and obviously Obviously that league is very physical.

28:15So, no, it's just credit to them. They're doing a really good season. They haven't lost a game at home. They've been beating and getting points from the big team. So, full credit to Sunderland. They are a tough team to beat. What's like playing behind that team with such a dominant back four? Oh, it's incredible. Everybody is talking about the back four and everything. but it's a credit to the whole team, starting from the strike and ending up in the goalkeeper. I think it's a credit to everyone when we press, when we do the right things and of course, if we have to sit deep and wait to get the ball out of that phase, everybody defends.

29:00So it's a credit to the whole team. Do you guys talk about finally winning the title or is it something nobody will say? No, it's something that of course we are Arsenal and we want to win the Premier League, of course we want to win everything, that's why we play for Arsenal, but it's something that is too far. We are only 10-11 games in the season and it's too far to think ahead. We just have to think game by game and day by day and we will see where we are in May. For Spain, the style is different but the results are the same. How do you see the difference? It's a different type of environment, it's a different type of football where you play at a club level and at an international level, in my opinion.

29:50But it's incredible to be part of this team. The players, the staff, everything, the surroundings, the fans represent your country in such a big country and such a good country. It's incredible, it's a dream come true, but it's incredible to be part of this team. Is it hard to maintain focus when sometimes the ball does not come your way for long periods for both teams? It's part of the job, it's part of being a goalkeeper, it's part of being in an environment that we dominate the ball a lot during the long phases of the game. and is that communication, is that focus on the ball what makes you be concentrated on the 100 minutes of the game so you cannot switch off as a goalkeeper at any time, at any point of the game you can maybe call open to make a save, to come for a cross, to get a ball in behind so you have to be focused on the game Do you and your Arsenal teammates talk about a possible south-down between Spain and England this summer?

30:57There's a lot, there's a lot. It's a long way, of course. We first need to be qualified for the World Cup and these two big games coming up and of course we face them in the final of the Euros. We know they are a very, very good team with quality players and they are very, very strong. So hopefully we can be in the final both in the World Cup. What's like playing behind this current Arsenal backline and what makes them so difficult to get past? Well, I think the difficulties that we love to defend, the love of defending, the love of not conceding, not even goals, just chances, trying to stop the teams further up the pitch with the pressing that we do.

31:49and then if they push us back into a low block, it's just that love of defending to not let the volley go into the box. Which of Arsenal's new signings have you been most impressed by and why? I think Martín Zubimendi, you know, he's a player that is very, very clever. He adapted very, very well into the league. where there's a lot of players that take a little bit longer to adapt and especially in his role, he's just adapted so, so, so quick and you can see what he does for the team. Who do you think are Arsenal's biggest rivals for the title this year? Well, there's a lot of teams that they can fight for the Premier League and in the Premier League, anyone can beat anyone.

32:35I've just seen a lot of teams are just getting stronger and stronger and stronger so any team can win the league to be fair. The last in English, how impressed have you been by Max Doman? And what's like sharing a dressing room with a 15-year-old? He's 15, he's 10 and 16 at the end of the year and he's incredible. Obviously, we don't share that much in the dressing room because he's not allowed with the rules and everything. Sharing the pitch is the maturity that he shows on the pitch, the willingness that he has to enjoy and to be himself, to take on players and always with a smile on his face is incredible.

33:23We've been training with him since he was 14 years old, so very, very impressed with him. and his qualities as a player. Arsenal's David Raya there, of course, now on international duty with Espanya. Don Hutchison is back with us. But Jules, let me start with you. What stood out to you from what Raya had to say? I thought it was really interesting about the love of defending, the art of defending. The Arsenal defence is clearly something else. I know Sunderland scored twice, and to be fair, the boys were very disappointed. Not so much. You can concede two goals in a game. It can happen and you can face a team that scores a great goal and there's nothing even the best defenders in the world could do about it.

34:04However, the two goals at Sunderland were both really avoidable if you think about them. The first one is a long ball. Rice doesn't win the duel. Gabriel is a bit short on the second ball. The second goal, I'm not sure Ryan needs to come out the way he does. Gabriel is out-muscled by Broby. So there are two goals that would have been really frustrated for them because usually they're very good in those situations. So a lot still shows that there's a lot to work for, again, to avoid those kind of goals in a few more games. But even with that draw and the two goals considered against Sunderland, it's still a very good start of the season considering who they played against and especially the away games in that list of fixtures, really.

34:44And on Max Downman, it's funny because, as he says, and I'm not sure if many of the people watching our show know about that, but he can't go into the dressing room. He's too young, so he changes in another dressing room on his own and then just joins up with the team on the pitch. He still goes to school. He came back from a Champions League game against Slavia Prague when he broke that record of the youngest ever Champions League player appearance. And the next day, he had school in the morning. So it's pretty incredible. Bless. You look at me. You had a young start. Yeah, but at 15, I was not in a professional locker room.

35:18And neither is Max for that matter. He got me. You know what's funny in some ways is when they ask him about, well, which one of the new sign-ins has impressed you the most? And it's Martin Subimende. Hey, Martin. Hey, Martin. How are you? Right beside me. Yeah. This guy right here, Martin. Yeah. Well, you mean my teammate with the national team? Yeah, Martin. But Martin Subimende has been impressive. And while he was a good player at Real Sociedad, the question was, well, can he adapt to the quote-unquote physicality of the Premier League? Can he adapt to the pace of play of the Premier League?

35:57And I think what he has proven that he's been able to do so far is that in reading the game, he's able to overcome some of that lack of speed or some of that physicality. He doesn't have to get on the duels if he's able to win the ball ahead of the duel, ahead of the fight, or if he's able to step into a passing lane that then forces the ball somewhere else. So it's not Martín Subiméndez's game to be winning 50-50 challenges. He is more of a ball player, sort of playmaker, defensive holding midfielder, but a guy who's not interested in having this back and forth, and he does that because he's able to read the game properly.

36:38I think he has been really good for Arsenal. And I think he has impressed more people than or has impressed people more than they would have thought he would add to this team. Has added a lot. All right. Well, let's have a look at the Premier League title odds, shall we? And this probably wouldn't surprise everyone that despite dropping points this weekend, Arsenal still very much favorites to win it. And then Manchester City and Liverpool, of course, have fallen in those odds as well as Chelsea. But forget title odds. Let's be honest. We've got Don Hutchison. The Don, I love my percentages, Hutchison.

37:12So Don, hit me with some percentages now in terms of the title and the title race. I'll keep this one very simple. Chelsea, zero. Liverpool, zero. They ain't coming back from here. And I'm going to go a genuine 50-50. But I've been waiting for this day, Alexis, for about three or four days. Ali, my friend, I did tell you the Sunderland game would be difficult for Arsenal. And you laughed me out of town. And I did say the Sunderland game and three London derbies on the spin would be the test for Arsenal. So big up Sunderland. They deserve their point. Title race, 50-50. Well, I feel like I have to respond since my name was brought up.

37:57Shots are fired. Right. First, I am flattered that I am so comfortable living in Don's head that he's been thinking about this for three or four days just to get the opportunity to say this. And my point was then as it is now. If Arsenal's shortcomings in getting to the title is because they couldn't get a result at Sunderland, they have bigger issues. That cannot be the explanation as to why they don't win the title. There will be bigger games for Arsenal in the future than away at Sunderland. As good a start as Sunderland has had, and as good a result as that was for Sunderland, that is not enough to climb up to the level of, this is why Arsenal won't win a title.

38:47And if that's the case, again, I repeat, they have bigger issues. Well, Jules, we talked about this on the show the other day, the fact that Manchester City have chased down Arsenal before and how sometimes it is easier to chase than to lead. Arsenal have been in this situation before and have lost out to City. Don now, though, is saying that it's 50-50 for either of them to win the title. Do you really think it's that close?

39:13I was at City on Sunday for the Liverpool game. It's the first time that I saw them live this season. You know, usually it's on television. I was very impressed by what I saw from City, a tactical evolution from Guardiola. What he's implementing to this team, the overloaded midfield, the positioning of Doku, the form of Foden and Bernardo Silva, plus Haaland, obviously, while Scherke is still finding his feet a little bit, but getting there. I think this could turn into a very, very good season for Manchester City, or certainly a very good team again from City, far from what we saw at this stage last year, for example.

39:45So that's the first thing I wanted to say. I still think that Arsenal have to be favourite because they're four points clear to start with, because they've played City already, OB at the Emirates, but we've already had a game between them two. And both have played Liverpool too. So I think this is a decent advantage for Arsenal to have more than a quarter into the season already. But I think it will be very tight. I would give it maybe 60-40 for Arsenal. But I think at the end of the season, City and Arsenal will be very close to each other. Wow, how everyone has changed their song. Well, you know why Don settled on 50-50.

40:19Why? He doesn't have to do math. Jules did some mad. No, no, no. It was a tiny little bit deeper than that, Ali. I mean, you are correct in the math. I'll give you that. But there's a little bit of method to the madness. I mean, this is a side that hasn't won the title for 21 years. And they've got Man City chasing them down, who's done this twice to them already. So, yeah, I think we're going to be in for the most amazing title race. Oh, bring on that title race indeed. Well, good news is that all these boys will be back answering your questions on Extra Time. So don't go anywhere after the show and tune into that.

41:00All right, we talked about African qualifiers, but there's also some UEFA qualifiers coming up. England will be playing against Serbia. Now, England have already qualified for the World Cup next year. But Thomas Tuchel was recently on TalkSport and he had this to say. At the moment, if we keep the structure, Foden, Bellingham and Harry Kane cannot play together. They can, but not in the structure. Not for the balance that we developed and not for the structure that comes also with wingers who are specialists in their positions. We will always do what's best for balance and we will try to keep the clarity, even if it means that we have to take tough decisions.

41:40Don, what do you make of what Thomas Tuchel had to say? I love the word structure I mean he kept getting structure in about three or four times to be fair I'm torn a little bit to be honest because I get what he's saying when England had that problem with Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes and Stephen Gerrard all trying to be shoehorned into an 11 the structure then was gone because they're trying to get world class players just to try and somehow gel in different positions so I get where he's coming from and he's getting I get it where he's coming from the team ethic and the structure point of view and turning England into a team that will win, not just look good on paper.

42:16At the same time, Thomas Tuchel's a clever man. He knows what he's doing. The interviewer teed him up there for the question to say, no, they can't. Now it is world headlines because we're talking about it. Everyone across the world are going to be talking about it. Surely he just could have hit that with a straight bat and went, no, no, these are good players. I'll figure it out. Who's in form and what I see come closer to the World Cup. I'll decide on my 11. I just thought it was a bit of a naive answer that he gave. I think he just left it wide open for everyone to try and have the conversation when it didn't really need it to be.

42:47Just straight back that one off. I love that. Don using cricket references. That's my boy. Real men play cricket. But anyway. A couple of things. I can guarantee you El Universal, the newspaper in Caracas, does not have this as a headline. And they don't have a headline for cricket either back home in Venezuela. You go on the defensive a bit. You just block it. Don't open it up. I understood. Oh, Allen knows his cricket. I love that. Not well. Knows his cricket. Limited. Limited. All I would suggest is that I actually, where I disagree with Thomas Tuchel is that I actually think that they can play together.

43:27Jude Bellingham can play as a number eight, which is, I think, his better position rather than sort of underneath the striker. Phil Foden can play underneath the striker. and Harry Kane can do whatever he wants. Yeah. So if you wanted to do it with the structure and balance and clarity, you can still do it. You're just choosing not to. You have your reasons as to why you don't want to do it. Balance and clarity. Right. But Bellingham can be a box-to-box midfielder. I think that's where he does his best work. I don't think of Jude Bellingham as a guy who's a playmaking midfielder that just sits underneath the striker and everything goes through him to create in the attack.

44:07I think he has to have the freedom to appear inside the 18-yard box, to make runs late inside the 18-yard box, but not a guy who is a playmaker per se. So he can play as an 8, phone as a 10, and then you can have Kane as a striker. It can happen. He chooses not to because structure, clarity. Jules, it's funny because Gareth Southgate got criticized for similar things as well for having probably one of the best generations of England players and just not all playing them at once. And we do understand that each manager has their ways, their tactics, their methods, their structure, if you will. But do you see what Ali is saying, that there is a possibility that all three could actually play?

44:50No, I disagree with Ali. I just think that if you want to play them in the best position, which Gareth Sard get tried, I just don't think it works. Bellingham wants to play as a 10 for England. this is for Foden's best position that's why the line on the wingers is interesting for what Tuchel was saying that they have wingers who are specialists in there so he doesn't want to play Foden wide for example, he wants the wide players to be proper wide players like the Saka's and Gordon's for example or Rashford's he doesn't want to move Foden wide like Southgate has done many times in the past so if Foden is a 10 and Bellingham is a 10 and as we know Kane plays as a 9 but also as a 10 then it doesn't work if you want to play them three together.

45:32And that's why I really believe none of them will start together. They might at some point in a game, somebody might come on because they're chasing a game or something. But I think it's pretty clear that he wants a very defensive midfielder in the double pivot, which looks right now to be Elliot Anderson. Declan Rice is obviously the main player for him in that midfield. So then he leaves you the 10. So the 10 could be either Palmer, either Foden, Bellingham or Rodgers. He'd be one of the four behind Kane. and I was told that Rodgers, certainly in Tuchel's size, is the guy that complements Hurricane the most, so I don't know whether that leaves Palmer when he's back from injury, Foden or Bellingham, but I think it'll be very interesting to see what Tuchel does with that number 10 position in the next two games, for sure, in March for the last international break, before the World Cup, and then more importantly at the World Cup.

46:21I don't care where Jude Bellingham thinks he wants to play, that he may think of himself as a number 10. He's not. He's not a number 10. And so it's the job of a manager to tell him, no, no, not for me. You're not the number 10. Even if you want to play that position, you're not it. He doesn't play as a number 10 for Real Madrid. He didn't play as a number 10 for Borussia Dortmund. Now, just because he chooses to be, hey, I'm the number 10. Well, look, I could be a center back if you want me to. That's not how it works. His skill set is not that of a number 10. But there's no room for him at number 8.

46:54So where do you play him then? Well, there's no room for him at number 8. Number 8 is Declan Rice. That's his position. Okay, fine. I'm not arguing that, Jules. All I'm saying is that if we're just going to allow players to say, I want to play where I want to play, that's the job of the manager. I don't think we can have a conversation here, Jules, that you actually think Jude Bellingham is a number 10 and his skill set match that of a number 10. I don't see it. I don't see that as his best position. He may think that that's his best position, but I don't think that that's the case. No, I agree with you.

47:27I don't think that's his, I mean, he, this is the position that he wants to play in and that's his best position. But if you take away the number 10 option for Jude Bellingham, the six and an eight are taken already. He's not a six. Declan Rice is the eight in that team. That's never going to change unless there's an injury. So really for Bellingham to play, to start for England, it can only be behind Kane. This is the only position. And that's why I think this is very interesting for Tuchel to explain. Hang on a minute. People can't get carried away too much. We've got Kane, we've got that structure that uses a lot around him, and then there's those positions that we have to fill.

48:01And, you know, if Foden and Bellingham both want to play in that position, or if Tuchel sees them for that number 10 position, both of them obviously can play there. Same for Cole Palmer. Don, I saw you nodding there when Jules and Ale were talking about Jude Bellingham's position. Were you in agreement or disagreement with Jules or Ale? I think there's a lot to be said, and I think therein lies the problem with Jude Bellingham and his style because I think you look at the size of him, you look at the presence, you look at the athlete, and then you probably lend your eyes to say, well, he's a number eight.

48:33But he's not as disciplined as Declan Rice. He's not as disciplined as Elliot Anderson. He's not as good as those two in that position. Don't get me wrong, fantastic player, but a skill set of a number eight means you've got to be all over that pitch. Now, he can, but you'd be taking a lot away from Jude Bellingham's game if you ask him to be a defensive number eight, box-to-box, going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. So then you think, right, can he play number 10? Well, the athlete in a number 10 like Jude Bellingham is, can you run in behind Harry Kane when he's coming short?

49:03The answer to that is yes. But Thomas Tuchel might think Phil Foden's technically a better number 10 who can get in the pocket and get on the half turn and take it on the back foot. So therein lies the problem for Jude Bellingham. What are you as a player? What are you best at? You can do everything really, really well, but what's your world-class position if you had to nail it and I think therein lies the problem for him in my humble opinion it's difficult to try and get him into this side unless you have a real idea exactly where you're going to play him whether it's being eight back and forth back and forth but you are going to lose a lot or you say right I don't want the technical number 10 even though you can handle the ball dude don't get you know try and bear with what I'm saying Phil Foden on the half turns a better footballer but you can still be an effective number 10 And if Kane's coming short, then you use your legs to try and get him behind.

49:50So difficult for Tuchel to try and get him in the 11. All right. Well, like I said, England have already qualified for the World Cup next year. But believe it or not, there are still some countries that have to qualify. So you're telling me that that conversation was pointless is what you're telling me. No, that wasn't because we'll be going long. Well, look at this in Group D. France have yet to officially qualify. They play Ukraine and they, of course, have a chance to clinch. I'm sure Jules is terribly nervous about that. Portugal are also in action. They will be going up against the Republic of Ireland and they too can clinch their spot next year.

50:25And Norway plays Estonia in a massive one, as our Jan Agafjortov told us yesterday, because a win could see them clinch because of a better goal difference ahead of Italy. All right, Jules, so still a lot to play for over in Europe. Tell us what to look out for. well you mentioned Alex it's the France group they need a point against Ukraine at the Parc des Princes on Thursday night so tomorrow night and that will be enough for them to qualify and even if that doesn't happen there's still another game after that so let's be optimistic that the fact that the French can qualify for Portugal is a bit the same Hungary and Soboslai are chasing behind but that should be okay for Roberto Martinez and Cristiano Ronaldo and then the big game really in this November international break will be the Italian-Norway game because Italy lost heavily in Norway.

51:16They're way behind in goal difference, so they need an absolute miracle, which is almost impossible. They need, I think, a nine or ten goal swing. So they're not going to qualify. But if at least they could beat Holland and Norway in Italy in their second game of November, then I think going into the playoff that will arrive in March to go to the World Cup, they can't miss a third World Cup in a row, obviously. That would give them a massive boost. And Rino Gattuso, who started quite well on the bench, For Italy, we'll give him a boost as well to go into this playoff where Italy will be seeded.

51:45So, should have an opponent that, to be fair, they should be favorite against. So, massive game. Even if Italy really is impossible for them to qualify directly for the World Cup, that game against Norway will be very important for them. Gosh, another World Cup without Italy would burn me and I'm not even Italian. Second best team at World Cup after Nigeria. He's doing all of this for one reason, one reason only. He doesn't want to hear Gap whining about Italy not making the World Cup. Alright, well we'll be looking back at all of these games on tomorrow's show. Ali and I are getting a little bit of a break and Adrian Healy will be joining along with the return of Craig Burley.

52:22Okay Nicola, Quizfrage. Homeoffice-Bastade oder Fahrtkosten? Was bringt uns mehr? Moment, ich check das kurz. Oha, Homeoffice gewinnt. Bringt uns 150 Euro mehr im Jahr. Ja richtig, aber wieso weißt du sowas? Because Visos Steuer shows the app live. That's just the tax app for all cases. Yes, and she also answers questions. 24-7 and without a German. That's just the app that understands us. Tax done. Safe. With Visos Steuer. Now try it out. All right, well that's it for this edition of ESPN FC. Do not go anywhere because I'm keeping the boys around. We're going to be answering your questions next on Extra Time.

53:11All right, welcome into Extra Time. We've got Jules, we've got Dawn, we've got Ale. They're in such great moods. I love this day. Let's get into the questions. See, my laptop is coming in perfectly handy because our printer broke down. At least we're saving a couple of trees, right? Okay. All right. Just don't throw that laptop. Other people have done so in Extra Time. Oh, no. This is an ESPN laptop, and I'm afraid they'd have to dock it from my pay, which we cannot afford in these economies. Right. Can we please show the video of Stevie dancing and get everyone's thoughts on it? Got to see those moves again.

53:44Well, for you guys who weren't on the show, the other day, Shaka, Stevie, and I had such a lovely show that Stevie was in such a great mood after, and I videotaped him dancing in the tunnel to a bit of Elton John and Dua Lipa. I think it's going to be a long, long time. Yeah, but the only thing Stevie said was, upon reviewing the video he thought he was moving quickly like he thought he was like yeah yeah yeah and then he realized it was a bit more labored than that it's more relaxed it was a more relaxed

54:16all right well jules is a great dancer i'm sure so let's start with him jules what did you think of stevie's dance moves i just wish i'd never seen those stuff footage of stevie dancing Is it going to haunt you nightmares? This is how bad it was. Even at his age, yeah, he should never do this. I'm not trusting Jules because French men can't really dance anyway. All right. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Just saying. They don't necessarily have the sazon. You know what I'm talking about? I mean, I know about sazon, but I don't quite understand we're taking shots at French men. I don't. Well, just in general.

54:52Well, because he's taking a shot at our Stevie Nichol. Well, that's an easy target. That is an easy target. it's a big target too Don you have similar blood to Stevie I thought those were some good moves for the Scottish blood You're just being very very kind I mean Stevie's going to need a paracetamol and some Valterol blows knees and hips the morning after what I will say is just Jules where are you man because you look amazing what's that backdrop behind you his French chateau he's got a tea party going on Why don't you use a mic and send that to me? It's not my house, no. No. I thought we had sandwiches and tea and everything.

55:37I know. Don't ruin it. Don't ruin it for our viewers. For those who want to know our producer, Mike, give him that background. Was that Stevie's best effort? Alexis, was that Stevie's best effort? Was he really giving it it? No, he's actually going line dancing this weekend. He's going line dancing this weekend because his sisters are over from Scotland. So he's going to take them out. Oh, come on. The shoulder's going. Wait for it. Wait for it. Shaka was singing so I had to get him. Wait for it. Hey. Get it. It's like he's got crutches. It's like he's got crutches down his legs. He's so stiff.

56:14I will not take this slander for our Stevie Nicole. Now, what if he had new glasses? Would that be a difference? But what's your opinion on the dancers, Alec? Because there's one dancer here and I do know. It's Ale Moreno. He's got that sangre venezolano. And I have danced merengue with Ale before. And I can say top two best dances of my life. Oh, well, thank you. I wonder which one was the other dance. Probably my dad. All right. Okay, well, yes, I can't compete with that. I cannot compete with that. I would say that Stevie is very musically inclined. He's music. He is very musically inclined.

56:50He's always singing, has a surprisingly good voice. He does. Yes. You know, it's just physically he can't quite, he can't get, he doesn't quite have the explosion anymore, you know? No, it's like what you say with footballers, right? That when the legs start to go, there's... It's, you know, and you, you know, hips don't lie. Hips don't lie. And Stevie's are big hips.

57:15I hope we answered your question there. I enjoyed it. That's why I took the video. Why not? Right. It was enjoyable. Next question. Why are Spain mad at Barcelona? If La Minha Mal needs medical treatment, surely it's up to the player and his club team. Well, I think both sides deserve a fair share of blame here. All it takes is a phone call. All it takes is, hey, pick up the phone and you call. Now, if Hansi Flick can directly call Luis de la Fuente, I'm sure that that can be arranged and say, Luis, look, I know you called him in. I know we've had an issue in terms of communication in the past.

57:59I'm going to be very clear with you. He's not right. And I've been squeezing minutes out of him, but physically he's not there, and he's going to get a procedure here over the next couple of days that is going to keep him out for the next 10 days. I can't have you take him with Spain. Why can that not happen between managers? That would be too simple, wouldn't it? No, and so it's John Laporta gets involved and the federation and this person and that person, this person. One phone call between the two decision makers, between the two people that actually are, it's part of their job to figure out what's best for this player.

58:32And if this player is available for selection, they have a conversation. There is no issue. I'm just, that's all I'm saying. Jules, what do you make of the situation? Because yet another international break where we're talking about Lamin, Yamal, Not hearing from him, but it's another war of wars between Barcelona and De La Fuente. It's the old battle, isn't it, between club and country. We've had that with so many different countries and different clubs. We had that with France and PSG over the Dembele fitness and Dwayne fitness. We had it all that long ago between Flick and De La Fuente after Lamin played with Spain while still being injured.

59:07And Barcelona and Flick were not happy, and rightly so. So this looks like another chapter in this book of the tension between the federation and Barcelona over Lamine's fitness. Ali is right. It could be much more simple to sort out. The thing is, they just don't like each other. So it would never be that simple, which is a shame. But at least after this one, we don't have anything international-wise until March. So by then, Lamine should be fair. There should be no problem. And they can be happy looking forward to the second half of the season with Barcelona and to the World Cup with Spain. Don, as Jules said, it's the old club versus country again, isn't it?

59:43It's just amateur hour from Spain, really. I mean, surely they must understand that Jamal's been carrying an injury for quite a while and this international break, the kid's going to need a bit of rest, a bit of treatment, if it's an injection, cortisone, whatever it might be. But surely if you're Spain, you've just got to see the bigger picture, trying to sort of shoe him in, shoehorn him in for a game or two when you know he's going to be your top man for like 10 years and more. just accept that as long as he gets the right treatment as long as the treatment's genuine which obviously is, it's not like an hard day it was very simple an hard day where a manager could just phone up the Scottish national team and say well his back's a little bit sore he's not coming, well now it's a genuine injury everyone's known about it for quite a while just do the right thing by the player Yeah but as in the Shaka Hislap voice ultimately the one that really matters in this situation is the player Alright moving on to the next question And this one's for Jules.

1:00:39Jules about another Jules. Jules. Jules Koundé has the best collection of outfits of any footballer ever. True or false? Ooh, that's a good shout. Absolutely true. Yeah. Absolutely true. I mean, this is the latest arrival. Wow. You see the Hermes bag. Not the Hermes bag. Yeah, drippy is the worst. That could, like, probably pay my rent for a year. Oh, God. Come on. Drippy. Come on. What is that? Oozing drip. What? Oozing. This is class, this is fashion, this is French elegance. It's not Paris Fashion Week. He's on international duty. Don't let him live. He's a footballer man. So what? He dresses like that every day when he's not playing.

1:01:25That's just his airport outfit. Did anyone see Dominic Sabozlai's outfit? Yeah. Did anyone see Sabozlai's outfit? He had Cuban heels on and flares. What's going on, man? Did anyone see Kante arrive? Kante arrive with a tracksuit on. That's what you do on international duty. Yeah, but footballers in tracksuits are so overplayed. Oh, Don. It's not Paris Fashion Week. It's not London Fashion Week. They're on international duty to play a game for football. Don, you're sounding about as dinosaur-y as Stevie right now. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Look at that. By the way, I don't mind that. I will be in Stevie's camp on this one.

1:02:04guaranteed. No, I'm going to agree with Jules. That is, that's French excellence right there. You said that was drippy. I'll tell you what's happened there. Alexis. Yes. I'll tell you what's happened there, right? He put the outfit on and he's gone. Wow, look good there. Right. He's sat in the car boiling up with that jacket on. He's absolutely boiling, right? He's got out the car. It's probably lovely weather and he's thinking, man, I'm so hot. I am really, really hot. Like That's what's happened. He looks good, but he's boiling inside. Drippy. Drippy. Are your boots drippy? My boots are drippy.

1:02:36Are they considered drippy? I've got my cowboy boots back on. Drippy. And they match the outfit as well. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to go to Cadillac Ranch with Stevie Nichols to do some line dancing later this week. The hair color as well. You've gone with it. I'm a monochrome mommy today. Oh. That's the vibe. Monochrome mommy. I'm just trying. We've got to get footage. We have to get footage of Stevie dancing. When I go line dancing. Does that make Jules Koundé monochrome daddy? He could be a monochrome daddy for sure. Or monochrome papi. I don't think I'm quite at his level because I got this dress for about$20 off of Amazon and I'm pretty sure that whole outfit is my rent for the entire year.

1:03:14But French excellence, as Jules says. Next question. Will Neymar ever play for Brazil again? Ale, what do you think? Ever is a long time. and so has been his time away from the national team. I feel as if though there may be a testimonial game at some point in which they say goodbye to Neymar as the Brazilian legend that he has been for this national team. I don't think this is going to happen leading up to the World Cup and I don't think right now where we are seeing the evidence that we're seeing from Neymar that he's done enough or will do enough for Ancelotti to take a chance on him going into the World Cup.

1:04:01And I think Ancelotti is in a position in which unless Neymar is lights out, which he hasn't been now for years, then there is no point in him jumping into that pile of absolute stress. Jules, this is your bestie. What's going on there? Do you ever to see him playing for Brazil again? I think time is running out, to be fair. He's not fit, let's be honest. And even when he plays, he's not playing that great. And Carlo Ancelotti, as Alex just said, is in such a strong position to do whatever he wants. You know, he's been appointed to win the World Cup. If he says, I've got more chances to win the World Cup without Neymar, nobody is going to complain, really.

1:04:41So then if Brazil crush out early, then it's a different matter. But right now, nobody in Brazil can say that And Neymar deserves a call-up even, let alone a cap, but a call-up. He's not amongst the 22 or 23 best Brazilian players right now. Certainly not amongst the top eight attackers, if you want, or attacking midfielders slash players. So there's no room for him now. Like I said, the challenge is so big and there's not much time left for him to recover his best form and then to be able to generally challenge for a place in that squad. All right. Sad days. Let me ask you this, because I need an update.

1:05:18I see Raul from West Bengal is the name of this, and that refers to king of the pitch. Exactly. He's no longer king of the pitch. Oh, he didn't hang on? It's Mickey Vandervan. Oh, all right. Okay. Our West Bengali goalkeeper finally got dethroned by Vandervan. Oh, shit. Even Shaka went for Vandervan. Of course he did. Shocker. All right. Next question coming from Sherlock Homie. Love that name. Do you guys agree with Ancelotti that the new Champions League format has made things worse? Don?

1:05:50No, I don't think it's made it worse. We're starting to see some fantastic games, big games that you probably wouldn't see in the group stages. The only thing I don't like, and I've spoke to Jules on this one a few times, I don't like the format where you know once you go through into the last 16, last 8. I don't like the fact that you know your route, like a tennis approach where you'd see yourself in the quarter semis. And you can half, not plan, but you can see which way or the route that you're going to take to get to the final. I like the format as it is, but I still like the jeopardy of the draw for the last 16, 8, last 4, 2, etc.

1:06:26Well, Jules, one of the things that Ancelotti was saying is that now we just have too many lopsided results and that doesn't necessarily make the game look better.

1:06:36Yeah, I mean, I disagree with Ancelotti on this one. I think the new format is good. We needed something else, something different. They had to rethink the way the Champions League was being played. They went with this Swiss model. I think it worked last season, really, in the games that we had, even how thrilling it was until the last day of that league phase, really, where a lot of teams could still qualify. And there were places up for grabs in the playoffs and in the top eight. All of that, I think, was very good. And so far, I think this current season in the Champions League and under the same format, obviously, has worked quite well.

1:07:11So we probably need a bit more. The sample is still quite small. It's last season and then three games or four games in right now. So let's wait maybe another two or three years. And after that, we can really draw more of having a better idea of was it OK for the players? Was it good for the club? Can you manage the Champions League and the domestic league? to how was it and then maybe see what we do and see if we can tweak a few things. But I thought last season was a brilliant champion league campaign. Well, I agree that towards the end of the league phase last year, there were a lot of things that needed to be sorted out, including PSG for that matter.

1:07:48I would also use PSG as a good example of the lack of jeopardy that exists in the league phase. PSG were struggling, and I mean struggling. And they were having a difficult time I'm really finding consistency of performance and results in that league phase. And they were allowed an opportunity after opportunity after opportunity to get themselves right. And to their credit, they did. And eventually they make it into the knockout stage and they did what they did and were dominant. And so my problem with this league phase is that lack of jeopardy. That you can have two, three losses and you're good.

1:08:27You're cool. It's fine. you know, it is Champions League. It's supposed to be the best of the best. And if you're losing two or three matches, are you part of best of the best? And that's where I think the league face gets it wrong in that there isn't enough riding in each of these big games. The game that we just saw in between Bayern Munich and PSG. Big for Bayern Munich that they win it. Yeah, they made a statement. But those three points that they got, and they're not going to be the difference between them making it onto the knockout stage or not. They're going to make it regardless and so is PSG.

1:09:04So where, again, is the jeopardy? I don't think it exists. All right, let's go to the next question, which is for Jules again. Jules, what has happened with Konate? Form has fallen off a cliff. Surely he won't start for the French. And which club will Zidane join? That's a little two for one. So Zidane is not going to join a club. He's going to join the national team. He's going to take over Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup, which I think he's very much looking forward to. I think a lot of people in France back home are very excited at the idea that Zinedine Zidane is going to take charge of the French national team.

1:09:40I think it was his destiny somewhere. He had to wait a long time because Deschamps stayed in charge for a long time, but it's only a few months now away before we see Zidane back on the bench and with his country. So that would be very special. For Konaté, we don't have long enough really to go into it all. I don't expect him to start. James is right asking the question. Upamecano and Saliba should start against Ukraine on Thursday. And right now it's very much the starting partnership as centre-back for Deschamps and for the French national team. And for Konaté, obviously the start of the season from Liverpool hasn't been good enough.

1:10:15Him and Van Dijk, quite exposed defensively too by the lack of balance and, I guess, defensive solidity from the midfield too hasn't helped. Maybe his contract situation and the fact that he's out of contract in June next year, 2026, maybe played a little bit on his mind as well. But he's still an incredible talent. And if he runs down his contract, if he doesn't extend with Liverpool, which right now seems the case, things might change. But for now, he's not committing his future to Liverpool. I think there will be a lot of top European clubs after him. Don, what do you think is going on with Konate?

1:10:52I don't think anything has really changed. I've never really thought, like of Obecano, I never really thought that technically he was an outstanding player. It just goes to show Joe Matip when he was at Liverpool how good he was with stepping into midfield and using the ball and scoring the odd goal and driving on and being technically good and didn't look flustered. Man City had an obvious game plan because Pep realised and he stood Erlen Haaland on Virgil van Dijk and said, allow Konate the ball because when Konate was at his best, last season, it was a 10-yard, 20-yard pass to Alexander-Arnold, so he's right-hand side.

1:11:21It was easy football for him in a dominant side that were flowing. I've never looked at Canate, thought, man, he's amazing on the ball. Now things are starting to catch up to him a little bit, where City really played on him. It was probably like, it was quite harsh viewing watching a player really struggle. But this has been going on for years. The guys will tell you, when you're playing professional football, even in my day, there'd be players shouting on the pitch, let him have it, let him have it, he'll give it away you'll give it away dennis wise used to shout that all the time to center backs or midfield players so it's nothing really new that's developed in the game on canate's point of view technically he's never been outstanding so i half disagree with jules a little bit i don't think there'll be unless it's a free transfer of course you take him but yeah i i'm not sure what his landing spot is unless obviously it's on the free transfer then it seems a no-brainer but like up on meccano i don't see two outstanding players with the ball at their feet.

1:12:18All right. And final question now is for Ale Moreno. This is definitely for you because I don't think the rest of us, except maybe Jules, might know what we're talking about here. But for Ale, as an NFL specialist on ESPN, in the next five years, what's most likely to happen? Your Cowboys winning the Super Bowl or my Jets making the playoffs? Neither. I'll tell you not, neither. Oh, here we go. Here he is. Is there any sport this man doesn't watch? I would say it's more likely for the Jets to make the playoffs than it is for the Cowboys to win a Super Bowl within the next five years. Yeah. Well, unless you are somehow going to make sense of the trade that Jerry Jones and the Cowboys made ahead of the season.

1:13:06You want to make sense of that, Alexis? No? I don't even know what trade we're talking about. Where got rid of Micah Parsons, the best defensive player potentially in the league, certainly the best defensive players that the Cowboys had. And not that he would have solved all the problems for the Cowboys, but the Cowboys defensively right now are among the worst in the NFL while your best defensive player is somewhere else. So much so that then you decided to trade back the picks that you had gotten for Micah Parson or some of those picks to get a defensive player from the Jets, mind you. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

1:13:41At least the Jets have said, you know what? We're just going to blow this thing up and start over. And I think they're more likely in starting over, getting to the playoffs ahead of the Cowboys winning a Super Bowl in the next five years. And I'm a Cowboys fan and it pains me to say that. But it's a long road ahead for the Cowboys because once they get the defense back playing at a competitive level, then by then that Prescott arm is already falling off and you don't have anybody to run the ball. Okay. Issues for the Cowboys. I'm going to bank on the Jets winning a playoff game or making the playoff, actually, before the Cowboys win the Super Bowl.

1:14:15Don, did you get all that? Yep. Same. I do know Dak Prescott, though. I know Dak Prescott. Is he drippy, too? He's kind of drippy. I mean. He's got some drip. He's got, I guess. All right. I don't know. I only knew because he was doing the car wash here at ESPN. All right. Ages ago. Okay. All right. Well. I mean, does Don, I mean, does Jewel disagree with my assessment? Jules, do you disagree with what Ale said? Because you're the only other NFL person here. I agree with Ale. And I would love his Cowboys to win again, obviously. It's been a long time, but I agree with him. Although the Jets are 2-7, I think, or 2-8.

1:14:54So it might be a long way to the playoff for them as well. It's 2-7, you're right. I know. And the Jets have been horrendous. And they're right around the Cowboys. The Cowboys haven't been all that much better. Wow. Well, Don and I are going to off camera ask the boys to put this in cricket terms for us so we can understand. But make sure to tune in to tomorrow's episode of ESPN FC where we'll be talking about the real football. What? I said it.