That England v DR Congo Episode: the lads discuss 'best ever' Kane & ICONIC Mexico clash! | Ep. 412

0:06Chris Stark: Welcome to that Peter Crouch podcast. I'm joined by Tom Fordyce and Sid is with me as well. Is everyone okay? Have you enjoyed it? Oh, I'm a little bit sore today, lads. We went to batting cage the other day, so I've not really spoke about this. But my left side, for some reason, I found muscles that I didn't know I had. So I was quite surprised because really I thought it would have come in your... On the right side, yeah. We've also like a golf vibe, right? So you play a bit of golf. Yeah. But for some reason, my left side's killing me. Is it because when you play golf, no one throws a golf ball at you at 90 miles an hour?

0:41Indipotently, yeah. Which is where we ended up. Yeah, that's true. We were all 90, weren't we? Didn't we? We started off on the baby throws. I think that maybe gave us a false sense of how good we were. Which I think the fella said was 40-ish miles per hour, I think. Yeah. Pete the Crusher Crouch, you were the first on the hockey, weren't you? The crusher. I'll take that. The crusher. And then it was Slugger-Sibwell. Yeah. Your technique was different. So your technique, you're quite a nice wide base, didn't you? Yeah. You had more of a jump like you were receiving serve at Wimbledon. Yeah. A little jump in.

1:13Chris Stark: A little bit of a jump in and go. Yeah. But worked. It seemed to work. I think we were all pretty good. Yeah. I mean, the guy there seemed to say we could play in the major leagues, didn't he? I think I'm paraphrasing slightly, but I'm pretty sure that's what he was saying. A couple of years practice. Along those lines, wasn't it? I think so. It was like, you did okay. Yeah. And we took a look. You could play Major League Baseball. Please come back again and see us, wasn't it? Yeah, it was. Yeah. And booking for another hour and a half, which was probably the most stupid thing we've done on the entire trip, wasn't it?

1:43When we booked it, there was a sort of, are you sure you were 90 minutes? No, I called up, didn't I?

1:47Chris Stark: And I was like, look, I'd like to book. No, we went to the concierge, didn't we, at the hotel? And yes, I'd like to book. And they said, you know, what would you like? 10, 15, 20, half an hour. He said, no, we'll have the full hour and a half, please. But let's say as well, the standards of how quick the balls were being thrown in, we lost our minds, didn't we? What was you thinking? It's a ratio, isn't it? The ratio. That's the same. When I speak to, if I have a lesson with golf, like my coach, Josh, will say to me, like if I'm playing a match or a round of golf, I'll probably hit five or six drives.

2:26Chris Stark: are probably about 500 or 600 before I go out. Just crushing drives until I can't even walk. Why do we do that? We needed someone just to, in that batting case, just to whisper in our ears, didn't we? Tranquilo. Tranquilo. You have me. You've got the batting case for 90 minutes. You've got it. So boys, it is late afternoon, early evening here in Los Angeles. The heat goes out of the day. And what a day it's been, because the England game was at nine in the morning here, which is sometimes quite hard to get into a game, isn't it? You were working for Fox. We went to a deserted pub, which gradually got slightly busier.

3:11Yeah, it was good. It was nine in the morning out here, to be fair.

3:14Chris Stark: And that was kickoff. So I imagine you arrived slightly before that. We did, yeah. So you're looking at probably an 8am. They were still kicking people out for the night before. Yeah. What did you go for, first drink? because that's always a reflection of how the day could go. Peter. You look remarkably sober. Peter, come on. Was it a Nelson at 8am? There's two people in this world, okay? Someone had a cup of tea and someone had a pint of beer, okay? I'll let you take the judgment on there. Which of the two had the cup of tea and which had the Modelo with just a little splash of Sprite? Okay, it was.

3:51did the person who had the cover team ride their bike there if he'd had one in LA yes he would have done

4:00Chris Stark: okay you went for a cover team very long it's a normal thing to do at that time it was 10 to 9 10 to 9 it's midday somewhere it's eastern time we had the beer you had the beer didn't you Chris had a beer it was fine it was good you look well for that I have to say yeah that was at least only a couple steady away you did have to go for your walk Yeah, so lads, I had to go for a walk because, you know, we know the scenario where I miss goals. And it didn't kind of work, did it? 52 minutes in, England's sort of goal downcouches, you know, and I think we just, sometimes just a look, isn't it, Sid?

4:36I didn't need to say, Sid, can you go for a walk? We looked at each other and you just went, yeah, and he got up. It was a long one as well. Two minutes.

4:43Chris Stark: Did he go for a walk and did they score? No. No. Okay, so it doesn't always work. It doesn't always work. It works in the Belgium game, doesn't it? That is true, that. Did you hear about this? So you were watching Senegal-Belgium, which is a game that you favoured Senegal to win. And Senegal would tunnel up with two minutes of normal time to go. At that point, you set off back the hotel and were staggered to get a text from me saying... 2-2, Sid. Unbelievable. Yeah, shock. I mean, you couldn't write the script. And I was that fuming that I didn't even watch extra time. You couldn't engage extra time.

5:17And apparently extra time was one of the best that has been in the tournament. and I missed the goal in that as well I missed I thought setting the goal done job done I did as well I thought I'll get up and leave you know hotel's five minutes away missed two goals so the XG on your walk was one probably was it based on and you ended up scoring twice yeah so I missed the goals but it didn't happen in the England game but I mean I could have gone for a walk on the first 10-15 minutes and it still wouldn't be no good it was a bad start wasn't it yeah yeah

5:46Chris Stark: well let's dissect the England game like for me personally I think the first 20 minutes right up to the hydration break. I think we were all over the shop. Do we actually need to raise our glasses to the hydration break? Because that was the best hydration break England have ever been involved in because it was going down the gurgler at 23 minutes in, wasn't it? It's the hydration break. It is the hydration break. Just genuinely because I think we were all over the place. I think two quite an opportunity to then settle everyone down. I think we were giving the ball away. They were pressing us.

6:16Chris Stark: The games of their lives. I think the two wingers, Visser I think defensively the two fullbacks coped with our threats I think both of the wingers 1v1 Madawake and Rashford like against most fullbacks you'd fancy them right against those two fullbacks non-existent it was so difficult to break them down but could they sustain those levels I think that was the question mark when they got a goal in front poor goal yeah it was it was a difficult one to take. I think Madawake needs to help Jed Spence out. I think Jed Spence had a difficult afternoon or morning, but I don't think he was getting much help from his winger at all.

7:00Chris Stark: It goes deeper into the tournament. You know, you can't imagine Mbappe or Dembele against the fullbacks getting isolated like that. You know, they did really well, but I was having a look at the winger. I think he's playing in the second division in Spain. I mean, when he can't forget to top level, that can't happen later on in the tournament. So yeah, we got through that first 20 minutes and then I think we kicked on a little bit and we had chances. Bellingham, our main threat I felt was through crosses. Bellingham late on running into the box and getting headers on goal. Then it's left to our main man, isn't it?

7:35Chris Stark: Who comes up trumps. There was a point, and this is quite a familiar narrative, isn't it, Sid? When you're watching England sometimes in major tournaments where your mind goes back to previous tournaments and points where you feel like you've been in this situation before so i can't remember how deep into this morning's game we were but there was a point where we went iceland wasn't there where we started thinking yeah did you yeah no i'm not going out at any point today no what i was thinking no i promise you i didn't i think until that hydration break i was thinking something massive has got to change here as you say pete after that things began to change and i think even at half time you would think well they keep us playing out of his skin so if we weren't creating chances i'll be more worried but we were creating chances what we did say was Congo at some point are going to drop off because they'd given so much in that first half the tipping point really I think looking back is that Vista chance isn't it just before half time where not just 9 times out of 10 19 times out of 20 maybe more he's 3-4 yards out he's got to score and who knows how different that game would have been if England are 2-0 down going in at half time and the penalty decision for you Kane yeah penalty yeah I felt so all day all day the thing is I know he's looking for it I think we all know he's looking for it if you know football you know that he's going down because he knows he can't score but he's caught him right so he's pushed it he's caught him and he's gone down it's a penalty yeah you've seen worse you've seen worse legs like being left behind to get contact far worse so when we had them chances in the first half then Vista's missed that one and then Kane's not got the decision then I'm then I was thinking well is this gonna be one in days but then as soon as second half started I'm like if we get one then we're in and now that doesn't mean we've got to win it in 90 minutes we might have had to go on to the extra time but I was certain that as soon as we got one that we was then gonna win it and I knew we'd get a chance to score and he was a main man I was calm once we scored I wasn't calm for the whole game until we until we scored and then you fancied it and then I fancied it strongly I just didn't think they could sustain it I think we were we could calm down then and go right okay breathe and let's start creating and but I didn't see that goal come in the finish I thought Elliot Anderson did brilliantly to keep it alive and then it gets to Harry who's back to goal right and he has one touch kind of away from goal and I genuinely said get it out wide this is for the second this is for the winner for Harry Kane's second goal yeah the winner Elliot Gordon done it didn't he yeah sorry it was Danny Gordon who came yeah yeah sorry cuts inside keeps it alive and and then Harry has that touch out of his body and he's kind of got his back to goal and I said I was shouting yeah get it out wide get in the box genuinely my shout was get it out wide and get in the box and he's swiveled on it and he kind of took a lot of people by how you get that much power if almost like you're back to goal going away from goal swiveling and hitting it like that.

10:47Incredible finish. People watching the replay, we'll see, I don't know if any of you guys noticed it, there was two people standing behind the goal that was working. I don't know if it was to do with the cameras or something. They, you know, ones where they've got that, no one is going to go in the net, but they're standing behind and they've got that thinking it's going to hit them. So you can imagine if they're as close as what can be other than the players, the full force of that was, yeah, it was frightening. You're right. There's only, there's not, there's I think it's only a hand full of players in world football that can score that goal.

11:19It was almost a certainty of it which seems like a strange thing to say when as you say Pete when he first turned you're thinking put out a wide some people might be thinking he might clip it to the back post so this will sound a strange thing to say but once he scored there was a certainty in what he did because Harry Kane has been doing that for years he's certainly been doing that for the last two seasons. Tell me from a striker's point of view because this will be really interesting for those who've never played football at any decent level so when I'm watching the replay there's no point where he looks up to check where the goal is and bear in mind that he slid that inside the near post and the keeper's not out of position he's put a little bit of bend on it how does he know where the goal is is that just from a look he's taken before he's received the ball is he looking at the lines on the pitch how does he know where to put that shot without looking again

12:05Chris Stark: I genuinely think that is years and years and years of practice and when I say practice I've worked with Harry and I've been around him at Tottenham when he was coming through. I don't know if I've ever, alongside Frank Lampard, seen anyone work harder on finishing. Left foot, right foot, it's no accident. Like, you know, headers. And I'm going to say something now that, you know, not everyone will agree with, but I'm saying there might be better players in this tournament now. I don't think there's a better finisher in this tournament. And I'm putting Haaland, Mbappe, Ronaldo, Messi in that conversation as a finisher.

12:46Chris Stark: Player is a different scenario. It might be other aspects to your game. One chance to save your life. Who are you giving it to out of those five players that I've just mentioned? I love this chat. And I had a conversation a while ago, probably eight, nine years ago, with Alex Inglethorpe, who was the youth team coach at Spurs, went on to Liverpool. And he was talking to me about what it was like coaching Harry Kane when he was 15, 16. and he said in that group of players he had at Spurs at that point he wasn't even in the top three in that group so the two they were all raving about 15-16 was Tom Carroll and Alex Pritchard, those are the two but he said what Harry Kane had some people would look at Harry Kane and they'd see what he didn't have so they'd look at him and go, doesn't have that much pace can't really beat a man but he said what he had was an ability that most 15-16ers don't have which was the ability to look at himself analysed and realised what he didn't have so that was the first thing to work out what he didn't have and the second thing was the desire to then go out and fix it so that ability to finish came from going I need to work on my finishing I need to work on my left foot finishing I need to hit the corners so he would do that thing we hear about all great players where everyone else would finish going for lunch done enough Harry would go back out and go I need to work on my left foot finishes into the bottom corner I need to work on that finish and you can tell me as a professional footballer, Sid, you will have seen some players like that and you will have seen other players who are good players who didn't do that.

14:16So you can tell the talkers through how unusual that is. Yeah, well, I think I've seen clips of how he's doing finishing and what I love about it is it's not your average stand on the edge of the box, fizz it out, they have a touch and just do it from there. It's all sort of games specific. So that goal that he took today, he would have probably practiced that in one way or another of having a shot and then whether he's whipped it in the low, like in the far corner or gone high in that corner where he's gone, he's practiced what he's preaching in a way. Do you know what I mean? So when it comes to a game scenario, he's kind of had that pitch geography.

14:50He knows where the kind of keeper is, whether it's a slight glance out of the corner of his eye or he knows maybe the defender that was marking might just be blocking the goalkeeper to go that way. So he's had to go high into that net. Like we're talking decision-making in the fractions of a second in the highest performance of the games.

15:09Chris Stark: He's a top player in his office, right? And his office is the penalty area. And to use Sid's analogy, Sid's runs a very fantastic office firm where they decorate offices, right? And if you've got a table in an office, right, without looking, I know where the stapler is. It's right there. Go analogy. It's right there. Yeah. Yeah. I just don't even have to look. Stapler's there, bags. I'm now stapling without looking. if I've been in that same office for a long time and I'm working from the same desk you know I'll get a ruler not a problem bang compass people should use them what sort of office is it?

15:46Chris Stark: protractor not a problem that's right that was the last time I was in an office 1998 I was using a protractor what I'm saying is the man's in his office let him work yeah that's nice that's nice bang on is there anything okay so Harry Kane has now scored five goals in this World Cup. It's not fair to say he entirely got England out of jail, but what we seem to be seeing in this tournament. So for me, this has been a, it's a job done England so far. That's the phrase that sums it up. Maybe if you want an expression, it's a job done. Not much more, is it? It's a job done England. But Harry Kane, as England need him, performs better.

16:28And I think what you maybe saw today as well was the other big dogs in that team. I thought Drew Bellingham had a great game I thought Declan Rice was Anderson was still very good as well so you're seeing those players who as you progress to a tournament who you need to bring out their best are starting to step it up and also the ones that come on and make a difference so Anthony Gordon brilliant so when we said that you know what I was about when we were sitting we were going well the changes that we can make the array of talent that's going to come off the bench you would have seen it in tournaments where it would have been like you would have wanted to have come on but then there would be certain players going a bit nervous to come on going I mean, I'll be 1-0 down.

17:02If I come on, if I don't want to, if I make a mistake or something happens, these boys are watching it going, get me on. I will create a chance. I will do that. So, Gordon's come on, two assists. Don't forget that. He's crossed the first and then set Harry Kane up for the second. Can I just say as well,

17:17Chris Stark: he's been coming for a little bit of criticism as well, you know, back home. People say, no, he shouldn't start. He's had a difficult time. And people expect a lot from the big move to Barcelona. I think when he received that ball the first time for the first goal, like it was very easy to kind of be with a blood pumping you know rush it he took a touch calmed himself down and just clipped it into the box I thought that was brilliant really good and actually Tuchel deserves credit doesn't he because yes we've got the depth of squad that you were talking about there's also a point where a manager has to be brave and a manager has to be brave with sufficient time left on the clock for the players that he's putting on to have an impact and he didn't leave it too late did he he probably brought when he puts Saka on for Madiwaka and he brings Gordon on for Rashford, he gave him enough time to affect the game.

18:08Chris Stark: Without doubt. Without doubt. I thought it was really good. One other thing as well is when, what I loved about the game is when Harry Kane scores that second goal and you know that you've won the game, the reaction of players, right? I thought Bellingham dropping to his knees was amazing. That's an amazing image, yeah. But when the players, I think at the left of the camera kind of went almost from Harry Kane's view and you look back at some of the players they all run over with their mouths open as if like I think it was Gordon who was just going oh my god like you're fucking brilliant yeah thank you you saved us wow thank god we've got you and it was almost like you know this is too far where I'm going with this now but Messi you know when the Argentine players they look at him and you think it's different you know Like, there's players there with 10, 15, 20 caps.

19:02Chris Stark: There's a man with over 100 caps. I mean, what is the numbers? Is it 80? Am I going towards 80-odd goals? North of 80, yeah. Is he really? Yeah. That is, that's why there's young players coming over to him going like, we have a potential here to go far in this tournament. And thank God we've got you. They're all looking at him with heart eyes, aren't they? They're all running over with big, boom, boom, boom, with big heart eyes. They are. But again, a lot of people will be looking at the negatives of this. I'm still going to go on the positives. I'm still going to go from this scenario. Yes, it would have been brilliant to have won 3-0 and demolished him and played really well.

19:37But again, when we get into the tournament, and if it is tight, players can look at H and go, we get half a sniff. If we can just give it to him in and around the box, he's going to create something, isn't he? He's going to get a shot off, or wherever the keeper saves it, and then someone comes in and taps it in. or if he gets a goal. So I think these little moments, again, just give people around him that little bit of hope to go, even if it's tight, we stay in the game. We've always got a chance. Yeah, we have. But in Santa Chance, we do go to Mexico next. And we did say the night before. Yeah.

20:14I think we struggle there.

20:16Chris Stark: Kevin Keegan, they've got to go to Mexico and get something.

20:21Chris Stark: And I'll tell you what. I would love it.

20:27but we said didn't we we texted each other the night before we was like I think England struggled there if Mexico play how they played in the first half in that stadium with the atmosphere I don't care who it is really teams are going to struggle

20:43Chris Stark: that atmosphere looks insane I'm watching that game through the TV you can feel it right I have the opportunity to go there like with Fox working with them and I'm like so excited like I'm seriously feel like just somehow streaking or something just getting into that position where where Maradona was you know like when he turned and he ran like you know you're just Maradona turns like an eel the ghosts yeah you've got to somehow pass the pod there if you can I don't know yeah get a little like a sticker on it somewhere have you got any stickers have you got any pass the pod stickers we can sort some stickers out no you don't don't go low you gotta go high you gotta go high that's a good point you've got to go high if I go high I could stay there forever forever

21:36Chris Stark: I could it's true get those stickers printed up boys what do we think okay so Sid you've been very positive and it's nice to be positive because England's still in the tournament I can just rebalance it a little bit but also in a positive way what do England need to do better okay what do England need to do better now they are through to the round of 16 I'll start us off they need to start better because if they do start like they started against Croatia or Croatia and Mexico start like they started against Ecuador then they could be in a heap of trouble so that's one thing the next thing is the defence yeah yeah Yeah, defensively we look like teams can score against us.

22:25So what's gone on there? Because we've got two excellent defensive midfielders. Okay, so that back four hasn't played together that much, but they've played together enough now in this tournament and they're all top players. So what's going on there? I don't know. I don't think it's... I just think it's like fractions. I mean, just a little bit of positional play or as you say, the winger maybe just helping the fullback. I don't think there's anything specific of going it's a specific player or it's the formation. You know, because as you say, we have got sound players, but again, they come up against top players in the world.

23:03So the movement of these players are making them adjust their positions where we got found out, for instance, for the first goal today. For me, attacking wise, I would just like to see us be a little bit more positive from the start in wide areas. That's where I'd like it to be. Beating a man, getting to the byline. Yeah, just end product. Just be positive. Just thinking, right, the first time I get it, I'm going to go down the outside and I'm going to get a crossing. Next time I get it, I'm going to maybe fake to go down the outside, come inside, see if I can whip it or play a one-two. Fall back then, you're like, what do I do now?

23:37Do you know what I mean? Whereas I think it's just been a little bit hesitant. But then again, teams have backed off. So they are double up. There's two banks for four. So it's hard to, if they get a 1v1, go for it.

23:49Chris Stark: Yeah, no, agreed. I think the, I mean, the atmosphere is going to be one thing, but I think the altitude is going to, going to be difficult as well. Like Mexico are used to, obviously the altitude. We're going to probably struggle with that. I mean, can we play the same game that we normally play? All the times we've played so far, it's been kind of air conditioned stadiums, right? I do, worry for that and the atmosphere definitely and I think in the fullback areas as well we need to help our fullbacks out certainly we just left them isolated the other day and I think we do that against Mexico and they scored from the left hand side and cut in and smashed it and he scored goals as well I think we can't leave them isolated.

24:32We do have two relatively inexperienced fullbacks in terms of international football don't we? That's one of the things I wonder Pete so you have played in World Cups and you've played in knockout games at World Cup. So, you know, you've played and prepared for a World Cup quarterfinal. So when you look around the dressing room before a big game like this, what do you want to see from the players who are in that dressing room?

24:55Chris Stark: Everyone doing the exact same thing I've seen them do every single time. I think the moment I see someone doing something different, it doesn't usually do that. I know they're nervous. You know that they're doing something different. It's like, well, I remember in 2006, we did a huddle and I'm like why are we doing a huddle we've never done one before it's a big game yeah but just do what you do and I think that for me is when I think there's a little an element of panic and that kind of creeps through um it's a massive game but there's enough players in that dress room and I think the manager as well and it really feels to me that the players are are feeding off the manager I really believe in what he's saying when you think about that hydration break the first one um it felt like his words definitely inspired them and i feel the same at halftime and i felt that in all the games and it's not often that we can say that actually that's that's a really good point sid so what we've seen from tuchel okay so england haven't hit you know hit the ground running or haven't hit the ground running flat out but tuchel seems that have had an impact on every game.

26:04So it's the hydration break against DR Congo. The subs have worked at different points. And maybe if there were criticisms of the previous management regime, it was around when England was struggling or when England were getting to 60, 70 minutes and losing control of a game, that the changes either were a little bit passive or the changes didn't work. You'd see England slip out of games more than move into games. When you're thinking about Croatia semi-final in 2018 against Italy in Euro 2020, there were points where England seemed to slip out of games rather than build into them. And what Tuchel seems to be doing to his credit in this World Cup so far, proactive changes that make a difference.

26:45Yeah. But ultimately, I still feel like it's going to be a tournament where at the moment, it feels like we're just going to get it done. Job done. I think it's the job done tournament. I don't think we're going to blow anyone away unless obviously we come up against better opposition and the game gets spread. But again, then you come up against better quality. So defensively, you need to be on it. I just feel at the moment where we're at, it's just job done. And let's get Wonderwall going after the game. I have a shower contact, by the way. Yeah, so good. Imagine Wonderwall

27:19Chris Stark: in the Azteca. And I'm going to be there. Bring it home. I'm going to be belted. I'm going to be so involved in that. Can you imagine what you think they win honestly I got goosebumps thinking about it yeah come on it's been a graph this World Cup hasn't it Tom can you hit me with a quiz what do you think my answer is that's not the quiz by the way yes and you've won today's quiz we've been going out for dinners quite a bit haven't we like he's been throwing questions at us non-stop I love it every moment it's been good hasn't it today's quiz it's a nice simple one but I think you'll enjoy it it's entitled Home Sweet Home okay I'm going to give you a town or a city in the UK and I'm going to ask you which member of this current England squad was born in that town or that city well I struggled with Jordan Henderson and Sundland last week I feel as though there could be some curveballs there'll always be a curveball in a Fordyce quiz okay so this is simply a case of shouting out when you think you know the answer.

28:31Okay. Your first one. Which member of England's World Cup squad was born in? Leightonstone. Leightonstone. Harry Kane. 1-0 Crouchy. Okay, we're going to step it up. That's good. Ridgeway Rovers. Correct. David Beckham. For a bonus point. Question number two. Yeah. Which member of England's World Cup squad was born in? Live. Oh my God, where is Blythe? I know you just said that as well. Blythe is... It sounds up north. Blythe is a town in Northumberland. I'm going to go... Which is north of Newcastle. Yes, I'm going to go... Jordan Pickford. Oh, I was going to go Jordan Pickford. No, it's not Jordan Pickford.

29:17It's Dan Byrne. It's the correct answer. Lee's worked it out. That's always pleasing, isn't it?

29:23Chris Stark: That was good. This one is a very, very hard one, but I'll give you some clues if you're struggling. Which member of England's World Cup squad was born in Kingston upon Thames? That can rise. That's a draw. That is a draw. Dead heat. Can we confirm that was a dead heat? Jesus. Okay. Okay, one and a half plays one and a half. Which member of England's World Cup squad was born in Barnet? Barnet, North London.

29:51Now plays for a London club, a North London club.

29:54Chris Stark: No, no, no. No, we stayed in. Not only about a week, eh? Is the correct answer. Birthplaces, I found my game.

30:06Which member? What's the score? 3-1? 2-1. 2-1, 1-1. Oh, 2-1. Which member of England's World Cup squad was born in Barnsley? John Stones. Yes. This is a good one. 2-1, 2-1.

30:19Chris Stark: I don't want it to end. Leave it to the fans. They're the time of their lives. Okay. Is this the last one? I'll give you one more. Okay. So this is the decider? This is the decider. Okay. Which member? It doesn't have to be, by the way. You can carry on. No, keep going. Yeah, keep going. Okay, I'll give you two more. Yeah. Which member of England's World Cup squad was born in Torquay? Oh, that's left field days. No clues. I don't want a clue. No. Okay. Torquay on the English Riviera. I had a lovely holiday in Torquay once. Yeah. See any young football weather. No. I had the kit actually, Torquay.

31:02Chris Stark: I had a Torquay kit a long time ago.

31:08Would you like a little clue? No. Okay. I am going to go for... Ian Henderson. Incorrect. I'm going to go for Conter. Incorrect. I'll give you a little clue, but I think you'll like it. think about his part. Ollie Watkins.

31:27Chris Stark: Yes. Didn't even need the clue. How did you get that? I knew it was from down that way. Yes, yes, yes. Okay. Sid, you need this one. Okay. It's the final one. You need this one to draw level. Okay. Crouchy, this to win it. Okay. You'll like this one particularly. Which member of England's World Cup squad was born in Ealing? In sexual Ealing? Sexual Ealing.

31:59That's brilliant.

32:03Chris Stark: Oh, no, that's done me. It's your manor. I know it. Saka. Yes. Greenford. Greenford. Yeah. Played for Greenford Celtic. You did? Yeah. Which is, you know, up the road for me. You found your game. I found my game. And today's winner with four and a half points to two and a half points is Peter Crouch. Thank you. Thank you very much.

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33:08Chris Stark: All right, lads. The next part of the podcast is supported by Paddy Power. It's the big World Cup fixture. We've got another message from the Minister of Mischief. He says, Hi, Crouchy. Time Notorious at Side D. Well, well, well, Crouchy. Looks like you might be heading to Mexico. after all. England very nearly besmirched the holiday plan. He's done it again. Yes. Is that what it's called? He said the same word in the last one, wasn't he? Besmirched. Did I say that right? You've gone a bit German. Besmirched. Did I go German with that? You did, yeah. Okay. Besmirched the holiday plan. Thought I'd give you another go at that word.

33:45Chris Stark: Yeah, and I boffed out. By flirting with an embarrassing early exit, but Harry Kane clearly fancied a bit more sunshine and dragged them back from the brink. It was far from convincing from Thomas Tuchel's side, but England were making, were busy making hard work of it. Some of you were racking up the points in the predictions league. Crouchy, believe it or not, and I have checked this several times because I was convinced it had to be wrong. You got the lot right. All of them. The England 2-1, Harry Kane two shots on target and Jude Bellingham to be carded. That's unreal. That's the first clean sweep.

34:21the first ever full house. You even got a round of applause from that. I got a ripple there.

34:24Chris Stark: Did you hear that? I did. I got a ripple. Nine points to the big man. Congratulations. Tom, very respectable from you. England 2-1. Bellingham, two shots on target bag due to six points. Solid, sir. Very well played. Thank you. Oh, no. And then we come to Mr. Stephen Sidwell. Oh, dear. One point for the England win. Then the wheels came off. The roof came off. And the Anderson double bubble well and truly burst. You were the game week loser. And with the Wall Street Crash Chaos card, that's five points wiped from your tally. Ouch. And, frankly, pitfall minus four for the week. That's a blow. That is a blow.

35:06Chris Stark: Which means we have a new leader. What? Unbelievable. Tom, 36. Sid, 35. And 30. So I've nailed all the points and still five. Still gone. But hold on a minute. You was at one point 20 points like behind. So you've unbelievable turn around. That's the name on the door of the pod, isn't it? Whoa. Back stronger, Chubba Wumba. The cat is firmly amongst the pigeons. And on to your next Paddy Power big weekend fixture is Portugal versus Croatia. Ronaldo versus Modric. Two footballing greats who somehow still refuse to retire. But surely this will be the last World Cup curtain for call for one of them.

35:44Chris Stark: And this week's chaos card is Area 51. no idea what this is going to be but frankly the amount of earwigging copying and tactical answer changing has become an absolute disgrace two of you just happened to land on 2-1 last time and i'm not buying it so this week your picks are top secret no listening no tactical changes and absolutely no copying crouchy's newfound wisdom the winner of the game week bags an extra five points best of luck as always party power minister of mischief please gamble responsibly. So there's only, I think there's only one where we can do this. I think, Sid, it's your turn to go first.

36:22Yeah. I think, Pete, we're going to have to briefly leave the podcast studio, cover our ears. Wow, for the integrity. I think so. Is that how far, is that, is that where this pod has gone? You've got to. This is so fucking weird. Clear the set. I mean, we could just cover our ears. We could sit here and cover our ears. Should we do it? I'm happy to leave. Okay. Clear the set. Yeah, okay. Clear the floor. Clear the floor.

36:47Okay, so this is Portugal versus Croatia. I'm going to go for Cristiano Ronaldo to have two or more shots. I'm going to go for Mendes, the fullback, Portugal, to get booked, carded. And I'm going to go for a 1-1 draw. Because we're going for 90 minutes, yeah? 1-1 draw.

37:12Chris Stark: Yeah, Tommy, you're coming. Off you pop, Sid. Okay, I think they are safely out of earshot. So here goes. Score prediction. It's two goals to one. Portugal beating Croatia. Two or more shots on target is Cristiano Ronaldo because he's desperate to score and will shoot from literally anywhere. Card, I'm going to go for Gvardiol. Going for Gvardiol. Left of the three for Croatia. Quite confident in that.

37:47Chris Stark: okay right i'm gonna go for a draw after 90 minutes 1-1 i'm gonna go for a booking kovacic and i go for two or more shots on target bruno fernandez

38:13Chris Stark: okay well welcome back to the podcast so we've got some um listener messages here uh sorry if you can hear a helicopter that's the lapd there's that half an accent there was you should have gone come on full you need to commit to LAPD? Is it better? Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, so apparently they buzz around here quite a bit, to be fair. So, yeah, if you can hear a helicopter. More importantly, we've got Matt Topless. Is that a name or have I just been bugged off there? Topless Matt? His name's Matt Topless. Go on. Hello, Crouchy Sid and Tom. Absolute games gone moment. I hate to say it about a true hero, but for Brazil versus Scotland, David Beckham was pictured with a glass of red wine in the stands.

39:03Chris Stark: Thoughts? Now, I did notice this. I don't know if you noticed it. I've noticed a few kind of high-profile people at the games where they like to cut to them drinking red wine in the stadium. Was it out of a proper wine glass? Wine glass. It's kind of on the... Yeah. You kind of put it on the side there. Well, at least it's out of like a proper stemmed glass, not like a plastic cup or, you know, straight from the bottle. A plastic cup would have been more acceptable. Basically, glasses of red wine at football. If the prawn sandwiches weren't bad enough. My instinct is that it's a no, but probably five years, maybe even longer after I first made the comment, I'm still getting heat about people drinking bovril at football matches on social media.

39:47It'll pop up every day and then, so I just want to step away from this.

39:50Chris Stark: Yeah, because you let yourself down on many occasions. Hugely. Because I think you'd be comfortable with having served white bait. I would love it. Don't they do that? They're talking about the sports stadium. Probably. Yeah. That wouldn't surprise me. Do you reckon it was just a red wine or do you reckon there was like a little platter? What do they call it? A chucut... A chucut... And... Charcuterie platter, yeah. Yeah, cucurilla board. Just massive curly hair coming off it. A cucurilla board. Yeah. Do you reckon there was some jamon there? Probably, yeah. Yeah, some olives. I think so, wouldn't it?

40:24Some olives. Manchego.

40:26Chris Stark: what I've noticed about this World Cup is that you know like American stadiums cater for all there's any you can get everything yeah is what I've noticed yeah so if you want a glass of red wine champagne's probably available you know wild boar if you want it or yeah any kind of boar um I just think there's anything you can get yeah you know in these things so what I think it's the context of it or I think it's the what's winding people up at home is potentially the ticket prices not being able to get out here number one people who have followed their teams and then people being shown on the big screen drinking red wine I think we are used to football stadium Sid even now with all the changes there have been in the Premier League we're used to being the equivalent of economy long hauling economy what we're seeing here is first class business class, isn't it?

41:22I feel it that way. I'm assuming it wasn't Blossom Hill that was being poured as well. It must have been, you know, nothing wrong with it. An echo forksheds, you know?

41:34Do you reckon, right, last question about the red wine, do you reckon it was offered to David Beckham or requested by David Beckham? Because that feels to me like an important question.

41:43Chris Stark: Yeah, that's it. And the worst thing is, I don't want to be seen as a hypocrite here, you know? if someone offers me a seat in that particular section and asks, do I want a glass of red wine? Yeah. I could be sitting there going, oh God, this game's gone, this and that. But if I am offered that, I will take that. A hundred percent. A hundred percent. I reckon he's had a beer before. Yeah. Inside. Yeah. And I think he's not requested, but they've said to him, so David, what would you like for your... Your main course. to just quench your parchedness during the game. I think he's just gone, a red wine would be great.

42:23Is there, I'd like to ask you, I'll give you three beverages and I'd like to know, so you've said yes to a red wine. Okay, so you're David Beckham in this scenario.

42:30Chris Stark: Not outside, I don't think. You're only having inside. I think I'm only, I think it's red reserved for inside. Okay. You've been offered, it's an evening kickoff, seven o 'clock kickoff, six o 'clock, you're in the stadium, someone's offered you a margarita. no I'm partial partial to a few things margarita is one of them okay I can't concur it's now half time in the same game the temperature has fallen still pleasant but a little bit chill you offered a glass of port again it's reserved for inside okay I might do it yes but then I would I would go outside afterwards okay and finally because I know this was a favourite of yours all those years ago at the Samrat an Irish coffee I know you don't I don't you don't you don't you got it some of my favourite beverages okay so last one lads Adam Martin says hello Foreskin Notorious and Dubai Des I'm currently how do you feel about Foreskin are you right with it you just have to accept the names you've got no choice doesn't matter what I think it actually doesn't no but I just thought I'd ask thank you I'm currently sat in a beach bar in Croatia, building up the courage to ask my partner of seven years to marry me this evening.

43:51Chris Stark: So ease my nerves. I'm listening to the pod. I'm putting together a marriage 11. He's fucking class. Of course he is. No way. So he's about to, and what he's thinking about is a marriage 11 before he asks, okay? It's actually really, really good. Let's hear it. The GK is a keeper. Oh, yeah, it's good. Very strong stunt. Lovely. The right back is Kyle Walker down the aisle. Good. Your centre-back Ledley Ring. Ben, will you marry me? Ben, will you marry me? Ben will. Okay, let's keep going. Yeah, shut up. Danny Rose at left back. Yes. Jack, Jack, pop the cork. Oh, yeah. Yes. Still, Steve said I will.

44:49Chris Stark: Declan's throwing race. Yes. Then they come out. Yeah. George, best man. Very good. Best one so far. Thierry on one knee. Oh, that's superb. Brilliant. That's good. Brilliant. That is good. And you've obviously got the Antoine Groomsman.

45:11Chris Stark: hopefully by the time you read this i'll be a happily engaged man is there a chance for shout out for my beautiful bride victoria uh regards to the family long time listener adam chumbwamba fair play to her well listen adam victoria congratulations if or congratulations we don't know if she said yes yet no we don't know let us know let us know yeah I was trying to should we do one each now? Trying to go for one I've got one Carlos Valderrama Oh the Valderrama Fantastic Oh okay Vicar Moses

46:02Vicar Moses

46:09pressure's on Sid I've got one it's Brian McBride he said easy I'm trying to go outside the box I'm trying to go outside the box

46:20Chris Stark: well you don't get that anywhere else see you next time

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