Can Arsenal challenge on all fronts? Liverpool concern & Man Utd warning

0:00Wow, what a bonus for all you Gary Neville podcast fans. Two in two days and we're doing one tonight because we've been witnessing Aston Villa against Arsenal. And we wondered if this might be one of those occasions where the reigning champions would slip up, but it wasn't to be, Gary.

0:17Gary Neville:No, and look, I spent the whole of probably yesterday talking about Liverpool's defence, Tottenham's defence, Manchester United's defence, Chelsea's defence, and that they're conceding goals and saying that they don't look like they've got the strongest units that are going to enable them to challenge for a title. And Arsenal seem to get some criticism at times, don't they, for being quite pragmatic and more defensive probably than other teams. I think that Arsenal would probably admit it themselves that tonight they probably could have been better in attack. But that is an outstanding defensive shape throughout their whole team.

0:58Gary Neville:I said throughout the game, they don't take any chances. They really all get back into shape really quickly. And it's a dream. It is the dream of every single coach, every single football player to play in a team where you're all equal, where everyone feels like they have to contribute to the ugly part of the game. And we should celebrate it. We really should. And I said tonight at the end of the game that statement wins sometimes come from sort of 4-5-0 dominant victories and you think, ooh, that was a proper win. but actually for me tonight that demonstrates the ultimate in concentration and focus for a football team where they just look completely and utterly in control and calm even though there's only one goal in it and we spend half our lives as commentators talking about the fact that oh you're always in a bit of trouble there's only one in it you know you're asking for trouble not this team that's not to say never they will obviously concede goals at times but they just do it regularly keep clean sheets they're excellent from back to front Havertz, Odegaard deserve as much credit as Gabriel, Saliba, Mosquera and the rest of them and David Reier because they get back in, they protect.

1:59Gary Neville:It means that the two centre-backs don't have to defend as many attacking situations against them and duels and 1v1s against them as probably their counterparts do at other clubs. Their goalkeeper hasn't had a shot on his target tonight. So David Reier has basically played with his feet tonight. He's hardly... Well, he's not a shot to save. Simple as that. so you think about how I just imagine that dressing room now where David Reier must be going around his defenders and the midfield and the attackers say thank you very much you've protected me tonight that's what you're supposed to do as a team is make sure your goalkeeper doesn't have to get brought into action and when he does he does make saves and he made a couple of catches from corners but yeah I can't really sort of praise them enough for what they do and they're really doubling down on it aren't they I mean Mosquera goes off So Saliba's not playing, so Mosquera plays, he's been outstanding since he came to Arsenal and was impressed from day one.

2:54Gary Neville:And he goes off, and then Konser comes in. So you've almost got three right-sided centre-backs, and then Timber's not fit, yeah, he could play there if he wanted. You could even shift Ben White inside if you fancy doing that as well. And, you know, Hinkapier could come on for Calafiora. He might even just slip Myles Lewis-Skelly back into left-back. And I said before, and I'm absolutely adamant, and City's the only one, Arsenal's second back four which would be Mosquera and Konza as centre-backs and Hincapi and Ben White probably because you'd have Timber, Gabriel Saliba and Calafiori as your back four that second back four that I just named there of Hincapi White Konza and Mosquera I think would be the back four of every other top six club City's the only one that I'm sort of questioning a little bit but I think it would be and that's what Mikel Arteta has built here and then in midfield tonight He's played Declan Rice, Erdegaard and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

3:51Gary Neville:And the backup three in midfield is Gimaraes, Marino and Zubamendi. Two Spanish internationals who've won European World Tournaments and basically Gimaraes, who I think is potentially the signing of the season. So in those midfield areas and defensive areas, they're absolutely outstanding. and you can see why Mikel Arteta has wanted to make that statement signing of Julian Alvarez and spend the 120, 30, 40 million, whatever it would be because he's an amazing player and if they had him, that game tonight is probably 2-3-0 because when you go 1-0 up, which is sometimes you have to be patient, you have to wait and you'll get a first, then there are two or three counter attack moments near the end there for Arsenal whereby, you know, Havertz he does a really good job for them and he's a good player and Jokeres is a battering ram and they'll need him at moments during this season but they haven't got that difference player that's up front that can maybe just electrify you and just run away and counter-attack and be blistering and that's what they need up there Gabriel Jesus is going to leave I think he's left already he's going to Barcelona which I think he had it in him to be able to potentially be that player but he's never really done it for Arsenal Martinelli obviously is leaving he's a left-sided player so yeah I think it's just that the missing piece of the jigsaw which I think would make games a lot easier for them so those defenders maybe could just relax a little bit more than they have to because they have to keep full concentration for 90 minutes all the time is they just maybe would have that sort of Alvarez type figure but there's not many of them around but yeah full of admiration for them

5:26Gary Neville:nothing really negative to say at all about Arsenal I haven't you know that one piece of the jigsaw that I think all Arsenal fans Mikel Ateta has identified that he would pay big money for Alvarez. They'd break the bank for him. And I don't know if there's anybody else they can go and get that would even be sort of close to him. So it looks like they're going to have to go with what they've got, which will be more than enough, I think, for the Premier League, which is whether it gets them over those massive games in Europe in those sort of difference moments and those difference matches against the likes of Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

5:55So would you almost say that if they can't get Alvarez, who appears to be their first choice, there's no point settling for second best? I mean, we are hearing talk but there's a possibility of them bringing in a left-sided Belgian player, Malik Fafana. And there might have been questions tonight about Christos Solis after his first couple of games and whether he can sort of fit in that slot long term.

6:19Gary Neville:Yeah, look, it's early for him and I didn't get carried away last week by him. I said I want to see a little bit more. The charity shield was promising and then obviously the game against Coventry. But I just thought he does one thing. he seems to cut in and I think that you know as right back start to understand him more and the more experienced ones which Matty Cash is Matty Cash just set about him tonight didn't he got against him was really aggressive felt like he was mauling him a little bit and that'll be a good night for him in the sense that Solis good night for Solis in the sense of just making him aware of what this is going to be like he's not going to get it easy he's going to have players that are going to you know want to get to him really closely and make it difficult for him.

7:04Gary Neville:And that was a tough away game for him tonight and it'll be a good lesson. But I thought Eze did really well when he came on. And I think because of the fact that Arsenal have got that midfield of Erdegaard and Gimmarais will play in there and obviously Declan Rice will play. I think there's a lot going on in there for Eze. I'm not sure he's going to get into that position. So I think he may have to get really good at being a left-sided player for Arsenal. Sometimes you just have to sort of look at where the position opens up for you and basically take it. And I thought Eze did a very good job in that second half, contributing really well with the goal.

7:36Gary Neville:That was a little pass down the side to Calafiore. And I think generally he will... I'd be surprised if Eze didn't play next week against Chelsea. It's a big game, that. Really looking forward to it. But I just think because of the sort of size of that game and it might be that Mikel Arteta just says to Solis, just have a look at this match. Just watch it. You know, I'm not going to put you into this one. You know, Eze's got a bit more body strength about him. He's got more experience in the Premier League. And I'd be stunned if he didn't play Eze next week, purely because of the fact that he played really well in that second half and he looked like he handled a physical game well away from home against Aston Villa.

8:10Gary Neville:So, yeah, it's... I don't think they can change it now, Arsenal. I don't think they can go in. There isn't backup strikers. I mean, you go for one striker that's like that. I mean, yeah, if there was a Luis Suarez available, that type of player just runs in behind and sort of got that real quality, that Alvarez, but they just don't exist, do they? They're£150 million now. I mean, it's£100 million for not a lot, let alone if you're getting a world-class striker. So, yeah, who the hell are they going to get at this point? Chelsea will be an interesting challenge because on the early evidence that we've seen, they could potentially be one of the closest challengers to Arsenal this season.

8:47What can they do differently that Villa didn't do this evening that could get them the breaks that Villa were unable to find?

8:56Gary Neville:Well, it's interesting. I think that Arsenal, in some ways, will think, OK, we know that Chelsea have got better attacking players than Aston Villa with the likes of Rodgers, Palmer and João Pedro, so they'll really have to sort of be alert and alive to that. But I think there'll be parts of what Villa did will mean that Arsenal... I think Aston Villa are the most organised team in the league apart from Arsenal. I think they're really well organised. They're sort of so well drilled and set up by Unai Emery that Chelsea aren't as organised as that, and they aren't as disciplined. you don't get Palmer and Rodgers and João Pedro and some of the sort of wing netto they don't defend in the same way as Villa do so I actually think Arsenal may fancy their chances going forward more against Chelsea but they'll also have to be alert against the fact they've got some fantastic players and I think that's what makes it really interesting I think Arsenal will win the game but it's a really good test it's a really good moment to see Chelsea in the early days of Xabi Alonso and they've been exciting in these first two matches.

9:57Gary Neville:But this is the ultimate test for them. They're playing against the champions who don't make a lot of mistakes. And yeah, I can't wait for that game next Sunday afternoon. I think it'll be really good. And for Arsenal, I think they'll be really looking forward to it. Obviously, Declan Rice went off. Do you think he was injured there when he went off or just precautionary? He had a pained expression, didn't he? Yeah, he just sort of limped a little bit. He didn't look comfortable as he goes off. But I think it's a really good game next week for us to watch and to think about where Arsenal are against Chelsea and where Chelsea are mainly in thinking that I'd put them as second, I think, in the league.

10:29Gary Neville:So, yeah, it's a good one. And I think that they'll enjoy parts of the game, Arsenal, because I think they'll get more space. Aston Villa are a well-organised team. The more optimistic Arsenal fans this season are talking about not only retaining the title, but having a real go at Europe. I mean, do you think that's sustainable if they don't bring in a striker in this window? Yeah, they definitely can have a go in Europe because they did last year with the same squad. and this is a better squad with Konza and Gimaraish. So I think they're really sort of up for another challenge. I just feel like in the tightest moments, in the biggest matches, you just need that something different, that something special that can just unlock something for you.

11:10Gary Neville:And I certainly think you need a counter-attack. You really need it. I always think you need a counter-attack, particularly if you play like Arsenal do and they'll wield you against teams who keep possession and sort of sometimes they're a bit deep. so just to not have that type of striker is probably going to be an issue for them at some point but they're more than capable of challenging for the Champions League and the Premier League because they've done it last year they've proven that to us they've come within a sort of air's breath haven't they of basically winning the Champions League they're so close but I think they would have needed that star strike I think that's the final piece of the jigsaw whether they can do it without that person is debatable and what of Aston Villa it's obviously been a major overhaul here half a dozen of the team that started the Europa League final no longer around what do you make of the new look Villa and can Unai Emery conjure another miraculous season this season?

12:07Gary Neville:This would be the biggest achievement of Unai Emery at Aston Villa and he's done brilliantly over this last few years but to have this it's not even a transition you used to call it a revolution didn't you? I think but it is isn't it Luka Dini Konza you can help me Rob Telemans Rodgers Watkins any more there's six Martinez did you mention Martinez yeah so you've got six or seven there I'm not saying giants but it's a spine it's the quality it's everything in the team it's the goals I mean to lose all those players in one summer is brutal it really is and I was asking three wheels what's going on here is Unai Emery across this does he know what's going on?

12:50Gary Neville:I mean, obviously he does. Is he in favour of it? Is he supportive of this level of sort of what would be activity that's going on sort of in front of his eyes? And being here tonight and asking some questions before the game and sort of speaking to people from absolutely now believe that it's something that Unai Emery has not only actually accepted, he's orchestrated it as a sort of transition that doing it when you're actually in sort of the peak of your powers, but when you've got Champions League football, when you really feel that your team are in a good place. The crowd is very much behind the team tonight.

13:24Gary Neville:And what I saw tonight, I don't know how many players you showed us at one point over in that sort of what would be hospitality box over there that were coming in. I think it went from about two to three to four to five. There were loads of them over there, weren't there? So how many were there four that are coming in? Yeah, there were four or five, I think, in that box tonight. So there's four or five in that box tonight that are going to come down here at some point in the next couple of weeks and play on the pitch. and I trust Unai Emery I really do and do you know something from an organisational perspective on the ball and sort of off the ball he knows how to get a team organised and set up and drilled you know they have really good patterns of play even the team that played tonight I thought they did a very I thought they played a really good game against Arsenal with the changes that they've had I think Jackson will create a lot of problems for defenders I mean he's playing against the best defence tonight so it was tough for him but he still was a handful Buendia again connects the play well very similar to how Seesaw played yesterday for Fripswich sorry against Manchester United and yeah just they've got the other four or five players in out of the stand and onto the sort of squad I think they'll be okay Aston Villa and I wouldn't put it past him I wouldn't put it past him for a top six finish because he delivers he's consistent I mentioned the words at the end about Arsenal, you know, you think about, you talk about all the words that we use to try and motivate people and think about the qualities that you want and the characteristics of a football team or of people that you play with or work with and consistency and reliability is the most important.

15:00Gary Neville:These players have been selected because they've got the talent by Unai Emery, one of the world's best managers. So if they can just be consistent and reliable, which I think that they will be because the manager is that way, you know, they all have to fit into the system. You know, they would need to get a little bit more out of Garnaccio. They need to get a little bit more out of the wide players and, you know, that would need to come. You know, Hemmings, the young boy Hemmings on the far side, John McGinn, you know, they need more out of them but that was as hard as it will get tonight against the best defence and I think Aston Villa will creep into the top eight, seven, six.

15:36Gary Neville:I think that's where they'll be and that would be a good season for them, I think, with the way in which it's gone in the transfer window. Well, Unai Emery will breathe a sigh of relief when the transfer window shuts. I'm sure a few managers will. You were quite critical yesterday of Liverpool's intention to sell Cody Gakpo to Manchester City and it doesn't look as though that's now happening. What do you make of that U-turn? So has that gone away? It looks like it's gone away. Yeah, I was bizarre. I just do not understand that whatsoever. And I get the fact that even Liverpool fans don't think he's the messiah of a winger or a forward.

16:11Gary Neville:but it's hard to find players like that and when you've got them in the building and he's cost, was he 30 million that they signed him for? It's hard to replace him. I mean, look, why would you sell him to Manchester City? Just the signal, the signs, the sort of the feeling that your Liverpool Football Club and Manchester City are pulling players off you for 100 million. What do they know that we don't? And I get the fact that Liverpool might think it's a big price and that he's not worth that money and that we can do without him. But the way Liverpool have started the season, it's just far too big a risk.

16:45Gary Neville:And Liverpool should be thinking about keeping Gakpo. They should be thinking about Barkler, Gakpo, Wurtz, Eketike, Izak, Engelmoor and thinking, right, that is a world-class group of strikers and forwards. And then can we get a hold of midfield player? That should have been the thought process a couple of months ago. And then, I'm saying it again, a couple of full-backs. And you'd be talking about Liverpool as potential champions. you really would so for me you've just got to make sure that from where they they were two years ago being Premier League title winners that if you sell Gakpo you don't bring in a midfield player you don't bring in two fullbacks the signals that you're sending to everybody are that you're not going to be competitive or as competitive as we should be and that can't happen Liverpool's fan base is not going to accept that and so for me it's the right decision I thought it was bizarre that they were even contemplating it because who's to know, you know, Virts hasn't settled in yet.

17:40Gary Neville:Who's to know what Barclay's going to do? The boy Engamo is young and he's going to be inconsistent and Gatpo is a consistent performer whether you think he's amazing or not. He's always there in moments in the match where it hurts. It's difficult to find players like that. So yeah, I think it's the right decision. Have you seen much value in the transfer market this season? Has there been a best value signing for you? Well, I'm sat here thinking that Gimaraish at£75 million is great value because I've seen the transfers earlier in the summer at 85 and 90 and 95 for central midfield players you know Elliot Anderson at 116 yep Tenale 95 Fernandes 85 90 so when I look at Gimaraes at 75 I think it's the best out of a lot of them I think that's great value but maybe that's because the price of the others is high I just think Gimaraes is a massive personality and character last Monday when I watched Chelsea and I saw that they conceded goals and the goalkeeper was at fault for them.

18:41Gary Neville:For them to get, you mentioned it earlier to me, Emi Martinez for 7.5 million is an absolute steal. To be able to just go and pluck low-hanging fruit for that sort of little money and get the personality type goalkeeper that you need into your squad within four or five days I think is massive, massive value for money. They're the two that immediately stand out. I think when Telemans went to Manchester United for 30 million, was it? 35, I think it was. I thought, yeah, I thought that was good value. I felt like it was a, you know, United needed three midfield players and to get him for 34, 35 million, he was a proven Premier League player who's got good quality on the ball, a bit of arrogance and style.

19:23Gary Neville:I thought, yeah, that's a decent quality purchase. Keep going at me, throw them at me, I'll let you know whether I think they're value or not. Well, I mean, there are some who I'd like to ask you about who find themselves in a bit of limbo at the moment. I mean, take for example Jack Grealish who is in this awkward situation again where he's got to have been brought back in at the fringes at Manchester City. You would think with just a day of the transfer window left he kind of needs a big move again to rejuvenate his career doesn't he? Yeah, what I would say if I was advising Jack Grealish would be, and I'm sure this is the reason he's not moved yet, is that if the club's not right that you're going to go to definitely do not go.

20:03Gary Neville:Stick around at Man City even if you're not going to play? I know it's important to play football, but if you're going to go to a club that are not going to get the best out of you and are not going to be sort of stylistically right for you, then don't do it. You're better off staying at Man City and playing 20 games and still looking like you're playing in a great side and playing 20 good games and playing 35, 40 games that might be making you look like you're basically getting towards the end of your career. And I thought that. I mean, I think that's sometimes quite a lot about players who play at the very top clubs and then they've got that decision to make sometimes in their 30s or maybe late 20s, but usually 30s, whereby they're thinking, well, do I want to play every single week towards the end of my career and play maybe sort of what will be a lower standard or do I want to play 25 good games for a top six club because I might just be a player that's not playing every single week right now and I'm rotating a little bit.

20:52Gary Neville:I would always go for the second bit and I did. The last three years of my career, I was more than happy to play. I think last season, forget that one, but the ones before I think I played 25-30 games I think I don't want to be pulled up on this by the way I'm questioning myself here but I think I did but I was playing in a winning team and I was playing in a team that were challenging for the title and I was playing in a team that had great players in front of a great crowd a club I wanted to play at and a city I wanted to live in so all those things had to be right for me it wouldn't have been right for me to move elsewhere and I get some lads do want to play the most important thing no matter where they play they have to play but I think for Jack he's got to be surrounded by the players who are in sync with him and who have got the same level of thinking.

21:33Gary Neville:And that's only going to be a smallish selection of clubs in England. And City are a brilliant football team. And so if he can be substitute for Manchester City and contribute in Carabao Cup, FA Cup games and the old Premier League game, and he's getting 20, 25 matches, I would say Jack is better off living in that environment than going playing for a team in the bottom five or six, that he's going to be frustrated every week and he's getting the ball every 15 minutes and he's playing basically left-back most of the game because he's having to follow back the attacking right-back of a better team.

22:06Gary Neville:He's better off staying at Manchester City. I strongly believe that. And what about players like Enzo Fernandes, who, if his move to Manchester City doesn't go through, he'd assume he'd have to stay at Chelsea. And then there's a similar situation with the likes of Richarlison and Saar at Spurs. How difficult is it for those players to reintegrate themselves at their current clubs if their intended moves don't go through? I think Frenzo Fernandes, I mean, that one would have happened, wouldn't it? That can't happen tomorrow, can it? Well, Chelsea set a deadline, didn't they, by which time the deal had to be done.

22:45It wasn't done by then because then the usual bit of brinkmanship takes over.

22:50Gary Neville:yeah I wonder whether and look I asked the question yesterday because I was at the Manchester United-Ipswich game and Chelsea were on before and Enzo Fernandes wasn't in the squad and I was like what's happened and no one knew really what had happened and I wonder whether the manager has just said look you're not moving I know you're disappointed I know you're annoyed I know that you feel frustrated with us that we've not let you go for less money or whatever the reason is so just going on three or four days off come and see us on Wednesday or come and see us on Monday Monday you're not going anywhere but I'm not going to put you through it tomorrow and play you because I know you're frustrated and disappointed and that is a tactic sometimes that managers can use and clubs can use or have they said to him no we're going to try and make this transfer happen I think it's probably the format there's no noise around it right now is there there's nothing doesn't feel like anything's happening and I think we'd hear about it so I feel it might be a case of Chelsea just saying look just get your head down but have a couple of days off and keep him away from Stamford Bridge in a period whereby the fans know that he wants to leave, but he's not.

23:54Gary Neville:I played at Manchester United for obviously 20 years, and there were times where there were a couple of players who signalled that they might want to leave, but then when they stayed, everything was fine. So the lads in the dressing room will be fine with him, as long as he's popular in the dressing room, that is. They won't have a problem with it. They understand that he's a very short career, and you've got to try and do the very best that you can. It's not personal against Chelsea. He just sees a huge opportunity to go and play for Manchester City and do that deal and sort of get it done and go and play in a different club.

24:23Gary Neville:But I think he'll remain at Chelsea, but that's just a gut instinct. I've got no inside information at all what's going on at Stamford Bridge. Is there any more business that you'd like to see Manchester United do? I said yesterday, I've got to be careful because you don't want to be sort of like, I know they've done it in quite a measured fashion, the forward line last year, the midfield this summer, but I do feel that when you go into the Champions League and you've got an uncertain defence, really, in the sense that a couple of them are injury-prone and they're likely to get injuries. I always think pessimistically, what happens, Jeffrey Boycott used to say, didn't he?

25:05Gary Neville:It's only a good score when you actually add two wickets on and it's still a good score. So if you're like 120 for one, 120 for three is not too bad, you know what I mean? But if you're 50 for two, if you're 55 for 4 you're in trouble that type of thing I always imagine if you've lost two defenders what are you like what's your strength in depth like and I think that for the top clubs that are playing in the Champions League you've got to imagine what happens if Luke Shaw gets injured that's going to cause a real problem so if Luke Shaw gets injured for three months what happens if Harry Maguire gets injured you've got a real problem so I always imagine just take your two sort of what will be most dominant defenders out for two months simultaneously which can happen happens at every single club and you're playing Champions League Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday you're going to concede goals and you're going to lose football matches so I just would have liked to have seen Manchester United bring in a left back and a centre back to advance the money from next season's budget into this season I don't know how they do that but that's a financial structuring situation I'm sure there's people there there are people there who can do that and just make sure Michael Carrick is covered because he would have a real problem if he was playing with Heaven and Jorou at centre-back or Jorou at right-back or Masary at left-back for a long time it'd be a problem so yeah I've said quite simply that I think that it would have been sensible to strengthen that back line this summer just with one or two maybe not the four it's needed probably need four but you know just one or two to make sure they don't get left short and the way you're phrasing that you would have wanted that done now you wouldn't want to be involved in a last-minute scramble to cover those positions.

26:46Gary Neville:Well, ideally, you don't want to be involved in the last day of the transfer window because it's uncertain. You've sort of potentially got issues with regards to clubs getting more money off you than they potentially could do. And it's a game of chicken, really, isn't it, on the last day of the transfer window, unless you've got all the cards, which you never invariably don't have because everybody knows Manchester United need a defender or two. So if Manchester United contact at you today and say we'd like to sign your left back you're going to be rubbing your hands thinking well you're going to tell them no I'm not going to do it because it's too late in the window or you're going to say actually I want a lot of money it's going to be one of the two so yeah it's not ideal and I think for even worse for Liverpool with their full back situation they're going into a season without a Connor Bradley fit right now with Frimpong at right back and they've got Shemikas and Kirk is at left back who are, they are what they are so I think that I'm really shocked at that at Liverpool and I'm shocked that Manchester United haven't put at least one defender in.

27:46Gary Neville:It would have been perfect, wouldn't it, if they could find a left-sided centre-back or a centre-back that could play left-back. Those players don't tend to exist as much anymore, but something like that would have been perfect. But yeah, it doesn't look like it's going to happen. There's no real noise coming out of Old Trafford. Similarly with Arsenal around Alvarez, it doesn't seem like that's going to happen. We're not hearing really anything, unless my phone's going to go off, but it doesn't feel like Enzo Fernandez is going to go to City. so these things feel like they're not going to happen but who knows, we've been shocked in the past A left back who can play centre-back, maybe Hinkapier Arsenal have got Ben White, Mosquera, Timber and Konza who can equally play right centre-back as right-back and Hinkapier and Calafiore can play left centre-back and left-back so it's a brilliant position to be in what a position for Mikel Arteta to be in And actually, when he came into the interview, I think, last Friday night, footballer.

28:43Gary Neville:So you've got a great squad, Micka. It's a great squad. And obviously, he's tried to add that spark, hasn't he, up front with Alvarez. It's just not happened or it doesn't feel like it's happened for him. And that would have been a great signing for Arsenal. But it would have been great for the Premier League to see Alvarez come to the Premier League. Because it would have been a great team come back. I thought he was a brilliant player when he was at City. A quick final word going away from transfers. We should pay due deference, I think, to Lionel Messi, whose call time on his international career.

29:10I mean, people might say sour note on which to end on, as it was with the final, but really we have to cast our minds back to the previous World Cup, don't we, for the high point.