Alan Responds To The Wissa & Isak Drama

0:01Somewhere out there is a Chevy truck and the person who drives it, well, that's a Chevy person. You probably know one, your buddy, your sister, ones who always show up. They're the first to rise, the last to leave. They always have that little extra something and maybe you've got it too. Chevrolet, together let's drive. Visit chevy.com slash trucks to explore the lineup.

0:29Queen Carvania stood haloed by the morning sun. An army hung on her every word. My champions, I have sold my chariot on Carvana. It was a lovely SUV, an inexplicably queenly offer. They're even coming to the castle to collect it. Tonight, we feast. An offer you can feast on. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pick up these mail-by.

1:08Alan Shearer:Hello and welcome to the rest of this football question and answer episode with Micah Richards, Alan Shearer and me, Gary Lineker. Thank you once again for sending in your questions. Questions, mostly, well, it sounds a stupid thing to say, mostly about football, but I'm talking about the start of the season, as you'd expect. So let's kick straight on. Now, we're recording this on Tuesday morning after Leeds, and congratulations to them to get their first three points of the season. They beat Everton by one goal to nil. Go on, Micah. Marching on together. Perfectly timed. and I've got a question from Chris and I think you'll know what it is what did you guys make of the Tarkovsky handball last night now I think Alan wants to rant

1:58Gary Lineker:I just think I mean I thought Tarkovsky was really articulate after the game and what he said what did he say Al? he actually said if that ball is struck and I don't move and it hits me on the arm as it did do and I didn't move it's not going to be given a penalty because my arm is in a natural position and I can't do anything about it. But he said, because I leaned and I lent because it's taken a deflection. He said, since when has there been a law in the game that you can't lean towards the ball? So the ball hits him in exactly the same position, but he's leaning. And he said, since when has leaning been a punishable offence?

2:38Alan Shearer:I suppose playing devil's advocate here, because I agree it was very, very harsh. But if you are leaning towards the ball, the first thing that goes is your arm. But then it's still in a natural position.

2:51Gary Lineker:It's still down by his side. I don't disagree with you. It's still down by his side and it's taking the deflection. I just think the handball law is an absolute shit show. It's a shambles. That is definitely true. They have tried so many things that have just not worked. And how many times are we seeing it? The handball law to me just needs to be really simple. Is it deliberate handball or not? What's wrong with that?

3:15Alan Shearer:And that's exactly how it used to be. And I mean, you'll still have arguments and that may have been given under those circumstances, probably not. And it allows the referee to use, and even the VAR, to use a degree of common sense where because they've tied themselves up in knots, like you say, with, I mean, if you read the handball law, which we've read many, many times because there've been so many incidents over the last few years. There are so many unices and drafts and they're trying to take into account every possible permutation situation of a handball and the unnatural position, the natural position, the hand up in the...

4:04Alan Shearer:Proximity. It's like... Proximity.

4:08Gary Lineker:Instead of just going, well, does he mean it? Has he done it to get an advantage? Can you imagine a referee going into a game with all that crap in his head? I mean, proximity and all that. I feel for the referees with this. I don't blame them under these circumstances.

4:24Alan Shearer:I don't blame VAR. I blame the lawmakers, who we know now are referees, and IFAB. So it's just got a bit silly. I need simplified. Nonsense. I agree with everything that you've said, Alan. I listened to the interview after the game with Tarkowski too. It's not a penalty. If you give a penalty for that, you're giving penalties every single week. It's as simple as that. When you've been in that position and you lean into it, of course. So, okay. So if the ball's coming to you and say it's going there and he leans and it comes off his chest, that's what he has to do. His arm is in a natural position.

5:09He's actually trying to get it behind his back. Exactly. I don't understand. And I agree with you, Gaz. It's really difficult for the referees. And the referee took, I'd say, a fraction longer than the normal because he was thinking about it. I don't know if the crowd had something to do with it, but he's in a difficult position. So I don't blame the referee. But that cannot be a handball. Do you think if he hadn't have given it,

5:38Alan Shearer:they'd have turned it over. No, not a chance. Not a chance. It's one of those... Well, there is a chance. Honestly, it's 50-50, isn't it? But I just think that can't be a handball.

5:50Gary Lineker:The handball, I mean, we've said it. It really is pathetic. It's so many different moving... But you know what? We watched Monday Night Football yesterday and Gary and Jamie thought it was a handball. So, you know, we look at the game as ex-professionals and we're still disagreeing, which tells us there's something wrong with the law. You know, it should be clear.

6:16Alan Shearer:I can understand why they thought it might be because the fact he leans towards. And if you lean towards your arm naturally goes closer to it. But I do think he was genuinely because of the deflection and also the fact that he was desperately trying to get the arm behind his back. But as you say, you know, there's no common sense allowed in refereeing anymore. And yeah, but anyway, let's move on. Let's move on. JKD. We Liverpool Football Club fans understand players trying to force a move, e.g. Coutinho, Sterling, Suarez. Can we hear Alan's views on Wisser currently and Gordon previously refusing to play, trained to force a move to Newcastle?

7:01Alan Shearer:Also, does he think Newcastle's offer of£25 million for Wissa is belittling? Cheers. I think this is obviously because of your reaction to all the Isak stuff, which I think you've been pretty fair about.

7:14Gary Lineker:I don't like players that have got a contract, not training or refusing to train or refusing to play. You have a contract behind you. Now, I always said, I understand there's two sides to every story. Isak might have a story which he hasn't spoken about yet. Wissar might have a story which he hasn't spoken about yet. I think I read this morning he's deleted all his photographs of being in a Brentford shirt or anything to do with Brentford, deleted his profile from Brentford. I don't know his side of the story, but I don't like, no, I'm exactly the same as the Isak situation. It is not right. If you've got a, I mean, Isak's got three years left.

7:57You can't not train or play.

7:59Gary Lineker:You're being paid by the football club and whatever reason or whatever hump you've got or gripe you've got with whoever, chairman, owners, manager, whatever it may be, you still have a duty to the other players because of that contract and to the football club to go and train and go and play. There's a way of getting out of a football club and refusing to train and play is not the right way. I think what you said was fair, Al, just now on a match today. Two things I want to pick up. I mean, you said 30 quid for train flares. Have you been on a train recently? It's about 200 quid for train flares.

8:35Gary Lineker:Yeah, it is for you when you sit in fucking first class. Not for us normal guys who just go in with the normal punters. Oh, yeah. And hide from the Sunderland fans in the corner. Okay, yeah, I get that point, Micah, yeah. Yeah, and secondly, what about how the players are treated when they're not wanted? Yeah, I get that as well. We've made that point. That's why I said there is no loyalty. Don't talk to me about loyalty in football with either football clubs or football players. We use Donnarumma as the example. We can use, I don't know, use the Man United players who are now being forced to train with the reserves or train away from the first-team squad, you know, because Man United all of a sudden want to get rid of them.

9:24Gary Lineker:So I totally get that and understand that. That loyalty with football clubs and football players, no chance.

9:32Alan Shearer:Yeah. And I think this is probably where it's difficult for fans, especially, isn't it? Because obviously their allegiances to the club, their loyalties to the club, they're very tribal. and it's very hard for them to imagine why a player would want to leave their particular football club. So they'll even side perhaps with a club in circumstances when the club's not being fair to footballers, which happens right in Italy. When I was at Aston Villa, I know I talk about partying and lifestyle and all that sort of stuff. And sometimes I take that too far. But when I'm talking, I try to be as honest as possible, give people insight.

10:17But when it came to me training Aston Villa, I always give 100%. No managers come out and said anything bad about me. But in the media, I was made out to be some sort of monster. And the club didn't back me at that point. but no manager said if someone says you're not good enough you can take it i had injuries and all that sort of thing but i was always professional but sometimes would tell me don't come into train go train with a 23s or do all these things and i could have said or aston villa are treating me this way or that way and i just think with the situation with a wissa when the ESAC, we just need to be careful that we're getting fed the true story.

11:07So Alan's completely right. You should never, ever, and I didn't want to give the satisfaction to people at the club to say Mike has got a bad attitude or Mike is not working hard. But there's something untoward going on here where ESAC's refusing to come in and train. I would just love to hear the full story, you know?

11:28Alan Shearer:His side of the story is what I'm sure he will at some point. It leads me on to a question, actually, which I was waiting to come. I thought it would. Mitrandir, or Mithrandir. I apologize if I said it the wrong way. Why has Alan's stance on Isak's transfer saga different from when Trent Alexander-Arnold decided to leave Liverpool to join Real Madrid, especially since he isn't a Geordie? Newcastle will get in excess of 100 million for him. I think there's an obvious answer to this one. What a stupid question that is, isn't it?

12:00Gary Lineker:You can't compare them at all. Trent was a kid who was brought up at Liverpool. He came to the end of his contract. He didn't refuse to play. He didn't refuse to train and then was well within his rights to leave. Now, Isak's got three years left on his contract. It doesn't take a genius to work that out, does it? Come on.

12:18Alan Shearer:I think Liverpool's fans' problem is that he's a Liverpool lad and they feel like they didn't get a monster transfer fee for him. Obviously, they did get something in the end, eight, 10 million quid, whatever it was, from Real Madrid. because they wanted him to play in the club World Cup. But it reminds me of the circumstances when I left Leicester. Now, it's slightly different because you leave Leicester, a club like Leicester, I'm a Leicester fan, so I know inside out it's not a monster club, whereas Liverpool is. But if you've got an ambition of playing abroad, playing for one of the giants in world football, to educate yourself in another country, to learn different styles of football, different ways of life, then that ambition is perfectly acceptable.

13:01Alan Shearer:And I made a conscious decision under different circumstances when I left Leicester. I wanted to go to a club that I thought I had a chance of winning trophies to. So when I left Leicester, I said to myself, I am not going to leave Leicester mid-contract because I don't think that's the right thing to do because I cared so much about the club. And I suspect Trent has thought the same. He's thought, well, I'm not walking out on a contract. I'm not downing tools. I'm seeing out my contract to the end of the season. I'm not going to feign injury or anything like that. He's done all the right things.

13:34Alan Shearer:And it's just a decision he's made for his career and his life. And I think that's vastly different to a player that's got three years left on his contract at a football club and just downstool. Totally, totally different circumstances. Just a quick one on Isak. It's different circumstances. All the reports from Isak was he's a very good lad. Alan, you've always talked really well about him. So someone just doesn't come in and not train. So in terms of the question, it's two different things I agree with Alan. Totally different things. Totally different things.

14:16Gary Lineker:I mean, I sat down with him, what, five, six months ago, Alex, and I didn't see this in him, to be honest. I thought he was a manager's dream, to be honest, the way he spoke and the way he was talking about himself and the club and his life and everything else. So obviously something has massively upset him and we don't know that. But those two circumstances, Trent and Alex and Isak, are totally different.

14:42Alan Shearer:These things are always behind closed doors. So there could have been a point maybe a year ago where they've said if you have a great season, we'll give you another big bonus. or redo your contract and then it didn't transpire. You don't know. I'm just, I don't know either, but I suppose we'll find out at some point. Let's take a break then. We'll take some more of your questions when we come back. This episode of The Restless Football is powered by NordVPN. Now you might be off on holiday during the summer, but football, well, never really stops, does it? Lads, how have you been keeping up with football and everything else over the summer?

15:18Gary Lineker:Actually, I was in Dubai and not only could I not get my messages, I couldn't get my football updates, so I turned my VPN on. Hey, Nord. My Nord VPN. Let's get it right, Alan. And then bingo, it was perfect. Yeah, films and series, that sort of thing. Turned on the VPN, Nord, of course. Absolutely brilliant.

15:38Alan Shearer:Nord VPN protects my privacy and sensitive data when I'm online. It hides my IP, leaving no digital footprint, so it's like surfing the web with an invisibility cloak, avoiding the prying eyes of hackers, trackers and bad actors. To get the best discount for your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com slash restisfootball. Our link will also give you four extra months on the two-year plan. There's no risk with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee. The link is in the podcast episode description box.

16:20Alan Shearer:Welcome back to The Rest is Football with Michael Richards, Alan Shearer and me, Gary Lineker. It's the question and answer episode and here's one. It's quite an early to go down this route, but I can widen it up really. Jason S, who is going to challenge Haaland for the golden boot? Now, obviously Mo Salah won the golden boot last year, so we could say, who is going to challenge Mo Salah for the golden boot? but let's turn it into who's going to win the Golden Boot this season I mean early predictions we didn't do that in our predictions episode of the clubs but I suspect it might be one or two although someone like Eketike maybe Chris Wood maybe Chris Wood I mean he got what he got back 20 last season didn't he off to a flyer as well again two goals off to a flyer he's just he's captain Michael he's so happy

17:14Gary Lineker:I think it'll be between those two if Harlan stays fit

17:19Alan Shearer:I think if Harlan stays fit he's probably favourite he did get injured obviously for a bit last season Mo will be up there without a shadow of a doubt I think yeah I agree with them you know Eketike though he gets in good positions you know for the crosses as well he had a few headers the other night I thought ooh because when you're watching all these clips and everything and you look about him running in behind, trying to link and all that sort of stuff. And even though he's really tall, you don't think he's amazing in the air, but with the delivery he's getting from the wide areas, yeah, Salah, Eketike and Haaland for me.

18:01Alan Shearer:Takes me straight on to a question from Gills. Eketike, Sesko, Giorca Rez, and he's thrown in Isak. Who finishes top goal scorer amongst those?

18:17Alan Shearer:We'll take Isak out of this question because we don't know where he's going to end up. Although I suspect he might well end up at Liverpool. We shall see. It's so early to say, isn't it? Sesko got, what, 20 minutes? Kiyokre's got an hour. Neither of them really showed much because their teams weren't particularly dominant. At the minute, you'd have to go Eketike because Liverpool were playing so well.

18:39Gary Lineker:Yeah, you've seen him and, yeah, I agree with that.

18:42Alan Shearer:But in two weeks' time, he might be out the side if Isak comes in. I wonder also the fact that Eketike started so well, whether Liverpool go, hmm, do we really want to spend£150 million on a striker when we look like we've unearthed a bit of a diamond here? I would still spend it if I was them. If you've got Isak and Eketike, that is ridiculous. Chiesa's come back into the fold with Gatpo on the left-hand side. And Salah and Javier Le, who could play on that right-hand side. It is formidable. I'd still be going for Isak because it's guaranteed Egetike might just be having a good spell right now, whereas Isak, I'd still go for Isak for sure.

19:27Gary Lineker:I think Joaquin Reza will score goals in that Arsenal team. He has to, doesn't he? I didn't know he didn't have the best of games at the weekend, But I would, looking at him and his style and all of those things, I would think he will get more goals.