Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Welcome into the latest edition of ESPN FC. I'm Dan Thomas, joined by Craig Burley and Shaka Hislop. We'll kick things off at the Carabao Cup. We're at the semi-final stages. Second leg, Manchester City taking on Newcastle City, of course, with a 2-0 lead going into this tie at the Etihad. And it was soon pretty much over as a contest as Mammouch would make it 3-0. Two more goals to City.
Newcastle would get one back. Great individual goal, actually, from Alanga. Eddie Howe's team's had a lot of chances, actually, but in the end, Manchester City advance convincingly 5-1 on aggregate. Welcome in, watching that for us as well, Frank Leboeuf and Jurgen Klinsmann.
Chapter 2: What were the highlights of Manchester City's victory over Newcastle?
It's weird this, you know, because comfortably City into the final, and hopefully the final is better than the two semi-finals. The two semi-finals weren't really much of a contest. Yesterday was a bit of a bore. Okay, it was tight, but it wasn't a great game. This is a difficult one because I don't know what side of the fence I want to sit on here, whether City switched off in the second half,
Or Newcastle played really well in the second half because they did make changes, but they were chasing the game. And they could have had, and City could have had a couple more as well, but I'm not lying here if I said Newcastle could have had four or five easy. Vissar had two when he came on at half-time. The first one he shanked very early in the second half.
There was a chance in the first half before you mentioned it. There was two chances in the first half that were brilliant chances to make the game 2-1. So it was a strange one. City will be happy. Newcastle clearly will not. They're the holders of this competition or were. But Newcastle created a lot of chances because that's what City do.
Chapter 3: How did Manchester City secure their place in the Carabao Cup final?
They give you that opportunity, but ultimately they've won the game and I think you might say they switched off a little bit, brought some youngsters on and Newcastle were throwing darts at a ball to try and get back in the game.
When we were watching this game, even at 2-0, Craig said, you know, Newcastle aren't out of this just yet. The third goal, I think, killed it effectively as a contest. But that's just who Manchester City have been of late. That even with a two-goal lead on the night, four-goal aggregate, they will still give you chances. And that's what they did.
Newcastle let themselves down and they got those chances, but weren't able to convert. So often we've said it's Donnarumma who's been Manchester City's saviour. This time it was Trafford, particularly in the first half, and poor finishing as I mentioned from Newcastle.
From a Newcastle perspective, and I mentioned during the highlight, I was really disappointed with how easily Manchester City were able to carve open opportunities, just kind of run through Newcastle's midfield. A couple of big omissions in Gemaris and Joe Linton.
Chapter 4: What are the implications of Manchester City's performance for the final against Arsenal?
That aside, it was just way too easy for a top-level side to be carved open. We dominated in midfield as Newcastle were on the night. And that, for me, was the most disappointing aspect of this.
Over both legs, really. Jürgen, it's all about you take your chances, you win the game.
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, already the fact that they play two legs in the Carabao Cup for me is wrong because all the amount of games they have in England, you know, they should have clear knockout games, you know, just one game only. But the fact that they go there, Newcastle, and they have actually so many opportunities, as Greg said, I think there's just a lack…
a psychological lag within them, saying, OK, if we create chances and get opportunities, we're not going to turn this thing around. After, obviously, they're 1-0 so early in the game, I think they keep playing, keep playing, they're creating and creating chances, but they're not... really convinced that they can convert those chances and score three or four goals in Manchester.
So, yeah, they deserve to lose.
Yeah, I think that's... There you are, Shaq. Take that, Mayor of Newcastle. Sugarcoating that. Jürgen, just out of interest, what do you say if you're Eddie Howe at half-time, 5-0 down on aggregate? What is there to say to the players? Go home! Yes! Frank's heard that many a time at the theatre. That's what he hears every night on his show.
Yeah, obviously, you know, you tell them, listen, even if you're down now five goals, I mean, you created so many chances. You could easily score two, three, four, because maybe they lose a bit of concentration as well, Man City. And so you tell your players, hey, come on, we've got to get out here with the heads up and we cannot just, you know, give away goals so easily. So you try to kind of...
You try to kind of motivate them and sharpen them up a little bit. But obviously, you know as well as a manager that this thing is done. So, yeah, best thing would be, come on, let's go to the pub instead of playing the second half.
We've been discussing Manchester City and their frailties of late, Jürgen. And obviously Pep Guardiola has been there a long time and been very successful. But you just feel now there isn't quite the same spark anymore. that we've seen of Manchester City teams in the past. How much is that down to the personnel?
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Chapter 5: Who should start as striker for Arsenal going forward?
And even though they're in the final, we should be sort of positive about that and it should be a great game, blah, blah, blah. I don't think, whilst there's been some murmurings this week about the city spend, the city squad, and he sort of chipped in a little bit.
I don't, whilst I think there is something in that, I think it's the fact that he looks down to North London and he looks at what they have done. And I think that's what sort of frustrates him. That's because he knows, I think deep down, barring a disaster, That they have, I'm not saying they have the best team in Europe, but you could argue they have the best squad in Europe. Arsenal, that is.
And he knows that's the team he's going up against. Previously, it was Liverpool who took the title off them. Arsenal have been in the hunt with them in the last two or three years, but they weren't quite strong enough.
this year they are and I think as much as he looks at his team and thinks yeah I've got some youngsters there and obviously Diaz is out injured and Guardiola's out injured and Akanji's been out on he's away on loan and all these things that will frustrate him some of the decisions
But I do think the one that probably frustrates them the most is the business that Arsenal have done and the position that they find themselves in, which is way, way stronger to go all the way in all these competitions than Manchester City.
Of course, it's no coincidence that Manchester City's poor run of form has coincided with the fact that Erling Haaland's on his worst run, probably of his career, when you take a look at his numbers, especially when you compare him to the start of the season where he came flying out the block, obviously. 25 goals in his opening 23 games, two goals in his last 12.
Yeah, but one second here, before we go to all the guys.
What have we just walked into today? What are you talking about? Well... I know I just went on a little bit about Arsenal squad and that is true. They've just got to a cup final.
Yep. Yeah, they have. And that's it. We've mentioned that. And now I want to talk about other things. What do you want me to do? Dance on the table? Do some juggling to celebrate? No, thank you. No, thank you. I don't. I think there is a little. I think there is time to dance on their grave.
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Chapter 6: What are Jurgen Klinsmann's insights on Germany's chances in the World Cup?
He's a professional that when he goes through tough moments, he knows what to do. You know, he goes back to the training field and he works his butt off. That's what he's going to do. And he will come out even stronger, as usual.
Well, he's the least of their problems, isn't he? We're not going to talk about the fullbacks again. I was just moving.
No, no, no.
I get it.
I know what you're saying. By the way, is Frank's mic broken? I just don't want to go to Frank at the moment. I've got you interrupting enough. I don't need him involved.
No, but you're right. He's gone off the boil slightly by his standard. And I'm not going to go on about the full-backs and the other positions, but he is. When Guardiola puts a sheet down of problems in front of him, what he needs to solve, Erling Haaland is not one of them. He is. Surely he is. What? A problem. Erling Haaland... He's not a problem. What was he's a problem? Don't be so stupid.
They would have won against Spurs if he scored. Is that not a problem? They would have won against Spurs if decisions had gone their way.
But he's got to take his chances, which he hasn't been doing.
And that has affected their Leeds plays.
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Chapter 7: How does the current Arsenal squad compare to Manchester City's?
since when they've been good and very good to make the comparison. And I think Jokeres has been recruited because of the lack of good things from the two others. And really, how many times I heard Craig saying that Havertz was quite an aimer and he wasn't the striker that Arsenal needed. And the same for Jesus, sorry. So for me, They have a problem because of the way they play.
And Arteta is responsible for that. Maybe not the players, but the way the tactics of Arteta is put down because that doesn't suit any striker. And maybe Haaland will be there. Maybe Haaland will have the same problem.
No, he won't. I didn't say... No.
I didn't say... It's Harlan's problem for Manchester City. Where does he come up with this? By the way, Frank, you're being harsh on me. I didn't say Havertz was a nightmare. I just didn't think Arsenal would win the league with Havertz as their number nine. But look, they're all sort of different players. Here's the problem. I think Xokarez is more of an old-fashioned striker that needs service.
needs good balls into the box from wide positions, needs early balls in there. Arsenal haven't really done that well enough for him. I think Jesus, he's a different player altogether. He's more about movement and link-up play and little one-twos around the box. And then he pops up now and again and he's got good feet in the box. He'll score you a goal.
And Havertz is somewhere floating between midfield and striker. So... And he's very strong in the air. And he works hard. So they're all kind of different. And it's going to be interesting to see which way Arteta goes, not just in the Premier League, but in the Cup, you know, the Cup final, now the Carabao Cup final, the FA Cup, the Champions League. And he's got all these players to pick from.
And every one of those strikers is a slightly, it's not like he's got two players that are the same. They're different types of players, but ultimately, Xhakares is the most natural goalscorer of the three. He's proven that with his stats, and you just need to look at him to see that. But he definitely looks the more cumbersome of the three in this Arsenal side. There's no doubt about that.
I think that's the issue. I think Xhakares just simply isn't mobile enough. So, to Craig's point, while he may rely on service, he's played against teams at the top end of the Premier League table, at the bottom of the Premier League table, and his numbers just... are not impressive, to put it as nice as I possibly can.
And I feel that's down to his lack of mobility, whereas you get that with Jesus, you get that with Havertz. Havertz is not a natural finisher, so his numbers won't be Haaland's, as an example.
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Chapter 8: What tactical changes might Arteta consider for the Cup final?
The expectations in Germany are very simple. you go to the United States, Mexico and Canada to win the World Cup. This is just as easy as it is because that's what the 10 countries that you just had on the screen, that's what the people expect in those countries. You want your team to go all the way through and maybe make it happen and win this trophy. And Jonathan Tah, he knows that.
He knows that the expectations are there from the public, from everyone that loves the game in Germany. to go to America and come home with the trophy. But that's what you live with, that's what you deal with. It's just a normal thing for Germans.
I understand all that, particularly with the success Germany have had and others, but there's got to be a realisation, which I'm sure there is. I think it's more hope than anything, but there's got to be a realisation when you look at this current group of players, the chances of that happening, if they're being honest, are slim.
When this current Germany team have a good day, it can be a really good day, but unfortunately for them, when they have a bad one, it's very bad. It's very bad. And we've seen that, and we've seen it in the qualifying campaign, their struggles. But I've also seen them play France, in France. It was maybe a year, 18 months ago, and they were excellent. They passed the ball, they outplayed France.
Some of their football was great. Wirtz played, Musiala played, and it was away from home. As I say, when they can turn that on, on any given match, they're not on bad side, but they have too many with this current group that I've seen, they have too many bad days at the office, and then they have the odd really bad day. And when that comes along, almost anybody can get a result against them.
Jürgen, I'm sure we'll discuss the World Cup maybe a few more times between now and the kickoff, of course, here in June. For the moment, we'll say thank you very much. Just a reminder, plenty of content over on our YouTube channel. Go over to ESPN FC and subscribe. That is it. That brings us to the end of today's show. You Holland hater.
I just wanted to ask Jürgen about strikers and you jump in. That's it. Extra time is next. Welcome in to the latest edition of Extra Time. Frank Leboeuf is with us. Xhaka as well. Before pretty much every show, Craig goes, right, let's keep this one quick, boys. I'm trying to move the show along. You keep jumping in, interrupting. I never say, let's make it quick. Yeah, right.
All right, every day.
Sharp and sharp, 23 minutes. I know, I know, exactly. And you're jumping in. I'm just trying to move the show along, and you're asking why. Frank, you didn't get to talk much in the show. That's a first. That's very good, very good. Right.
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