Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Hello and welcome into the latest edition of ESPN FC. Kay Murray, Craig Burley and Casey Keller here with you in the studio kicking things off tonight in La Liga where Real Madrid were looking to put back-to-back defeats behind them in all competitions with their game against Girona. However, all they could muster up was a 1-1 draw.
The goals came in the second half, Fede Valverde struck first in the 51st minute, but then Thomas Lemar found the equaliser just over ten minutes later. Late on in the 87th minute, Mbappe went down under a challenge. Real Madrid wanted a penalty, Craig, but the referee wasn't having it. I think Mbappe was a little over theatrical.
a little over theatrical and so it's more dropped points for Real Madrid as the game finished 1-1 it's not an easy time as it stands right now for Real Madrid Luis Garcia was watching it for us today he thought it might be a draw but let me start with you Craig more dropped points not good news for Real Madrid look it's hard to watch that and make an argument for how Real Madrid are going to win in Munich but we keep hearing about this Champions League just raises the standard which
It seems to have done, certainly in the last game. But that's the standard that we've seen most of the season. In fact, that's maybe a slightly better than we've seen most of the season.
But that's a kind of mediocre standard that we've seen from Real Madrid that's left him in this position that only Barcelona losing really will give them half a chance because there's a classical coming on May 10th. a Barcelona win tomorrow, nine points, you can forget it. And that's because there's been too many of these games.
Too many games where teams have defended deep and defended in an organised way, but Real Madrid haven't been able to break it down. And when you saw some of this stuff, and I don't blame Kylian Mbappé, who's having this bit of a dry spell. The chances that he's missing are actually, I think, a lot of difficult chances.
From angles, from balls coming over his head, it's not like he's missing sitters. But I look at Vinicius Junior today and there was a one point right at the end. And we have talked to all broadcasters about crosses into the box and better delivery and more delivery.
He had an opportunity with a minute or two to go on the left-hand side to put an easy cross in and he tried to beat another two guys and gave it away. So that overcomplication from Real Madrid today happened quite a lot. So just not a good enough performance. But again, we've seen this type of thing at the Bernabeu a lot this season.
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Chapter 2: What happened in Real Madrid's recent match against Girona?
And I think what we've seen from them is because they have so much talent, Maybe somebody has a wonder strike from 25 or maybe there's just that moment where Mbappe is able to dribble a couple guys or one of those 10 attempts that Vinny had of trying to dribble six guys. Maybe he pulls one off and that's the odd goal that gives them the three points.
but a well-organized Girona, and Girona even gifted him a goal. So, I mean, it is, it's a subpar. If Gazzaniga doesn't throw that in the back of the net, we're looking at Real Madrid. And I mean, Gazzaniga had a decent game. He makes the one mistake that gifts the goal, but yeah, that's... You lose three in a row, two of those being at home? No. I don't know about Luis, but I just don't see...
having watched how Bayern played in the first leg, and they can play even better. At home? I just don't see how this Real Madrid side can compete when I see games like this. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know.
We're going to get to Bayern, but to that point, if you can't see how they're going to do it against Bayern, how can we be convinced that they do actually have a chance at the title in La Liga this season after tonight, Luis?
No, I don't think that that is tomorrow Barcelona wins and gets the three points. With that gap with nine points, it would mean that they have to win not only El Clasico, but another two, and Barcelona lose another two. So there are many things, and we don't go to that side. We go to what we can see of Real Madrid.
Right now, they are so focused on the Champions League games that they kind of forgot that They might have a chance. You never know what is going to happen until the end of the season. There's still a lot of games to be played. A lot of things can change.
But today, I think what we saw in the piece, intention from Real Madrid, because you could see that there was an intention of trying to do something, but really no determination at all. Vinicius Junior wasn't as intense as we saw it against Bayern Munich. Mbappe just moving around, but just hanging there, waiting for the ball to arrive and maybe do his thing.
In the middle of the park, we saw Jude Bellingham, because he hasn't been involved, the one who brought the heart and a little bit of the idea in the middle of the pitch, trying to arrive in the second line. But really, even Valverde, he scored a wonderful goal once again, as we've seen so many times.
Today is like, OK, we are doing just enough to try to go away, try to get something from today's game, because really the urgency was in the last maybe 20 minutes when Arbelar started making changes, but really not the desire of we need these three points. Everyone is thinking about what is happening on on the midweek game against Bayern Munich.
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Chapter 3: How did Real Madrid's performance affect their La Liga title chances?
We're going to come to blows in the commentary room over the very point Lewis is talking about. Rob Palmer's talking about Wednesday night and Stuart Robson. And there's two points here. Wednesday night is a big game. It's a huge game. Of course it is.
But you've got to take the old cliche, one game at a time, and you cannot basically say, right, we're unlikely to win the league, so I'll start to make some changes, looking ahead to the game in midweek, because this is the most important one. The more pressure you can put on Barcelona, the more chance that they are going to mess up. But when you give a team that sort of breathing space,
The chances are they'll go out and beat Espanyol tomorrow and it'll be nine points. But if Real Madrid had been able to put more pressure on today, it sort of slightly changes the picture. And so I get it, Wednesday night issue. I know that. I know. But when you're in a title race, you have to take care of business first and foremost and then look forward.
And I just feel that, I think Luis touched on it, they took their eyes off it. And he started to make changes. And they took Jude Bellingham off. OK, he's not had much game time and he's probably going to play Wednesday. But he was the guy, as Stuart Robson said, that was making those runs into the box. And he's well over six feet. And they haven't got many players of that physicality.
So when crosses are coming in, you want that player. But he took him off with... Wednesday night, our midweek in mind, and there was a job to be done here, which they didn't do, and they're basically almost handing this title over to Barcelona. And I think that's one of the tricky parts. When you have your two natural strikers, both love to get wide and come back in.
And you don't have that out-and-out number nine who's just kind of in the middle. And so you then are very reliant on late runs from midfielders to fill that space. And when Bellingham left, that space didn't get filled. And then you combine it with... Vinny making seven cutbacks so nobody knows when to run in front of a defender.
And Mbappe maybe just hasn't quite got back to form after he was out with the knee. And so there is some voids there that Real Madrid will need to address next season if they want to challenge for the title. Real Madrid are basically laying their season on the line saying, look, we'll come good in the Champions League. Yeah. Now, that's a big ask now.
Bear in mind, it was a hugely exciting first game. It was a brilliant game at the Bernabeu between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of Enzo Fernandez's suspension?
But I think anybody watching it, whilst Real Madrid had a lot of chances and were dangerous on the break, you'd be hard-pressed to make an argument that Bayern Munich were not way slicker, passed it better, were more coherent as a team in the way they moved around and they rotated. And they have got a natural number nine. Yes, they do.
Who has had some injury issues and he's missed some games and he's not fully fit, but still did the business at the Bernabeu. So, you know, it's a big risk when you're basically saying, right, this is it. This is what we're playing for this season now is the Champions League and this is what we're going to lay this on the line. And almost to a certain extent...
give the La Liga title and say, well, it's not really as important. So we don't need to, we don't have to worry about putting... It's easy to say that when you're six points down and now soon to be nine points down.
So, yeah.
Where are you on that late penalty appeal for Real Madrid with Mbappe going down, Luis?
I've seen so many times this happening, late penalty for Real Madrid, that sometimes we think, oh, that's too much. It's a little bit of a torture right there. I think the defender, first time he tried to hold his body, doesn't move, but then they make another touch. to kind of stop Kylian Mbappe when he was going through. But I think that what the guy just mentioned before was totally right.
I think that Kylian Mbappe does a little bit too much, as you can see. He received a knock, I think, on the face, but that's a lot of it. I'm not sure if they are complaining about what is happening on the feet or that late elbow that appears in the face of Kylian Mbappe. I think it's the movement of the player, but it's still hitting the face.
So, yeah, one of those that the referee called a penalty, I think the VAR wouldn't get involved. But because of the referee, I think they understood that it was not enough to call it. It was a good goal for me.
Real Madrid love smoke and mirrors, don't they? I'm not suggesting Arboloa or anything like that, but the media around Real Madrid, maybe even some of the players, certainly the fans, it's smoke and mirrors. We didn't win this game because Mbappé should have got a penalty. We didn't win this game because this, that and the next thing.
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Chapter 5: How are Real Madrid preparing for their Champions League match against Bayern Munich?
No, he won't play on Sunday, but hopefully after that he'll be a massive part of the group moving forward. There's still a few hurdles that need to be overcome that I won't go into, but at the same time I want every player really, really focused now on a huge running.
Sorry to go on about it, and we're coming to an end, but is that not shooting yourselves in the foot as the best players, certainly in that position?
It's not about it. Football is a team sport. It's not about individuals. It's not about shooting yourself in the foot. There are certain values and cultures that I believe in, that this club believe in, that makes the team stronger if you get that right.
Don Hutchison joining us now. Is too much being made of this, Don, or is it fair what we're hearing? No, I think it's very fair and I think Liam showed his inexperience there by giving him a too much ban. I mean, the four players that came out and were quite verbal, criticising the football club or the ownership or the model, suggesting that they might want to live elsewhere and play elsewhere.
He's inexperienced as given Enzo Fernandes a two-match ban. He could easily last week have given the four players a one-match ban and that one-match ban would have been against Port Vale in the FA Cup and they would have went through anyway. So I just think he's left himself a little bit open because what if Chelsea get walloped off Man City? Then you've dropped one of your best players.
He's talking about the culture, which I understand. But I just thought the easy call and a more experienced manager would have said, right, the four players, one match ban against Port Vale, and then everything would have been forgotten about. Now you're leading into a Man City game, which is big pressure. I don't think I've seen in recent years such a mountain out of a molehill.
As Don said, you had Cucurella basically lambasting the ownership's inability to run the club properly. And yeah, Enzo Fernandes made a couple of comments here and there, but who doesn't? You'd think he'd run into the manager's office, kick the door down and had a scrap with him. And I tell you what, and I'm not, listen, Enzo Fernandes, I think, is a very good player.
And it's not like I'm some fan or something like that, because when I see him on the field, he actually quite annoys me. No, the way that his antics, he's not the only one, but he's one of several, particularly Chelsea players with their antics. But if that was me, I'd be inclined now to stick two fingers up to that manager and say, yeah, you want to hang me out to dry?
Yeah, you want to hang me out to dry as the bad guy? You know, banning me from this game, banning me from one of the big games of the season. So you're basically pointing the big finger at me to all the fans and media out there that I'm the problem. And after that, you want me to come back and salvage the season for you after this ridiculous ban to try and save your job?
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Chapter 6: What challenges do Spurs face in their upcoming match at Sunderland?
It's like, I didn't say that. Yeah, exactly. It's like you get done. And did you get a two-match ban for it?
You can get done.
No.
And that's what I'm saying. That's what's so ridiculous about it.
Managers know because they were players that they were in the same. That's when you bring them in and you say, hey, just be a little more careful. And I'm like, yeah, I mean, I didn't even say that. I don't even know how that became the headline. But instead, it's like, I don't know.
I'm trying to think of a manager that I worked under that would have actually... I think if one of the managers I'd worked under, any of them had pulled me in and said, I'm banning you for two games... Because you said you wanted to live in Madrid. I think I would have laughed myself under the table. Yeah, 100%.
Absolutely.
Would a fine have been a better punishment to still make a statement? No, I don't think anything. I don't even think it warrants that. I think it just warrants a manager speaking to some players and saying, listen. You know what the press are like. Be careful. Never ever has news and gossip traveled as quickly and as far. And I understand you all talk to people and blah, blah, blah.
And you talk to journalists and you're on social media. But let's just... be a bit careful and be focused on finishing this season strongly. Because don't forget, Chelsea are in the FA Cup semi-finals and they're fighting for this top five in the Premier League. So there's a pretty sensible way of doing it.
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Chapter 7: How does the Premier League relegation battle impact team strategies?
And you're punishing all the kids in the school. But you have to dismiss it. You've added more fuel. And, you know, Don said, it kind of shows the inexperience of Rose Senior. But then at the same time, you're also, in that inexperience, you can be whatever you want in the locker room, in the changing room, in your office. You can be the hard man.
But publicly, if you're going to go hard on a player publicly... It better be for something that's worthwhile. And the rest of the players are looking around going, this is what you're going to be the strong man about? And we're going to respect you for this? And to me, it looks like a guy that does not have... From the outside, again, doesn't look like the guy that has the resume.
Everyone's questioning, why is this guy the manager? And so then I'm doing things to show you why I'm the manager instead of everybody already knowing why you're the manager. And also they're going into this game, which is a huge game, obviously, against a Man City side that can... whilst they're definitely second favourites to win the league, but they can smell a wobble in Arsenal.
They can smell the pressure. You know, Arsenal have not played well, even in the Champions League, knocked out of the FA Cup. They have not been putting teams away with the clarity that they once were. So there is a chance that this Arsenal team could drop points between now and the end of the season. And this is a city side that I think has been in that position many, many times.
and has been successful, and doesn't have that pressure of getting over the line. And I think they can sense that maybe three or four weeks ago there wasn't going to be an opportunity, but all of a sudden Arsenal look as if the nerves are getting to them. Their big players are not playing well. They've got injuries. So City are going to be going after... They're sensing blood.
And so you don't want to weaken your team in that big game when City have got so much to play for. But that's been Chelsea and Liam Roussini's decision. Let's get to some Premier League action because there's a big relegation battle game today between West Ham and Wolves. This is how it's all playing out. Well, I mean, a big relegation battle for West Ham. For West Ham.
Well, another team's been dragged into this whole battle, which we'll get to in a minute. Mavropanos is going to convert the header to put the Hammers ahead. I mean Craig and I were talking as we were watching that kind of first half out of one eye that Wolves had so many opportunities and then right before the half they concede. Wolves with a free kick and they made a mess of it.
So the ball comes out and Somerville who had a big chance in the early stages of this game as well tries to chip the keeper here. I mean, not the chip, but that would infuriate, this would infuriate you if you're a coach. The sort of sloppiness. You, no you, no me, no you, and all of a sudden it's a counter-attack.
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Chapter 8: What are the latest updates on upcoming Premier League fixtures?
End to end. But there were to be more goals in this game. 66th minute, Wolves turn it over. West Ham break. And Tati Castellanos and Pablo Linko. And it's Castellanos who scores. Yeah, he's just able to redirect it in the end, kind of almost like a tackle. Wasn't this a nice flick, Casey? Yeah, to get him through, for sure.
And then, see, he just kind of leaves it out there, the two of them go for it, he tackles it, and just finds a way. Wolves would then give the ball away straight from the kick-off, and so there's 99 seconds between these two goals from Castellanos.
Yeah, I mean, this is huge for West Ham, because as Casey said, you know, we were obviously doing Real Madrid, but everything we looked up early on, it was all rules during the attacking, but that just changed in the second half. We were so sloppy. And this has just been a huge game, particularly at home for West Ham. Against the last place team, right?
I mean, if you're in that relegation fight and you slip up at home against the last place team, then you almost deserve to go down. But West Ham showed some heart. Yep, Nuno revamping West Ham's fortunes, 4-0 against Wolves. And this is how things are looking in the table, and we draw your attention to Spurs, who slipped into the bottom three with this result.
They are in the relegation zone with seven games to go. And Vicario is not ready for Sunday's game. This is what we're hearing as well, which means, Casey, Antonin Kinski could be coming in to play. Yeah, it didn't go so well the last time he was on the pitch. And one of the strangest situations I'd seen how to handle a goalkeeping situation. I mean, yes, mistakes, 100%. Did it look bad?
Yeah, 100%. But were Spurs going to win that game by pulling him at the stage that they did? But now you're asking him. You've done this to him. I know it's a different manager and maybe that gives you that little bit different. But obviously that first 20 minutes for that man, if he is indeed starting away at Sunderland, that's going to be huge. It is a different manager. Craig deserves it.
And here's the problem for him. If I was Anton Kinski coming in, I'd want to come in and take all the potential mistakes out of the equation by any ball coming back to me. It's getting launched. Like the old days, Casey and Shaka, boot through it, up the field, squeeze up everybody. And what's the easiest way to do that is to make sure you don't have six guys coming towards you.
Well, here's the problem. The new manager, Roberto Deserbe, is a manager who, like a lot of managers around the game these days, loves to play out from the back. Loves it. He wants to stretch the game, he wants to stretch teams, he wants to make the pitch as big as he can. And he wants his goalkeepers, if you look back to Brighton in particular, it was Jason Steele, Sanchez, Verbruggen...
They were taking the ball almost on their own goal line in the six-yard box. Now, this is the last guy on the planet. A, you want to be doing that, and B, he doesn't want to. Who wants to be doing that? He doesn't want me to do that. I don't know if he is. Maybe he's gone the opposite way. Maybe he's gone, maybe he deserves to be saying, right, I'll tell you what.
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