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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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It is the Breakfast Wrap, it's Neil Atkinson with Kev Riley and John Gibbons back on Tuesday. I enjoyed it from afar on Thursday, not least because there was transfer excitement, but today there's different types of excitement. Different types of excitement, because today there's Leo Messi excitement.
John, I've got this thing that ultimately, I always liked the idea that the greatest heavyweight boxers in the world, after they become world champion, no matter what happened from that point onwards, they were always called the champ. You always called them champ. Anyone would walk in the room and say, hello, champ, and go from there. There were presidents as well.
There were presidents as well, exactly. And I don't like to really necessarily compare between eras because I think it's exceptionally difficult. But it's worth saying that Maradona was the greatest. Pele was the greatest. The astonishing thing about Leo Messi is how long he's been the champ for.
How long it is he has been, you've looked at him, you see him on a pitch, and you know he is the best person in the world at playing this game. It's 15 years. I have a theory that football eras are seven years long. Seven years is the making of a great team, the losing of a great team, the making of a great team.
At any point in football history, I think if you take whatever year you want, minus seven, the game looks really quite different. Or plus seven, the game looks really quite different. He's been doing this for 15 years. That's long.
Longer.
15 years plus of being the greatest. It's incredible.
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Chapter 2: What are the key highlights of Messi's performance in the World Cup?
Because he's scrawny, he's tiny. I mean, he's not much bigger now, but he has grown a little bit, but he just couldn't believe it, and he was playing above his age. and then they watched him and he was just the most incredible thing. But he was saying like, I can't believe that kid's still in my life.
He was 17 and this was over 20 years ago and he was like, I can't believe this kid's still in my life. It's phenomenal what he's done and what he's doing at this World Cup.
Chapter 3: How has Messi maintained his status as the best player for over a decade?
I don't really know what to expect from this World Cup. I think that's probably the case for a lot of people. Obviously, he plays out in the MLS now, which most of us aren't watching week by week. And, you know, you knew he'd play, you knew he'd start, but what impact he'd be able to have on the tournament, you were really unsure.
And we've seen for other teams, actually, you can end up being a bit of the weak link, but, I mean, none of it. You know, the team is built around him, but I think in a really positive way. It's built to get the most out of his strengths and others, you know, competing for maybe what they haven't got, but in a really positive way. And I think what Messi's been able to do is
He's got so much respect within that team and he's got so much humility within that team for his star that all these players are willing to do what needs to be done to allow him to shine. And I think that says a lot about how he is as a person, how he is with these other players. I mean, I've never known a tournament with so many big players to come to the party.
You know, you're watching France last night and Mbappe gets another two. You know, Kane scored. Harland? Yeah, Harland. I watched that this morning with Ted and he's scoring again. And so many...
of these big names across World Football have turned up which is brilliant you want to watch the World Cup to watch the best players and the best players are here and they're all playing brilliantly and it's fantastic but he's the number one five goals in two games is just absolutely ridiculous
it's one of the things i think he has kev and has had through his career often the best player is the best player um and everyone goes from there i think part of the thing that actually happens with argentina and part of why they win the world cup last time out is they managed to work out because this has always been the player he is as well how to make him the best player but also make him get the best out of the players around him
make the players around him better as well. And I think he always had that gift, and that's part of why Guardiola goes back, centres him in his great side. That's why Luis Enrique does the same thing with Suarez and Neymar, who Suarez in particular works for the two of them. But Messi turns Suarez into the greatest goalscorer that Spanish football has ever seen in the process.
But the point about this is, that's 11 years ago! I've just described that as 11 years ago. He has still got this ability, I think, to bring the best out of the people around him as well as being the best.
Yeah, it's funny because I thought the exact same thing for the first goal yesterday because the first goal is reminiscent of a goal that he scores against Real Madrid. It's 2-2. I can't remember what year it is, but you'll remember the celebration because he holds his shirt up. The ball comes in from Jordi Alba and he's a great example of
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Chapter 4: What impact does Messi's presence have on the Argentina team dynamics?
Obviously, Mbappe's got a few, but then there's goalkeeping questions to be asked, I think. I think the first one for France last night was a little unfortunate. I'm really enjoying Joe Hart as well, his analysis on the World Cup. I mean, he's always been a great pundit, but... I enjoyed listening to him about the goalkeeping and stuff like that.
And then I watched a little bit of Algeria-Jordan last night and that was off the back of watching the first game or the highlights for the first game. I'm convinced that the Jordan goalkeeper is one of the worst that I've ever seen. And Marmadash really has got a lot of rubbish thrown his way over the last season. If you want to see a bad goalkeeper, just watch Jordan's highlights.
He's not fantastic.
Well, they've probably almost certainly gone out. Senegal, unlucky in the grand scheme of things. Ismail Assar gets his brace as well. A lovely footballer, Ismail Assar, one of the most underrated in the Premier League. Other thing that's just hugely funny, John, is two-hour rain delays.
Yeah, I went to bed and was so grateful when I woke up. Did you watch the first half and then go, yeah, I did the same? I watched the first half.
So I wasn't watching any of it. I went to bed and then I was just sort of scrolling through my phone, which I probably shouldn't be doing. And people were saying there's extreme weather and nothing makes me happier than a football match in extreme weather. And I went, well, I'm watching this right now.
Phil Blundell had designed it for about 3 p.m. because he's weird. So Phil was like, everyone keep an eye on this. I'm like, oh, shut up, Phil. then as ever the most alien thing is as Phil's always right yeah and so he's always got a point yeah well yeah exactly so and so they would do it do conscious of it in the first half but they were
they weren't really talking about it and then about half an hour in they were like by the way we need to be a bit careful here and then it just lashed down like this rain just came out of nowhere and I was messaging my mate well our mate Lou who lives in Philadelphia and he was like I'm four miles away in the sunshine he said it's insane he said I'm four miles away I'm looking out but we know Cathy was obviously there at the ground as well and they just looked like they were getting ponchos out at everything that rain the way it come it was just like someone just picked a switch and it went
Boom.
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Chapter 5: How is the current World Cup different in terms of player performances?
Huge concern. And he's worried about getting sunburned as well. Roadworks on the side in Cessna Road and Cheltenham boys. Nightmare. You don't have to tell me, Lee. I've been around there. And we'll go from there. Someone's asking if Messi could do traffic updates with such pomp. I'm sure he could. You ever seen him fold a shirt? My God, he can fold a shirt like no man alive.
Oh, Natalie Mansfield has asked if I took my holiday trousers. I did take my holiday trousers. She says, did you wear your holiday trousers? I did not wear my holiday trousers. Another time that they've gone out there and nothing's come for them. Suffolk weather update. A fella down the road is building a big boat and grabbing every pair of animals that he can find, which is in there as well.
Lovely. Late 30s in Siena in Italy, but the traffic is good because everyone is at the beach. Clouds have cleared and brilliant sunshine now in Brighton. The Loose Road is steady with traffic. If someone points out, and this is a really valid point, John, Mbappé's 27, CJ Radcliffe, Mbappé's 27, he has 16 World Cup goals, how many will he end up with?
I mean, there's a fair chance, and this is what I mean about the greatest, you know, I'm not saying that we'll all say that Mbappé may be the greatest player we've ever seen in our lifetime, but there is going to come some sort of moment, quite possibly, where Messi packs in, where Mbappé could be the greatest, he could be the best player on the planet at that given moment.
But he's also, in a way, Mr. World Cup. He just bangs them in and bangs them in. And he really seems to come alive in the tournament. And there's every chance that Mbappe ends up the other side of 25 World Cup goals. There's every chance he gets the other side of 20 during this tournament. He's that good.
Yeah, he is. He's had a funny couple of years, Mbappe, hasn't he? Because... A lot's been made, not unreasonably, but the fact that he's at PSG, he leaves, and then suddenly they win two Champions Leagues. Now, I don't think that's all down to him, but obviously the Galatico team that they try and build fails, and then they go away from that.
But because I think he's the big one who leaves in terms of the one that they would have kept if they'd have chose to, and then the fact that Real Madrid have underperformed and PSG have won back-to-back Champions League, it doesn't look great on him. And he will be very conscious of that. He's been booed by his own fans this season. You know, he's had a very difficult time.
And so he'll know that, you know, his reputation at the moment isn't maybe as high as what it has been in certain other years. Listen, no one doubts that he's not a really good player, but, you know, is he... Does he have the full package? Is he able to turn teams into champions like the great players can? Like what Kev was describing before with Messi.
And so he'll have come in, I think, with a little bit of a point to prove in this tournament. But he also seems quite relaxed to me. He seems quite almost jovial. I'm seeing a bit of a side to him. And there's a little bit of this going on. You're seeing it with Bellingham as well.
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Chapter 6: What are the implications of financial situations on player transfers?
Why Rabiot? How Rabiot? Still Rabiot, being one example of it. But, you know, he's there, he must be there on merit. You've just got to presume that that's the case. And what they've got up top is just scintillating. It is, you know, between Alisse, Dembele, Mbappe, Barkley, and then the lads that they can bring on from the bench, Dewey.
he starts the first game doesn't he and then he brings Bacola in and I quite like how they changed the team up it felt like it was set up a little bit more to to bully, kind of almost, really, and it worked really well. And it changed, obviously, Elise's position as well. And I like the sort of changes he made to the team, but it helps that if you've got the players, you can do it.
It does, yeah. I think I've got a feeling that Elise is going to be, you know, we've got that shelf of sort of Vinicius Junior, Mbappe, Haaland, of these sort of fantastic at-tracking players that are probably the best in the world at the moment. I think Elise is probably just about to take that next step. I think he's unbelievable. Who knew he was that good as a 10 as well, moving centrally.
His reading of the game is amazing. His brain works so quickly. And his trajectory is just a bit mad. I love that he's come like Reading, Crystal Palace, Bayern Munich, probably Real Madrid next, you would imagine. Seems like a sort of very Real Madrid player. I love his character as well. He seems so chill. There were stories about him when they won the league.
Was it last season or the season before?
before last where they win the league and they're having a party and he's at the back of the room playing chess online on his phone I love these superstars that are quite sort of understated and not like you know bombastic egotistical maniacs but I've really really enjoyed watching Alissi I think he's amazing and then that first half I think is probably the best half I've personally seen of Barcola I saw loads more of his pace and
I saw him getting to the byline a lot more. I saw him beating his man a lot more.
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Chapter 7: How does the podcast discuss the significance of character in football?
I saw his intelligence, his link-up play. I saw loads more of him yesterday. And this is a player who's played in Champions League finals and been fantastic for PSG against us when he's come on. So that was positive to see, especially when we've got those sort of links.
I agree with that. I thought that as well, because what was interesting about Barcola's performance was I've seen a lot of people say, oh, he's pure pace and he's great on the counter, but what about when teams sit back and... And, you know, how is he going to really cope with that? I thought that's what, you know, he was faced with last night.
And I thought he was so intelligent with how he used it. There was one way he was on the byline. He looked like, you know, no way to go. And he just bends past the guy and just about keeps it in. You're like, wow. It was like the quick... one of the quickest things that I've ever seen.
But it's from a standing start in a compact defensive situation where the full-back's jockeying and probably thinking, I've got him here, he's not doing anything. And then suddenly he just surges to the byline and just about gets the crosses in. And I just thought, that's so impressive.
Do you worry about his physicality? Because I think he just seems awfully slight. I mean, even that France team, he just seems like the smallest, sort of scrawniest lad on the pitch. I mean, if he was to come to the Premier League, whether that's Arsenal or Liverpool or elsewhere, it does seem like something that might be a little bit of an issue.
Maybe, yeah. I think you just worry that we're a bit of a slight team, don't you? And so you're sort of adding another one, really. And, you know, quite a lot of the players who've...
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Chapter 8: What challenges do Scotland face in their World Cup journey?
who've come in you know just look like they need a pan of scouse um and so i think you know to add another one to that but training he's had a couple of pounds he's more than a couple you know he looks he looks at it leone he's been on the scouse solidly since he hits his leg yeah yeah like like like someone's sat in the animal do you know what the best thing to be your leg is his scouse are you sure yeah loads of them yeah i'm telling you that's why they shot maggie mace
Did you stop at the AXA now? Just making scouts every day?
They made them an offer they couldn't refuse. Just to sort out Trey. Yeah. Fair play. Morning, noon and night. Getting it all boxed off. Alright, excellent stuff. We'll come back. We'll have a chat about transfers. Other bits and pieces. Keep letting me know what you're up to. Alex Sharp says he loves the Ismail Assar shoutout.
He's happy to convince anyone that would listen we should be in for him and Harry Wilson. Both are just a little on the old side, is what I would say. What else have we got? Bike paths into the city in East Amsterdam are wide open, but the sun is ominous. And David James, presumably not that one, has forgot the sun cream as he's working through as well. All right, then. Excellent stuff.
Yesterday, was it yesterday? When did you do this? When you talked to Matt Parrish? Yeah, yesterday morning. Yeah, yesterday. John Gibbons talked to Matt Parrish about the run to Anfield. Here it is.
Visit K-Supermarket! Nyt mä muutan. Se on varmaa. Friendit lähellä, futiskenttä, kuntosali, siis oma rauha. Katotaanpa, mitä etuovesta löytyy. Hei, tässä se on. Mun uusi koti. Etuovesta löydät kaikki vuokra-asunnot kaikki alta Suomesta. Avaa ovi uuteen.
It is John Gibbons with the CEO of the LFC Foundation, Matt Parrish. Matt, thanks for coming in to see us. No problem. Loads going on at the moment for the foundation, as ever, it seems. But we do want to give a big push to the run to the landfill, which is the first weekend of August. It's always a really fun event to take part in. And, yeah, we'd love to have people on board this year.
Yeah, we just encourage people to sign up. Some of you will have done it already. Some of you will support Run for the 97 as well. Similar route around Stanley Park. It does finish in Anfield. You do get to walk through the stadium and up past the Kop and get your photo done there. All the funds we raise on it go to support our health projects in Liverpool. We've got a 5k run.
that all can take part in, and then we've got a 1K. I think it's the first time we've done the 1K option for children and families. So I think I'm right in saying we had about 1,400 people doing it last year. We'd love to have more. And it's brilliant. You get people that are doing personal vests and you get people that walk it. You get dogs in Liverpool shirts. You get the full mix.
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