Football...Bloody Hell
Football........Bloody Hell
Former YTFC central defender Hugo Rodrigues joins the boys from Portugal along with Tony Pounder, Paul Thorpe and Adi Hopper
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Duration:
- 1h 3m
- Broadcast on:
- 01 Jul 2024
- Audio Format:
- mp3
[Music] Good evening and welcome to another edition of football. Bloody hell! And as you can probably tell by a change of theme from this week, we're going to be talking about England. And maybe a little bit of a mention for Portugal as well. And any time you feel the pain, I hate you. 'Cause I guess this week, ah, Mr. Paul Thorpe. [Music] Tony Pound is here. For well you know that it's a fool who plays. And now European correspondent, direct from Porto, Porto, Porto, it's Hugo Rodriguez. [Music] So what did you make of England's performance? Let's see what the lads think. [Music] Well, good evening everybody. Welcome to football. Bloody hell! And as an Englishman, I think that's quite an obvious topic to start with really. But before we do that, we'll introduce our guests. And first of all, we've got Paul Thorpe, good evening, Paul. Good evening and I hope the listeners are well. Yeah, we all do. And Tony Pound is here with us, evening town. Good evening, Paul, are you all right? Yeah, yeah, not too bad. Not too bad. Good. And our Portuguese correspondent, Mr. Hugo Rodriguez has joined us today. How are you going, Hugo, all right? I'm fine, thank you. Hello everyone. It's good to have you back on the show. It's been a while now, isn't it really, but no doubt we will have a fair few words to say about Portugal when we get going. But obviously, the major topic has to be England, I'm afraid, for all those who are bored with it, but there's been such a lot to talk about it. You know, it was a pretty dire performance really, but we did have the gods on our side when Mr. Bellingham popped that fantastic goal in a minute from the end. And then, of course, a minute injury time, Harry Kane does it again. So, you know, unbelievable relief from what we were, but Paul, we'll start with you. What did you think of the whole game? I was struggling, struggling to watch the last two games, to be honest to you. And I was just sort of saying off air to yourself and Tony and Hugo that I've never seen a team passable sideways or backwards as much as what England have actually done. And it's almost like my mental health is struggling with it at the moment. Your mental health is always struggling, mate. Yeah, yeah. So, you know, realistically, I mean, we've got an amazing squad, but an amazing squad can only be that if we perform and the structure in the which they're given. I'm not blaming the players. I really am blaming the management and the coaching staff, because they're coaching them to play in this way. It is about ball possession and I get that, but the pace in which the pace in which the way the ball is moving around is far too slow. It allows the defence to get in positions, and Hugo, I know this, and if the balls move around slowly, it just makes it easier for you to adjust your position and get in position, because you know the ball isn't coming in really fast at you. But when it comes in at pace, that's when you're struggling, you're under pressure, and we're not doing that enough. And then we're also, for me personally, I think we're playing Foden in the wrong position. I think the lights have proven with, you know, with soccer on one side, we've had, obviously, with the subs. We had Eze come on, we've had Parma come on, sorry, Parma come on, and also Gordon, and they've all made a difference. And once he gets pushed inside into that number 10 position, I think he looks a lot better. So I think that there's just, you know, round pegs in square holes really, and I find that, I find it really frustrating. But of course, when we actually do play, and when we, with those few moments that we have done, then we've done really well. I mean, we got our first shot on target in the 95th minute, and I think if we're a world team and leading, that's an absolute disgrace. And it needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed shortly because we're coming up against a team now that's really, really playing well in Switzerland. Do you think, though, that bearing in mind that we've had four games already? Well, three games, this is the fourth, wasn't it? But the fact that we've had three games already and we've played each game and we're very poor. Do you not think that Gav Southgate needs to start being a little bit more adventurous? I can't see him changing now. Why would he? He's getting through the tournament, and for him, he keeps on talking about addressing the issues. You know, I'd like to ask him a question, what are the issues that you're seeing? Because if you're trying to address those issues in the training ground, surely you, by now, with the top quality players that we've got, you get the answers. And one of those issues should be, you know, the pace of which the game is being played. You know, once we do play it up fast, we cause teams problems. You know, a couple of times, the goal that Fonin got disallowed and when Fonin actually got through the game before him, we got to get gold disallowed. That's when we played a premiership pace, one, two-touch football. And when we did that, we looked really, really good. Why are we not doing that enough? Because we're playing against other teams that have feet, that are playing well, defending well, strong. It's not easy to see how Portugal is fighting to win the games, see France, how they were seconds in the group. Spain against Georgia yesterday, they were 1-1 at the middle of the game, and Georgia was playing very well. It's not easy to the big teams, not to win games. I appreciate, I really appreciate what I'm saying Hugo, I get that. But I mean, you've watched, you must have watched the England games, I don't know what Tony thinks about either. It's a dire watch, we're not playing. I'd like, I'd tell you what, I'd love us to play like Georgia. I'd love us to play like Italy, even like they didn't play, they've struggled, you know. But it seems they're all the good teams, all the fancy teams, France, Belgium, Italy, England. They're all struggling, they're all struggling. Because they have the major players of the major leagues, they are tired, the other teams are feet. The other teams now have good players playing premiership in La Liga, so it's not secrets anymore in the football. Everyone works well, they train well, the coach are very good. So, of course, if you look to England or Portugal or Spain, the level of the players is higher, because they are better players, because they have talent. But in the same discussion, if you put Ronaldo and Messi, Messi have a lot of talent, more talented than Ronaldo in my opinion, but Ronaldo works hard. And he keeps fighting, he keeps winning, the other teams are doing the same. They are the other dogs, but they play well, they work well. Look how Georgia worked yesterday against Spain. In the first half, Spain had one kick in the goal keeper. I don't think there were two kicks in the goal keeper, in the first half. We'll ask what Tony thinks in a minute, but Hugo, the pressurising that they do in the premiership and in the European Games, we're not doing that, we're sitting back. It's like we've got this global product, and the premiership is really good, and we all play at pace and skill, and it's exciting. It's almost like when we go into continental football or to the international football, it's almost like we try and play the continentals, which to be honest with, we're not very good at. We don't press like Georgia, we don't press like... You cannot do that because the other teams are very, very good players that can catch you in the contract. See how Spain suffered the goal. Spain is one of the teams that keep the ball the major of the times, and even like that, they suffer one kneel against Georgia. Not a pack, goal. Portugal was the same against Georgia, we lost two kneels, they've done two strikes who are our goal, two goals. You need to be careful defending well, and only goal, you cannot play like this premiership, be it in goal fact. Because other teams are intelligent, they will keep the ball, and when you are missing something, they will strike in score. But do you think that we're asking too much, Hugo? Do you think that we're... I think you have a big expectation because you have big names, a major name in European soccer now, in European football, you have Kane that is a big name, but other teams are the same. I look to Portugal, and I saw Portugal done three games so far, and against Turkey was alright, the other one was Pardon, shit. Portugal wasn't playing anything, and I think the coach is trying to do some things that I don't agree with the 3d central bags and trying to change the strategy, but even like that, the players are tired because the big players play in the big teams. How many games have Bellingham this season? Yes, loads. That was going to be my other point. My other point of fact that I've been disappointed with is the fact that I understand these players have played loads of loads of games, and they are tired, and I was expecting with the quality of our squad, the way I looked at it, that they would rotate, give Kane a rest, give Bellingham a rest, and trust the squad. It's almost like for me, he doesn't trust the squad to do the right job, and I think the players are there to be able to rotate it, give Kane a rest, give him half an hour off, because there's players who can play in the position. My other Tony came on and he backed him well, he drew a few fouls and also got a fantastic header back in the box, which was made Kane the goal. But of course, Kane is a problem. Yeah, you can do it and put this and that in the end of the game is always the same, the same players that will come out and do the job. The players are Bellingham, Kane, you can replace them, but will not be the same, even to the confidence of the team. You look to the front and say, "Yeah, everything is over there. If you look, it's not Hurricane, no, it's different the way the teams will feel you, and the way you're on team have the confidence." Tony, what about you? Let's get a bit of an opinion from you, come on, what do you recommend? Well, I agree with both of them in a way. I think England have been absolutely shocking, I think. But like Hugo said, France, Portugal, England, Spain, they're finding it hard to break these teams down, and Hugo's said it before. They're very well organised. They've got good coaches. We don't seem to work out how to break them down. We're playing this slow pass and game keeping the ball. It's alright keeping the ball, but you still want to get him behind them. I see Saka, Brazil every week and week out. He's taken his pullback on all the time, getting crosses, coming back. I haven't seen him take the ball. I haven't seen him go past the defender yet. I don't know if Gal drilled into him. I see Foden on the left. It's not his position for me. He should be at number 10. But I see him every time he gets the ball. They're going back. Now, is this guy telling him to retain the ball, keep the session? I understand you try and drag him out, but they're so switched on. Georgia, Slovakia, Slovenia. They're quite, they're so organised. And like you said, they look fit compared to the likes of Spain, England, France, and that. We look very tired, I think. Very tired. And you've got to, there's got to be another way to break these down. He's got to think again, and I think Gal is very stubborn at the moment, and he won't change things. For me, he will keep the same squad, and he keeps playing the way he is. Yesterday, I think all the pundits, all the fans, all the ex players, you could see it half time. It was crying for a change to do something different. Not one substitute, a half time. All right, we've come on, you know, we've gone through, which, you know, we're very fortunate to be through. But he's got, like you said, he's got the result. It's all about going through. So you can't knock him too much in a way. He's done the right thing. But ultimately, like the big teams find a way to come back into the game. And, you know, and to our credit, we have found that way, even with 30 seconds to go, we found that a bit of special quality. You shared a base game, like you've had a skincare in Bellingham, I don't think you've been playing that well. I think players produce the goods and who's delivered yesterday. You know, like you say, I agree, the road taking, but big players in big moments get you through. And that's why I think he plays them. But he's just got to get, he did say before the tournament about players in form. I think you said earlier about square pegs in round holes. Why, if he's not, Luke Shores, obviously not fair, he's not playing him. Why has he not taken another left back? Yeah. I think Tripp is done. He's okay on the left. But every time he gets the ball, he can't knock it with his left foot down the wing. He comes back right foot inside. You need a natural left footer there to give both in the ball. So, you know, he's sort of saying players in form and players lose fair. Well, he's not doing that for life. Do you think, though, that we mentioned that they're tired? And I think we all agree on that. But do you think that this football as a whole has to stop and look at this and say, "Hang on a minute." You know, we proved we could do it in the winter with the guitar World Cup. So, why don't they start thinking about having tournaments like this in the winter? Because it's a machine, a money machine. And you want to go home and see the game. And you want to go home every single day and stay in the sofa and see another game. Yeah. And when this top, they will begin the World Cup, the club's World Cup. And then he's a championship and then he's a league, national league. And the players for us as a fans is fantastic because you always have games. But to a player, the body will not recover well. No. I agree. I mean, do you think there's some hangover from the guitar World Cup now? I mean, I know it was last year, but I mean, you know, they haven't had much of a break, have they, between now and then? I think this is why, you know, you've got to, you know, they've given them, what is it? Five subs and one extra time if it goes extra time. Yeah, this is, this is to me why you need to rotate your squad. You know, and this is where, you know, with the likes of Harry, you know, he needs, he needs that rest. He's had a tremendous season score and lots of goals over in Germany. He hasn't got his prize, which he, which he wanted to win a championship. You know, and he's, and he's, what we didn't realise is that they've got, they've got the games, but they've all said. Let me do, let me do a question. And the next game against Switzerland, that he put in on the bench, Kane and Belligan, and you lost one meal. Listen, we all know he's not going to do that. Here you go. But what the fans will say, how will be the, why he's crazy? I think that Harry Kane and Belligan out of the squad and this and that is six games or seven games to be European champion, three in the stage group and plus three or four. So you cannot do any mistake. You must play the better one and win the games. Because if you lose and you don't play the stars like Belligan or Eric Kane, or you will be crucified. It'll be there when they arrive in England. So he's getting crucified anyway though, isn't he at the moment? Yeah, he's getting crucified anyway. So, so Hugh, guys, if, if Harry Kane's having a quiet game, which he's all, he's absolutely, has every right to have a quiet game every now and again, you know, would you still keep him on? Or would you say, right, he's having a quiet game? I'll change it because I trust, you know, I trust Belligan, I trust Watkins. But it's the same. If you put the ball in the, in the area, who you will hope that will score? Eric Kane, not another guy. Eric Kane, even if he is, he's tired, even if he is not producing what you are waiting for, but he's like, he had that killing instinct, you know, the ball is there, he scores. Maybe, ah, he's easy because he only put the ball, yeah, but he wasn't the right place to, to keep the ball because he had that feeling, you know, you know where the ball will, will be when... Aside from Ivan Toni, if we were to drop Harry Kane, who, who, who would you choose, Hugh, go to replace him? Because you've got Watkins, you've got Ivan Toni, you've got, yeah, I mean, they all are great, please. If they are not, they are not in England team, but they are not Harry Kane. Belligan, yes, they have a quiet game. You didn't see Belligan playing very well, but in the minute that you needed, he scores. Yeah. That is the difference. You cannot drop them in the, in games like this because you have three games away from the, the final. Three games, my friend. Listen, I'm absolutely not saying we should drop him now. I felt the time to give him a rest would have possibly been in, in the group, when we were through, when we knew we were through. The last game, the last game of the three, yeah, we done that. The stroke is a bit of pace up front as well, give him a different option, we're already through, you know, and I felt that we possibly would have even won that game. It's because there's other people were trying to prove that they could actually, you know, were worthy of being in the squad. And I'm going to start the game. Tony, can you? And you lost. All the new paper, the newspaper, we need to speak about what was that and the players are not so good like we expect and this and that. And all the good vibe that we have went down. Or maybe you are not so good like this, we are expecting more because we lost the game that we have to go through anyway, but we lost the game against Georgia and was like a guitar screen Portugal. Tony, can you come up with any good points, any plus points from yesterday's game? We're through. Yeah. Is that it? Hell, it was a poor performance and we all know that. At the end of the day, he's judged on results. If he goes on and wins for your roads, if he's a hero to everyone, why don't they soon forget about the group games and stuff. If he brings this thing home, obviously it's not working out and, you know, it's when it's a cluster. There's not a lot of questions I must admit, by the end of the day, they're in the quarterfinals now. They know they've got a race again because it would be a tough game against, but it's a little on Saturday. I think a very good side, but we might play better against those teams. You might like all France and everything that's coming through now. Nobody's really stood out for me at all. No one. So I think it's wide open still. You'd see this year, I could see it as an Austrian or a Switzerland winner in Austria. Years ago, when we had Greece winner, I seriously can see somebody coming from out of the back and winning in this year. You want an example of the Portugal won the European Cup in France, and we draw the first three games. And we only win one game in all the tournaments. Yeah. And we win the European Championship. We draw three games. No one. I remember what was the result. People always think Portugal was champion. You remember the England result in the France Euro Cup or in the Portugal Euro Cup? You don't remember, but you will remember if the wins the Euro. If he picks the trophy up in two weeks time, everything will be forgotten. Yeah. That's his job. I said we're going for a bad time, but it's just not even. Everyone else, Belgian fans, were in there at the end of the day. Portugal, well, I said food the other day, Holland would food. I said everybody's getting criticized at the moment, but you can't take it away from him because he got it through. So he goes on, gets to the final. You know, it will all be forgotten. So it's a very sickle game and it's all, like I said, we know. They can come outside a day, turn on a performance. Sooner or later, one of the big clubs is going to turn on a performance. I don't think they could go all the way through without producing. Yeah. So I think it should start exploding soon, I think. Do you think that most of the teams that are expected to win and play well are not playing well, apart from Spain? Do you think that is definitely indicative that they are tired? But on the other hand, you could say, well, if they're all playing bad, then it should be in itself out, shouldn't it? Well, you say Spain are playing well, like I said, I mean, you go to it earlier. The first 20 minutes yesterday, Georgia, you know, with a backside. Yeah. So, you know, I don't say they're playing brilliantly. They have probably been the pick of it at the moment, like Germany is going under the radar a bit. Like they used to do when they used to win everything. They sort of did nothing in the group stages. They're just ticking a long night there. Nobody's already mentioning them at the moment. So I do think, you know, it is wide open this year and certainly the team for me is Switzerland and Austria I've been very impressed with. Yeah, I agree with that as well. Yeah. So, quickly going back to plus points, I just think that when they have been used, the substitutions have made a real impact and have looked very good and they've all made an impact on the game. You know, I really think that they, by coming on, they've really enhanced the performance of the team. The only one that disappointed me a little bit was SA, I thought SA, he looks really good plan for Stupalis and really quick, really, you know, slippery, difficult to track down, but he, he didn't exactly excel, I didn't think when he came on. Yeah, but he stuck him left back, didn't he, for the last 20 minutes? Yeah. So, he's completely, he's a player who loves to get on the ball and beat back. He did it when he had the chance. He beat to a three, but then he went left back and I'm thinking, you're wasting so much talent there, I like to go forward. For me, once we went to one out, we sat back again. Yeah. We just got deeper and deeper. Now, you know. See, he's playing a tone. So, it's really funny here because Gomez actually plays left back for little corner agents and does really, really well. He's not even considered putting Gomez there at all. You know, I find it quite strange. The Crystal Palace left back. He was in this squad. He's had a hell of a season. Yeah, it comes out. He's playing alongside his center half for Palace. You've got, you know, you've got an understanding straight away there. And he hasn't even taken him, like, completely. For me, I don't know why he's taken short. Like, I don't think he's sure he's even going to feature it. He's not going to feature. Is he not at all now? He's not even training fully at the moment. And, be fair, even if he comes in now, you know, both his players, you just don't pick up the pace like that when you've been eight, five, six months. No. And a game like that. You might go through adrenaline for the first 45, but it's only not going to make him pass 60 minutes for me. No. And the other person would you risk, would you risk putting him on just for 45 minutes and hope that the adrenaline will carry him through? If he was fit, you would have done that in the third game when they were through. If he was fit, you thought, go in that 45 minutes, get your fitness back. To me, he hasn't done that, so it just tells me he's not fit at all. The other plus has been Gahey's performances, but he's going to be missing because of the bucket. The stupid bucket, you know, was never a beat really. To be fair, that wasn't as far as trippy and left him short, wasn't it? Yeah. Yeah. And you left him in a hospital ball, like, he's got a bucket. But that's why I'm saying, well, if you had to pile up left back there as well, they had an understanding together. They're all cheesing, they gather eight standing. Why are you not taking a left back and natural left back? It's really interesting to see you put back there in this game, because they're going to need pace there for sure. I don't think Lewis dunks the answer there at the moment. I'm pretty sure here go, because they play free at the back, I think here go. And match him up, he goes free at the back, because he used to like that. That was his old formation, I think. He knows Twitson played free at the back, which it might help us in a way, because it might help. I think he'll have to play Parma, and he might even say to say Gordon is like wing backs. He's gone, so it could help us in a way, I think. It was pretty obvious, though, when Anthony Gordon came on, that, you know, he could cause some problems. I mean, he didn't really have enough time, did he? He was five minutes or so. I think, when did he come on first half or second half? Second half. Yeah. But, you know, he looked dangerous today when he did get on the ball, and he felt that if he'd done it so much earlier. But when you've got the whole world and every Sunday is not the same, starting the game and coming as a serve with five minutes up on me. Yeah, that's not the same. The defenders are tired. The organization is not the same. England was trying to smash them, so it's not the same. No. Well, I thought one of you might have brought up the performance of our young copy, because I thought he was brilliant. But I am biased, I know. Well, I've seen Stan Collibor on Twitter today saying about his performance in the first half yesterday was like exceptional. You know, and how he sort of was looking to get forward, getting his foot on the ball for his age. And for how many games he played for England now, three, four games. Yeah. His confidence is unbelievable. And he's got his bags of energy because he hasn't had a completely full season at United. And so he has got the fresh legs. So, you know, for me, he's got to be a starter on Saturday. I think he's got to remember as well, but then he's only 21. I think he is. Yeah. It's one hell of a talent. Have you got in Portugal? Have you got people coming through of that age, you know, into the international team? No, no, no, no. You have one kid from the big figure that they are saying it. He's saying that Manchester, not you'll buy him. But different players, not with that confidence, not with that starters, that you look to Bellingham, you say, this will be a golden ball. Yeah. No, you look to him. And even in Real Madrid, you feel it that it's Bellingham plus 10. Yeah. Yeah. For me, it's my favorite player, the way he plays at this moment. But it's a bit unfair on Bellingham to expect him to be the man that does it all every game. I mean, you know, I didn't think he played quite as well as he can do yesterday, apart from the goal, obviously. But he was quiet. It wasn't even compared to when he, in the first game against Serbia, I mean, when he came on with that goal and he was absolutely buzzing, running the whole game, wasn't he? But he didn't appear to be quite as prominent yesterday, I didn't think. But I thought his energy, he was chased down or trying to chase down. I just don't think he was being supported by his other teammates at the time. You know, I think that sometimes he goes alone, you know, and I think that draws him out of position a little bit. And that's the enthusiasm of a 21-year-old. You don't remember that. So, you know, that maybe it just sits in a bit more. But he's trying to do, sometimes I think he's trying to do too much. And that sort of like brings his performance down a little bit. But I think he's one hell of a hell of a hell of a hell. He's an absolutely fantastic man who's got a bright future. He keeps that work right up, that confidence. He's the biggest name of England football that this plays in my opinion. What? Meinu? No, no, no, Bellingham. Bellingham, yeah, yeah, by far, I'm sure. The biggest name. Yeah. And I've also been, I know he's taken a little bit of stick. I don't know why, but, you know, I think the Deconmosis has been outstanding. I think, again, his work. He's been working like he's been really, really good. You don't score so many goals like Bellingham. No, no. He's got a different role. Yeah, different role. He's got a different role. Yeah. He was a lucky not to score yesterday, didn't he? I mean, he hit the post, didn't he? Yeah, he hit the post. But, you know, he won't have as many chances because he's doing that sit-and-roll. You know, what that does, that allows, you know, like Meinu and Bellingham to do their stuff. I'd like to see them play a little bit closer together and link up a bit more, you know, with, you know, soccer and Foden. But, you know, bright futures, but the pair of them. I mean, they're going to be world-class players. You see, you see Rice, but Arsenal, he has a license to go forward as well. Yeah. I don't think we hold the check. Don't be wrong. What are you doing? He's pulling, breaking everything up. But, um, Bellingham and Rice and Meinu, they've got energy abundance, all three of them. There are, I just think, let the shackles off a bit. Don't have Rice sitting so deep. Um, I'm hoping, like I said, he plays the three at the back on Saturday. He might free Rice a bit more. Yeah. Every time I see him play brass, he's breaking in the box. They've got the energy to get up and down. Bellingham's the same. He'd get up and down all day, but he's got our little bit special about him. Um, so I just think, you know, pushing forward a bit more, releasing a little bit so he can, he can play further up and meet up with, uh, Bellingham and Meinu and get Harry Kane involved. Cause I think sometimes Kane for me is a bit isolated, although Bellingham is playing in the whole of it. Uh, cause the teams we've played at the moment have been rigid by four. You know, we've got to work out to get random and I think if we push on a bit more, uh, push Rice on a bit, you know, sometimes we look at isolated in midfield because they're playing the four. Uh, with playing three, hopefully Saturday, it might, uh, free them all up a bit. Well, hang on a minute, guys. Paul, you've suddenly become England's manager. They found you up and you'd be dropped in. So what's your team going to be for Saturday? Well, well, I tend to agree with Tony a little bit and I'm, I'm a advocate of a three, three, five formation anywhere. I've always liked that formation. You know, I would possibly, um, uh, I would possibly bring in cons are on the left hand side. Um, of stones and walker. And then probably, you know, the mid, the midfield is, is the one I'd like to, I'd really like to bring Palmer into it. Um, and, and bring, uh, it's, it's Palmer or Gordon. The better one would be to bring Gordon out on the left and bring, um, and to bring Foden in. There's a number 10 really playing in that role. But I'd give Foden a free role, I would, because I've got, he's got ability to, to, to, to sort of come into the pockets. It's a lot of people don't, don't realize it's sort of a rigid, but a lot of the good teams. You know, I've come, the players have come into the pockets to receive the ball like halfway on the turn. And by doing that, it allows them the freedom to pick up balls where defenders don't like to go. You know, like the hugo tell you, like when players go into the, into the holes in between the midfield, you know, you're almost going, what do you do? Do I go with him? Well, it's going to might leave a gap or... Yeah, it's not a conflict with a defender, no. It's not, it's not, it's not where we want to go. You know, like, so far... You don't know if you are going or if you are staying, you can, because if you are going, you will have that space in your bag. But if you are not going, the guy will keep the ball in front. It's all in difficulty. Yeah, you almost feel like you're in no man's land. You know, and if you get caught out, it makes you look like an absolute idiot. So, I would play Food and sort of like in, in between that, obviously Harry Kane's got to play. And I wouldn't really, I wouldn't really change too much, but I, I would bring Carlton Palmer on a lot, a lot sooner. Cole. You know, him and, I like, listen, Saka's done well, but I think at times he looked, looked really tired. And I think that just that fresh legs, and I say, trust your, trust your, you know, your, your team and your squad. And I would bring him on, and I would also make sure that Gordon got, got a little run out and, you know, and so that, that would be my, not, not too many changes. I'm just bringing possibly Gordon on the left and then bring Food and in. And then, you know, it's, it's, it's who you drop then, isn't it? It's a difficult one, really, but the three five is, is probably where I go. So it's an organized team. If you place three in the back, I don't know if you are capable to stop them. They are quick in the front. It's in Switzerland. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But you, of course, the second goal against Italy, he runs a lot. Yeah. You, you, please. You've got that protection of, you know, he plays the two, doesn't he, like, but I think the midfield there was, you know, as well. You see the three five, it doesn't mean you got just three at the back. Your wing backs can either drop in. All of you are talking about take, they can rise forward a little bit. And if you push everyone forward, how will be? No, no, no, no, no. No, I certainly, certainly wouldn't be doing that. He would almost be my, you know, my protection. And that, that, with the three five, that's where, that's where actually what he's doing now at the moment, it's quite deep. I would absolutely lead in the same way. I would agree with three in the back with, with Kyle Walker will be always two. You mean what's right? With Kyle Walker in the, in the back three, you will always all have only two of the guys because Kyle Walker loves to go for, loves to run. And you are playing a game that if you suffer a goal, you can be deaf, you know, because it's only one game. I don't think you'll play three in the back and do like that. How many teams have success in Europe play three in the back? Not off the top of my head. You have, Real Madrid formed the, on the back, you was champion, European champion. We are never cool then. You have a, all them play four in the back. I don't think you look to any team of the big team, German, Spanish, France, all them play four in the back. And with the holding, holding midfielder as well. Because they have a strong number six, always a strong number six, always. Yeah, Portugal, for example, didn't play the first game like that, the second game against Turkey. He put the, the Paliga from Fulham, that is our strongest player to play in the midfielder. We all, always the teams need a guy like that. I don't think you'll play like, play three in the back against the Swiss on team, organized team. That is, that is very dangerous in the contract track. You have the lesson of Italy, Italy, always defend better than others. Yeah, because they are the best defenders. I do agree with you. I think that's definitely the way he'll go. I think he'll be four at the back again, just with the, the holding, holding midfield player. I don't think he'll change much at all, to be honest to you. You have, you have the question, what I would do, that's why I'm not even a manager. But you have enough talent in the front to let them play without any concern of defending. You know, if they look back, they will have Decan Rice, they will have even Bellingham to help to defend. Let the guys in the front be free to play. I'll put you in for the job here, though, don't worry, mate. I'll get it. No, I love Phil Fosin. For me, he's one of the best players in the world. In talent, he's maybe in the top three of the world, even bigger than Bellingham in talent. So let them play, let them be free. And, you know, if you begin to say to him, yes, be careful because you have to adjust your position. You have to, to help your team. You will not be the same player. Yeah, I agree with that. Tony, come on, it's your turn now. My turn. I think he will play three, but I wouldn't. I think he'll try and match with wins. But for me, I would play Walker right back. I'd have Stone and Conza, each and a half, and I would go Sacco left back. I think we need a left footer, and we got a bit of pace. As you go, they got some pace up front there. So I think we need a bit of pace in the back. Although I said earlier, I'd like to see Rice Ford. I think I would say him in front of the last four. Yeah. One meal to France. One meal to France. Yeah, let's score now. Five minutes to the end of the game. No. I haven't been that special apparently. Is that why I'm seeing that? Who scored then? It wasn't Novapir, let me see. But Belgium had a great opportunity before, and they didn't score, and they could attack France scores. Anyway, keep going, Stone. So yeah, Rice is sitting. Then I play three across the midfield on a farmer on the right. I think, hey, the shack was off him. Let him have a go. Because what does Kane thrive on crosses coming in the box? And he would cut his side view. I would have a menu in the middle, and I'd have food on the left. Like you said earlier, I'd let the shackles off him. Let him play like he does for Man City. And then I'd be planning him in a free role in Kane up top. Let them, like you say, what's the best players in the world? They'd let him go and play Fogan at Man City, that sort of, you know, gun play, your stuff. And for me at the moment, I think he's stuck out on the left there, just passing back all the time. Just stick him up front and let him make his runs in midfield. Swatwood, Bellingham, you know, interchange. They can do it. They like doing that. I see Bellingham, but it really goes out on the left, he drifts. Players of that quality, and they are, we've said earlier, they've been to a world class. And at their ages, there are, let them, you know, let the shackles off. Let them go and express what they can play. I'm on the, let's say, right, let him go. And I think we've got a good attack in there. We've got a solid defence, right, sitting first as well. Do you think, um, let's be a little bit negative a minute. If England do go out to Switzerland, do you think that, um, not just as England manager, but as a manager period, do you think that Gareth Southgate's future is going to be in big doubts because he's never going to leave it down? Hey, he's gone. He's a hundred percent gone. If they don't, and I do feel sorry for him because, like, for the last eight years, he's got us to a final, two semi-finals. I think he's taken us as far as he can now. Um, and I'd love to see, I think he likes it. He's a, he's walking down for me, I'd say. You think with a talented England there in the last decade, you think you have good results? Hey, on paper, he's got, he's, he's up above everyone else apart from. Uh, but I'm talking about the last decade where the leadership was in the top of the big championships with the main, the main championship was the Premier League. The English players have a huge improvement of technique and talent. I don't see it enough to stay in the, in the, in the head of the national team. Oh, that is my opinion. For me, he should have won the Euros against, they should have won the Euros back in England when Italy in the final, won the lap. So is it a tournament? Yeah. I'm talking about the best men of the world that is the Spanish guy. What are the yola? But if you have got the yola on the national team, you easily won two European and one World Cup with the talent that you have. Well, I've said all along, there's only one person for me for the job and I think it's Pat. And I think he's got a year left at Man City. The only thing he hasn't done at the moment is, you know, he's won Spain. He's won in Germany. He's won in England now. I think he looks tired and out of clubs football. I think he looks shattered a bit like Klopp. For me, it is the perfect match with the talent coming through for England at the moment. I think he would. Like I said, you just said, I think we would have won a European Cup. And a World Cup with him, the talent we've had is getting the right blend. And there's only one person for me enough, Pat, to take him over the line. Just to give you a thing, I've just got on the net. And Gareth Southgate's manager of the national team, the season win percentage of 50%. Oh, it's 50%. 50%. It goes, we just read a little bit more. He's got his goal ratio, sorry, his win percentage. His win percentage is 50% for England. His overall win per career win percentage is 44.39. Pep Guardiola's win percentage is 75.7. Cool. And how many games have done one of the all in all? If 414 games win out of 547 matches. There you go. Crazy win percentage. But when you shot even his win percentage, Gareth Southgate's had for the talent he's had, he should be up in the 70s, 80% for the talent he's had come through. He's had two teams, actually, two over nearly a decade of football. He's had teams that we've produced. He just hasn't died over the line at all. I think it's going to happen this year as well. I think we've got the talent there, but we're not playing to our strengths. And that's why I think we need a pet. I would personally even take Mourinho over Southgate. He's a winner, but I know he won't play the style. I think I would not like to have Mourinho in a fortunate way. I think it's time, you know, he was unbelievable at his era, but now the time's changed. And I don't think he's fitting this soccer. The way we see football now, I don't think he's the way he can. It's completely different. In his day, he was brilliant. I feel I say, Pep is still even Klopp. I think Klopp is kind of a magnificent job. Why are you on tri-clop? Tri-clop? I would love England. Yeah, I would be happy with Klopp. And he said himself, he's physically shattered any after so many years in the friendship. It would not realise it's just not the pressure of the game. It's the press he's got to do. So much on him. And I think he would absolutely thrive in a national team. And they say, there was two for me. That would be number one. But Klopp, I would be happy with it. I will say that 90% of the English will agree with Klopp in the national team. Oh, definitely, definitely. Like, you know, a lot of teams don't like Liverpool, you know, because they're successful. But I would take Klopp all day long. That would be the ideal choice, but I would take Klopp. With all the respect about Klopp is not Klopp. No, no, no, no. We've got 12 minutes left. And I want to talk about some of the other teams, in particular. Portugal, because we've got Hugo on board. You've got a slightly tricky game tonight. I guess you're not going to play a week in team, like you did last week. And I will play the same team that play against Turkey. Done the line now. And he announced it. And he's the same team. So, and for me, he's the better team. And I will always let that. I don't agree with Ronaldo. It's not in the games, but that's my opinion. You lose it to Singapore now, don't you mate? Yeah, because I think we are, we are taking out all generations with a lot of talent. Because we always place to Ronaldo and look to Ronaldo in the box. And they don't treat the rest of the players. If you look, for example, for the financial play in Manchester 90, it's not the same. That is playing a national team. If you look, you're not feeling... It's not the same when he's playing a national team. Why? Because they always have to look around and see Ronaldo in the box. No, I don't think if I was Ronaldo, and I would love to be, but if I was Ronaldo, I stayed to the guys. Yeah, I start in the bench in the last 20 minutes. I will go and do my best, but not start in the games like this. What you've done in the Europe so far? No, he did set up. He's a perfect player. No, definitely. Sorry, didn't listen. I think he's the perfect sub. Perfect sub on the bench to come on for the last 25-30 minutes. Yeah, of course, because he will be physically, he will be more or less like the other guys, because they are tired and he's 58 years old, so he's not being at the major top of his fitness. So if you go in the last 20 minutes, at that stage I will say, all right, but to begin games, and we begin to speak about this fashion, we speak about the fitness of the other teams. A guy with 38 years old that playing the front will not fit enough to go to a fight with the setbacks. It's impossible. And for me, I've loved Ronaldo, he's been brilliant, but the other day, he's grown his arms everywhere. Yeah, because he's kept up a little bit and passed. If he squeezed the orange, he's not juice over there, you know? What you're missing here is missing Pepe, isn't he? It's different because he's a different position. He's a different position. Pepe is smart, you know? You don't run, or you can't run. Yeah, it's totally different. But even like that, Pepe was dropped out of the Porto team now this season. And he finished contracts, and we didn't give him any one. Because the age is something that you cannot buy or go against, you know? Tell me about it. It's what it is. If you have, it's impossible to pay up to play a week in week out, I guess 25 years old guys and strikers that run everywhere. So Ronaldo is the same. And then he says, "Yeah, but Arabia is a great championship." Oh. Give me a favor. Yeah. We'll keep playing. We'll keep playing in the Premier League now, and you'll see how we'll be. You're going to pay rise for that, though, if you go on, if I'm saying that. Yeah, because it's true, I like him, I respect him because he's done a lot for our national team and for our name as a country. Everyone that, every place you go, everyone knows about Ronaldo. But you have to know how to end, you know? And you stay so many times at the top. I think he didn't realize that he's finished now, you know? It's not the same. It's impossible. So what chance have you got against Savina, then? You think you're going to win? We lost against them one month or two months ago in the Premier League game. They played very well. I think they lost only two games in the last 15 games. They don't have a big star like we have big names, but they are a consistent team. They defend well. They are dangerous in the attack. They'll not be easy. They'll not be easy. Stick your head out, then. Here you go. Which way is the result going to go? I think it'll be 2-1 to Portugal. 2-1, and the guy will score with Jota from Liverpool, that I think will shoot back instead of for now. Okay. That's funny, because just on the betting side, Portugal are 7-20 on, 4-1 the draw, and away is 8-1. That in 2 teams, that's big odds. So that's sort of saying that Portugal are definitely going to win. I think it's a lot closer than that. I saw the game that we've done against them, a friendly game, and we struggle against them. Yeah. I think it's a lot closer than that. I don't see that kind of bet in any of the games that I saw so far from Europe will be correct. Yeah. Thanks, we won in the last 5 minutes, England won in the last minute, I'll still win the game, win the speech group head of Holland in the head of France. Switzerland sent home the European champion so far. So come on off here. What's your dark horse to win the tournament, to win the car? You notice that will always depend on the draw at this stage. I think England have a big advantage, because they stay on the side that is the easiest one in my opinion. Because if you go to, if you see the semi, the quarter of the finals now is Spain, Germany, France, and maybe Portugal. In the other side, we have England, Switzerland, Romania, Netherlands, also Turkey. So I think England at this stage, at this moment, have the, I will say that this 60% to England, 40% to the other team. Before the final, because it will be very difficult to reach a final to France, to Spain, to Portugal, to Germany. They will play against them all each other. Thorpey, we've got five minutes left roughly, so what's your dark horse's to win the car? I think Austria have been very, very good, and I've been very impressed with Switzerland. I think our game is very, very difficult, very difficult. And both of those teams play as a team, and I think that's really important in this competition. So we're having great individuals and big names in your team. But when you've got a team playing together and working so hard for each other, I think there's two outstanding examples of somebody. If it's going to be an upset this year, those are the two teams that could really possibly do it. And I've been highly impressed with both of their structures, the way they set out, but ultimately their work rate and togetherness has been outstanding. And very compact defensively as well. They know what they're doing, and like Hugo said, this Slovenia side is not to be underestimated. That's a very difficult game for them tonight, Portugal. I've got Portugal down to win, but if they get through that, that's a big hurdle they've got over, but if they beat Slovenia tonight. So can't stick your neck out then, give me a name. I'm going to go Switzerland. You can go Switzerland. Right. Tony, your turn. For me, England hadn't shown up yet at all. They're in the, like Hugo said earlier, they're in, they've got a fantastic draw. They've avoided all the big clubs, I know a lovely set of hours for Switzerland to play them really well. They haven't shown up yet. I think they've got a week off this week. They refresh themselves. They start to freshly go again on Saturday. And for me, with the draw, I think you've got to be looking at them and the favourites at the moment. They've got three or four world pass players from when you are, like I said, we didn't think Bellingham and Kane had a best game yesterday, but it produced a good to game. And I think it's going to be sooner or later, they've got to click. We've got too much talent there for it not to. And I'm looking at a draw, I think, were the favourites. I thought the question was, who was the end of dogs? No, it was who was the dark horses, but either way, if you said end of dogs, I would go with Austria after watching what they played. That was one thing Switzerland. I would go for Austria, but for me, I still think England are there. We haven't performed yet and we're in the quarterfinals, so I would like to think, you know, if we could click together, we've got world pass players. The drawers favoured us, so we should get to the final hopefully, and I think we can go on and win that. The gods are helping because the best team that you can catch was Italy and they are out. Yeah, exactly. The draw, it was the same as the euros back here in England. The draw favoured us all the time. We've avoided all the big clubs. So you've got Spain, no, it's Spain, Germany, France. So you're losing four, one of them is going to go through that all, so you're avoiding all the big ones. The only place you can play in the final, and then it's anyone who came in the final. So for me, that's why they've got to be the favourites at the moment. I do not say that it will be easy because other teams are playing very well, but will not be the worst path to the final. I think it's ironic though that talking about Austria, I've got a funny sneaking feeling about Austria, I don't know quite why. But it's ironic that Sabitza, who we had at the United States... I know why, I will say that he played two men on that. Yeah, but no, but it's only why he's playing well for Austria, he looks a good player. I can't understand why we didn't keep him. Even if a toxic season in Dortmund, he went to the final, done a very good game in the final. And we all laughed at Ralph Ragnet, you know, he didn't do it too bad at the moment, is he? But who is doing good in Manchester United so far? That is a problem. Lee said the better as far as Manchester is concerned at the moment, but we'll see what happens this season. But no, I just got a feeling that Austria could be the dark horses, but equally, I think Thorpey's right that Switzerland could also play a part in it, really, at the end of the day. I think this is a stronger team, it's more organised than the better players in my opinion. But I don't see England, though, unfortunately. I just, sadly, I don't see England doing it. It's pretty, but that's my feeling anyway. But one way or another, we've run out of time, guys. So, first of all, thank you very much Hugo for joining us again. It's great to have you on the show again, and you have to come back again soon. We'll probably after the European Championships over, we can reminisce then and see exactly who was right and who was wrong. So hopefully you'll better find the time for us. I will bet in the final English, England, Portugal, and Portugal 1-1. Optimised. Thorpey, thanks very much for joining us again as usual. Two pleasure. Absolute pleasure. And the same to you, Tony. Thank you very much for joining us. In a pleasure again. Thank you. Good. Now you get about to work, OK? I forgot about that. I bet I've got a fleshed toilet. You better ask. Legs have gone numb now, Tony. I tell you, I can't get off the tee, man. Legs have gone. My two-year legs have gone ages ago anyway, didn't they? But anyway, thank you to everybody for listening. Join us again later in the week. We've got another podcast coming up on Friday. I think it's going to be broadcast, so keep your eyes open for that one. And join us again next Monday for another football bloody hell. Thank you very much. Goodbye. Don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart. Then you can start to make it better. Hey, Jude, don't be afraid. You were made to go out and get her. The minute you let her run to your skin, then you'll be good. (upbeat music)
Former YTFC central defender Hugo Rodrigues joins the boys from Portugal along with Tony Pounder, Paul Thorpe and Adi Hopper
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.