Mac Allister delivers after contract demand

0:00The Athletic FC Alright, Ben, Tony Evans here with Walk On You, live a formal podcast from the Athletic. I'm here with James Pearson, Simon Hughes. Well, are we starting to see the beginning of the early age come together? The pool's performance was very good, I thought, against Athletic Hall Madrid. So, we'll discuss that. We'll talk about Alexis McAlister, who also was very good, but his recent comments not so good. And, of course, we'll look ahead to the game against Fulham. No plus to talk about the new shared sponsors. But before that, three words. Say, you must have three post of words. You were there last night. Did you, did you go, you know, semi-only, we're there to do that.

1:02We're you, barricanum, we're you. Yeah, you know, I wasn't quite close enough to achieve that. And it did, it did make me realize that semi-only does a lot of shouting across the pitch when clearly nobody can hear what he's saying. You know, well, he's, because I was probably about 20 yards away from him and I was thinking he could not hear me from where I was. So, there's no way the players can hear him. But he was sort of prowling the technical area, as he always does. But my three words are, Iriola, master, semi-only. And he did, he did James. Similarly, post it from you. Yeah, thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm going with Ronald the Red. Well, that's what we think is what you're saying. Andrey Lam, Marcus Lurion, take again. You know what, when we buy him, I want to eat costs. The rates he scores are downfield. You know, be worth all the money.

2:0331, Sony, 31, isn't he? No way they're put on a sign in. If you're screwing up that rate, so don't care, I want you. But no, you're right, you're right, you're right. Jonathan Daniel Chapman, proper European night. Matthew Harvey, Everton of Madrid. Oh, that's cruel. That's cruel. And from YouTube, Chens Leo 11, Ronald's or Ronaldinho. Graham Morrison, signs of progression. Cassie Fussam, Vett, every penny. Oh, Cassie F. Ponds. I'm just going to have to rule it out next time. So, join our community of listeners on Facebook. Just search, walk on podcast and join the group. It's the defender, follow the way from ESAP. The Callister! It's the Luxus, the Callister, with a Champions League rocket. A Liverpool League tour. James, it was, it was, it was pretty good. Yeah, yeah, you know, when you, when you think that's the first,

3:06first game at Champions League level for Iriola, with a team that, and a squad that you still get into grips with the idea is across two, I think, you know, when you look at the Champions League schedule, it was at letico at home, into a way, you know, the two trickier games out of the eight. And to, and to negotiate one of them with a victory is a, is a fantastic start. I think, you know, that you, there's still room for improvement, of course, it was, it wasn't some like, commanding display that's going to send shockwaves across Europe that Liverpool are back and watch out PSG were coming for your crown. But it was definitely a decent starting point, you know, the fact that, you know, again, you know, you go behind, but they show a lot of resilience to, to come back. And just I think you could see the brand of football, couldn't you? The, how quickly Liverpool were getting it forward. There's still things that need to be worked on. But yeah, in terms of being enjoyable to watch, creating stuff, the pace that,

4:07that's been injected into this team, there's, there's a lot to be buoyant about. Yeah, I mean, I'll tell you what, say, what I'm looking forward to is when every older gets a chance to work with this carer's fella and you know, and improve him. Yeah, I mean, I guess there was a bit of discussion afterwards, wasn't there about how Liverpool conceded, you know, the athletic goal, it was quite a simple goal where they sort of just ran through the team and played it a simple straight, you know, pass into the right side. He's path, but I do think that if a carer's sort of holes his line a little bit better, he's offside. So there's that element to it. I think they didn't get the offside trap, right? I think he could argue around that. But you know, what I will say about carer's is he made the tackle that sort of led to the equaliser, didn't he? He was the one who led the press and made a clean tackle, which is not always a particularly efficient sound.

5:12But generally speaking, I thought it was a performance that showed a bit of energy and confidence, which is what we haven't really seen. It's two basic qualities, you know, the Liverpool's in panic when they went behind, you know, they just sort of, it actually, I would say when they went behind, they started playing a bit better, you know, they responded well to it. And then the second half, I thought it was just a really good European performance where they limited the athletic goal. They barely created an effort and I thought defensively they were really strong and in a tactic, they were dangerous. You know, they, they, they, they played a lot more on the counter, it's acting a lot more direct. They probably a bit more direct than athletic goal, actually, you know, usually semi-ownies teams, semi-ownies teams. I mean, I think it's, it's on kind to say, you know, you sort of a quite direct football sort of slightly more long ball and it's a negative thing, but you know, they've always played decent, you know, they've no one to play. You know, it's a play. So I thought Liverpool were, were, were worthy winners last night.

6:12Yeah, definitely, definitely. And James, Alexis MacAlas to energise, but then after the comments he made earlier in the week about Liverpool not offering them a new contract at this stage, it was, well, it was actually a welcome site. You know, while Alexis, in that contract? Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It is, it is such an interesting topic, isn't it? Because I saw, I saw the, you know, the, some of the reaction onto it online and it shows, it shows like the short termism in, in football these days that, you know, I had people say, you know, it's, yeah, it's a joke, Alexis. You know, why haven't they given you a new contract? And it's like, come off it. Like, you know, did he seriously think he would get a new deal off the back of last season? You know, I think when you, when you kind of critique Richard Hughes' time as Liverpool Sporting Director, I don't think you'd have on the list of things where he went wrong, not giving Alexis MacAlas to a contract extension.

7:16Yeah, well, I mean, this would be the point anyway, wouldn't it where you'd start thinking about it, you know, you, you know, you're down under two years, you know, there's no real mad rush, but you start making, you know, you start discussions about now. Yeah, I think you have to, you have to earn it, don't you? And I think, you know, I know Alexis pointed to the fact that, you know, he said, although I was happy for Ryan Gravenberg and Dominic Zabosly that they got their deals, I was very sad. The Liverpool told me as a club, they weren't in a position to offer me one, but they're completely different situations, aren't they? When you look at, you know, for a start, Gravenberg and Zabosly are both younger, they both had much better seasons than MacAlas the last season. I mean, MacAlas is also, it'll be, it'll be 28 in December. So he's still got two years left in his deal that takes him up close to his 30th birthday. He's also won decent money as it is because because he had a low release clause at Brighton, only cost 35 million pound in 2023. It meant that, you know, he did very well on in terms of personal terms. So, yeah, I don't have a problem with it because I always like it when players come out and say interesting things and create things that we can talk about and write about.

8:30So I certainly wouldn't criticize him. I mean, I've lost count of how many probably if you taught it up how many days of my life I've wasted sat in really mundane champions league press conferences where the best you can offer up to the desk afterwards is such and such things is going to be a really difficult game against such and such tomorrow night. So for him to come out and say that, you know, and he clearly he clearly want to get off his chest. He could have, he could have I saw some people saying, oh, you know, it was a disgrace, you know, continuing to ask him about that. But he was a man who had something he wanted to say he could have easily shut down and said said, no, no, I never thought about leaving in the summer. You know, I love this club and that's the end of it. You know, but he wanted to get it off his chest and you know what, when you're playing when you're playing for a contract and playing for your future like years this season, it tends to focus minds when you think back to Salah two years ago and and what he did on route to Liverpool, winning the title. If Alexis McAllister's got a bit of a rocket rocket up his backside this season and it's going out there every week thinking, oh, bloody show you, you know, you know, that you should you should give me what I want in terms of an extension.

9:43Then I'm all for that because Liverpool will benefit. Yeah, definitely. I mean, say, and no, there's got performances all over the pitch to be honest, you know, we could praise them. Virtue plays well, back on the plays well, you know, hints of much better to come, but you know what, I know you're a big fan of roll ball cops and in this case, we should say, guard the civil defenders, you know, and they have seen, you know, our who he was fantastic was the again brilliance. Really, really good performance and again, I was in the lower main stands, so I could see quite close up your stay in terms of just his position and, you know, his physicality, the way you use the ball as well. I mean, I was going to have my three words big wrong from the swan. Do I need to explain that? I don't know. That's five words. I was sorry, of course, massive, strong points and it was English as well.

10:43I was a reference to Ron Atkinson when when there was a suggestion, when he got sucked by Manchester United, and of course, you know, it's a big rum from all swan sign and on. And he became a, you know, a scouter man, a Manchester United, he became a bit of a, well, not quite a heap figure, but like a geoproger, there was another famous banner, which just said, Atkinson's long leather, because he was, he was this real young sort of ankle length leather coat. And there's a famous picture Tony isn't there of him arrive and add a match between Liverpool and United's at Amfields and it's snowing and he's being pelted by snowballs. It's one of the grace, graceous pictures. So yeah, you're on Atkinson born and all swan, which is just not too far away from Amfields actually, but ends up managing Mania Nices. Anyway, let's go back to Aralpy. And he's talking about the same. But yeah, I thought he was axons again, you know, I, I've been really surprised I have to say, I didn't think he'd come in and I'm playing with the level of confidence that he has.

11:49Well, I mean, he's got a love experience. I mean, he does. He's playing those streams. Yeah, he does. He's plays in good teams. He's obviously won the league a couple of times. He doesn't even Barcelona. He was a key player for them for quite a long time. And then as obviously just falling away a little bit, but you know, given that given some of the problems that he's had, I thought you've come into a new country, new dressing room with the team isn't being doing that well, lots of transition. But he's come in with a plays with huge authority in both games. And arguably better last night because you know, you come on up against a better quality opponent. He showed off two or three players really down that side of the pitch. I thought it was really telling the semi only decided to make two changes on the athletic whole left side because it wasn't where can he just win so to get him past him. So yeah, I mean, I think defensively position and very good. Height, you know, very good in the air. And equally what are what are what stress is that there's been a bit of talk about him always not being that so good on the ball.

12:50But I think what he is actually really good at is just doing the simple things really aggressively. You know, what doesn't mess around one of the blinds, at least we've gone down and modern football is this. Oh, defender to go because on the ball and at the expense of defending and you know what's right. It's early days isn't it sony it's early days it's early days, but what you just job should be where he did get the ball win the ball and give it to someone who can play quickly. Yeah, well, and he did just just just just just finally telling the one thing that I really liked about him and I don't know whether this just picks up on camera all the time. I probably did a few times, but he made a lot of like sort of blocks and the sort of things that you'd expect him to do you know a functioning defender to do but he was like properly clenching his fist like really enjoying that size of the game and we haven't seen enough of that from Liverpool. I mean, I think for too long Liverpool as a team of defender like it's a chore to be honest, you don't enjoy your own back. Where's he likes it, you know, we really likes it. And I think that can be infectious because I could see the other players like reactants of that, you know, like fans, I was over soon.

13:53You know, Jacques, Jacques, by the way, has another good game. I think he looks like a really, really good player, really good and alongside as a Rao, I think that only helps him because you've got a bit of experience, a bit of physicality, all the things that you said. So yeah, let's see. I mean, early days, but I think he started really positively. You know what, it's early days, but he's already Liverpool's best loan signing for nearly 20 years. I wrote about him when I got back last night and you suddenly think back and you go well, after mellow, Ozan Kabak, Stephen Corker, Zavi Manquillo, Victor Moses, Ali Sazoko, Nuri Sahin and Emiliano and Sua. You actually have to go back to Zavi, a Maserano. You have to go back to Maserano, obviously joined initially on loan from West Ham in 2007 before it was made permanent later for someone who actually gave Liverpool some genuine value after joining on loan. I really like him. As Simon said, it is early days. It's two games, but yeah, there was one moment picking up on what Simon said.

15:01I think he blocked that cross beneath of Lookman about midway through the second half and it was like two clenched fists and then went to like fist pump baller, and like, and it's size right. The, you know, seeing someone who loves defending, it is such a welcome thing and he's injected solidity, like physicality, composure to that back line, you know, the wealth of experience, the fact he can play center off and right back. I was actually speaking to a few people about him yesterday and he's really thrown himself into it in terms of, you know, even though it's only alone, you know, he's been house hunting, he's found a house. Not not too far away from living, not in, not in old swan, but you know, he's moved over with his wife and his two young daughters. He's, he's having English lessons because he doesn't speak any English. Yeah, he's having English lessons at the club. He's also got an English tutor. So he's having extra lessons at home as well. You know, because of the language situation, you know, Muneoz and McHallister have been a big help to him.

16:07So in his early weeks at the club and then, you know, also he speaks Portuguese, so that helps with with Alison, but yeah, there's a lot to, there's a lot to like and, you know, he is when you look at his career, you know, he's like Barcelona captain played over 200 games for them. You know, he actually played him featured in both legs against that letico in the quarter final, the Champions League last season. You know, he's been very open and honest about. He's had issues that, you know, Barcelona gave him a leave of absence last season, you know, as a result of his, his mental health, but he was really keen to join Liverpool. You know, he had a fair bit of interest when it became clear. They were willing to sanction alone, but yeah, he was dead set on Liverpool when, when he realized that was an opportunity for him. He's absolutely thrown himself into it so far. Obviously, as far too early to say, you know, people have seen people saying already just buy him. You just got to buy him because there's the option to buy for 47 million pound next summer.

17:11You know, obviously that's not going to happen in September, but if he maintains the levels that he showed, then he almost makes that a very, very easy decision to make. Definitely, definitely. And you know what? I love the all frisk bump and it reminds me of the Creek Joey Jones who struggles with English as well. You're listening to Walk On. Anyway, saying, we've got to talk about the attack and departments. The signs that this ESABAR COLA VET combination might be, you know, it might be scaring people. I mean, I don't think it will be, you know, the, you know, Liverpool's grape from three, you know, you never know, you never know. Underclub, boss, boss, you know, encouraging, encouraging. Again, encouraging, I mean, Barclay clearly isn't fit yet fully fit, but he is so fast. I mean, you know, they haven't had pace like that in attacks since the early days of Salah. Really, you know, when he was at his, at his most wrappers.

18:25And I think he'll, he'll be a good son and for Liverpool, you can tell already, you know, I know we missed that one-on-one chance. Which he should have scored, but he was just a threat every time he got the ball. He quicks, I make decisions. He made good decisions, you know, bring another teammate into play. I think it helped explain VET's performance as well. I thought you've got to top up on them, haven't you? You've got allocates and midfields as a keeper now, you know. Yeah, and they did that which created space for VET. So all these things contribute. You know, so I thought VETs again was good. I think it's really encouraging that he is lasting longer into games. He has done the last two games. You know, Iriola seems to be to believe in him. You know, it's like, no, you're not going to be the first place. It'd be substituted. You're staying on in so pretty much the ends. And I just think it was good without the ball last night VET. I mean, you said before we started the podcast, Sonya, you might be better in your, but I just think football people forget such a confidence is such a big thing.

19:34No matter how much you cost, no matter how talented you are, if you're not quite feeling yourself, it shows on a football pitch and he seems to be getting confidence and more confidence and more confidence. And I do think he's going in the right direction. And I think the more he plays with Barclay, the more ease that plays, you know, we'll see a better version of him. He's still not the sort of player who's going to totally take the game by the screw for the neck. I think he's not that sort of player. Maybe he'd expect that for the morning, but I do think that over a long period of time, if he keeps playing and keeps getting that understanding of the players around him, he'll start influencing games more and we'll be like, oh, we see it a bit more now. There'll be, there'll be lots of space with the other two. James, the way every owner's using these are, you know, particularly against a stronger team. See, I mean, does he any insights into that watching live? I think what struck me most was how much happier and more involved ESAC is with pace and dynamism either side of it.

20:39I didn't think he had a particularly eye catching game ESAC, but he still occupied defenders and he still, his movement was good, he created space for others. I think, you know, he didn't really have many chances to do ESAC, I think, think of one where, you know, it was blocked just as he got the shot away, but, you know, you can see that he's getting so much more confident in himself. That's what I was saying about, you know, about all the defenders have to account for him. They can't just, you know, they can't let him roam. And so that just so happens, the areas and, you know, behind them up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and at times it was a joy to watch and our refreshing is it to see Liverpool doing things at pace because that was, that was one of the most painful things of how last season felt a piece. The fact that there was no conviction that so often it was sideways sideways sideways, no one wanting to take risks, no one wanting to really, really go at an opponent and be dynamic.

21:50And now, you know, ESAC aside from the fact that clearly in a, in a, on a personal level, he's now got that confidence back in his body and feels good and he's had a proper preseason and, you know, he scored a couple of goals that it switching everything else. But it must be great for him when you look to one side and you got Rio and Gamora, I thought did did very well against that let's go good to see him back in the side and on the other side, you got Barcola, who yeah, he should have scored. I mean, he should have been, it should have been probably should probably should have been talking about him more today because I think if he tucks away that one on one in front of the cop, then, you know, it becomes one of those debuts that home debuts that you that you really remember. But, but yeah, just, just, you know, just watching Barcola, you can see already what he's going to give this team and it's, you know, there was obviously a fair bit of concern when Barcola went off. What was it about the hour mark? Initially, I thought he might have done his calf because he kind of went down, kind of holding the back. Yeah, yeah, and then, you know, and you're thinking, oh god, you know, because I think 60 minutes he would have been on the absolute kind of getting to the maximum of what they would have had in mind from

22:59anyway on his first start, given he he's had so little football in the last six or seven weeks. But thankfully, Eriola said afterwards, yeah, just cramp. That he doesn't think it's anything more serious than that. Same with Kirk, as you went off, he also said Cody gagpo, who wasn't involved. Of course, it was at a great start to the season. He said he had a minor groin issue that they'll have to wait and see whether he's fit for Saturday's visit of full and he's just got great options, isn't he? When you when you think how stale and one dimensional that attack was last season for so long and now you look at it and you think, well, you take gagpo out, you bring in Rio and Gamma, you bring in, you know, Barcola, it's he's got he's got some love the options there and Hugo, that he can return to return hopefully in the coming months. Yeah, I mean, you know, there is a bit of, you know, you're in the rollercoaster results, you know, when we were saying, the squad is so thin and now we say, I've got loads of options, you know, it happens, you know, it's him, and it's just the way it goes, but I would say that, you know, bar and the way to look at now bar and injuries to say,

24:13IZAR, which would not be very good, you know at all, and you know, as long as the likes of gagpo, when you got minor knocks and we'll be back quickly, I think it's looking, you know, pretty encouraging and I was hope that, you know, this progression can be maintained so yeah, yeah, I think it's hard, say, to find too many criticisms about last night, I mean, if you want to, if you want to micromanage every individual, but I'm not sure, I'm not sure. It can be, you know, you can pick out negatives, but the overall, you know, and, and you know what, sailor out, guess, I am. You know, overall, I'm thinking, yeah, this is much better than perhaps our eventantist basis. Well, we, we, I suppose we know better than anyone, how difficult a game athletic home Madrid is, you know, Liverpool, I've always had to fight, but I would have to make the spirit. Well, we, we, I suppose we know better than anyone how difficult a game Athletic Home Madrid is. You know Liverpool have always had to fight against them, you know, one way they might not always, you know, pose an obvious threat as such because because one of those

25:14teams that will just sort of pick your pockets and if you're not quite on it. And they did you know, way on Athletic Home with Thoughty with Goods the first half Athletic Home. But you've got to be on it. You've got to be off for a fight. You've got to, you know, you've got to be aggressive. And what, what I was impressed with more last night, you know, Liverpool off the ball. And it goes back to, you know, the conversation about the Cal Athletic Athlete was outstanding last night. I thought, I thought both games Ipswich and, and Athletic, we over the two games, he's probably being Liverpool's best player in those two games, you know. And he set the tone for just winning the ball back quick, doing stuff quickly. It's like watching a totally, totally different player. And you know, you know, what was quite interesting last night is, I mean, we got obsessed by obsession, possession stats, don't we? And Liverpool only have 44% of the ball last night. But no one's talking about it because it felt like, you know, you know, it was, it was true. You know, it only has one half of the stories. It was Liverpool. We're very aggressive with what they did. They got the ball for the look, they're interesting at

26:15tack. So yeah, I mean, there's a lot to be excited about. They've got full of months as a team. It's not sad for the season. Well, you know, suddenly, you know, the, the so see, it could open up a bit of a run. Yeah, if, if, you know, if they play it right. Well, James, Liverpool have gone you share sponsor next season. And they believe it's the most lucrative front of shares only commercial deal. I love things like that. You know, it's we've won the, we've won the front of share league. It appears, but you're, you're never sing that. Yeah. But yeah, tell us all about it. Yeah. Five year contract with Turkish Airways worth more than 300 million pounds. That's going to start summer of 2027. As you said, Liverpool believe it is the biggest of its type. I think when you, when you look at kind of comparisons, can be a little bit tricky because, you know, for example, Emirates, the, the, obviously,

27:16have the deal with Arsenal, that that's they also have the, the name in rights. You know, you ettiad, obviously, with Manchester City. But this, yeah, this is solely just, just front of share. And, and, and they seem, they seem very happy with it in terms of thinking underlines the commercial appeal of the club. Globally, it ends standard charted 17 year reign as, as the, kind of, the branding on the front of the shirts. I think, I know, I know that is crazy. And only the sixth ever in Liverpool's history after Hitachi, Crown paints, candy, Cosburg, standard charted and now, and now Turkish Airways. So, so, yeah, it's, it's a mega, it's a mega deal that was negotiated by Ben Latte, who's the chief commercial officer. I think,

28:18when I did an interview with him on the tour of the US back in July and it was pretty clear then when he said they were talking to brands across the market that, that standard charted were going to step aside, you know, they're actually staying on board. They've agreed a contract to remain as a, as a global partner. So, the link with standard charted would will be there, but on a, on a lesser level. And then, yeah, I think the other, the other bit of detail was the, obviously Liverpool have an existing deal with Japan Airlines, but that actually expires at the end of this season before the Turkish Airways one starts. So, you know, there's no, there's no issues on that front. Oh, well, I'm glad to hear that. I'm glad to. I know you'd be, you'll be, you'll be relieved, weren't you? I know you were worried about how dynamic it was going to work. Yeah, you know, I thought that might have been trouble there. You know, I mean, can you imagine the Japan Airlines Ultras will look so ambush the, you know, the Turkish Airways. Well, somebody, well, somebody please think of Gerudo. Those are the days that just reminds me of, because like the,

29:25the, I know, I know it doesn't interest everyone, but when you look at where Liverpool are at as a club now to go and get a deal like this off the back of other deals, like the blue chip firms that they'd brought on board. It wasn't that long ago that I remember being at the Liverpool Echo writing stories about, you know, some, some dodgy betting site somewhere that there was a deal with that were that had cock fighting streams on their website and having to like distance themselves from that. And then there was allegations of, there was allegations of, I think it was monkey cruelty linked to coconut water. And you know, they, so Liverpool are now on a whole different level when you're talking about deals with Google Pixel and UPS and, and you know, the Adidas kit deal and now Turkish Airlines, it does underline where, where they're at as a, as a club at the minute.

30:30Well, say, full of three o'clock and wheels on a sati. Oh, it's, you know, it's like a throwback, I mean, you've got a three o'clock kickoff. You'd expect them to come out wearing crown paints on the front. Nice, nice, I got you. Yeah, I was thinking about this on my way on last night and my thoughts led me back to the full home game last season, you know, towards the back end of the season where Liverpool did win the game, but it was just a cold, blustery day where I came away from the game just, I was just thinking this is, it was pretty painful that really, even though they won the game, that was one of the occasions where they actually made quite light work. If it but it still just, it just wasn't, the atmosphere just wasn't nice, put it that way. I'm not saying everything could change because it hasn't, you know, it wouldn't take much for, for sort of people to get fidgety again, I think, but nevertheless, you know, Liverpool have hit a nice little spot, you

31:34know, in the space of a week really, I mean, maybe we, maybe we can sort of be guilty of being a little bit over-positive because it's Liverpool haven't played with a great deal of aggression and a great deal of energy for such a long time. We frequently get accused of being overly negative. So, you know, well, and that was a very positivity, please. Well, this is the thing, I, the football that I've seen the last two games and the way they've won, not the football, but it's more the, more the, the attitudes, you know, that the players have had and that's like the, the, the, the, the, the, the speeds at which the player in that speed, exactly. So, it goes back to what I was saying about a Raoho, like, I always remember Steven Gerard talking about like his ability to pass the ball. Yes, he has a great passion range, but he's, he, he passed the ball so quick, you know, so fast, he'd fizz the, he'd test his teammates with it and a Raoho does a bit of that. A Raoho likes that, you know, you can tell. It's not like a hand grenade has gone off, you will quickly move the ball onto somebody else. So, you need that and it's a

32:39source of thing that you can, you can buy in, so you think so, bit of spirits, bit of, you know, bit of aggression. James, have you ever seen Sai so in fatuaries with a single player? He just, he can't stop talking about big wrong guy, I mean, he's like, you know, maybe he is comparing them to Steven Gerard's, I mean, I mean, I mean, I'm not, I mean, this is, I'm not comparing to Gerard. I mean, that, I said, that assist was exquisite, we haven't even spoken about that, I know. I know. We should have devoted some time to that. Yeah. I mean, it's a bit of a meacolper from me because I, I said after the forest came, well, there's no way you can play right back. You know, it shows you what I know, but, but he's just, I think if the, if you play it that way, you know, where he's almost like a third-centred half, I think it works for Liverpool. It's what they need initially at this moment and time. You know, particularly if you get like, you know, a fast, right-footed winger in front of him, which, which they did yesterday and, you know, at the moment, it looks like it could be, well, so far this season, he's had gapo, muna's, ingamoa, and barcle,

33:43there's sorts of playing in that area. And I think, I think with, with him there, it just gives him the security. I just, you know, I like, maybe, maybe it's a bit of all, a bit of all fashionable. I like seeing a big physical scene, like, representing Liverpool, like, I too was, like, I, I, I, I, I think, you know, it does help. You've obviously got to be able to play, but yeah, I'd be really interested on, on, on Saturday because full of them, I made a bit of a dodgy start. I'm hearing some hot, two positive things about the way, Liverpool's former player, Alvaro, Arbor Lauer is, is managing the team there. So he's under a little bit of pressure already. I can't believe he's a manager, by the way. I can't believe, is it, it is strange, isn't it? Alonzo, a Chelsea, Arbor Lauer, at full of what next, you know, ensue it a child's an athletic. Yeah, I mean, it's, I mean, you think, yeah, full of them, obviously, I've been there, they've ever seen, coming to Liverpool in this form, but actually,

34:44not gonna follow them's performances, they've leaked goals and they seem over anxious, but they do have spells where they've looked reasonable. Yeah, yeah, I, do you know what, they, I saw a fair bit of their game against Palace actually last weekend when they, they led twice and ended up messing it up and losing three, two, good going forward, but really vulnerable, defensively. And similar against Chelsea, they're when they lost at home to Chelsea, I thought they did, they did a fair amount of good things in that game, but again, just, just would, were done by, by vulnerabilities at the back and you do, you do already, I fear for Arbor Lauer in terms of who's gonna win the sack race this season because, you know, I heard there was, there was booze going around Craven Cottage last weekend after that narrow defeat to Palace. You know, it felt like a real gamble, didn't it, that appointment because, you know, and I think you almost like give him a bit of a free pass over what happened at Real Madrid because it's

35:46Real Madrid, you know, it's a basket case of a club, dysfunctional, trying to go in there, after what had happened with the Lanzo last season, you know, never gonna be easy, but prior to that, you know, he'd kind of cut his teeth in a youth environment, the Premier League is very different. And then I also don't think Fulham Squad is particularly great. I think Josh King is a really talented young player, love watching in play and he's got the potential to hurt Liverpool if, if they're not solid enough on Saturday, but yeah, it feels like a good game for Liverpool, you know, coming off the back of, you know, a quick turn around with the European game, fascinated to see because it is the first time isn't it, the Iriola, it finds himself in this situation as a manager where you've got really, you know, energy sapping midweek Champions League and then very little time to prepare for this for a Saturday, three o'clock. What are we going to see in terms of rotation? You know, just grab him, but come into that midfield, you know,

36:51Munoz, you'd have thought would make sense to start him. He only had a brief cameo didn't he against Athletico, you know, Kirk is went off again, he said it was cramped, but you know, it's in general, he wasn't great again, so do you almost think, well, maybe do you give him a breather and play, play Sima Cassell, you know, it's, you know, Trey and Yoni, does he come into his thoughts as well? So yeah, he does have some, some decent options, but just picking up on what Sais said about Aralho, the other thing that I noticed was in the first two games, both Newcastle and Forest, targeted balls to the back post because they, they knew that, you know, with Frimpong being about as tall as I am, that was, that was somewhere that they could have a lot of joy against and, you know, and that was a problem. Suddenly opponents are sticking it up towards the back stick when you've got that big hole, can you're a guy and waiting to, to head it away to safety? And yeah, although I, although I actually, being really old and boring, I appreciated more everything

37:53he did defensively, the, the, the assist was absolutely exquisite. I know Zabaz, like, joked afterwards, you know, I don't know whether he meant it, you'll have to ask him, well, he definitely did. He definitely did mean it. It was, and it was, that was such a key moment in the game as well, wouldn't it, five minutes before half time, you know, who knows if Liverpool had gone in still one they'll down, it could have been different, but it, that moment and Zabaz, like, come finish, just transform the mood. Yeah, it is, it is. I mean, Sais, this two games a week stuff, you know, area all this, you know, I have to deal with, I mean, is the element this week like where he's like, lads of tunny for them? Well, I'm glad to brought some unpacks, because we haven't, I guess, really spoken about him and his role last night. You know, it was a, I think Jamie Caligas said afterwards, you know, it was a, it was a really big night for him, wasn't it, you know, to, to play his first European match at home, for Liverpool, against Simione who has, has been to two finals, one of the most established managers in Europe, you know, always very difficult

38:59to manage against him. And area all the came out afterwards, and he said that, you know, they played in it with a shape that we didn't expect. I think this season, athletics called, largely being 442, they were, they were sort of three or five across the back last night. Very different system and that sort of caught the mouth a little bit, it was quite interesting to hear that. It did feel like he made little changes in game, you know, we saw lads of Zobbislay, shows a government back into the defence to receive the ball, as the game went on, he was, shows a little bit more discipline than in the, in the central areas, thought that was interesting. And, you know, this is, this is going to be the task for him, I guess, you know, week after week. At the moment, he's still trying to, of course, get players like, barcola up to speeds is, I think he's obviously mindful of his, I can bet, since he's on how many minutes they can play, but I've been encouraged by the fact he doesn't seem too bothered about minutes as such, you know, and I'll ask nice, it did feel like he decided on

39:5960 minutes, that two wingers are probably going to come off because, you know, that they haven't had many minutes at the moments. And I actually, that decision was an inspired one, because I think the changes help Liverpool a little bit in that moments. But I'm quite glad to see that he's given the exact minutes on the pitch. I think sometimes when there's, it's a very fine balance to be had, isn't it, between deciding whether to push them a little bit further or hold them back, because sometimes when you hold them back, it can have a negative effect on the confidence on, on the durability in the next game, what he seems to be getting that right at the moment. So, I don't think he'll make many changes for the full game. Cabana, I think what Spirz, I mean, the league cup, yes, we want to see Liverpool get into that, but I suspect he'll just treat it like all the managers, the closer they get to the final, they become more serious. And I totally understand that, you know, Liverpool don't have a huge squad. That was the other thing that I really noticed last night. That's going to do. So, I've got a big squad of players, lots of experience in that team. Huge experience, I've formed fields on the bench, you know, good top class midfielders,

41:03a couple of them came on. You know, they've spent a lot of money on, so that's what they're up against, you know, they've made this decision. I'm going to go big on the source of the individual star, quality, if you feel, if you keep fit, can really prepare Liverpool, other clubs have gone bigger on the squads. And, you know, that was evident last night again. So, I don't think he has a huge range of players to say, well, actually we're going to make loads of changes for the full game. I think, you know, if Barclays fit, I think he should start. I'd like to see more of him. I think I'm field wants to see more of him. But I think there's a situation with it being the league cup. You can say it's almost like a free week. Before we go, if you're an NFL fan, the athletic has something really exciting starting this week. The athletic live presented by Google Gemini is a brand new YouTube watcher long gone NFL game days featuring the biggest and best beat reporters, the athletic has to offer. You can even become part of the show in the interactive chat on YouTube. Well, I'm going to be doing that because I'm a jet fan for me since. And,

42:05you know, I want to join in the fun. It's all start on September the 8th. Get involved. And that's it for this episode of WarCon. Thanks to James, thanks to Simon and thanks to you for listening. We'll be back on Monday. Hopefully with three points in the bag. You've been listening to WarCon from the Athletic FC. For more great football podcasts like this one, including the Athletic FC podcast, the Totally Football Show and our dedicated tactics show, search for the athletic in all the usual places. WarCon is an athletic media company production.