How Good Are England? Trent Regret & Was Saka Rushed Back? | Stick to Football 138

Hello.Hello, how are we doing?I've actually missed you.

I've missed you.Here's a flat white for you.Oh my God, you look best.

Oh, Jo, you're here.

I'll give you a hug.I'm a hugger.I'm a hugger.I'm actually with you.

How are you?How are you?Are you OK?Are you good, Jill?

Yeah.

You look bronzed.

Do you think?Yeah.It's been hot in the garden.Yeah.It has.I haven't been...

Nice kit, nice kit.

No, you're good you can pull it off Jill he's okay No, I'm fine.Yeah fine got here last night, but it was about 8 o 'clock But obviously it was like 2 o 'clock in the morning for me So I just had an early night got up at 5 went for a coffee.Yeah, I'm good.I'm good How's it been been good?

Yeah?We're actually halfway through, aren't we, now, I think?Yeah, this is the halfway point.

This 6 of 12, this one now.

Oh, my God.

It's not bad.

No.He's enjoying all the, like, coverage and everything, doing the games.It's good.

Yeah, the games are good.

My whole plan was obviously to go to the game, but because of my grandma and everything, I had to change everything.

So you didn't go to the game this day?

No, because I could only...Cos we had the funeral on Friday, so I had to fly Saturday.Right.So the girls were messaging us and they were like, Well, we'll meet up after.And I was thinking, oh, my God, I couldn't think of anything worse.I might have definitely got all...

We'll go up to the boxing or something.

Oh, yeah, yeah.They went to watch Ben Whittaker.He was on here the other day.

Oh, was it him?

Did he win?Oh, yeah.They just showed him the punch.It was a hell of a punch.

Oh, was it?What, one punch knockout?Yeah, like, he ducks and just goes like that.

Second...He knocked him down in the first as well.He's basically done in the first, to be honest.He's won his last three fights before that in the first round.God.

I don't know a lot about boxing, but he had a lot of followers when I clicked on him.

He's going to headline in Birmingham, he said, in October.

Oh, is he?

It's interesting when you say you don't know a lot about boxing, but it doesn't stop you talking about football, does it?

Yeah.I've missed Roy.Thanks for that.

There you go.

I was so happy to see you.First round knockout, that, Gill.I know, I know, I know.Don't worry, I'll get him back.I'll think of something.Yes, righty.

Hello.Missed you.Are you OK?

Yeah, I'm a little bit.

Good, good, yeah, good.Youse all look well.You've been having a jolly up?What youse been, like, up to?What youse been doing?Not much, really.

Have we?Did you go to the Hamptons?Do you know what we wore?

Yeah, we did.No, the first week was hectic, but the last few days, we did get by it.Did you not get by it?You did.You couldn't come and do something?Yeah, of course.

You worry about it?

Did you play golf?

I did.I watched.

Oh.What, were you driving the buggy?

No, no, I walked all the way around.

Did you?

I was tired after, yeah.Talk about golf.I wasn't even playing.Did a guy say 7 .5, 8 miles the course?

Did you play 18 holes?And you just walked round?Without the dog?Just literally walked.

It's a nice walk, yeah?Lovely.I want to play, gal.I went down to see the first tee -off.That was my plan.I was going to go and get some tea and coffee.

And they teed off and I went, I'll just carry on.

The whole way?Who were you playing with?

Shane Lowry and then a few other people from the company that we're for.

I actually want to go to the Hamptons, it looks cool.Did you drive it?

We...Yeah.It was a long journey back though, wasn't it?

It was a long journey back.

Well, you got a driver.

Wow, that's a long way.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.You can get them zip cars, you know, where you just go and unlock it and drive.

I was sitting in the back of the car, I felt like it was like five in the morning and I'd been drinking.I'm in the back of the car and I was sliding around and I was like, oh, not good.

It's hard, isn't it, getting driven to the Hamptons and back.

You were watching videos and they were so loud, you were like laughing videos.He was just laughing in the back of his own.Maybe that's why I've got a bit of a sore throat.sickly, you know, when you're watching something in the back of your own.

That's the worst thing to do.

Your joke factory thing was the jokes.

He's probably watching clips of himself back off the Overlap.

No, the best joke.You've got to do that joke today.

Do you know what a hamster is?

No, that was one of the splits.I don't know if we're doing that later.

Has anyone else heard this slang word for...A Hampton?Or is it a North -East thing?It's a slang word for a penis, isn't it?

Is it?Yeah.Have you heard it?Yeah, I've heard it.Yeah, OK. I thought I was going to...Hampton Wick.

Have you never heard it?

Hampton Wick prick, innit?

Oh, that's...

What's a Hampton Wick?Whatever a Hampton Wick is, but...What is a Hampton Wick, though?It's a place, isn't it?It's a place, isn't it?Hampton Wick is a place, yeah.

Yeah.Cos I always hear, like, he's got a right Hampton.No, I do, but I thought...

Keep talking about me again.

No, that won't be.He is a light hunter.No, I've definitely heard it.

What about the challenge, Jill?How's your body?Has it recovered?Well done, Jill.Thank you.

You know what?I didn't get emotional the whole way, and then I seen your little clip of it and I nearly cried.Thanks for your kind words.

That must have been tough, Jill.It must have been easy enough, though, wasn't it?

You know what was so good?Were you a bitch?I tore my hamstring on the second day.Wow.Was that running, obviously?On the bike.

You know, when you stand up on the bike, it was right in the back of my knee.Yeah, that's hard.You tore it, you carried on.Yeah, but I had a cooler bike.

If you slip, if you do it wrong, yeah, there is a bike you can get in there.

But by the time I did it, so the first day, after the first two days, I'd done 220 miles on the bike.So I think it was like a new thing.And then had to run the 38 miles the day after.But what happened was, I was running.If you ever ride your hamstring, so you run like a hamstring.front of your foot.

So my toe, oh God, it's all infected.Oh, it's horrible.Horrible.And I've got like, cause I was sat on the bike seat for so long.No comments, but I'm still numb in places like three weeks later.

So I'm hoping - Didn't you have one of those soft seats, Jo?Those gel seats?

Didn't you get one in the end?Yeah, but it's still low when you've done so many miles.

What was the hardest bit, Jo?

Well, the 38 miles, I had 12 miles left, and I stopped at this pit stop.So you finished a marathon.And Jess Ennis walks out, and she's like, I'm running with you now.And I was like, oh my.I was so happy she was there.But that is one person you don't want to be greeted by when you're absolutely knackered.

Did you have to run for another what?

12 miles and then I think it was the bike again, 100, which was through the Yorkshire Dales, which was quite an incline, and then finish with a marathon.But you know what?You know you see a lot of bad stuff in the news, and I know there is bad things going on in the world, but everyone was so lovely.I'm going through these villages and old women are giving us satsumas.All the schools have made posters.I was actually enjoying it in a weird way.

It's called, like, type 2 fun when you're in pain but you're enjoying it.

He doesn't know about it and Roy doesn't know about type 2 fun.

This episode of Stick To Football is brought to you by Skybet.Before we kick off the show, I want to say a huge thank you to our partner, Skybet, who've helped bring you Stick To Football throughout this tournament.Make sure you've liked and subscribed.You do not want to miss what's coming next.

Of course you look at him.He's not going to be the same.He's going to be mental as well as physical.It could be, Roy, but it is something, because I think that this guy needs a rest break.I think Declan's not a million miles away from the same thing.

Absolutely no chance of Semmy winning, beating Argentina to play in the Semmys.I just can't see it.That is a worry going into a knockout.You could have it worked out by using a knockout.What's the big worry?Who's the next coach of Scotland?

He's just thrown it right in the deep end there, because there isn't anybody.

Duncan, you can do it.

Well, they can phone me if they want.

Who is next?

If we go to Brazil, I think we can beat Brazil and then I think we'll probably have problems after that.

I always hear, like, he's got a right Hampton.No, I do, but I thought...

People talking about me again?

No, that would be, he is a right Hampton.

We've got a packed show, we've got England, and then we've got Duncan Ferguson coming in.Yeah, Duncan's coming in, good.Let's talk about Scotland.I like Duncan.

I've just seen him in...

So England, where are we?We've come out of a group, we're top of the group, and I feel like at the moment everyone's in that position, are we good, are we bad, are we in a good place, are we in a bad place?We're always in that position in England.And we're always a little bit like that, aren't we?And it just feels like we don't want to commit to, I'm not sure this is right and I'm not sure that is right.So let's do glass half full and glass half empty.

The glass half full, what are the positives out of the group?Probably Jude and Harris.

Yeah.Jude.Harry scoring.And they topped the group.And they topped the group.But I can't remember too many tournaments where England play where you're not feeling like...

That's normal.Yeah, I feel like that's normal.But it is...What I would say, Roy, there is a lot of people that are not up to speed, like our wingers at the moment.And the way that we depend on the wingers doing well, they're not playing well enough and that needs to happen quickly.

You'd have thought at least one of them would be like, right, he's playing for definite.but like there's none of them at the moment.

stay on the positive for now though, in terms of Jude, when you think about Jude particularly, I know Harry scores, but Harry does score, we take it for granted that he scores, but you think about Jude, like before the tournament.I mean, I go back six, seven, eight months when we were doing that show and there was sort of a massive...Remember?There was a massive issue with Jude Broome, with Thomas Tukul, with the media, it was a massive story.I mean, it seems ridiculous, doesn't it, the sort of suggestion.

Yeah, but he's embarrassed them now.He's embarrassed, especially all those journalists that were coming.He's embarrassed because we were talking about the fact that what he brings to that team and his confidence and how he lifts the team up and he will be that guy when you need him to step up and do it.He's done that.But is he embarrassed?I just think some lads are just confirming what we knew.

But it's the discourse that they were trying to build around in their narrative.

How many times has that happened with England players over the last 20, 30 years?They will maybe go after somebody for different reasons.Jude was a bit, he's too cocky, he's a bit full of himself.There was an element to that, kind of criticism.But, well, I'm really top here.I was going to just turn up.

What struck me in the first half, watching the game with you yesterday, was that you kept saying in the first half, when England weren't playing very well, to be fair, you kept saying that Jude Bellingham, the amount of tackles he was putting in, and you were impressed with him in it.

I was, yeah, because I think sometimes you can lead in different ways.So we automatically thought, of course, he'd done the business in the second half with his quality player in possession.But as we know, the important part of football is what you do out of possession.And I think he just kept that momentum and I think that will lift players and even the manager.I guarantee the manager half -time would be looking at him going, listen, we know you're a talented player, but I bet you would have been loving seeing that side to it.And we've seen a few clips in the other games of that as well, but particularly yesterday, there was two or three times where he hunted somebody down and got the ball back, you went, wow.

Your qualities there, that will come out in the second half.But to show that bit, yeah.You look like he's joined being more involved.I think so.the game.I think so.

I don't know, right, he'd taken responsibility, I think.Kind of grown with it, where you go, there was doubts a few months ago about your, obviously, mood, or whatever might be in the camp, and all of a sudden you turn up and you go, yeah, turn up.

Well, Thomas Tuchel created a bit of that himself, didn't he?Oh, 100%.By the words he used about you, to be fair.Yeah, of course.I mean, it wasn't just a sort of no smoke without fire, there was some smoke.

Well, I get that, but I think the managers, all sorts of managers can fire you up in different ways, and I think that fired him.Well, obviously, it would do.We left him out.We left him out and what happens to managers, what happens to players?Even the great players, we were talking about Ronaldo last week.All of a sudden people criticise and these lads just respond.

But he looks the real deal, Jude.

Yeah, midfielder, I think at international level you need somebody.The one thing that I was worrying about was if Anderson was playing that role on his own with obviously Morgan Rodgers and Bellingham a bit higher.But I think he was doing kind of both jobs.And what I liked about Jude was his runs kind of in behind as well, just stretching them a bit more.

Yeah, we mentioned that.And I think that role with Bellingham yesterday with Anderson, because sometimes when Anderson and Rice are in there, They're getting in, they're having little passes between them.It was Anderson yesterday, he was getting his head up and obviously Bellingham's thinking, I'm getting forward.That's what we saw for the first goal.You can't beat a midfielder if he sees a bit of space where they can link up, but if there's no one to link up, we're going, let's put in the space.And I think Anderson was enjoying that a little bit more, not going, because him and Weiss sometimes take four, five, too many touches and it slows the game down.

But sometimes if you have one on it, particularly against a poor team like Panama.

When I think of Drew Bellingham before this tournament and I think of him predominantly as a number 10 arriving in the box.If I look at him yesterday, if you think about a young Roy Keane who used to obviously compete in midfield, they would do the defensive work but they'd also run forward constantly and make runs in behind and then they'd have that little bit of quality in the final third.He actually yesterday looked like a complete midfielder.He looked like he went up a different level yesterday.I didn't expect that bit.I expected the second half bit, the cross, maybe the finish, which was unbelievable.

We know he's got that quality, but again, Gary, he's maturing, he's getting a bit older, he's taking responsibility, and that role we mentioned before the game, yes, where he's deeper, might be slightly easier for him.Because you see the space, he's not afraid to run.He's not one of these lazy players who go, oh, it has to be my feet.He's going, no, look at the first goal, prime example.Plenty of space.And a lot of players see the space, or they don't see it, or they see it and they don't want to do it, he's going, yeah, just put it in there.

And he'd done it a few times in the first half.

And he's the one who won the corner for the goal.Of course.I think that he's, like I say...Oh, sorry, for the second goal I'm talking about, when he made the run, yeah, of course.Yeah, but again, he was the only one that would make that run.He's made things happen.

He made things happen for us to get the corner, then he scores the corner, then he creates the goal for Harry.And I thought that the way he led, like Royce, in the whole game, He was leading by example.And I think that he wants to play in that role where when he's playing in the tent and he's waiting for the ball to come to him, that's...I don't think that's what he wants.I think he wants to be that guy who's tackling back, last -ditch tackles, winning the ball.Because you think good after that, right?

I think he's one of those.Yeah, I think it makes you feel better going on.He just keeps progressing in the game.I think they've got to see that now.

He's been England's best player by an absolute street in the group games.I mean, I think, to be fair, the questions that you mentioned about, obviously, people have said about him off the pitch or on the pitch, all that nonsense.I've never heard anything bad about him, actually, specifically.But, you know, you just hear the rumours.He's actually turned up after every single game and done the interviews.He has to do interviews because to be fair when you're leading the team like he is and you're the one that basically everybody's looking at you have to carry the team.

Yeah but he's a bit older now Gary, I think it's hard when a player's a bit younger to go on.It's sometimes for players to front up to the media, it's easier if you're winning games but he's got to front and I think that's part of his role now and that goes back to the tackling back, obviously getting the doubts about will he be starting which all seems a bit silly now and I think he's getting a bit older, he's grown but he's had another year at Madrid and it He looks like he's embracing all that.They're not shoving him out.He's going, no, no, step up to the plate.

I think him and Harry Kane, when I watched them in the previous tournament, I felt like they were almost fighting to be kind of that mean guy at times.Whereas now I think they've realized if they work together, they can both do it.Like little bits where if one's gone over, they've gone over and they've picked them up.I feel like maybe they've done a bit of work on that.

This is where you give the manager credit, because the manager's constantly said, get the players to realise it's all about the bigger picture.And certain players go through certain stages, particularly the players you've mentioned there, where players can look after themselves, attacking players can be selfish.And I would knock them for that, you have to be selfish.So the manager maybe thought, I'll fire him up in a different way by leaving him out, to start looking, and maybe he is now, the pennies drop and going, it is the bigger picture.

They're speaking nicely about each other in interviews as well, where Jude said yesterday Harry's the best I think.So there's a bit of love being shown, I think, off camera.

Yeah, I think the two clean sheets have been good as well.I know obviously people have said we've been a bit open and we've given up chances, but you would have took two clean sheets in the last two games as well.

Yeah, but Panama were poor.I think it's just good to see that Jude, because he's young, he's still young, what's he still, 22?I think because of how he is and he's always been like that, that confident, I think he's growing into it now and people are saying, That's the confidence you have when you're a great player.But when you're younger, people say, oh, he's too flash.But when you grow into it, people say, oh, that's why he's like that.Because he's - Perception of him has changed.

Yes.I think so.And I think people accept him.Oh, he's that guy.He could be that guy.

If you said that you've got two players that look like they've hit form and they're doing well, how do we now construct or how does Thomas Tuchel construct a group of eight players and a goalkeeper that can feed that machine up top, which is Bellingham and Cain, you'll deliver.We know they'll deliver.How does he now construct?I must admit...That's his biggest challenge.If we're moving into now glass half empty a little bit, the eight behind, does it look like it's connected?

It looks like they're delivering in moments.There's no real combinations or patterns or rhythm in the eight behind right now, is there?It's almost a little bit like it's...So how does he get that right?Because there are concerns, aren't there, in terms of those sort of other eight positions.All of them, I'd say, to be fair.

I liked what you said about keeping the wingers wide, especially when you've got the two tens, because at times when I'm watching, I think players are taking too many touches.You can't run faster than you can pass the ball.And sometimes to break down that low block, I think we need better ball speed.And if the wingers stay out wide, you're going to obviously stretch them a lot more.So I did like your, obviously I've loved all your analysis, but I did like that bit because if the wingers come inside as a eight or a 10, it just restricts your space so much.

He's not picked those wingers.The wingers that would do that, the sort of Gibbs, White's, Foden's, Palmer's are not in the squad.So he's got wingers that are a bit wider.Let's just talk about the wingers right now.

in terms of where they're at.But you're looking at it in a negative way.You could also try and spin that and go, well, one of them will get up to speed soon.The four of them can just continue what they're doing.All you need is one or two now for them to get a little bit better, to get closer to Kane and Bellingham.They need a bit more support.

At the moment, you think the two of them alone won't be enough.No, I mean, look at France, and you think of Turkey coming on as almost like fourth sub, and you've got Barclay, you've got Dewey, you've got Dembele.They're so good aren't they?I mean it's like they're wide players.Dembele the other day scoring with both his left and his right foot.I know that we haven't got wingers of that quality and I want to come on to Saka shortly to talk specifically about it but what does he do in those wide areas?

I'm not sure what more he can do though.He can only pick them and they perform.That's what we're waiting for now because he's shown faith in Gordon.It's not quite happened for him.He's played Madhuweke.If we're going to be totally honest, out of all of them up to this point, apart from Rashford's goal, Madhuweke looks like he's tried, but then the final ball's not been great.

I don't think it's on the manager.

No, that's on the players.

They've just not performed well.

We always say to players, if you get an opportunity, you've got to take it.And these players haven't quite grabbed it yet.But the beauty with sport, you'll always get another chance.But obviously there's more importance now in these games, in the group games, you go, okay, right, we could maybe slip up more into the games.Certainly at least one of them has to start turning up.If he starts with two wide players, they have to.

But I still think Rashford, I still even think Rashford for all his, even yesterday, there was a few bits where you go, but I still reckon if you were full -back and you're up against Rashford, I'm still thinking, listen, his end product is, that's always a question mark over all attacking players.I reckon he's still a hard guy to kind of, that's where I got to.Even the first half, he kept running behind and you obviously defender.I think when lads are stretching all the time, it is hard work.

That's where I got to, I thought who would I want to play against?I think the one I'd probably play against, I'd probably say I wouldn't want to play against.Because to be fair to him, as many times as he was a little bit clumsy on the ball, or he might have overrun it, or the defender might have took it off him, he does keep doing it.And he does, at some point, he will or may get something to happen.On the right, We couldn't have shown any more love to Saka I don't think over the last three or four years and rightly so because he's to be fair been an absolute Well, and the warrior is probably too strong a word, but he to be fair delivers for Arsenal week in week outweek out he's been the equivalent of Salah not in terms of the goals but he's there every single week he's had this injury this severe hamstring injury he doesn't look right at all I mean for him he's usually the boy that's bubbling he's smiling he's got sort of that competitive edge to him he just doesn't look sharp he's not right is he and that's a real concern for us I think and I think we're talking about attacking players If you've had an injury, if you come back in a defender or a midfielder, you can get away with it.

You can, because you're just shifting and you're stopping people from playing.But when your whole game is about sharpness, beating people, decision -making, so physically, again, we mentioned, is he trusting his body?And if he's off a little bit with all the top players, it's huge, isn't it?

There's no hiding place.And the thing is, Roy, when you know, as a forward, that you need that sharp move and you're not confident enough to do it, And then when we watch the second moment, he's going, he's going, but then he's coming back and he's playing inside.You know, you're looking for that sharp blast.And I think the Arsenal fans know as well and have been looking.And we can see that...Has this been on for longer than six months already?

Are we going back as far as six months?I think we can go...You can probably go further.I think you can maybe go to the hamstring injury and coming back from that.And it was always going to be a worry about...Arsenal and what we're trying to achieve and the rush that we're going to need him back.

Remember, as soon as Saka is not in the team, win Saka back, win Saka back.So, no matter how long they're trying to drag it out, he needs to rest.Arsenal trying to win it, the pressure that Arsenal are under, all the discourse about Arsenal with him not playing, us needing him back.Has he been rushed back?I'm asking.I don't know.

You know what I mean?I'm asking, has he been rushed back?Because we're talking about going into a World Cup, and still not starting the first few games, then starting the game when we're what, freeing now?Freeing?And he's still not looking like the sacker that...know, that sharp sacker, and I think that he's somebody that probably, you know, the amount of games he's played for Arsenal...

What's his body language like?Does he look, does he...When you look at...I think the other players have to trust their bodies, they have to believe.He's got to be explosive, don't he?If you want to go past somebody, you have to have a sharpness.

And if he's constantly thinking...We've all played with injuries where you've just got to be careful, but when you're...If it's about reaction and speed stuff...

You know what I think has come down to that?I think when we look at how he's playing at the moment, and it's not the same side, that guy has given everything to Arsenal to the point, and now Arsenal have done that.And at the moment, Roy, he's not the player that we've seen before, because I still think that he probably needs He needs a couple of months or so.He needs to rest.Because we're talking about from the age of 17 all the way through to here, with all the pressure of Arsenal, all the games he's played for England, he's played in all the tournaments, there's not been rest any time from that time to now.Of course you look at him, he's not going to be the same.

Could it be mental as well as physical?Could it be mentally?It's something because I think that this guy needs a rest break.I think Declan's not a minute miles away from the same thing.

Him and Declan, I think...I do remember this happening with England in the past where players have had three or four or five years of constant sort of high -level performances, demands.They play every week, they're obviously good professionals and they just get to that point where they just drop off the edge of a cliff.It feels like Declan and him and it's understandable by the way because I think I've seen it before with England players.

You've seen the pressure Arsenal have been under and they've been a major part of it.

League pressure, Champions League pressure, then international pressure, it can get a lot...But is this bad?Go on, Jim.I was going to say, is it bad for him to be classed as a game changer though?Because he is a player that can come on, cut in, make a moment out of nothing.Would it be a bad thing for him to be a player that comes on?

You know what might be good?

It's a good point, Jo, because even we saw when Madhuweke played and started the game and then he came on at the end.and then just that little bit of quality in class where he passes it through and Rashford scores, maybe at the moment maybe that might be a role for him because I would like to see him rested and if he could come on and be in a role where he doesn't have to blast through but he can get on it and lay it through to somebody, I'd rather see that.

To say that your number one right winger's got to be rested and he's got to come on as a sub is already sort of a concern as well.I agree with you though by the way.

You're talking about the demands of playing for England and obviously But that's the demands of being a footballer.You've got to be robust.

But you can't play if you're not right, Roy.I think he's been pushed into situations...

Obviously, but we can look at loads of other countries, players who've played, and lots of players have gone, no, I play all them games.Some players play 50, 60 games a season for other clubs, then go into the Champions League and play international football.So I was saying, Sack has been under huge pressures, but you've got to be robust to be a footballer.I'm not saying he's...I'm agreeing with you, but is that part of a footballer's journey where you go, you've got to get through these days?

I'm just thinking back to two players who were explosive players who did pull a lot of hamstrings when they were younger, Michael Owen and Ryan Giggs.Do you remember Giggs at the start of his United career?He pulled a lot of hamstrings.I remember Giggs saying to me once, he stopped pulling hamstrings all of a sudden when he was like 26, 27 and I think, I don't sprint anymore.I remember him saying to me, I don't run at 100 % anymore.He said, I pull it back to sort of like 95 % and make sure I just, you know, unbalance defenders.

And he said, because when I go 100%, he said that's when I pull it.And I remember Michael Owen coming back from his and he wasn't quite just got that sharpness.When you do your hamstring badly, he's had an operation on that hamstring, by the way, as well, when you have that operation on it.And you just wonder whether he's going to have to, not just necessarily in the short term but in the longer term just have to look after that because it's a bad one isn't it that for us to play with.

It means changing his game, it means literally changing his game.The thing is I think, can you imagine,because we know what an Achilles injury is like and how bad that can be.Is that what it is now?I think it's Achilles, yeah.Can you imagine your nurse trying to nurse through that?

If we're talking about sprinting and sharpness, your Achilles is the most important component you need.

Whilst Ben, if he's having all these issues and you're looking at the bigger picture, Well he shouldn't be here then should he really?

No he should be resting.Well Roy I suppose we're going to come onto that in a minute in terms of obviously Rhys James, Livramento.Yeah but they've not played as much football as Saka.No no my point is though they are injury prone, they've lost on both.So my point is when you pick players who have, you know Saka had an injury coming into this tournament so he's definitely not in the Rhys James, Livramento camp because he's played a lot of football.But he's got, he's carrying a knock.

Declan's obviously been carrying this issue for quite a bit hasn't he which obviously they brought him with.But just, you know, you said, should we have brought Saka?Should he be here if he's like 96 %?I used to think as a football player, if you're 2, 3, 4 % off, you're nothing.You're either 100 % or...For the attacking players, I mean.

If you lose your sharpness as an attacking player, you can just...

And if you know it, Neve, if you know in your head you're not at your sharpest, you will stop taking people on.You will do what's maybe Saka.I'll just go back in and maybe the next time I'll do it.Instead, you're not going to play your natural game.Obviously not, because you'd be overthinking it.

Does the manager look, though, and go, like, I'd rather have a Declan Rice at 80 % than, say, another player at 100 %?Well, Declan, yes.Do you think they'll do that?

Right, for a midfielder, I think, but again, we go back to, I think, the attacking players, physically and mentally, if they're not at their best or sharpest, there was an instance yesterday, I remember he was kind of played through, you know, like, he was favoured to get a sack, and he just, again, if he's not trusting his body...

I'm worried, I'm worried for him for, now, he's in this World Cup, He's trying to play through this World Cup, whatever, but then the season starts again.The season starts again.so when is this guy going to get the rest that he, for me, he looks like he needs?

Yeah, look, I think it's a concern.I think it's a big concern with him that he basically is in this position because I don't think when, you know, Rooney's come to a tournament when he wasn't quite right and I've seen Beckham come to a tournament when they weren't quite right, Beck's come to a tournament, They don't get right.You can't get your fitness.Get your fitness during a tournament.This is not pre -season training.This is a World Cup where everyone's at the absolute sort of height of concentration.

I do think you're right.I do think he's going to have to be a sub player.He's going to have to come off the bench.

Yeah, the games can just take a massive toll as well.Obviously, if you win the World Cup this year, it's eight games.That's a lot, isn't it?It is a lot to be available.Because people were saying, I think it was Jamie Carragher actually an article on Haaland being rested, I think it was, and they were like, oh should he have been rested?But I think if they can afford to rest the big players like Declan Rice, if you could potentially...

Messi was so blasted.Eight games, I think, I remember playing seven games in a World Cup and I ran 77k in that time, and I was dead by the end of it.And I just think to keep your players fresh for the latter stages, especially...

And not just physically again, it's mentally as well isn't it?

Mentally, yeah.I think this could be the first time, I don't know with you guys as well, that I've seen a manager that's picked players that have been prone to injury.And they've had injuries during the season, and they've still gone.

Well, let's come on to that now, righty, because we're going to get to right back in a minute.It's a position that gets mocked quite a lot on this show.

You're getting a ball up on you, having to play the next game.

Do you know my image of soccer is in tournaments?In being sharp on the pitch, in beaming with a smile, and being on those inflatables in the pool the day after.Do you know what I mean?Just the happiest person in the camp, and I've not seen that in this tournament, you know what I mean?Anyway, coming to full back, which, look, yesterday, we got the team news through, and obviously Gerald Kwanzaa was at right back.and look I actually think he did okay in the game I thought he was quite sort of you know he was a six out of ten performance I thought he did his job well against poor opposition and it's poor opposition but I thought to myself how have we got to a situation and it can't be what Thomas Tuchel's planned he's picked two players that you say are basically they are injury prone Rhys James and Livermento they get injuries they are They're not robust.

You talk about robustness, Roy.They've not been robust.And to be fair, I have a lot of sympathy for players who are injury prone because the lads at United who, to be fair, were injured, you used to feel sorry for them because they don't want that.They feel like they're helpless.They feel like they're not supporting the team.We've now got a situation whereby Gerald Quandary is playing right back.

In a squad of 26, we haven't got Trent Alexander -Arnold.I did say before, that programme we did before the World Cup, how can we not have a place in a squad of 26 for Trent Alexander -Arnold?Even against a Ghana, a Panamaru, a deep line, it is wrong.It's a head -scratcher.It is wrong, that one, isn't it?I mean, you can't say it's right when Gerald Kwanzaa's playing right back in a game.

Yes, but this is why, Gary, when that happens, you have to go, well, Well, we'll see how it pans out, because, you know, and now we're at a place where it's panning out.This is where the question can be asked.Well, Konza's out now as well.Konza's out, he's done his out, yeah.And so now, God forbid anything happens to Jed Spence, what do we do?Is Shalabar going to play right back?

Back three or something.

Konza can play there, but at the same time, he's brought Shalabar in.

But then you're changing the two centre -halves.

It just feels like the planning...

They did say James might be...I think they said James...A week or so.Fingers crossed.He said hamstring.Of course.

We've just been speaking about hamstrings for the last half an hour.

If it's a hamstring, what do they say in a week?If it's a week, you've got to rest.Then you've got to try and train and get yourself...It's not like, in a week, you just jump back on the pitch and you're fine.You're still worried because it's a week.

Mine's two weeks after the bike and I'm just walking.so you might be alright.Have you definitely got a hamstring?

Yeah, is it?

Well, I got one.

Have you got a hamstring?Yeah, it's just because I talk like sprinters.

I never pulled my hamstring when I played football because I wasn't quick enough.Did youse have hamstrings?

I never pulled my hamstring.I did, because I was a sprinter.I did, we did, because we were explosive.But the thing with Gill, she's sitting down and then all of a sudden, when you're getting up, You're doing something else.So then, bam, you've gone to another place with your hamstring.

But for him to get back in, how long?Like, a week, wouldn't it be?

I've never heard of a hamstring take a week.Do you know who should have won the show today?Physio.

That's what we should have on the show today, give us a heads up on all these injuries, yeah.Let's do it, medical experts.

You didn't do that thing, Nazo, where they take your blood out of your body before you spin it.That gets you back quicker.

To be fair, looking at it now, Thomas Tuchel, look, at the end of the day, we're in this position at England, they've done everything that you would ask them to do, finish top of the group, You know, playing against Congo in the second round, in that sense, you absolutely snap everyone's hand off.But there are some things that are just a little bit...

But does that happen to every squad, Neb?Is there always a bit of...No, you don't want to lose three or four right backs, obviously, but when you name a squad of 26, can you be a bit blase about certain players?You've got 26, surely we'd be fine?

And I bet your Desoto squad's going, we're all having our issues with injuries.You said yesterday Roy, he doesn't know his best 11.You said that straight after the game.So I'm looking at this now, I'm thinking about, okay, who's playing right back, who's playing left back, who are the wingers he's going to choose, and is Declan Rice fit in midfield?You've got question marks over all positions really.I think so, yeah.

Apart from Jude and Harry.And the goalkeeper maybe.The goalkeeper's fine, yeah.So what I'm saying to you is that that is a worry going into a knockout.You've got to have it worked out by using a knockout.

Well it's a big worry.Usually you might have asolid 9 or 10, you've got a question mark off a little winger.Yeah.But he's got that over far too many positions.

Well Anderson, he's a yes, right, yes.

You know the thing is, can I be honest with Anderson now, especially when you see Jude playing like that, decking to come back.Now you're thinking, okay yes Anderson, he's good, he's been a good player on the 2 -call.Then you're thinking now, Do you move Jude from that position and put him to 10?And when he's been so influential there, can Declan come in and play six?And so you're thinking now, all of a sudden, Anderson, do we change what we've just done because we've got the best out of Jude?Because if Declan comes back, is Declan going to play where Jude is playing?

I'd be 100 % not.I mean, personally, I think what he may do is put Anderson, he'll never drop Anderson, so Anderson will be here, and Declan and Jude might be a little bit, because Declan can do that for Arsenal, hasn't he?He's done that before in Zuberman, he's been like here, and you've got Urdegaard and Rice.Declan can go forward a bit, so Rodgers would come out, and it would be Jude who'd just I agree with you, maybe a little bit deeper than a 10.But maybe it's Declan and Jude in front of Anderson, I think might be where he ends up.He's not going to leave Anderson out.

You need them all doing the hard yards anyway, especially if we're going to play a nutty other side.But if you come up against them big nations, you can't just be a 10 that wants a fancy wall.You need to be putting in the hard yards.

It's the full backs.Yeah, you're breaking it down.But it's the wide players, maybe the full backs, you're thinking.They're the ones probably giving them sleepless nights.in emphasis because we're not Royce and Anderson, they can produce.

The thing about the full backs and the wide players for me are that it's not just a case of knowing which ones to pick, it's the fact that it's very unlikely they're going to be able to develop combinations and sort of patterns with each other.I used to think if you're playing with the right winger, it's very important the right back and the right winger have that combination.I'm not sure now.So yesterday we were talking before the game.I think Rashford and O 'Reilly could.I think there could be chemistry between them.

I think there's more potential for them to have a bit of Rashford cutting in, O 'Reilly's comfortable going forward, outside or inside.

Maybe.On the right I think it's Look when yesterday when you said Saka's in.The right one's a big problem.I said it'll be a problem for Saka because I saw Kwanzaa play in the Carabao Cup final at right back and he does a steady job there but you're talking about the fact that that subtlety of like the Ben White Saka combinations or the Timber Saka combinations you're not gonna get that because you're just not gonna get that with Kwanzaa or Jed Spence and Saka.

Yeah but the thing is I think that Jed Spence could play and go round Saka because you know Saka is coming inside so why are you then getting somebody who's not gonna either support him by going outside him It didn't make sense.Even if you're saying, you know, I'm going to play a concert, but let me play Jed.Jed, I want you to get up.Saka's going to come inside.We know that.I want you to get outside and get crosses.

Why didn't that happen?Does Spence have the quality to produce crosses?I think you know what?You know something, Roy?No, because everyone says he's in the team because he's a good defender.He's a good defender, but we saw in which game was it where he blasted forward up?

He was trying to get forward, so it's not like he's afraid to get forward.Well, he should have scored.It would have been a great goal.

I think when Jed Spence gets forward, I agree with you, he can sprint forward, and I think he's got great energy.I don't think it's a combination with his wide player.I think it's just a sprint forward.I don't think he's dovetailing with his right foot.Winger at that point personally, as I see it.I don't think the subtle passes being played with his and combinations, I don't see that developing.

Jade Spence I think will do a very good job against potentially like a Vinicius Junior or a...

I think that's why Stukel tried to probably, he was looking at Ben White, it's probably exactly the reason why he was, because he wants somebody for a combination like that.Yeah I think that's why it was, it was people saying why Ben, now you can see he wanted him and Saka to maybe do it.Well Ben White to be fair does play quitewell with Saka.

You have a little bit of an understanding.And probably Madweki as well, because he obviously played at the same club.Right back has been such a rich position for England over this last five, six, seven years.And we're almost scrambling.You had Kyle Walker, Trippier, Rhys James, Livramento, Trent.We're now scrambling.

And the kid that's playing for Real Madrid, He's not here.

But why?It can't be football and reasons, it can't be.Truly.

I must admit, yesterday if I was watching that game and I was Trent Alexander -Arnold, Palmer, Foden sat at home, Gibbs -White, I'd be looking at that game and saying, what have I done wrong?How have I not impressed enough to beat in this squad?For me, I would be asking myself that question.Harry Maguire obviously went public on it.I do think, personally, if you've got 23 players in your squad, which is what historically managers have always had, if you've got three on the end of that, which we now have, I would have thought there would be a space for Trent, Palmer and probably Maguire.Because Maguire on corners, by the way, and free kicks is a massive threat.

We got through that game yesterday through unlocking it from a corner.And Maguire is the best at that, to be fair to you.So I do think those three selections at the end.

But when he gets this job, the manager, there has to be an element of, like, they've given him the job for a reason.Yeah.So you can't, you just, there has to come a point, there's nothing wrong with having a debate about it, but you can't, we can't keep talking about players who aren't here.The beauty of international football, sometimes when you can, people go, where you go, I can walk with this 26 players.

But when we play McWanderer at right back, you do talk about them.

You start talking about them.Of course, but, but, But yeah, you can talk about it and go, listen, where did he do a job from?And talk about his pluses and minuses for the players who were here.But you can't keep talking about players who aren't here.

Right, the thing is, is that...

Because when he made that decision, we were like, alright, the manager made it clear, I don't want the bigger picture.He said it from the front.time he got the job.I've never heard a manager talk so much about, I want a group of players who've got the same aims, who are good travellers, who are good to sit on the bench, want to be the Hendersons.Every time he spoke to the media, yeah, I liked their attitude, training was excellent.He talks about the little details.

So he's gone with this group of players.We can analyse the Lacoste come -up, but he's the one who sits around the bus, sees him in the training ground.So there's no question about these lads, are they good players?Maguire and Trent, they've played hundreds of games.Experienced international players, but he's seen something in these lads that he didn't fancy.

And that's it.But then the thing is, Roy, he's seen something and all that's fine, what you're saying, but now we're in a situation where you're questioning what he done then, because you couldn't question it.

Yeah, but we're saying you question him.England top the group, they've got a game coming up, you'd expect them to win.Just say Spence does play right.And this happens in lots of international teams.You kind of fall into a system.You fall into a right back.

You go, do you think he'd be starting three months ago?No, no.Spence was down to pecking order.But what happens in football players?No, do you know what?You've ended up getting what?

Because of form and injuries.You can fall into a system of play.I'm sure it happened with you with England.Players travel.You go, I don't think he'd be playing.And you land on a system.

I fully expect England to win the next game comfortably.And then you're going, hold on a second.Something might happen here.

This episode of Stick to Football is brought to you by Skybet.

Okay, let's cut to the chase.Right now, we are in this tipping moment where is it good, is it bad?Are we right, are we wrong?Who do we pick?That point that England always get to in a tournament, and obviously it'll work itself out in the next two or three weeks.Where now, in your mind, Ian, Roy, Jill, and I'll answer it as well, where do we think England are getting right now?

The likely route, and we know this can change, the likely route is DR Congo, Mexico, or Ecuador in an international tournament.That's a tough one.Brazil or Japan in Miami?

I've been impressed with Japan.

And then Argentina, I think it is in the semi.So Brazil, Japan play tomorrow, don't they?

We're winning it.

Yeah, but who do they play after that then?I don't know, but we're talking likely routes here, but what I'm saying to you is now, Roy, let's start with you Ian, because I'm going to go around this way.Where are England getting to with what you've seen so far?Where do you think England are after an assessment of the group?Where are they getting to in this tournament?It'll be interesting to see.

I think that if we get to Brazil, I think we can beat Brazil and then I think we'll probably have problems after that.So you think semi -final?I said semi -final from the start, but I can't offer what I've seen up to this point, banking, putting everything, all my chips on Harry and Jude, saying that we can get to the semis right now.

So what do you think then, from where you are now, from what you've seen so far, where do you think England are getting to?

Semis?I'm going to probably say semis because I said that at the start.It could be Argentina in the semis.

It won't get beyond Argentina.

You know what, I have to say the semis because, again, You know, there's players that's here that, when you're first starting to talk about where England are going to get in the World Cup, that are not here.

Just answer the question.

So, the fact is, is that I'm going to say, I'm going to still say Semi's.No, I'm going to still say Semi's because...Semi's with a bit of doubt.Without a doubt.Semi's with a bit of doubt.Semi's with a bit of doubt, without a doubt.

Roy, our best Semi's...No, I...Hold on, you took five minutes to answer.I can't even be on the semi -final, and I've got my doubts about the quarter -final.

So, what could be last 16?

So, are you saying quarter -final, then?So, you're saying they beat Congo and Mexico in Ecuador?Yeah, that's what I'm thinking.And then you think we could...trip up against Brazil?

Yeah, but definitely could do, and if they win it, but absolutely no chance of beating Argentina if they're playing in the semis.I just can't see it.

I'm going to go final.I see us in the final.Wow.That's a big shout.I think we'll get a bit of momentum, though, as it goes on as well.I think the last two teams, like, no disrespect, I know Ghana have obviously 0 -0, but you can only play what you're up against as well.

I think we'll hit another level when the opposition get more difficult.Do you believe that, Dom?I do.

A lot of managers said that.

Tuchel said that yesterday, he said we would get better, but I wasn't sure it was anything.Do you not think so?

But Gilles, do you know something?I said at the beginning, like, what the other eight players that...So when you think of like Messi and Alvarez as an example, right?You think, right, okay, them two are going to win us the game.The other eight Argentinian players look like a massive, tight, compact unit that are going to die to give them the ball to win the game.That's what I'm thinking.

These eight players that are going to serve Jude and Harry, that are going to win us the games, and obviously Jude and Harry are fantastic players.Have you got the confidence that these eight players can come together as a unit I'm not seeing it right now, I'll be honest with you.

In terms of team structure, I do know what you mean.Going into the tournament, you would have liked to have had a set 11 that you can work on.But I think we've got a lot of players that can produce moments out of nothing.And I think that is international football.So I do get what you mean.What's the structure looking like behind?

Have we got players in set positions?There's going to be a lot of changes, which isn't ideal.But I do think we've got a lot of players with individual brilliance.So maybe it's not going to come from a strong structure, but I think we'll get over the line.I'm going to see a final.

I'm semi -final maximum with doubts on the quarter.As we are now.

What does that sentence mean?Quarters?

I think that we could beat Brazil.Brazil's 50, if we got to Brazil in the quarter, that is like, honestly, it's 50 -50.They've got Cunha, they've got...I like Cunha, I do like Cunha.They've got Vinicius.Vinicius, and they've got...

Raphinha.So they've got three players similar to ours that can go and win them the game, but you're not sure about what's behind it.I think similar, that's where we are right now.You're pretty sure about Bellingham and Kane, but you're not quite sure what's behind it.Can that win a World Cup?And the thing is actually...

Ancelotti, would you give Ancelotti, could he, would you look to him a little bit for when it's a 50 -50 game, would you think Ancelotti's got that?

I think Ancelotti will just go to, he'll just narrow the fours and then he'll just leave two players up there that'll go winning the game.He'll have Vinicius and Kunja and just say like, you two there.He's done that for Real Madrid when he was champion.That's my point, you think he's got the...That's what I'm thinking now, Roy, about us in terms of, you know, we're talking about Anderson, I say, we're talking about Gordon and Rashford and we're talking about Sakhar and Madwiki, but do we just He narrowed a little bit.We've got really good players in midfield with sort of Bellingham, Rice, Anderson.

I think actually those three are decent.If you get one more in there...So do you want the handbrake back on?No.

When did I want the handbrake off?No, but not you, but everyone was saying with the Croatia game that the chatter halftime was...But I wasn't upset after Ghana.I wasn't wholly upset after Ghana.I was upset with the way we...No, I'm talking about the Croatia game.

Yeah.Where he was supposed to have said, take the handbrake off.

If you remember my reaction after the Croatia game, I said there were a few problems in that game.I wasn't fully comfortable with that because there were things in that game that for me were a bit...Chaotic was the word.I think yeah, but you should be we're talking about the defensive wise rather about two clean sheets You're not giving them credit for that.

Yeah, we look at the opposition.You know something if you had a clean sheet, you know Would you be happy with a clean sheet?

Do you know?Yeah, I want you to clean sheets after that's exactly what you got.I've got it I don't mean negative against the clean They weren't did you get they weren't great clean?She's wobbly good on the record I thought they will but Panama's to be fair if they had anything about them.They were poor

What's not a great clean sheet, like with a few stains on?

And on that point, ITV7.England are back in action and another 50 ,000 jackpot is up for grabs.It's completely free to play.Simply make your predictions now on the ITV7 app or website for your chance to win.Good luck, 18 plus and TNCs apply.

Can I just introduce Ian, who's come here with Si just to...Hiya, how are you, Ian?Home and away with the last 15 years, I think.

Well done, Ian.What do you think, Ian, where do you think we'll get to of what you've seen?

Semi -final.

Nice one, Ian.Semi -final, yeah.We're all aligned.Semi -final, we're going to...Apart from me.Quarters, maybe.

Let's not be underestimating Mexico.Lost their record.They've lost twice in 87 or 70 games.No, more than that.Anyone?

What's Mexico's home record in the Azteca?Eight years unbeaten.How many?

Eight years.

Eight years unbeaten?And they've lost two in 18..

.

Lost two in 70 or something.

Did you know, like, loads of stats, if we're just sort of questions at you?No.I feel like you look like one of those people.

I know routes to stadiums and routes to grounds.I'm on a cheap budget, but that's about it.Yeah.I want the seven largest countries by landmass to participate in the World Cup.

And by landmass, you mean?

Would that be America?Can we put the first one in?

Let's not overthink it.Put Brazil in.They've won five World Cups, 300 million people.No.It's the size of the country.It still could be right.

But it's the size of the country, not the people.Canada, Russia, China, Ireland.Russia.Russia hosted it in 2016.I've got to go with Russia.It doesn't matter who hosted it.

They've been to a World Cup.

Of course they've been to a World Cup.Russia.Russia.

We know they've been there.

You even put doubts on me on Russia.

You're saying they held it, but that's not the question.It doesn't matter who's held it.Of course they've played in a World Cup.Can I just name another one?Australia.A landmine.

A landmine.Right one, Gary.Are you going with that?Yeah.That's correct.There'll be a couple of tricky ones in here, doesn't it?

China.China.

China's pretty big.

America.

Yeah, I said US.Canada.

China and America.China.Can we go...Has China been to a World Cup before this?Have you seen China at a World Cup?Have we seen China at a World Cup?

Yeah, there must have been.

We can't say, yeah, there must have been.But when, though?When?When have you ever seen them?When, Jill?How much time have you been to a World Cup?

Just relax.You're going to see.Just relax.Oh, I've missed you.

Now, you've mentioned...You said Australia, Russia.Canada.Canada's huge, isn't it?Canada.

USA.Oh, he's stitching me up here, isn't he?

Go on.Go on.Yeah, Canada's correct.It's number two.Of course it's number two.Wow.

USA.

Are you locking that in?Are we putting USA in?I didn't put USA in.USA is massive, isn't it?It's bigger than Canada, is it, USA?

I just walked through New York, that's pretty big.USA.

Yeah, USA's number four.Thank you.I walked through New York with a torn hamstring, well done.

It's good for strengthening.

So, landmine.

Norway's where our hamstrings drop.Me and Rhys James went broke.Is that...

China is bigger than...I think China's bigger than Canada also.I don't think China's on, you know.It's China bigger than Canada.What do we think?

I've got a scant.Sweden?Sweden got a lot bigger.Wales?

Not nearly.I bet it's bigger than Sweden.Jamaica?What did you say?Jamaica?Fucking London's bigger than Sweden.

Exactly.Take these biscuits.

I think it's going to be one of those kind of countries.France and Germany are the biggest in Europe, aren't they, I think?France and Germany are big, aren't they?

Think about the map.

Australia here is what?What about New Zealand?It's got to be an Asian country.It's got to be Asia.

I'm not getting nothing from Kieran when I'm making it.

Has China been to a World Cup?I can't remember.

China.

I'm going with it.China.China is correct.They have been to a World Cup.When did they go to a World Cup?

I think it was 2002, was it?You don't remember Rivaldo?Oh, my face.Yes.Was it China?

Was it?2002, was that when Beckham had the Mohegan?

Brazil.You said Brazil, yeah?I think Brazil's big in Argentina.Brazil.I think Brazil's big.Brazil.

Ah, yes, Duncan.

Duncan, come and sit in, Duncan.You can help us on geography, Duncan.

Brazil.Brazil.

That's number five.

I said Brazil right at the start.

Duncan, how big's Scotland?

Duncan, it's the...It's the seven biggest countries in the world that have played in World Cups.It's a landmass.

Hold on, who's Pakistan?Ooh!

I'll make that up.I'll make that up again.I love a Scottish accent.Who's Pakistan?

Imagine Gary as a Scottish.

It's a shock.Let me look at Kieran.Georgia.Has Georgia been to the...Like, Georgia, do you?Yeah.

Has Georgia been...Romania, Germany, France.

You've got three lives.

It's something over in South America.Argentina.

Argentina's got to be pretty big.

Uruguay, Paraguay, all those.Uruguay's a big, big spot.

Have you been getting all the room service?You know they're feeding the dogs.

That's us, Duncan.Come on, last one.

We've got three lives.I know, but we could lose three lives.Australia is massive, by the way.Who's slightly less than Australia?

Korea.New Zealand.Korea.

Oh, interesting.

That's a good one.Which one?

South Korea.Duncan comes on at the last minute and gets the winner.I like it.We don't like it.Korea.

I never told you it did, actually.

Look, in the contention, Germany, Argentina...

What about...We've got to start talking about...

Spain, France, France are big.

I've got one, but I don't want to...

Right, how big's Egypt?

Ooh, interesting.

I don't think we've talked about something in Africa, you know what I mean?They're big countries in Africa.Who taught you to talk about Europe?

There's...What?5 million kilometres squared difference between Australia and this one.It's a massive difference.

So it's quite a big jump.

5 million?

I think it would be France or Germany.

Yeah, France.Is Germany big?Norway's not big.OK.

Just show you what I mean.Why do you think it's the smallest country?You know what I'm thinking?You know when we go pre -season, there's just so much space, there's nothing in it.

Is that our Duncan?

Yeah, I think, yeah, Germany and Spain.Nigeria's big.

Right, well, keep mentioning Germany.

I think France might be bigger than Germany and Spain, but I don't know.Holland?

Can we phone a friend?

Any ideas from over here?Just give him...Everybody, everybody.

Come on, we have to listen.There must be a reason.country.If we don't get it, we cover it.

We're going to go France.

Locking it in?Yes.Incorrect.

Oh!

Look how happy he is.What are you saying France for?

It's not Europe.It's not Europe.

OK, shall we go Argentina or Africa?His face didn't change when I said...Japan's not that big, it's just like a little...

Can we have another clue?

Another clue?

How many letters is it?

It's not Africa.

There's another clue.So it's South America or Asia.South America, what's the biggest country in South America apart from Brazil?I think it meant Uruguay.Uruguay or Argentina.Chile?

How big is Chile?

I think Chile's like a little sliver on the end.

Argentina.

With a bit of Chile, beautiful vineyards in Chile.

Argentina must be pretty big.

Is it this World Cup or just any World Cup?Any World Cup.

Argentina.We're going Argentina.Hold on a second.I think we've got to go home.

This is getting messy.

Gary said Argentina.

It's a sign.It's hard.

It's like being in school.Uruguay or Argentina?It's clear we're out of flags.No Uruguay, no Uruguay.Not Mexico?

Uruguay or Argentina?It's interesting.Interesting.

Go Mexico, go.Go.We'll do it.

We'll support you even if you're wrong.

Mexico, go.

I'm backing it.Mexico or Argentina?I'm backing it.

I'm with you, Gary.Mexico.It's not.

Mexico.

The correct answer was the current World Cup.Oh no!

This is Argentina.That's ridiculous of you, Gal.You've seen it.Right.Well, we messed up on that one.

This episode of Stick To Football is brought to you by Skybet.

Duncan, I mean, the place to start, probably, before we get into the Scotland performance, obviously, them going out, is the fact that Steve Clarke...It's never nice when a manager... loses the job after a tournament or hands his resignation, what's your first thoughts on that when you heard that yesterday?

I thought he'd been chopped, to be honest, yeah.He's just saying the four -year deal is enough.So as a bit of a knee -jerk reaction, I thought maybe, I thought a wee bit like that, maybe he's been getting a wee bit of stick and he's maybe just had enough.That's what I thought originally, you know what I mean?Why would they throw in his resignation so quickly after the game?So quickly, how did he not get on the plane, go home, walk the dog?

Is he beating himself up?Because obviously there's a lot of scrutiny on every manager at a World Cup.Scotland obviously have had a very tough group.Is it a case of sometimes when you're a manager you beat yourself up so hard that you just think everyone wants me out?I remember Kevin Keegan just resigning after the end of a game once with England and he just didn't give himself time.He just said I've taken it as far as I can.

Is there an element of that with you?

I think so.It looks like that doesn't it?I don't use tech but it looks like that.You've just signed a contract.I know but I can't say it.Why would they sign it if you had an intention there?

Scotland weren't going to win the World Cup were they?So why would they walk out because we've been beaten in Brazil?

Do you know what I think though Duncan?I think when you come away with a group of players for four or five weeks, he's done a brilliant job in terms of qualifying.Yeah, you signed a contract and that.People sign contracts for different reasons and he's come over here and the three tournaments he's involved with, there'll also be an element because he looks a pretty decent, honest guy.and the way the games have panned out, yeah you're told you'd only win the one game, Rob was up against it but the way it kind of, I think you'd probably look at him and go, I've done my bit with these players.I think sometimes that can hit you as a manager going, I can't and then the three tournaments that you're qualified for, which is fantastic, it's finished, I've had one win I think, four goals in the world.

in the nine games, I bet he thought like, and a lot of managers you could reflect.Surely he would know that before he signed the contract that he's got the players that he's got.

If he's got the players that he's got, why would he sign the contract?

You'd have your mindset with yourself going, it'll be different this time.In the last two tournaments, before he came over he said, his interview's gone, I'm a bit more older, I'm older, I'm more wiser, I'm going to enjoy this a bit more.And the one thing he didn't look, even with the win, he didn't look like he enjoyed it.

I think he's that type isn't he?He's a wee bit of that type isn't he?He's not a smiler and a laugher is he?

He looked emotional after that interview.

But even when he had the win in his first game, you were going big win for Scotland even afterwards.That game was a struggle didn't it?You only beat him 1 -0.

He just seemed a bit downbeat.Possible.I just think he's spat his dummy tit out at me.That's what I think anyway.That's what I think he's done.I think he's had a wee bit of criticism.

He's done such a great job getting Scotland to the tournaments.I think he's been, I don't deserve this stick, look what I've done.I don't know the guy, I know him a wee bit, he was my assistant at Newcastle.I don't know what he's thinking, but it just looks like...Duncan's chair, man.

Duncan's chair is squeaky.Is it, sorry?

It just looks like...It's not that big rat I saw the other day, is it?I tell you, I saw a rat.

Did you?

It was like that, it was, running around.

No way.What floor are you on?

You're going to see a view of New York, yeah.

What floor are you on?I'm not staying in this posh hotel.This is too posh.

Duncan, just quit it.No, you're all right.It's squeaky as well.Sorry.

No, no, sorry.don't used to think he just spited on me too.He's had enough of the criticism.

He's had a lot of criticism of being a Scotland manager.He is the World Cup, but for him to do it then after signing four years, I think he'd regret that after a while.

We had a little bit of an argument brewing at the end of the show yesterday, because I was like, from my side, looking at the players that Scotland have, What did everybody expect against Morocco and Brazil who are in the top 8 teams in the world?They were so narrowly beaten by Morocco in a sense they could have had a penalty and then they got obviously beaten up by Brazil which I don't think was a surprise.I didn't expect anything other than what I saw.Maybe they could have got that little bit over the line against Morocco and got that penalty.What more could he have done?Roy and Ian said yesterday they should have more of a go, but I was like, who are they going to have more of a go with?

Which players have they got that are going to have more of a go?

What's the Scotland identity?Is it high pressing?

Well, it's horses for courses in a way, isn't it?Obviously, the other team had maced the possession, didn't they?So he was going to sit back.So wouldn't he be high -pressing?Wouldn't he be shankling and all that?Because they're not that type of player.

So he probably would be in his range to sit back and defend a bit more against Morocco and try to counterattack and look for a safe play.

That's the point.But the way you're describing it, Neve, is teams come off to the World Cup, so you're talking it was the best they could have done, so you think no team should ever then overachieve?

No, my point is...Do the best team win every game of football?From Scotland, if you said to me, how can they get a result against Morocco, as an example, right?I would have said, sit in, stay in the game, and try and get a moment where you can either win 1 -0 or draw 1 -1.That's what they've done.

It nearly happened.It nearly happened, I thought.But you can't be Gordon after 70 seconds.Look, to be fair, the boy Hanley steps up tobad decision from him, but to be fair he's playing at a level that the guy can't run.My point is that with the players that Scotland have, I think against Morocco the tactic that he deployed was the one that I think probably 99 % of coaches would have deployed.

Sit deep, try and have a little bit of a go towards the end and try and get something to get us over, it didn't quite work.But I don't think he could have high -pressed Morocco.

No, but he would look at his nine games in tournament football and they've just come up short in loads of ways like that.When we're saying a mindset, we're not saying for Scotland to go gung -ho, but you're also against Brazil, don't want your two centre -halves playing around the back thinking they're players, but you've got people closing you down.That's why you might say to certain players, your identity might be going, and go back to when I played with Ireland, don't be afraid.Don't be a football snob here and go, we can play around the back.No, let's get it forward.Let me get up there.

There's nothing wrong with that.What was the expectation of them coming into this tournament?To get out of the group.

To get out of the group.

That would have been, that would have been like...How did you come out with that?

You know, maybe if they'd scored another couple of goals, they might have got out of the group.I don't know how the points went, with the goal difference.

The goal difference didn't help either.

I hate you, yeah.Maybe they got a couple of more goals or something, you know what I mean?Did three points get you through then?No.Has anybody got three points and went through to the next round?I'm not sure, to be honest.

Four points was deffo, wasn't it?

Yeah.They haven't massively underachieved have they?To get out of the group would have been a big thing.

Has he had that much stick?Because I've not seen any that much stick.I mean I know he's been giving them stick, you know what I mean, but I've not seen that much of them.

When I look at you, you look at a group of players and you think, right, OK.We're probably going to have to play a bit deeper because we've got no pace at the back.We're not going to high -press because we haven't got possession players.You haven't got players to keep the ball.You haven't got a Duncan Ferguson that we can lump it up to or a Nile Quinn that Ireland had and they had runners from midfield.So what has he got?

He's got two players in midfield who are basically McGinn and McTominay.He's got an ageing back line with Grant Hanley.Robertson, an aging team.

Are we going to go down that road with experienced Gary?

If they were young you'd be going to do it in experience, so what do you want?You can't compare Croatia's players with Scotland's players.I'm not, I'm just saying about the ages of them.No, but my point is they've got an aging back four, they've got a midfielder.So they've got an experienced back four?Okay, they've got an experienced back four, they're going to play deeper.

You've got a midfielder who's got a little bit of quality in McGinn and McTominay and you've got very little up front.Is that fair?

Yeah, I think so.But that doesn't mean to say they can't get results.How do you think they're qualified?How do you think they're qualified?They nearly did.They nearly got a result.

Morocco wasn't bad.

Morocco wasn't bad.

Can I say it, Duncan?

I think for Scotland, sometimes there's groups...Sorry?Morocco wasn't a bad performance.I know we lost, but it wasn't a Tonkin, was it?It wasn't a 3 or 4 we got from Brazil.Absolutely not.

We're agreeing on the same thing here.But I'm sure the manager's job is...A manager's job is to find...I'm happy to press Steve Clacton, of course, but I'm trying to visualise a picture of why he would say, I've done as much as I can with this group of players.It's got to have been the criticism.

Of course.

It's got to have been the criticism, why he's threw his resignation in.

But where did the criticism come from, Duncan?

I'm not sure because I don't really keep up to date.It must have been for the Scottish press or the press or whoever it's been.Obviously, they've hammered them, haven't they, on the fact that maybe they lacked goals or they lacked on the front foot or something that people would just say.because they've lost a few games.But we wouldn't say that because we say maybe they have to sit in a low block and defend and get the count back.

You scored four goals against Denmark in Hamden.

I know it.Playing at Hamden in tournament football.Playing at Hamden in 10 degrees in the middle of February is different than playing at Wimbledon.

That's my point, of course.But it can produce results, Scotland can produce results.

Look, I think to be fair it's the fine lines of Morocco with that penalty stroke not penalty on McTominay and it was always going to be a case of can they get a point against, scrap a point against Morocco.That was always going to be down the grid.I think they were always going to get beat by Brazil and they did do the job against Haiti.So I think if you said, would the Scottish FA be putting pressure on him?

No.You don't think so?No, I don't think so.They've just given him a contract, haven't they?They've just stopped him in four years.He's given him a contract and you'd think he'd been seen that contract out.

Like a month ago he signed it or three weeks ago he signed it, didn't he?So what's changed since then?

But he's done a good job, hasn't he?Qualifying for three tournaments.Obviously the next step was to try and get out.

Unlucky he's not done it.A lot of managers leave a job because they work with a group of players and he's been there for seven years.But seven years, he's had 81 games.He's not with the players for 300 games.He's obviously come to this tournament and the whole build up to the tournament, history, can they get a big win, can they get out of the group?And when they come up short, the manager has to reflect.

He never reflected long, did he Roy?He never reflected too long.He only reflected for an hour.Then he resigned.

But he knew for three or four days they were going out.He waited until they were officially gone.He'd been sitting around for two or three days.In the hotel, with all the players sitting around.Reflecting, that's what managers do.And he has to look at himself going, of a three tournaments now, which is fantastic, my goodness, can't praise the man enough.

But in the tournaments, he would look at a group, a lot of managers would leave a job and go, boy, I've tucked these players as far as I can.And I guarantee that would be one of his main reasons.There might be something going on in the background.And he said, with all his experience, he said he's not daft.He went, the last two tournaments, he said, I didn't enjoy.I'm going to enjoy this a bit more.

He said that a few weeks ago.Well, something happened.from day one.Even when they won their game, it was fantastic.Even afterwards, it was criticism about the way you'd played.And he probably just thought, I've had enough.

The last three or four days would have been a horrible three or four days for him, wasn't it?Waiting for that sort of, what would be that...And Gary, when you're waiting, what do you think you're doing?You're thinking and you're reflecting.

That percentage was just going down, wasn't it?It was like they've got so much percentage, then it was like...

I agree with you, Duncan.I think maybe after the last game where you're on your own, and they flew straight back, he would have had breathing space with his family.We would have gone for nice walks and chilled out.But he's sitting in a hotel for three or four days and it's all...Hey, do you think?

is there Duncan a point that you say he thinks it's because of the criticism that he's received in this tournament, but obviously with him being in the job for seven years, do you think he's looked at the likes of Tierney, Robertson, Hanley and thought there's no one coming through?I actually think this is as far as I can answer, this team probably is going to struggle a little bit in the next few years, because I'm going to come on to the Scottish Talent Bank in a minute and what Scotland's talent looks like in the future, but If I was looking at that team, and I said this yesterday on the show, the 26 players, there's some of them that I don't even know.There's some I don't even know out of the 26.And going back 20, 30 years, the talent that Scotland had, what is happening in Scotland?I'm going to read these names out.I don't know about that.

What's happening?

We've got four or five in the Premier League.We've got three or four in Serie A in Italy.We're not that bad.We've got a no bad wee pool of players.I mean, there's four or five in the Premier League.There's three or four in the Serie A. There's a few playing for Rangers.

It's not that bad.

Is it strength and depth, though?

It's always going to be the case with Scotland, isn't it, really?We're only a wee small nation, aren't we?There's not many people playing football now, is there?Yeah, but maybe there's more people playing football.I've lived in Mallorca for a few years, and it's completely different.It's completely different from playing football in our country.

They've got football pitches everywhere, man.And they've got the sun.

And the thing is, Roy, when you look at the size of Croatia, and the same as Scotland, Croatia and Scotland are footballing nations.Croatia have totally invested in that.Why do you think they continually produce that player?Have Scotland done the same since that time?

There might be more people playing football in Croatia.There might be less people playing football in Scotland, which I'm sure there will be.It's the weather, it's the pitches, it's the facilities, it's all that stuff, you know what I mean?When I was living in Mallorca, I told you, people were playing football from dusk till dawn.It was 12 o 'clock at night, they were playing football.football.

Do you know what I mean?Back in our country now, or whatever, most of the countries, there's not a lot of people playing football.

There used to.But your kids are not playing football in Scotland.

No, I would say there's less and less people playing football than there's ever been.

But don't get us amazed.Sorry, now, when the team gets knocked out of a tournament like Scotland did, and all of a sudden people are asking questions about Scottish football in academies, and they don't really care about Scottish football, because everyone just is interested in their own team.It's amazing the team has to get knocked off for everyone's sake.People who don't follow Scottish football, they wouldn't have a clue about the Scottish league.Then they go, what's happened to Scottish football?Do you know anything about Scottish football?

No, not really.The reason why, Roy, is because when you do look back on the past of Scotland, they produced continually and they've always had that support and they always produced.And they'll produce more players.But something's happened Roy where it's not happening now because we're going to talk about the progression line now.

I have talked about this over many tournaments over the last 10 -15 years about the Northern Irish players, Republic of Ireland players, Welsh players, Scottish players that when I was growing up in the 1780s were basically infiltrating the top clubs in England.What's happened?What's changed?Either in those countries or in the Premier League is that where the change is?

The scouting model's got bigger.These clubs are not scouting back in the day.I'm going back to the Man United sport back in the 80s, they'd always have an Irish connection.But no, the scope more, they're looking at Africa, they're looking everywhere.

These players played for Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool in the 1970s and 80s, Duncan.I'm not giving gots to your ear, but this was the 1970s and 80s.Martin Buchan, Brian McClare, Joel Jordan, Arthur Olberston, Jim Leyton, Gordon McQueen, Gordon Strachan, Charlie Nicholas, Kenny Dalgleish, Graeme Sooners, Stephen Nicholl, Alan Hanson, Gary Gillespie, John Walton.Were they winning games at the World Cup?No, no, I'm not saying they were, but to be fair, Roy, back then it was a lot harder to get to a World Cup, for a start.It was like a tournament for 16 or like...

It was harder.It wasn't a 40.Those players now would be getting into the last 32 and last 16.They would be.So, Duncan, these players were great players in any generation.You've got Andy Robertson who's done a great job at Liverpool.

you've got McGuinness who's done a good job at Ville, you've got three or four, but you used to have a plethora of players there that played at the highest level of just the top three clubs in England, Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal in the 70s and 80s.What's the spread there?

They're spread there on the years.70s and 80s, that's 70s and 80s.So it's 10, 15 years.

That's a generation.It's a different era of playing football.Ian, I'm asking a question.

What's changed that Scotland over the last 10 to 15 years are not infiltrating the very top of the Premier League in the same way?Has the Premier League changed or is it the Scottish kids not playing anymore?

It's tougher now, isn't it?It's tougher to get the Premier League movement back in our day.It's much, much tougher.There's more foreign players in the Premier League now.Isn't there?There's more foreign players taking on local...

We're bringing pools of world -class players into the team, so...The Scottish lads might not be getting that chance, or the English lads might not be getting that chance.

Why are less Scottish kids playing football in your words than they were ten years ago?

Well I remember back in the day we used to play football on the street didn't we?And before you know it the signs come up didn't they?No ball games allowed and all that.We used to batter the ball off the boys hooses and everything.We used to put the signs up and play the ball games.That started it.

We used to play on the street all the time.There was always pitches available for you to go and play on.There was always people wanting to take the teams.I got through the boys' brigade, I come through the boys' brigade, so there's always people willing to take lads to go and play football, and girls.But that's maybe changed.The people aren't willing to volunteer to take it for whatever reason.

But Duncan Scotland have produced some of the greatest coaches in the history of British football and some of the most fantastic players.That's just a fact.I'm not even going back to Dennis Law and players like that.If you're Scotland and you're trying to reinvigorate this country into a Croatia, which is 4 or 5 million people, you've got a football passion up there in Scotland.To refer to England, Duncan, about 15 years ago there was a reset, we sent George's Park.right?

And whatever you say from that moment, The women's team have gone on and won tournaments, the under 21's have gone on and won tournaments, the actual national team have gone on and produced more better technical players and they get into semifinals and finals.There was a big reset in English football 10 -15 years ago from the FA that to be fair has brought reward, it has.

That's all I was saying Gary, when I was saying that Scotland's vision isn't bold enough.What's Scotland doing?

They've probably not had that funding to begin with I would think.And also, it's like everywhere, people are building on pitches, aren't they?There's a lot of development going on in the country.People are building houses and things like that, so you've not got the facilities to go and play football, have you?They've not got a big St George's Park or these academies or whatever they've got in England.Money does come into it, doesn't it?

You know what I mean?We put a lot of funding in there.Keeping fields available.Kids aren't playing football now.

I talk about when you get to the tournament, still find an identity where you might go, you're Europe against it.We had it with Ireland a little bit, a bit like Scotland, you're always up against it.You're not producing Harry Kanes or these type of players.But you find something which Scotland have done, to their credit, in terms of qualifying.It's that last bid.So when they've come over here, whatever success they've had in terms of qualifying, they've just come up short.

I don't think it's a big major thing, is it really?We'll beat it from Brazil.I think I'm going back to the point with Steve Clarke, I mean, you know, I don't really know why he's through the toiling, but I think it's been a wee bit of a knee -jerk reaction.

What's next?Who's the next coach of Scotland?

When I read it, I thought, he's just thrown it right in the deep end there, because there isn't anybody.Who is next?

Duncan, you can do it.

Well, they can phone me if they want.Who is next?Who is the next Scottish coach?We used to have loads of good Scottish coaches.Now, all of a sudden, because again, we're not getting opportunities.English coaches might not be getting opportunities.

Scottish coaches aren't getting opportunities.Who is the next guy?It's a great job for somebody.It is a fantastic job, but who is that guy?

Especially the Euros are coming up.It's a great chance for Scotland to qualify for Europe.So if you're some top managers out there looking for a war, Scotland's a great opportunity, absolutely.

I would like to see a Scottish fella in charge, Roy, of Scotland.I'd like to see an English guy in charge of England.I'd like to see a Brazilian guy in charge of Brazil.That's just the way I am.I'd like to see a Scottish fella manage Scotland.Why?

Does that guarantee a success?All the players have got to be Scottish, so how come the manager's no Scottish?That's the way I look at it.All the players have got to be Scottish, all the players have got to be English.You don't mind Angelatta being manager of Brazil, then?I think Brazil should have their own Brazilian manager.

But if Brazil win the World Cup, they won't be worried about it.Ireland had Jack Chapman, they're Trapetonians.Do you think the Irish fans, when they were singing at tournaments, were worried about the...

They were like, you've done a job for us.I'm not arguing with that.I'm just saying that our preference would be for a Scottish man.That is all.I've got no idea because there's nobody.The only one I could think about is David Moyes, but he's in a job.

Scott Gamble?Scott Gamble's through to the 21s, he's been there for a long, long time.If that was the progression, yeah.

Whoever it is, whoever it's going to be, it's going to be Scott Gamble.

It might be Graeme Souness.If it is Graeme Souness, can we get Graeme back?He might play as well, if we get him to play in the midfield for us.

I think sometimes it's good though for a national team to be introduced to someone who's maybe not from the nation as well, like to introduce them to a different way of thinking.

England, the women's team.Before that, they've tried a German coach.I think they've tried, everybody's tried different coaches, that's just me as a preference, that's all.If England won the World Cup, I'm sure you wouldn't be bothered.Would it not be better to win the World Cup with an English fella?Would you not think that would be a bit better, or no?

If you win it, you don't care.

I've been in the dressing room with people who aren't bottom.Jack Charlton, never an issue.If I thought he was really good for the job and he could motivate the team, you're not worried, but he's from Cork, Dublin, or fucking Donegal.

But what happens if he was from Donegal and Cork or not, would you have preferred that?

If he was doing a good job.But I must admit, I prefer that.English coach being in charge of England, Duncan.Duncan, I prefer an English coach being in charge of England.But I played under Sven -Goran Eriksson and a couple of squads with Daniel Capello.So I've seen it from both sides.

I've never seen the benefit yet, really, of a foreign coach managing England.Can I ask you something quick?

There's 48 teams here.How many countries are managers who aren't?Oh there's a lot Roy, how many, have a guess, out of 48?I don't know.Have a guess, have a guess.25, 25.

More than 50%.

What was that, what did you say that?Out of the 48 teams that are at the World Cup, how many managers are here who are managing a team that they weren't born in?

More than 50%.

27.

I think there's only one manager who's ever won it, who's known.He's won the World Cup, he's a different nationality.I don't know who it is, but somebody told me.What I'm saying is, the odds of England winning it with a German coach are minuscule.

I know what you mean, yeah, of course.

Do you know what I mean?There's not many people who have actually ever done it.

I mean, look, English coaching's struggled now for a long time.English coaching in the 70s and 80s with, like, Terry Venables, Bobby Robson at Barcelona, and PSV Eindhoven, Roy Hodgson was international.They all went overseas and they did very well.You know, English coaches struggled in the last 20 years.

So what would happen is, right, if, say, the Premier League hired all British coaches or English coaches, what would happen, right?One of them would win the league.One of them would win the FA Cup, one of them would win the League Cup, whatever it was.Now, did all of them become winners?So you would all hear English or British coaches winning.Winners.

Who's going to do it?The only difference then is, can they date in the Champions League?That was the only thing about it.The thing is, Duncan, the reason, to be fair though...It's a pipe dream.

It's not going to happen because you've got a lot of foreign owners.Why would clubs appoint English coaches if the England national team won't appoint an English coach?

Correct, well that is the big one, innit?

It's not a great sign and signal to English coaches when you're saying that basically...They don't like you, they don't trust you.We want more coaches in the Premier League.League from England but actually you won't even put one in.Three out of the last five or six England coaches have been obviously foreign coaches and look I think the Premier League has been rewarded and we've loved it enormously for the introduction of foreign players and foreign members so I think it's been unbelievable but we can't, we're struggling to get I mean Eddie Howe has done a decent job in the last 7 or 8 years Harry Redknapp did a good job obviously at Spurs But the British coaches did get tough jobs didn't they?

They're the ones that handed the big jobs really The top jobs.

They did, they did.Frank got the Chelsea job, obviously Stephen got the Villa job.We have had moments where English coaches have had decent jobs, Eddie got the Newcastle job obviously.There has been moments but it's few and far between.On your reflection Duncan, the first week of the World Cup, the Scottish fans Almost like they were marching across America into every baseball stadium.

It's not the first time I've marched across America.

It's not the first time I've marched across anywhere, in fact.Do you know something, Duncan?Obviously, they're a joy.They're absolutely incredible.I mean, just what's your reflection for them of the fact that the money that they've spent, the time that they've spent...

I don't know how they do it, man.It's incredible, isn't it?Any fan can do it, you know what I mean?But Scotland fans have always been fantastic, haven't they?For whatever tournament they've went to.I don't know how they find the money, but they tend to find it, don't they?

But they've been incredible.And I think they'll be reasonably...

Is that an issue, though, where you said about the fans?Again, I go back to Ireland over the years, where they have a great crack, they enjoy it.But no, there's a bit of like...No, there's still an element of our supporters all going, we just want a bit more.We want a bit more than the sing song.Ireland were like that and they want your team to have a right go and give everything, win or lose and all that to carry on and have a go.

And I think there's just been a bit on this trip where I think, I'm sure if you speak to Scotland fans going, we just wanted a touch more.He's done a brilliant job.And like everybody else watching, everyone wants a bit more.We all do, don't we?

We all want a wee bit more, pal, don't we?

Of course we do.

I mean, I want to stay here a bit longer, but unfortunately we're on the day again.What game have we got?I don't know what game we've got.What game have we got?I've got no idea.Thank you.

There's that many games coming, isn't there?

And Duncan, final reflection from you on Scotland in terms of...Oh, Bonnie Scotland.

Come on, sing along.What was that?Oh, Flora Scotland...Come on, Roy, where's the next one?Oh, Danny boy...

The pipes, the pipes...Final reflection, Duncan.Is it a big reset moment, or is it just a case of, no, this could have happened...Don't mention Dennis Law to me.

No, that's too far.No, you're right.I think the manager, to me, was a bit of a shock.leaving each contract and leaving Scotland.So now they're going to have to find another manager.It's going to be a difficult one, isn't it?

And as you said, the pool of players might not quite be there.But they've got no bad base here.

It's not all doom and gloom.

No, come on.And it's two years to the Euros, is it?So they've got a lot of time to rebuild.

Well done to Italy out here.There's lots of team around here.I'm talking out here.

I'm trying to give you some moral support.Yeah, well, it's a reset, isn't it?Don't need a new manager, wouldn't they?

Did you get any thoughts yourself, Roy?Roy, three points keen.

Most jobs have problems, righty?For Derrick.I think it's a great job.

I've got a good nickname for you.When are they going to have a reset for the fans so the fans can have, like you say, a little bit more?It's got to come from somewhere.Can't just keep thinking the manager's going to come from somewhere and then cajole these players to do it.

It's a great job, Roy, in the sense that managing a national team, to be fair.It's a tough job, of course.But what I would say is, if you look at the pool of talent that that manager has got to go in and work with, you know, it is tough.He's not a big pool of talent.

I just say, the one I've just seen, you see me in the pool, Oliver McBurnie, was it a boy at Hull?He could have been in the squad.He was the top goal scorer in the championship for Hull.They're up in the Premier League.The boy George Hurst...

No, no, you're talking about Ollie.

Aye, Ollie McBurnley at Hull, he scored in the play -off final.He scored about 15, 20 goals in the championship now.He's up to the Premier League now.There was a boy called George Hurst who was at Ipswich, who scored about 15 goals for Ipswich.He's up to the Premiership now.So there's two strikers there that will be in the Premiership next year.

Or another two.No, they should have been maybe playing or in this squad, you know what I mean?

There will be a lot of people in for our Scottish team.A lot of top managers will fancy that job.

I wish them well.Duncan, I hope you get it.Thanks very much.Duncan, well done.I had sort of a break -through, that's for sure.Thanks, three points.

That's us, Duncan.I was thinking of three points for the basketball.Did he tell you he beat me the basketball?

Oh, I say not on that, actually.

He told everybody, hasn't he?Anyway, thanks very much.I've got to go across the road and do this thing.Well done, Duncan.

It's amazing when a team gets knocked out of a tournament, everyone's worried about their grassroots.Everyone looks after themselves.

But England, to be fair, Roy, did have a massive reset with a big investment and a big sort of play around, sort of coaches and stuff.And to be fair, they have improved.I know, but everyone's worried about Scottish football and nobody watches Scottish football.Nobody watches Aberdeen or...Roy, I'm sat here purely because if Scotland have gone out of a tournament, it's obviously a big news story to the managers that I won't be giving too many thoughts.But we shouldn't just be concerned about a team when they get beaten in a tournament.

No, but I'm saying that's money, infrastructure.It's not my country.Same for Ireland.Oh, I know that.

I know that, but I'm just talking about all of us.It does come to a point where you think, well, what's gone wrong?Like we're saying with Scotland, what's gone wrong?Because now it's getting to a place where they've done well, they've qualified, but then it's just completely stuck.The managers just resigned, just like that.We're speaking about them now.

You say we don't watch them on a regular basis and that because...I don't mean Scotland, I mean the Scottish league is the whole structure of it.Because I said...the Scottish Federation, they need to do more to build that league.Like he's saying, they don't play football, they haven't got nowhere to play football.They've got to look back on their things.

Yeah, and that's the SFA.

But there'll be politics at clubs because Celtic and Rangers, obviously Celtic are only interested in Celtic.Salford are only interested in Salford.There's a selfish side to sport.They've got to do something because they do deserve more.We've not brought up Ireland's problems.Wales haven't qualified, Northern Ireland.

All these smaller countries, these battles are constant.And a lot of it will come down to the dollar.

St. George's, how much was St. George's now?Back in the day, it was under a million, but it'd be now probably 200, 300 million if you built it there.

Right, so you're talking about that.Where do you think these countries are going to find when they've all got real issues going on?Ireland is staying.Where are you going to find one, two, 300 million pounds?

But I just think if you've got, look, it depends what you're If you've got health, wellbeing, mental health, physical health, and you want to drive outcomes and impact those things in a country, sport and football, particularly in the likes of Scotland and Ireland, could be huge drivers for those types of things.

In Ireland, for example, we go back to money.I mean, you've challenges, we're on about kids, but what happened to kids back in the day playing football?You've got iPads, you've got different challenges now.Kids are going away from Ireland and competition from other sports, rugby, hurling, football, for such a small country.These are ongoing challenges and you just have to wait, hopefully every few years a Robbie Keane will turn up, somebody will turn up, Wales, a Gareth Bale, a Ramsey, that's what they need.They're not going to produce eight, nine, ten players.

But if you're the Football Association of a country, for me your only job really is probably two or three things.One is to make football accessible for every kid in the country.make sure the infrastructure's there and the facilities, and make sure you've got coaching programs that are of a good quality.So to me, that's your job as an association.So England, to be fair to them, I'm not saying the outcomes have been amazing, because obviously we've not won a tournament with the men's team, but the women's team have won two tournaments.The under -21s, the under -8s, they've all won tournaments, so it's been a big...

It's actually happening that you can see more...I know, but what were they doing for 30, 40 years before that?No, no, but I get that, but what point are the Irish FA and the Scottish FA and the Welsh FA going to do this, where they've literally put football at the heart of what it is?

And I guarantee if someone sat here from these associations, the SFA, the FA, we'd have done battles every single day.We're trying to get facilities.We're trying to get more coaches coming through.

But there's that many distractions in people's lives now and different...It's not easy to do it, Roy, that's the thing.

It's not easy to do it, but someone has to do something.You're talking about the long time to get to that academy at St George's.When did they do it?30, 40 years ago?

They tried that with Lillishall 30, 40 years ago.

It didn't quite work.

But England, to be fair, have tried.And look, the FA take a lot...

But England are a lot richer country than Scotland and Ireland.

And look, they've got the Wembley revenues, they get big crowds, they obviously get sponsorship, which is more because obviously there's...But in the last 20 years, the production of English technical players, Morgan Gibbs, White, Palmer, Foden, Bellingham, Rodgers, Eze, Madhweki, Sackler.We've produced more.

A lot of these lads are walking on the farm coaches and Bellingham, they've gone abroad.Kane, he's gone to Bayern Munich.They're learning new experiences.So when they turn up for an international football match, you put yourself there as the England manager.When we were in Ireland, Steve Clarks was Scotland and you're watching your players coming into your hotel and it's sometimes as simple as this.When you're sitting there and you're watching Harry Kane walk into your hotel, they're bringing Spurs traits in terms of the amount of goals he's got.

You're bringing Bayern Munich traits.

You're bringing that into the building.

Bellingham, walking in the room, you're going, wow.I think we have a chance of winning.Scotland, Ireland, Wales, unless you've got a bail, you're walking players in.My point is, they're bringing their traits to your international setting.

Go back to the Irish FAO.Even the women's team with England, where Jill talks about her experiences of flying in what would be terrible conditions, not having good hotels, not having good food.You had it with Ireland obviously in the World Cup Roy.But my point is now the women's team do get, you know, they're getting looked after a lot more.They've got a facility at St. George's Park.

So now they're winning because they've got facilities.No, but I guarantee if you spoke to the women's, the England manager, the women's team manager, you'd be just...I bet you there's silly battles going on in the background.There's always going to be battles.Getting people into the crowd.Getting it on the TV.

You left the tournament because the standards were nowhere near the acceptable level of a country.Of course.

And it was a bit more than that as well.

But the FAI and the Scottish FA, I think what Wrighty's saying the other day is, when are they going to put football first and start to build these centre of excellences and these coaching programmes?

If you want to sit here all day and criticise the FAI, I'll join in.But they're also good people at these associations.I'm not saying there isn't.But that's my point.But it's just ongoing battles.It's politics.

It's common team members walking for different councils.That's your battle side.They obviously want Ireland to do...Of course they want the nationality team to do well.But again, I think we all do.Maybe sometimes we live in a different world.

We live in a bubble.But sometimes you have to reflect and go...Particularly when we're talking about Scotland today.There's a lot of people in the background doing massive work.But there's challenges.And they'll come down to money.

And England will have ongoing battles.I don't think money is the answer for everything.But I tell you what, it's a big help.If you can help get coaches, career.These countries will go, no, we are a step ahead of your buddy.And our kids are coming through.

Madrid, you look at all these players' careers.But they're used to qualifying for tournaments under 16, huge, 21.They're tournament trained players.

Look, I'm riffing here, making it up.

I'd love to be interested.Scotland is a good example in Ireland.I love to know how many of these Scotland players have played under -21 tournaments, under -18 tournaments, where they're tournament ready.

But let's say, Roy, from now on, they're going to basically make a big investment into what will be 4G pitches up in Scotland, because you need to make it astroturf because of the traditions.And then you've got a massive investment into a centre of excellence.And let's say then they're going tofund let's say 40 coaches a year Fund 40 coaches to go and do the German Pro Licence, to go and do the Spanish Pro Licence, the Italian Pro Licence.Are they doing the thing?You need thousands of coaches.

40 is not the answer.I know, but let's start with the top 40 coaches.

The prime example, you mentioned Croatia.I didn't bring up Croatia.You look at their record of producing coaches.

Thousands?Not 40?I know, my point is to start with 100 or 150 coaches a year in Scotland and Ireland, send them to the best pro licences in the world and say, look, we just train you up and get the intelligence from other countries.It's a start.

And I will finish on this, so you run about these coaches, send them on to pro licences, brilliant example.Brilliant example.Have you done your pro licence?Yeah.How much did it cost?It cost a lot of money.

No, they have to fund it.They have to fund it.

That's my point.

But if you're on about thousands of coaches, that's hundreds and hundreds of millions.

You've got to have some stage where someone's got to...Where do you think they're going to produce?Someone's got to sacrifice something for it.These countries have got problems with the government trying to get funding, people are trying to get houses.Football is near the bottom of the pile.There's more important things, hospitals, schools.

And then you're going, just send 40 coaches to Italy on a coaching badge.

If you're a government and you put physical well -being and PE at schools and sport at the bottom of your list, not thinking it can help with anti -social behaviour, mental and physical health and well -being and all these outcomes.The NHS in England is overrun.The NHS in Scotland is overrun.If you don't think football and sport and physical activity is at the of that and inspiring the new generation through football or women's football.

You talk about England, I was in a dressing room with you 25 years ago, 30 years ago, all you ever spoke about, you scold you when you come back from England, we get the best of the best.Private jets, the best medical stuff, best hoard to England.will be one of the best prepared teams in this World Cup.Absolutely.

And what does that come down to?It's money.Of course it's money!I know, but why don't the Scottish and Irish governments invest?They've got money, they've got pots of money.The Irish government...

That's all I was saying.The Republic of Ireland...It's not for a country.

It's not for a country.Do you know what happens to all of us sometimes?We do.It happens to us.We're in a studio.Sometimes you don't live in the real world and we chat about, oh, they've got hundreds of coaches, they've got pitchers.

My team in Ireland, Rochmond, they're battling to stay alive.Survival.Lights.I know, yeah.Some of these smaller clubs, my old team called Ramblers.I go back to the ground, it's like the same ground I left 30 years ago.

I know it is.It's constant battles, man.But the Republic of Ireland is a quite wealthy country right now.It's doing well economically.It's got challenges.Of course it's got challenges.

But if you want to divert your funding into something, I wouldn't put football or sport at the bottom.

Oh, maybe not near the bottom.But there's other stuff, listen, there's other stuff more important than sport sometimes in life.And we sit here and go, the sport's like, all of a sudden today we're talking about Scotland's problems.Tomorrow morning we won't be talking about Scotland's clubs, will we?Let's go to Manhattan and go shopping.It's how it makes you feel, Gareth.

It's how it makes Scottish fans feel.It's the morale that boosts the country.But why does it have to be when you're knocked out of a tournament?Because that's when you notice it more.But that's not right either, is it?Right, we're not sat here telling Scotland now to run their football.

We're just asking questions off the back of disappointment.

I get it.We're coming, in a sense, from a good place.

But I'd love if somebody was sitting there going, You don't know the half of it.I can imagine the challenges of getting funding, the priorities of funding.The Irish government and the Scottish government have got to surely look at health and wellbeing outcomes through sport as being a big factor.Get more kids into sport.If you said to me, what would be the advice I would give to parents up and down the country?Give your children a sporting upbringing because it'll keep them out of trouble, it'll keep them healthy,

it'll keep them competitive, you'll learn about discipline, losing, winning.Friendship.

Of course, absolutely.

I'm a preacher of that.You have somewhere to go to, you need coaching, you need someone to give you a lift to games.Exactly.That's all part of the sport.England's success the last few years, you go, England have done really well.A lot of it's on the back of Harry Kane.

It's great if you have a world class striker that can lift your country and carry you.Bale don't know about Wales.All of a sudden Bale retires.What happened to Wales all of a sudden?Strange enough, they're not getting the results they used to be getting.Ireland had some really good players, a gold scorer.

Robbie Keane helped the team for years.When you have a gold scorer it does help.Scotland turn up at this tournament without a top class striker.And if they had, they probably would have got that draw against Morocco and you wouldn't be sitting there worried about Aberdeen Academy.

You wouldn't be.But Wales, to be fair, produced Hughes and Rush.And they never qualified for tournaments.No, no.It was harder to qualify back then, Roy.You keep saying that, Gary.

It was a lot harder, Roy.You keep saying that.Oh my God, it was.

You keep saying that.When was Scotland's last World Cup, though?What did we expect from this one?Surely it's a process.They've made the World Cup.OK, they didn't get out of the group.

The next one, they've got to then obviously look to get...It's the amount of time it's taken them to get back as well.But they've done OK, haven't they?Qualifying for the past three tournaments.Absolutely.And now, I agree, go back.

What's the next step in making it better?But I don't think it's...

But what happens in life over the last few years, whether it be football snobbery, or we're all watching the Brilliant Man cities, and everyone wants a bit more from their team, and Scotland's fans will be the same.Irish fans will be the same.Listen.Going to all these pubs and have a sing -song is fantastic and they've been class.Ireland, the best, the best in the world.But there comes a point where they're looking going, listen, we love all that but we want our team to just...

But does that point come this World Cup?

I think it's just crepping definitely the last few years a bit of from what they've been watching on the TV and they watch all this tippy -tap.Scotland gave up a couple of goals against Brazil.Guess what they were doing?Playing out from the back.No, that's the other side to it.You go, hey lads, we know you can play, but listen...

we're under the cosh against Brazil, do you not think they might close you down?

That's what I'm talking about, game management.If the Chief Executive or Chairman of the Scottish Football Association would like to come on and speak to football, please come and sit with us.

Are you going to pay for him to come to New York?

Oh absolutely, what I'm saying to you is come and challenge us in terms of, obviously I'm sure there are massive challenges.Very good section on Scotland.It's nice to talk about Scotland with a bit of passion.You're right, you only talk about these countries actually when there's something goes wrong, to be honest, or something goes massively well.

Because when you're at a place like this, that's when it's more polarised.That's when there's microscopes on it and you realise, well, why is this happening to me?Since 98, Scotland ain't been here.You know, you think, well, what's going on all that time?What are they doing?Why ain't Scotland there when the fans still want it so badly?

Battling.

battling to survive.But I know that there's this thing like Scotland don't like England and Ireland don't like England, all that sort of thing.But actually, from an English perspective, I genuinely want Scotland.And it's better for us at tournaments as well.I genuinely want Ireland, Wales here.I genuinely want them here.

Not to say that I want to go ahead of England or anything like that.I don't.I want England to win a tournament.

And do you know what?I guarantee in the Euros in two years' time, hopefully, obviously Ireland and Wales and Northern Ireland are trying to qualify.I guarantee if they qualify, you go, oh, we've just, we've kind of We've got a couple of young players coming through or one of our top players has stepped up.It won't necessarily be going back to academies and grassroots stuff.We just produce one or two players at this, but it's timing.And remember, throughout the history of the World Cup, England, a number of times, didn't qualify for the World Cup.

And what was going on there?So you might look at that.Ireland, the history will tell you, but England didn't qualify in 94.

That's not 60 years back.I did a game earlier in the tournament, and it was with Ange, and Ange obviously worked with them.100 -year plan.He said they've got a 100 -year plan.And they're 35 foot.But you look at the improvements of Japan in terms of their play.

They beat England up at Wembley in March.And you see the way they're developing their coaches, their game, and you think, OK, have the Scottish FA, have they got a 20 -year plan?have they got a 15 year plan, what is the vision for the next 15 years of Scottish football to get to a point whereby infrastructure, coaches, players get to a higher level.

What's helping Japan do that do you reckon?

Of course it'll be money Roy, but it's priority funding.Is the Irish government and the Scottish government, maybe the UK government, I don't know.

They know how important sport is to them as well, it's why they've got a 100 year plan.They're not even doing it for themselves, they're doing it for people in a 100 years time.

What is the vision, you know, to be fair to England, they did put I think a 20 -25 year plan in place when they built St George's Park and it was, you know, I think it was, I can't remember the name of the chair.

But they would have got funding wouldn't they?Obviously.

Yeah, of course.I'm agreeing with you.

And they would have gone to them and said, we do have a plan and we will start producing players and the women's team doing well.And that's obviously, that's good for the country and good for the economy, of course.But they're...

They will have a plan though, won't they?They maybe just haven't shared it.

Yeah, but if I'm the FAI and I'm seeing Roy Keane sat there and I'm thinking about a 25 -year vision for football, what does excellence look like and where do we want to get to?And how can we bring the great Irish players that are now in football that's sort of what ex -players are.How do we bring those minds together to create what would be a system of working for the next 25 years to get a centre of excellence, a coaching programme that's world class.Have they tried that?That's what I'm saying, what are these people doing?

They haven't even tried that?

Yeah, to me it doesn't happen, so anyway.

Okay.This episode of Stick to Football is brought to you by Skybet.

Right, top three things to do in New York.

I'll tell you what I did once in New York, you're a fan of Friends.I went and did the two -way, you know where you go around the apartment and everything.It was the best thing I've ever done.It was so good.Like being in the actual apartment.Do you watch it?

No.

That's good.Rockefeller Center.

I went to the...I don't think I've been to the...I've been.

Top of the Rock.You go to the...It's quite interesting.

Yeah.And it's cheaper than paying for the...Empire State Building, so you can go to the top.

I've been up there as well.

Have you?

And then the edge.Oh, there's...What's the walk that, erm...Yeah.I need to do that.That's good.

Highline.Highline, yeah.Yeah, I've not done that yet.Highline's great.

Oh, I'm scared of heights, though.No, it's not height, you know.It's not like...Well, it sounds it.

It's just like, just off the ground.Oh, OK.You can see, it's brilliant.Just pedestrian...

Everything pedestrianised, brilliant.A question a lot of people have been asking, which could you throw further, a naan bread or a baguette?

A baguette, cos it's heavier, innit, than it would...How big's the baguette, though?I think...

I could frisbee it now.

Frisbee a nun, I thought.I thought you said frisbee a nun.

Oh, I've got a room 101, by the way.I was on a flight the other day.and a bloke had his feet out on a fly.Oh, no.Don't tell me he had his no socks on.

No socks on.Wow.Honestly.Wow, I'd probably...Honestly, like...I don't know if I can quite say something.

It's not hygienic, is it?

Do you know what else I hate?When someone's in front of you and the hair's come over the top of the thing, so the hair's like...

I'm not bothered with...That's not...That's not bad.That's rembered.It's not right, that.

No.

No.

Are you a feet fan, though?Do you like feet?No, but...I hate feet.Oh, here we go.Well done, everybody.

I was in a gym the other day in a hotel.There was a guy there and I said to him, I said, can you teach me how to do the splits?He said, are you flexible?I said, I can't do Tuesdays.