"That's BULLSH*T!" Simon Jordan SLAMS Enzo Maresca 'Apology', England Worries vs D.R Congo & More

You've got this bloody shrine in your house with this life -size cardboard cutout of Ronaldo that you seem to worship every five minutes.How do you know about that?Possibly you bring it on that bloody... because I can just imagine you.

Well, welcome to a new episode of World Cup Uncensored and we have major breaking news today because we not only have the existing Dream Team, Jordan, Terry, Morgan, but we have the super sub Sean Dyche who made a massive impact when he came off the bench last week.Sub?Have you put me in this sub already?John Terry told me to call you a sub.He said he's first choice.That's good to see.

People loved it.It was brilliant.So we thought today... that we bring you all together, we'd have the quartet all of Britain, if not the world, has been demanding.

Are we going to get a word in?

I don't know how we're going to get a word in.All I know is if anyone's not going to get a word in, I want it to be Simon Jordan, who's now already recoiling in horror at that prospect.

Simon, JT, welcome.But we all know why Deitch is in the studio with you, Piers.because you're on your own and you don't want me and John on one side of the Atlantic to be able to educate you without having some football knowledge alongside you.

Well, there was a bit of ganging up last time you two were together and it was quite weird because the viewers would be like, well, hang on, aren't they separate?And then you kept looking quite lovingly towards JT and I realised that the game was up.You blew your cover that you were doubling up on me.

He was great, JT.Look at him.He looks fitter now than when he was playing.He does, doesn't he?I was thinking that.He's got marvellous teeth.

Beautiful.I'm not sure.

I was running late, actually.I've just run through Times Square.

Gentlemen, we meet after England have got through into the knockout stage.Not a great surprise, but we did it pretty well.JT, let me start with you.As a player, you'd probably be quite happy.We won 2 -1.We played really well in the first game.

We were sort of nullified by Ghana in the second.but we had a very good second half, I would say, in the third match.It's not bad, you know, for the sort of early games.You tell me, but as a player, I would think they'll be reasonably happy, albeit with the caveat the serious stuff starts now.

I think the players will as a whole be happy.I think the manager himself will look at it differently and Daishi will be able to give us his thoughts on it.Because I think defensively we look a little bit sloppy.We look a little bit open, like we're conceding chances against average sides for me.We're unable to break a low block down as well, which the Congo's game is going to be that as well.So they will be my two concerns.

I think the players will focus on their performances and topping the group, which they've done.I think from the manager's point of view, like I said, those two things would worry me.

Yeah, and from a defensive point of view, he's obviously tried a few things here.As we get, I mean, you know, we should beat Congo.And if we can't, then frankly, it'll be a disaster, I think, for England.But if we do, the next game is likely after that to be Mexico in the Azteca Stadium in front of a home Mexican crowd, heat and the rest of it.Incredibly intimidating, I would think, the atmosphere there.And if we win that game, likely to then play Brazil.

who I think is still one of the big underdogs here, not being talked about enough.And then if we beat them, we play Argentina with a revived Messi.And if we win that, we may likely play France in the final.This is about as tough as a run -up could get, right?What do you think, John?

A little bit.Listen, I think we've comfortably beat Congo for me. I think the Mexico one is going to be a bigger test.I think the altitude is going to play a massive part.I think we've been really fortunate in terms of the weather and the stadiums we've played in so far.We've played in no real heat at all, and trust me, Piers,it's going to be a big test in the altitude if we get that far.

But from a hall, I think we can be happy that we've topped the group.That's got to be objective number one.I think the manager's got to get his settled side now.I think moving forward in the knockout stages, I think it's important, and Daishu will give us his views, but I think it's important to get a settled squad moving forward now, especially defensively, where you build up relationships.

Yeah well I'll come to Sean for that managerial perspective but Simon it looks to me just watching England.The good news, Harry Kane is fit and rearing and scoring.That's great, because he is, right now, pound for pound, the best goalscorer in the world.Jude Bellingham is stepping up, I think, in a way that a lot of people were quite cynical about before the tournament began.Some didn't even want to take him.But I think he's really stepped up.

But on the less positive note, concerns over Declan Rice's fitness, I think we really missed him in the last game.Same with Jadon.I think Gordon's been underperforming on the left.I think Saka's been underperforming on the right.They don't look quite like they're firing yet.There's a few concerns.

Then you add the issue at right back now, which has become a major concern.A lot of people are saying you should have taken Trent Arnold.You know, maybe Karma's come back to bite us there.When you look at the totality of England's performances, the fitness issues and so on, what's your feeling about where we are?

Well, there's nothing about what you've seen from England that inspires you with confidence to believe that they're going to win this tournament.But that's, to some extent, what we've seen in previous tournaments.There will be this compare and contrast between how Southgate approach games and how Toocles approach games.None of these games that we've seen are going to define England's passage, despite the fact they had to perform in them to get out of the qualifying group.Yeah, I mean, you can make arguments about individual choices, about whether they should book perhaps Ben White.I mean, every conversation about an Arsenal player, you'll latch upon Ben White.

but perhaps Ben White should have been in the conversation.

Well, I actually agree with that.I agree.

Yeah, well, I don't, because I think Ben White cut his cloth four years ago when he decided not to play for England, and I don't think the reward should be coming back in to decide when it suits him best.

Did you feel the same about Paul Scholes when he said he wouldn't play?

I don't really recall the circumstances in which Paul made a choice, but Ben White made a choice because he fell out alleged...No, no, no, no.Hang on.Get the information right.Ben come home...Ben decided in the middle of a tournament that he doesn't want to work alongside the coaching staff and had a tantrum and didn't want to get on with things.

So there were different dynamics.Scolzi, like Alan Shearer, decided that his international career had come to an end and then he decided it hadn't.So with respect, I think he'd earned that right by being at a player at the standard that he was at.But if you look at England's performances, I mean, Souness talks about Declan Rice and about his performances and about sideways and back, sideways and back.And I wanted to ask Deitchie about Declan and about this central midfield, because one of the things that worries me, Sean, is that no one seems to have a clever ball.

Yeah, I mean, the argument about this, I just saw his comments, but...You look at Declan Rice, you don't know, you know, JT will tell you more than me about this side in the camp, right?You don't know what the information from the manager is.My question mark of Ringley is very methodical.It's all like, yeah, possession is everything, but it's not.Possession is not everything.

You've got to lose that.You've got to mix your play, mix your tempo.And if you are playing possession well, it's got to be quick.It's got to be one and two touch, fast play.My point is which JT might throw some line for us in the camp.You don't know what the manager's telling him.

He might want it to be continuity.He might want it to be keep the ball and break the opposition down with that methodical kind of way of playing and get them, almost wear them down eventually, you know, and eventually, you know, especially if you play in the lesser teams.JT mentioned about the low block.You know, if you keep probing, pressing, probing, pressing, playing, and you've got to watch the back door, obviously, on transition, then you would want it to be continuity.The bit I do agree with,though, and Elliot Anderson I think is a big player and I'm sure we'll go on to that and fees and all that.

Is he a £116 million player?Well I was just going to say...I've got to be honest, I watched him in the last game and because Rice wasn't playing.I thought he was quite exposed, actually.I'm not watching a guy worth £116 million.

If you let me just finish, Pierce, what I was going to say was, having worked with him, he's young, he's learning, he's had a brilliant transition from where he was to where he is now over the last 16 to 18 months in his game.I challenged him when I was there, keeping his position better, but that sometimes comes with age and maturity and game knowledge.But also, as you're suggesting, Simon, Who in the England team is going to find that killer pass?Who's going to find the goal out of nowhere?Who's going to stand up for them big moments?Or maybe put that set piece in?

Now Declan has shown he can do it.He's certainly shown it for Arsenal.Don't start, Piers.He's certainly shown it there.

Well, it's funny, isn't it?

Because all his set piece brilliance was ridiculed all season.This was ruining football.But the moment he started doing it for England in the World Cup, suddenly it's fantastic.

It's funny.I said, don't start, and you start.It's impossible.But the idea being, the idea being that And Bellingham, I think, has been...I actually think Bellingham has been what he is. I didn't get all the question marks.I know we spoke about this.

You all agree with that, I'm sure.And he's delivering.

I agree, yeah.

Now, what I will say, if you get Rice playing how he does with Arsenal, if you look at the dot graph of his performances, he's all over the pitch because he's good at that.He's got the engine, he's got the talent and the awareness to drive forward.Elliot Anderson's hitting that deeper role.So not like they talk nowadays about two pivots, just means two midfielders.Let's not start all that.But two pivots working together and then you've got Ballon working in front.

I think Rice can go forward and as you're suggesting not play, or Graham's suggesting not play forwards and sideways and backwards, because I think he's got a lot more than that.The wide players then come in to play more because you're getting them in advance and you're getting Anderson being that pivot.And then hopefully Kane carries on being Kane.

You know what really worries me though?JT is this sort of rumour mongering that to solve the right back issue they might put Spence there but they might also consider putting Declan Rice there.Now we tried this at Arsenal in one of the last games.Absolutely not.And he was put there and we had to make five different decisions in 20 minutes to correct the appalling error because it just completely threw our whole system out.And I would hate to see Declan Rice there.

I think the problem is that Rice and Anderson have been playing as both sort of slightly defensive midfielders, holding back a bit.And I think, look, put Anderson in that role and let Declan Rice be Declan Rice.Let him charge forward and be the creative guy.But I think the bigger problem is the wide players at the moment aren't really delivering.Bellingham is. and Kane is, but I think we could be getting them a lot better service.

Let's just touch on Declan Rice first of all.Definitely not right back, definitely not a centre -half.I think he can do it, but that's a backward step from an England's point of view.I think Declan is so good, he's able to do that number six role on his own, and I think we're seeing over the last four or five years the importance that Premier League clubs put on those positions, and that's why we're seeing inflated prices for Declan, Rodri, and now Anderson coming into that.I would actually like to see Manu, possibly.I called for Rodgers and Bellingham to be in the two 10s for me. I don't think it worked too well because I thought Kane was dropping a little bit deeper, and you had the three of them on the same line, and both wingers for me were coming too short.

I think the only time we looked really dangerous was when Jude made those kind of late runs, taking the defenders behind, making it difficult for defenders.Do I go?Do I stay?Do I go with Kane?And when we had that, we looked a little bit dangerous.But when all three of them were making the same movement, I thought we looked very average, I have to say.

With the World Cup in three different countries, there's a lot of travel for the fans, the players and the media, too.Our own John Terry has been on television in South Africa and in the stands for England's opening game in Dallas.I've just got back from New York where the final itself will take place.Frankly, the last thing I want is to miss a game because of geoblock streaming or some dodgy public Wi -Fi.That's why we've teamed up with Surfshark.More than a VPN, it's basically an all -in -one security suite.

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Simon, you know, you're not going to like this because it involves another Arsenal player.You know the kind of player that I would like to have seen on the bench and potentially be able to play in a game like that?Lewis Skelly.He's a little baller.When he played against Atletico Madrid, home and away, he was terrific for us, right?He does know he's not in the squad, doesn't he?

I know he's not.That's what I mean.I would have taken Lewis Skelly.I think we're missing players like that who are little ballers in the midfield.

But I'd like to...Well, I'd like to see Eze coming to the side because I think he's a creative player.I think he's the kind of player that can unlock things.And of course, that will appeal to you because he's bloody awesome.Thank you very much.I'll take that.

was disappointed with him when he came in against Garner, because whilst, you know, the physicality of Garner was what it was, he was too easily brushed off the ball.He doesn't look like he's playing with any great confidence.When he came on in both games, he looks a little bit away from it, like he's a little bit in awe of the situation, and we need to get him with his head up and playing the way he did at the back end of the season for Arsenal, because I think, I don't know what you think, Sean, I think Ezi has that in him to be able to create that little bit of extra?

I think he does, but I don't think he's coming to the tournament from what I gather from covering the season last year.He wasn't flying every week.You know, he's not flying at Arsenal, absolutely ripping it up.His journey's been terrific over the last couple of years, but he is relatively short in the grand scheme of things for him to suddenly arrive in a World Cup and be the guy that makes a difference, which it can happen.But I do agree with your general point.He has got that summing out of nothing, you know, can get summing out of absolutely nothing, beat someone, smash it, find a pass, find a moment, but then I must say, an informed sacker, we know can do that.

Maduakis shown it in spells, he can do that.You know, we think, well, I think, you know, Rashford can do it in his different ways, you know, he's more direct with his running power and his finishing.But I do think we've got enough.Sometimes it's turning up.Just turn up, the whistle blows, turn up.You know, go and play.

So I think we do analyse these things.Sometimes it's a bit more simple, I think.

I want to take you back, Sean, to something Peter's asked you a moment ago about Elliot Anderson.Because you've talked about Eze having an up and down season at Arsenal.Predominantly because Arteta was trying to make him do different things and he was learning what Arteta wanted.But creatively, at times, he was doing a good job.But Elliot Anderson, he's arrived in that space as well.He's arrived from nowhere, taken over from where Adam Walson left off.

You know him.I mean, is he...What kind of personality is he?Was he one of those players that went off behind your back and spoke to Marinakis?

Allegedly, there was things like that going on.I'm not going to name names.Simon, you know that.No, look, I agree, that's a fair point you make, but as his journey's started,different.Anderson has been in the Newcastle situation for quite a while, and he's been around that scenario in that team, but I do agree with Jeremy, he has a rapid rise and come out of nowhere.

But we're talking about a different style of player here, we're talking about a continuity player.I'm not doing that down.But that is an easier job, not easy, easier than being the guy that makes the difference, the player that finds the magic moments.That's a different kind of player, which then we go back to the debate.I'm sure we'll have that debate about 116 million and all that.But that's the market.

Is he worth it?Well, that's the market, Piers, for these players now.

It's a weird market, though, isn't it?I mean, I even look at what Barcelona have played for Gordon on current performances, because I don't watch him in...

But it's the same that Chelsea play for Fernandes to some extent.

Yeah, but I don't...I don't watch these guys week in week out.

I get it with English players as well that have tried and tested in the Premier League for me.You know they can do it.You know they're robust as well.So there's a little bit of add -on there as well.I think when you're bringing a player in from overseas, it's maybe not as much because you don't know, are they going to kind of hit the ground running?Will it take them a season?

Will they adapt at all?So I think with Anderson, you know that.You know he can deal with the league and the athleticism of it.Is he worth 116 million quid, Joe?

What player is now?

I would say no, but that's just where the market is.

Yeah, exactly that, JT.I have this debate all the time with fans and various things.Simon, when you were involved in it, owning football clubs and that, in that period, we could all sit there, and I say this all the time, if you had a list of 10 players 10 years ago, we could all put a figure and we'd all have been about right.Now, no one cares.Pay it or don't pay it.You go to a billionaire and you say, we want your player, and they say, give us this, if not, the deal's off.

So it's pay it or don't pay it now.It's a different ball game.

How much would you pay for Steve Clarke to be manager of your team now?Simon, if you had a team, would you want Steve Clarke as your manager?I mean, let's be honest.it by saying, Scotland were crap.Absolute crap.And his behaviour was churlish.

That doesn't make him crap.

Well, he was very churlish in there being crap as well.

So, in other words...I think Clarke has done an unbelievable job with Scotland over the last seven or eight years for me. I agree.When I look at Scotland without being disrespectful, I think Scotland are very average with one or two or three really, really top players.Other than that, I think he's put a really good team together for me and done really well.Will he regret his decision maybe in a few months?Possibly, because I think he's made a rash decision there after signing a long contract.

But Clark is a very good, detailed coach and manager for me.

JT, in the FIFA rankings, I think Scotland are in the 40s somewhere, right?Now, I know that's not an exact measure, but it gives you a feeling.So you go to the World Cup and suddenly it's like, they're not doing this, they're not doing that.

They're ranked 40th in the world.Only four teams, I think, didn't make the next stage.This is one of the problems I have.

I tell you what, you wouldn't want to follow Clarke at Scotland, would you?Well, hey, that old chestnut.Well, hang on, Dyche.

Dyche, would you like to follow someone who didn't qualify for the knockout stage of a World Cup where Cape Verde did?And if you pretend you'd heard of them before the World Cup.I've got a card to sell you.Would you, don't you?64th in the World Rankings, Cape Verde.No, I wouldn't.

At the end of the day, I agree with JT.I'm not going to let this one go.I'm a manager and I try and protect managers.Overall, I think he's done a brilliant job.This World Cup, you start looking at the manager, there is 11 players out there.Sometimes you've got to hang on a minute.

Now, I don't think they've got the edge.I don't think they've got the true cutting edge in the front line.We spoke the last time I was on this, Brilliant show you put together, lads.I enjoy listening to you.But, you know, like, they haven't got that...cutting edge so we've got Harry Kane right and you know we can talk about the obvious ones Messi and Mbappe, Ronaldo I know we've gone to that but you get my point I don't see that in Scotland so where are they?

Scotland has the same population as Croatia, Norway and they're bigger than Bosnia All those three teams are in it.

Uruguay have won it twice, haven't they?There you go.

that unfortunately for Steve, the players need to catch a bit more shrapnel than Steve because I think, you know, you can't legislate for individual errors against Morocco and against Brazil that hand the opposition the game.I think he's done a decent job.The problem for Steve was that when you've got people like Roy Keane that are popping up with these sort of observations saying that, you know, Steve went into a bar in Boston and it was happy hour, so they asked him to leave.Those sort of things now are a meme that are waiting to happen.And I think Clarkey looked at it and went, after the Euros in 2021, where he caught a lot of shrapnel, although they did well, he's looking at it going, I don't think I need this anymore.And I think probably for him, he's made the right decision.

But if you look at the Scotland team, Despite the fact we bring up Capo Verde and you want to use that as a cudgel, Piers, look at the group that Scotland were in.Brazil and Morocco are 7th and 6th in the world.I mean, it was a shit end of the stick draw.The only argument they can have is they should have beaten Haiti better.They should have beaten Haiti 2 -0.nil and at least given them a neutral position to get out of the group with three points and a neutral goal difference.

Simon Jordan racing to defend Scotland.Words I'd never thought I'd use.No, no, it's fair.It doesn't sit well with me.JT, just tangentially, but we've had another big England quitting story here.You've been an England captain.

You've stood down as England captain.Ben Stokes has just done this in the middle of a Test match here and walking away from all international cricket.Just quickly on that, I've known Ben a long time.Looking at him yesterday, it just looked to me like he was burnt out, worn down by it all.He'd done four years.We got a drubbing in the ashes.

We just lost a home series to New Zealand as well.He just looked like he was just fried.Do you look at someone in that position, even if it's a different sport, and recognize that feeling?

Yeah, absolutely.First of all, I didn't step down.They took it away from me. I can feel his pain, to be honest, because when I watched his message to the boys, I think it was a couple of days ago, he looked deflated, Piers, to me.And he looked heartbroken.And I felt the same.When you feel like you're let down.

We spoke about this on a previous show about when you're at club football you feel protected, you feel loved and you feel backed more importantly and I felt that at Chelsea when I was going through difficult moments off the pitch.England threw me under the bus for me and I can feel his pain 100%.I think he's a great leader.I think he's been a great captain.I'm actually not the biggest cricket fan, but I look at him and I'm a big fan of his.

Well, many people, many people, John, many people do feel, and maybe I'll bring Simon in here, but many people feel that the English cricket board has chucked Ben Stokes under the bus because of this incident.How?Well, I'll tell you how.So they win the first test match of a three -test series against New Zealand.Very important we win this series at home after the Ashes debacle.They win the first one.

Really good win.Stokes leads the team brilliantly and they go out for a few drinks and he's in a pub with Joe Root and a few others and then he and Gus Atkinson go to a nightclub where they do nothing wrong at all.other than one thing which I'll come to...Great curfew, Piers.Well, they've had a few drinks, but a rugby player from Saracen...Great curfew.

..throws punches at Atkinson, hits the England security guy who's there to look after them.Stokes is not even in the club when this happens.Atkinson doesn't respond to at all.The two of them leave immediately.They're an hour past the supposed curfew, which Atkinson said he wasn't even aware of, and which neither of them thought applied after you've won a game.

Why would there, with 10 days to the next match, why would there be any curfew on fully grown men celebrating a win?

OK, let's get the context on that, because I'm firmly in the camp that the ECB should not have stripped him of his captaincy.And there was parts of the British media that were all about, we need to take the captaincy away from him because he broke curfew because of the optics.And I said at the time, oh, pack it in with the optics.We want to win.Is he better in the team with a reprimand for breaking curfew?Now, the curfew was something that he was part of introducing post the debacle in Australia.

So he broke his own rule.Now, whilst I concur with you that there is a feeling that he shouldn't have been compromised, the ECB actually saved his bacon.The ECB didn't sanction him, they didn't take his captaincy away, despite significant sections of the popular British media suggesting that he should be taken away.

He did nothing wrong.

Well, he broke...No, just...Piers, Piers, Piers, I'm in your side of the argument.I don't want him stripped of the captaincy.But he did break curfew, and if you're going to be a captain, you do have to be in the real world, beyond a little bit of reproach.You do have to set an example.

All right, but let me ask...Now, shouldn't you have the captaincy taken away?

No.So they haven't thrown him under the bus.The reason I think they did was because they didn't defend him after it and yet it turned out he'd done nothing wrong other than...They did.

They did.

They did, Piers.They didn't actually.

And do you know what?

Do you know what Brendan McCallum did?They did, Piers.Look, I've got a lot of time for Brendan McCallum, a lot of time for Rob Key, but when they were asked, will Ben Stokes be captain going forward, neither would commit to that.John Terry, this idea of a curfew after you've won a game and you've got 10 days till the next one and you're out letting your hair down celebrating.Should grown men, grown sportsmen, athletes, should they be under any kind of curfew after a game has been played?

Well I do understand it but at times and Daishi will step in after me I hope and back this but team spirit and moments like that when you've had a big win or sometimes when you've had a loss as well those little moments of togetherness can serve you so well further on in the next test, the next game, or later on in the season.You see people in a different light completely.So, yeah, he's put himself into that situation.And I've been involved in previous ones myself as well, which you regret.But in terms of are they allowed that and should they be allowed that, 100 % they should be.And my situation was different.

I had a full -on conversation with the FA before the Euros in Ukraine and they were going to follow suit in terms of the court of law in England, which they then backed down on.They fined me, they banned me.So mine was completely different.I had previous conversations going into that tournament because England wanted me to play in that tournament in Ukraine.

This concept I just think of a curfew applying after a game has been played and you've had a good win and they're out just having a few quiet drinks.Neither player did anything wrong.They weren't involved in fighting with this young Saracens rugby player who seems to have had nothing to hide.to him.They left immediately.They had an ECB security guy with them.

They were just having a couple of quiet drinks.And the reason it mattered so much was that it then wrenched away our captain and our best bowler in the winning test match at Lord's, Gus Atkinson, who bowled brilliantly, wrenched them away from a second test.We then lost that.We lost momentum.And then... today we lost the third test and therefore the series.And there'll be a load of fallout from that.

So that one decision to punish two grown adults for being up one hour past a ridiculous curfew, which shouldn't have applied after the game, in my opinion, cost us the series.

No, I mean, I agree with JT.Look, let's make this clear.I'm not promoting the idea that everyone goes out and all that sort of stuff, but I agree with both of you, actually, in a different way.Grown men, professional people, haven't got a game.They know the time scales now.They're more educated than ever.

All sports.I remember the days of cricket and they're going out and doing whatever and they eat wrong and they run around getting drunk and play the next day.It's not like that anymore.No professional sport is like that now.They know how to look after themselves.They have massive support systems in order to look after themselves.

When they do have nights out, I don't know about cricket as JT, so I'm not mad on cricket.I don't know everything about it.But usually, They have security around or someone keeping an eye on them.It can be contained, which I still think is wrong, because then fans go and look at them and you go, well, you can't wait to stitch them up half the time, you know, getting your cameras out and all that.And there used to be a time, JT, when fans wanted to see you out and having a beer, no better than if it was England players at the right time, I must make that clear.Now they've become so untouchable, but that's modern society.

So what you have to do is manage it.And in this case, from what I gather, only reading up on it, I don't know all the finer details like you do, Piers, but it seems to me it's over the top.And I wonder whether he's just gone, do you know what?

I think he has.I'm loving this, you know what I mean?

I think the lack of real support...Like yours, I'm a grown man, I'm a top professional, I know what I'm doing.

I'm not having this.I think that's gotta be part of it.That's gotta be part of it.play in the next game, we would literally have had zero players.

I tell you what, Val, what JT's on about, some of the biggest performers in all time, if you look down the annals of history, have often been a togetherness that is not just on the pitches.

I totally agree.I think it's all part of the bonding.All right, let's get into a juicy ongoing debate, Simon, because you've been very vocal about this.Ronaldo and Messi, the two You never miss a chance to have a pop, so have a pop.Take a back seat, Daishi.Well, Daishi, I will come to you and JT about this, but first of all, Simon, so Messi has scored six goals.

You might think, well, certainly in one of the games where he got the hat -trick, he shouldn't have been on the pitch, should have been sent off.And he's scoring goals against pretty mediocre opposition.right but he's now your boy but he's scoring a lot of goals ronaldo scored two brilliant goals in one of the games and had two otherwise quite quiet games against opposition yeah portugal have qualified and actually now have a slightly easier run so maybe it was all deliberate um look messi ronaldo everyone is talking about these two they do they are the two biggest stars in world football where are we with these two in this tournament do you think I think we are where we expected to be, that they're big names, that they're doing big things.

Obviously the fact that you've got this bloody shrine in your house with this life -size cardboard cutout of Ronaldo that you seem to worship that every five minutes.Possibly you bringing on that bloody, because I can just imagine you, you probably bringing that witch doctor on might have bocked Ronaldo because every time he steps up against better opposition, he doesn't score.Look, I mean, the argument, this reductive argument that we keep having...Well, here's the specific argument.

I am curious to see.Here's the question specifically.Well, go on.Because there's an interesting point somebody raised.Ronaldo's played every minute of the three games for Portugal.Indeed.

Messi was on the bench in the third game for Argentina and came on later in the game and he scored a free kick.So, the argument being that Messi, they don't play him every minute.They use him more judiciously.Should Portugal be doing that with Ronaldo?

Ask Sean Tyche.No, I think possibly.I think possibly it's a fair and reasonable argument.I personally spoke about it before when I was on Last On and Ronaldo for me plays, simple as that.One thing you always forget with these guys, and JT probably knows him better than me, I know Harry Kane a little bit.He's thirsty to play.

Some players want to keep playing.Some players don't like losing that continuity of just play, play, play, play.It keeps them in a rhythm.It keeps their productivity high, especially when they're confident.They don't worry about all the noise around them going, I'm tired and all that sort of stuff.So we don't know what's getting said in the camp.

I just get the feeling from the outside looking in, Ronaldo is that type.He wants to play.He wants to be the man. I think that's made clear from his career.Messi, likewise, but they're obviously looking at it differently.And there lies the difference in management.There lies the difference in stats, facts, looking at players, what they're doing, look at their intensity, look at their minutes on the pitch.

All the specialist teams around a manager, they all pitch in and they say, right, what should we do with this player?And then inevitably, well, eventually, sorry, the manager has to make the decision.So there'll be two different camps and two different reasons.Back to the point I said it before, for me in world football, Ronaldo,the best of the two because of all the different clubs he's managed to do the business out But in World Cup football, you can't go against Messi, how can you?And by the way, I must make it, I must remind everyone who watches, because you know, it's like, they go, oh, what's he saying that for?

They're both geniuses.They're both brilliant.

Stop equivocating.Just say it.You've declared Ronaldo's better.

You said the two biggest players, I reckon Mbappé would be there going, really?Oh, just two of them.

He might well be, although I still think...I would agree with Daishi on that first bit.Yeah, go on.In terms of... players wanting continuity and playing regularly, keeping that rhythm.I was exactly the same.Firstly, I didn't want to come out of the team and give anyone else an opportunity to play.

Second of all, I preferred playing two or three games a week.I felt like I was in my rhythm.And when I look at Harry Kane, could we have rested Harry in that last game against Panama?Yeah.But knowing Harry, 100%, he would have been speaking and having conversations with the manager going, I want to play.This is an opportunity to play.

Get another cap, get another goal.you know, keeping contention for the top score in this competition.A lot of players are like that.The very best always are.Ronaldo is like that, for sure.I'm not obsessed with playing him every minute of every game.

I think he can be a big impact player in certain games as well, but I'm sure the manager and him are having discussions.

I said this in an earlier show but his finishing, alright it was Uzbekistan, but his finishing with those two goals there was brilliant.And so the idea that anyone could watch that and think this guy's over the hill, he's not.No one's doubting that.He is unbelievable.

No one's ever doubting.No one's ever doubting.There's a lot of people doubting him.

A lot of people writing him off.

A lot of people saying he's a washed up has -been.They are.He's probably had that for the last three or four years.That's true.That's true.Top players deal with it, top players respond.

My team have very unfairly, in my view, done a Ronaldo mash -up of memes that have done the rounds to show you what I'm talking about.The kind of stick he gets which Messi, for some reason, avoids.Let's take a look.I mean, utterly ridiculous.And this.Let me tell you, the reality is the guy's 41, he's got the body of a 20 -year -old and he could beat any of us over probably 500 metres.

He's playing like a 30 -year -old as well.Yeah.Unbelievable.

JT, the first clip, that looked like me on a Sunday morning.You know, you've just been beat 5 -0 by Man City for the fifth time on the trot.That's how I used to look on a Sunday morning, trust me.

The interesting thing, actually, about their battle is that...And it's great for football to be debating.It's probably the last World Cup they'll both be playing at.The way it has now worked out, the only place they can meet, Portugal and Argentina, is in the final, which would be, if England can't make it, that would be quite something, wouldn't it?Ronaldo and Messi finally competing.Portugal don't get there for me.

No.You don't think so?I'd be amazed.No.OK, so who do we think is going to get there?I mean, look, there are lots of fascinating ties here.

I look at a game like Brazil -Japan.It could be interesting.France, Sweden.You know, this is going to be Jocares against Saliba.Some interesting match -ups there from players who know each other.But there's a lot of interesting games.

Simon, when you look at the last 32, where do you think we might see some surprises?

I'm not sure we're going to see too many, to be honest with you.I mean, I look at the games and you list them off very quickly.I think Brazil have got a difficult game against the Japanese, but they'll beat them.I think Germany will beat Paraguay.I think, interestingly enough,the Netherlands might do Morocco, so that might be an upturn.

I think...The Ivory Coast versus Norway is a good game.But I look at France beating Sweden.I look at Mexico beating Ecuador.We'll beat the Congo.I think Belgium will beat Senegal.

The U .S.will beat Bosnia.I think Spain will beat Austria.Portugal will beat Croatia.I think the Swiss will beat Algeria.

Egypt will beat Australia.So I don't think there's going to be...I know I'm reeling them off, but I don't think there's going to be that many surprises there.

You don't think there's going to really be any shocks?

I think it would...Well, not major shocks.They've done great, but...Even though I agree with what you said, Al, I think Brazil have been a little bit...You can never write them off, but they've been a bit low -key.But I do think Japan, they've got something there.

I don't think that's an easy one.

I think the thing about Brazil...No, not easy.I think Ancelotti is such an experienced big -game player.And that Brazil team has so much talent.I mean, Vinícius Junior, no -one's really talking about what he's been doing.He's been fantastic in this tournament.

You know, I just think Brazil, the last time there was a World Cup in Mexico, Brazil won it.I think actually one of these South American teams had the best chance, purely, for what we discussed, JT, a little earlier about altitude and heat.As this tournament goes on, there are going to be some very tired players, but the least tired are likely, because of where they're from, to be the South Americans.

JT mentioned that.It's a massive point.Well, you've done it, JT.I was looking at the first game, second half, we blew them away.We looked physical and all that.21 degrees in the stadium.

It's a whole different ball game when it's 31 degrees.You're in a pit.I was doing TV.

I was doing TV in South Africa for their first game against Mexico and the response back to the studio from the players were, Jesus, that was ridiculous in terms of levels.Now South Africa's at a certain level itself and they found it very, very difficult.

That's very interesting because we've picked up on this right away.start of when we first did the first show I do think that he is going to come in it may not be in some of the covered stadiums when it's reasonably cool but a lot of them aren't covered and I think if you get to the knockout stage and you go to extra time maybe penalties but certainly extra time Being out in that heat, for a lot of the English players, the players not used to it.We had a burst of it last week, but it's so unusual.We all freak out when it happens.You know, John, you've played in many conditions.How big a factor do you think it's going to be?

I think definitely for the Europeans, especially for England, Scotland, going into these tournaments, the heat plays a big, big part.Can you adapt and get as used to it as you can?Yeah, you do, because you go early enough, you're trying to climatise to all of that.But like you say, later stages, when it's 30, 35 degrees, it just takes it out of you completely.So you can do all you can in terms of preparation, stay hydrated, but cramp kicks in, all of that extra time, then penalties.It's a big issue that we haven't faced yet.

Let's turn to something very interesting that's broken today, because I think all of you will have a view about this.But Manchester City and Chelsea have come to some arrangement over the appointment of Enzo Maresca as the new city manager.Obviously, he walked out on Chelsea mid -season.And it turns out the City, I think, have paid £17 -18 million settlement, £17 million.but also there appears to have been a payment from Maresca, presumably paying back some of his money, I would think, for that season.Simon, what do you think of this?

Well, I quite like it, actually.It's twice this season.If you saw the statement that Chelsea put out, they've properly had a go at Maresca.

Yeah.

And I know Egg Barley quite well, so I knew some of the backdrop.And we're sort of feeding it through the TalkSport network without being too indiscreet.about the circumstance surrounding Maresca.Look, we've seen twice this season owners having very robust and strong views about managers' conduct.Now, Daichi won't like this, but these buggers get away with murder.You know, 20 years ago, I took Ian Dowie to court for fraud.

and I injuncted Steve Bruce because managers, you know, can do as they want, when they want, how they want.And Maresca, I think, behaved poorly.I think the worst thing that could have happened to Chelsea and Maresca was for him to win the World Club Championship because I think automatically he went up like a peacock.And I think his behaviour at Chelsea towards leaving towards Man City in the manner that he wanted to leave.He made a statement and he's come back with an interesting statement where he's talked about how he apologizes to the Chelsea fans for the manner in which he left.I think that was a conditioned precedent of the release that Chelsea put on him in terms of you've got to put a statement out.

And also, I don't think it's particularly sincere, he knew he was leaving to go to Man City.All Chelsea asked him to do was stay till the end of the season.And so it's interesting, you've seen twice now owners Dermot Desmond went right after Brendan and said pack it in you and your nonsense and Chelsea have done the same thing and I think as Sean will no doubt raise his eyebrows and yawn I think it's about time some of these managers got brought out into the public domain, because sunlight is the best disinfectant.Well, look, before Sean does raise his eyebrows...

Are you a bit surprised...Sorry, just quickly.Go on, Jon.Are you a bit surprised that an agreement couldn't be made between Enzo and the Chelsea ball to stay till the end of the season?Or did Enzo see what was due to come in the later stages of the league?

I think he did.I mean, his statement, he says, at the end of December 2025, he made a difficult decision to leave Chelsea.The decision was only mine.my resignation from Chelsea opened a path for me to join Manchester City, which is a club I knew very well.I'm ecstatic I've now joined City, recogniseddeparture from Chelsea in the middle of the season caused disruption and I apologise for that.

It wasn't my intention nor wish.That last bit I find extremely disingenuous because I think he clearly got tipped the wink that Guardiola was likely to leave and he was the anointed one and he had to be available to do that.midway through a season.However, in light of his decision not to continue fulfilling his responsibilities through to the end of the season, the club was left with no choice but to protect our players, our supporters and the badge and accept his resignation.I mean, you know, it's obvious what happened, isn't it?

Yeah, but hang on, Chelsea, I don't like to pick on clubs, but that's a club.They have been getting rid of managers pretty quickly.

Yeah.

You know what I mean?So he's maybe thought, right, I've done my bit.We don't know and I'm not going to put you on the spot, JT, because I know you love the place and rightly so.But, you know, We don't know what the noise is inside.We don't know the interference, which I've heard, allegedly.Lots of interference, lots of different voices, lots of people trying to do your job.

Red Square, I think, did a good job overall, and we don't know what was going on in the camp.So therefore, you apply that, we don't know how much he was getting of the voice, and he thinks he's doing a good job, so he's going, why is everyone questioning me?Then in the end, OK, the way it's handled, that could have maybe been done better by all parties.But the bit me and Simon have had a disagreement about before, certainly a heated debate about, is this idea of managers getting away with murder.What about when you lose two games and they get rid of you?Come on, it's not a level playing field.

You can't say managers get away with murder.Managers now are under more scrutiny, more angles, more people in the club, let alone outside of the club, asking, why are you doing this?Why are you doing that?Why are you answering to all them sentries?

They lose a few games, they get rid of it.If they do get fired, they get gigantic payoffs for being often completely innocent.

Yeah, and if someone comes in from, they get gigantic payments for the manager if they do a good job.

Right, but the ones who don't do a good job, why are they allowed to leave with massive payoffs?Will Barrett?

Well don't give them the contracts, don't sign the contracts.Give them a contract with Garden League or give them a contract with two months salary.

But do you think Maresco walking away mid -season on a club like Chelsea, do you think that was...

No I'm not trying to defend him, I'm trying to defend managers across the board to say Don't forget how quickly the best managers suddenly are rubbish, let's get rid of them.Don't forget how quickly that happens in football.And they're often managing lots now.They used to manage the team, now they're managing the hierarchy, they're managing the fans, they're managing social media, they're managing mad squads.you know, characters, agents, and everything.There's a lot more to management now, especially top -level management than there's ever been.

Well, you didn't want to put Zayti on the spot about this.No, because it's Chelsea, isn't it?Obviously, I do.Zayti, you are Mr. Chelsea.What do you make of this?

I'm in agreement with Daishi on this one.It's...There's a lot more behind the scenes that go on.I was privy to a lot of it, and had conversations with Enzo on many different occasions.He was frustrated very early in the season, and I'm just more disappointed that he didn't get to stay and finish the job, because if he then decides to go to Man City at the end of that, I've not got a problem with that, because Chelsea are probably going this way, and Man City are going that way at the moment.So, I don't mind him kind of progressing, but I would love to have seen him finish his job of what he started, a really good... a really good job doing initially.

We've got £17 million coming back, but we've missed out on Champions League football, maybe because of it, I don't know.But I'd much rather give the £17 million back and be playing Champions League football next year.So, as a whole, Chelsea Football Club and the supporters lose out, that's what I don't like.

And on this occasion, JT, it's also a Piers reference there, about him paying back as well.So that's a whole different ball game.That's not just the other club, that's him.To be fair, Daishi, with that statement as well, I'm not sure...

much.He's not going to pay that much.You guys well know that your hand will go nowhere near your pockets.

I've got to be honest, I'm tighter than a creaky door and if I was a ghost I wouldn't say boo.So I do look after my money, mate.

I wouldn't be giving it back to the club.What is more interesting, Piers, is the manner in which football clubs are now choosing...We can debate about the rights and wrongs of this particular scenario, right?And I will come from a position of being a former owner, and these two guys will come from a position of being managers and players who are provided opportunities by people like me, right?But you look at the manner in which The clubs are now communicating and the transparency and the comms are coming out of Chelsea.Because I spoke to Chelsea, I spoke to Steve Atkins, their comms director, and said, you guys have got to straighten your comms out because the messaging you're putting out there, right or wrong, isn't hitting the point.

And so when you see Dermot Desmond talking about Brendan Rodgers the way he did, and you see Chelsea talking about Maresco the way he did, it's a new brand.Often owners have to stand back and go, you know what?I'm not going to bother with this.I will play the dignified statesman, whereas in this instance Maresca is trying to play that card and Chelsea again have some of that this is what happened this is how it happened this is what managers do and don't do and I I happen to believe or should I say quote -unquote no that Man City were talking to Maresca or wanting to have him involved at the middle of a season and Maresca wants to go and all Chelsea said to him wait till the end of the season Simon a lot of people agree with that first comment It's absolutely miles off.

You know the opportunities given by people like you.Do you know how JT got an opportunity because he's absolutely top, top class central defender?So I got jobs because I'm good.That's why I get jobs.No, I wasn't given an opportunity like you were doing me a favour.I will concede the point.

around John.I've done the hard yards.

But it is owners.that put you guys into positions and here's the point you're not going to like.I think going forward, owners are going to become even more important than players and managers because they will determine what they want.

Owners are not appointing managers because they're some kind of charitable organisation.They're appointing them because they've done a good job somewhere else and they want to do a good job for them.

First and foremost, we are a charitable institution, because it makes no bleeding sense owning a football club, because nobody makes any bloody money on that besides Sean Dyche, John Terry, and a few agents.

Piers, you asked me why I'm not going into management.There you go.Spot on.Well, actually, the other question has struck me.

We mentioned the World Club Championship.I mean, is that something you go around as a Chelsea fan, John, boasting about winning the World Club Championship, which I thought was one of the most pointless waste of space.You know the same engine bought for 100 million quid.

Well the fact that you've mentioned it is.

Except of course if you won it.

Yeah do you boast about it John?I mean if you've never won it you can only dream of doing that can't you?Same as the Champions League as well.You'll keep trying.We've got a couple if you want to come down and have a look.What are your World Club Championship trophy?

I mean, come on.It's so embarrassing.It's so unfair, isn't it?

Mariuszka was £100 million, wasn't it?Did they get £100 million?The whole thing was so embarrassing.That's right.Most of the best teams in the world didn't play.So, think of the maths, right?

So, he's come out of it, they get £70 million, all this for all, but without that money, they wouldn't have got £100 million in the first place.£100 million, I don't care how rich Chelsea are as a football club, it's £100 million in a tournament that other teams were going...And actually, players were going, oh...

More importantly than all of that, we're the first and only team to ever have won it.Oh, lucky you.

Meanwhile, we were winning the Premier League and you lot came 10th.First time in 20 years, Piers.For now, wait till next season.I just want to end with this, Simon, because you tweeted a picture of Thomas Tuchel.with the tag after dealing with the British media, Tommy Tuchel, and you did a picture of Steptoe, right?I think we've got an ule here of it.

Yeah.Comparing the two, which is obviously extremely cruel of you.But we found an even better look -alike, the uncanny resemblance...Wilfred Bramble...between you and Ecuador's Sebastián Baquecesi.

Look at that!You and your yucky days.You've got to bring that back.

You've got to bring...

Well, that's something for the ladies, obviously.But I can tell you when that was, actually, which is not a particularly edifying story.I was going to court, taking a stalker to court.That's probably an unhappy memory for me.

Well, I didn't want to trigger anything.Very finally, Madonna has confirmed that she's going to be playing the halftime show at the World Cup final.that will be certainly enough to send me off to a loo break or something even more tedious.Sean, this concept of a halftime performance like the Super Bowl, does it belong in our World Cup final football?And if you do think it does, who would you pick to play the halftime show?

I don't think it does, but it's the American way.We all know that.Part of it, the Super Bowl, all that, and all the drinks breaks and all that we've talked about.So no, I don't think so, but...If you had to, who would you have?The Foo Fighters.

The Foo Fighters?Well, if it's America, yeah, the Foo Fighters.

JT, what do you think of it, and who would you have if you had to?

Yeah, I'm not a fan of it, to be honest, but if I was going to, I would be Rihanna.Really?

Rihanna.Good choice.Simon?

Good in concert, to be fair.I mean, it depends.I mean, it depends who's sponsoring.If the World Cup was being sponsored by Help the Agent, then I can see why Madonna's in there.But I would probably...It depends who's in there.

If England were in there with Tuco, I'd probably have En Cabaret.

Fantastic.Gentlemen, we've got to leave you there.I was thinking about this earlier.

I think if...Valdunican for Piers, if he was still with us.

No, no, it would depend.The love song from Ronaldo.I actually love Valdunican.No, look, if England made it, or if Ronaldo made it...I would probably go...I'd probably reform the jam, the original line -up.

and have them.

Oh, Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton.

Yeah, the original jam.I went to their last concert.One of the last two down at the Brighton Centre.One of the best I've ever seen.I think the original...Did you go in your Arsenal shirt, Piers?

I'll be wearing my Arsenal shirt pretty much consistently for the next 12 months, Jon.Thanks for asking.Because unlike you, we won the Premier League and not the Mickey Mouse World Cup competition that no -one can even remember.Very good.And very few of the best teams competed in.

I'm better than you.

If you're happy, I'm happy, because a happy GT makes for a happy World Cup Uncensored.Gentlemen, we've run out of time.This will be on Channel 5 as well tonight, which is a nice little bonus.You've been so popular, it turns out, or probably I have, that Channel 5, who already air a highlights version of Piers Morgan Uncensored, will now be airing World Cup Uncensored.

If he could just get over his basic shyness, he'd be all right, wouldn't he, Piers?

I think John Terry will confirm basic shyness doesn't get you anywhere in life.This man, it was the sheer confidence, the bravado, the charisma that drove him to be one of the great footballers.

No, it wasn't.It was the opportunities that Simon gave him.

after the big game against Congo which which we should win but Actually, if we don't.Either way, we'll be back to gorge on the entrails, all the glory.Thank you all very much.