Can anyone stop PSG’s pursuit of a Champions League 3-peat? | ESPN FC Extra Time

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ESPN FC Extra Time: Arsenal’s approach to PSG and PSG’s Champions League three-peat bid

The panel debates Arsenal’s conservative approach against PSG, whether PSG can win the Champions League three times in a row, Foden’s form under Maresca, Barcelona’s maturity and Mac Allister’s contract case. They argue that standing off PSG is risky, a three-peat is impossible to call now, Barcelona must cut out defensive mistakes, and Mac Allister’s future still depends on Liverpool’s stance.

Kay Murray, Ale Moreno, Craig Burley and Frank Leboeuf answer your questions on ESPN FC Extra Time. 0:00 Saying goodbye to Jurgen 0:36 Is Arteta’s approach in the CL Final the best way to deal with PSG? 4:30 Anyone betting against PSG to win three in a row? 5:34 Is Maresca an excellent coach for reigniting Foden’s form? 6:21 Is old age the only thing that can stop PSG? 8:37 Has MacAllister’s form helped his case about wanting a new contract? ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN

Transcript

Welcome into the latest edition of Extra Time. Frank is joining us. Craig and Alli are here in the studio. Thanks for your questions. >> Jurgen's gone. Don't blame >> him. Think of it. >> Don't blame him. >> So, you didn't thank [music] Jurgen. >> I didn't thank Jurgen. I know. I did realize we're at the end of the show and I didn't He's all right. >> Clint tomorrow. >> He's had enough that the october fest effect. >> Yes. >> Soon as we went to some of those highlights, he went I'm out of here. Check right out. >> Still rude. >> This came up in the show. Craig, as much as you hated it, is Arteta's approach in the Champions League final the best way to deal with this PSG team? Barcelonian City, etc. demolished. Arsenal have been the only ones to get a result against PSG. >> No, [music] no, >> no. I can't remember all [music] the No, >> I don't believe so. How how can you play them at their own game when they're this good? >> You don't have to play them at their own game, >> but you can be somewhat of a hybrid of what [music] you tried to be last year, which was didn't didn't even try to play them at all. Are we seeing are we saying PSG are infallible, >> Frank? H last year Bayern Munich beat Ferris away from home at the park def France al as well. So it's not really true what we are reading right now and the question you asked because that's not true and of course no that's not a good way because Frank even if you remember Frank as well even even even a a subpar Chelsea side went to Paris last year and went sort of toe-to-toe with them for a long time. >> Sure. Yeah. For an hour I was at the game and I saw that and it's cool. But it's it's always the same thing. I'm very surprised with Paris and Japan that they already ready, you know, in that matter because before the year before and this year, oh the year before that one, sorry, they they they they were very average, I would say, before it started to to be serious. Now they they even more uh present and and uh and and and crucial uh in those games, which wasn't the case before. Uh and the the the question is referring to. So it doesn't really matter. Uh I think defending against Paris and jama and only defending doesn't help because at some point you're going to break. Yeah. I all I all I would say is that more times than not at this high level of competition. I don't think you can win this sort of matches if you are ultra conservative [music] on the verge right there on the fringe of being afraid afraid [music] to play. And what we saw from Arsenal against PSG in the final of the Champions League is at times it wasn't just about being conservative is their unwillingness to go and complete passes in the attacking half. At some point there has to be a threat. At some point you have to let the other team know that you're willing to go and attack them because otherwise it becomes hanging on, hanging on, hanging on and all it takes is that a deflection and now you're tying the game 1-1 and it's it Arsenal are too good of a team. I think to take this approach of being ultra conservative and being afraid of getting after a team like PSG. >> Look at the World Cup. >> Yeah. >> England became super conservative. >> I knew you were going to say England. >> Thought this one had gone, but go on. [laughter] >> Well, >> as soon as you said it, I knew you were going to say England. >> Well, England became super conservative against against Argentina and they lost. Argentina became super conservative or were super conservative from from minute one all the way through and they lost that there's I think that kind of approach is a bit of a dying breed to be honest with you. >> Uh but we'll we'll we'll find out. And Alli's right. It's not that we're expecting uh Arsenal to to completely outplay PSG but you've got more about you than that. [music] I could understand some teams just sitting in parking the bus for lack of an better expression because they just don't have the players. These other teams have the players. That's just the approach that Arteta has decided to take. But [music] I don't think it will be successful. >> Anyone betting against PSG to win number three in a row? >> No, not me at the moment, >> Frank. >> No, no, no. I mean you you have to respect football and we you know that within 6 months is is going to be another story and uh it's what I explained just before Paris J for two years weren't good uh until um I would say February and uh and they changed everything uh into in two season but uh now you you know that Barcelona can get better you know that Bayern can be a real threat and you can expect Arsenal to find a solution uh uh to play more offensively. So [music] no uh it's impossible and you see today three injuries for Paris Jame with Dembele Marinos and Vara it can happen as well and uh and you lose your game you lose your death whatever it can be so it's going to be another story within like 3 four months so it's impossible to bet that right now >> Craig after city's [music] victory today does that make me Moresca an excellent coach in terms of reigniting Fodden's form >> now it probably makes AK a pretty pretty average side. I I don't know. I didn't see the game hattrick. [music] Phil Foden's a supreme talent. We saw it a couple of years two or three years ago when he was [music] arguably the first name on the team sheet. I remember I'm going to Anfield destroying Liverpool, but I don't know what I've got no idea what what what's happened to to whether it's lifestyle or injuries or whatever it may be, but he's just not he's not the player that that he was certainly at this moment in time. I don't have that. Maybe need him as the answers. Get him on. [laughter] >> Phone him. Phone a friend. >> Phone a friend. Frank, is old age the only thing that will stop PSG eventually? They don't seem complacent at all in the Champions League. >> Um well at the same time if I understand the question at the same time you need experience. Yeah, I saw Barcelona and I was checking the the age of the players like you have four player who were only who are only sorry 19 years old that's absolutely fantastic but um you need Marinos you need player like that who already have a big big experience into that uh into that competition and you cannot only win with with young players and with fresh fresh blood uh so um [music] no I don't think us the the the effect would stop Paris and Jama eventually. >> Fleck said before the game that maturity was the difference between the two sides and the fact that PSG have been able to do this together for longer. Didn't say that after the game. He talked about the mistakes of course but look I maturity is important, experience is important but while these Barcelona players may be young in age, they have been playing big games [music] for a while now. Min is 19 years old, but it's a World Cup champion, European champion. So, you know, at some point, the idea of maturity and experience, you kind of go, yeah, I'm not going to use that as an excuse for Barcelona. They just have to cut out mistakes. And it's something that Hansifick said himself. And those those mistakes are mistakes that are carrying over from couple of seasons ago with the same group of players. And [music] you have to think about Barcelona and what they can be off offensively and the potential that exists in that team. And there's no question they're going to score goals. But if indeed they're going to advance in the latter stages [music] of this competition, they have to defend a whole lot better than they did today and they will be exposed by teams like PSG that have this sort of talent. But not every team and actually most teams in the world don't have that kind of talent. Therefore, that's why Barcelona are able to get in a shootout with other teams and all right, we'll score five, you score two, we win 5-2, we move on with our lives. You cannot do that against PSG. [music] Craig, when Mallister expressed his disappointment over not getting a new contract, you said he had to show he deserved one. Since then, he's been arguably Liverpool's most consistent player with the injuries. The season is long, but wouldn't this current form help his case? >> Sure, he thinks so. >> I don't know what Liverpool's position is, or indeed his. So, but yeah, we we did say at the time, look, because he he had a little bit of a [music] a winge about it, didn't he, about, you know, he's getting a new contract and he's getting one and [music] and all that sort of stuff. And and we said at the time, look, it's, you know, Liverpool dished out two big contracts in particular to to two players that are aging. Van Djk, who's still there, isn't playing particularly well. uh certainly did not on on and the evidence of of the game against Val and [music] MoSalah they gave him the the crown jewels and he was terrible cuz he was not because he was terrible player because it time you know old father time just caught up in him I as Dan corrects me because I usually say mother nature same thing is it >> I always [music] think so >> isn't he a little pain in the backside isn't he >> all right >> what do you think he's doing now >> he's in England before he goes to Barcelona >> he's waiting for you open arms >> yeah he's counting in the day till he's reunited with you. >> Yeah. What a moment that's going to be. >> He's on his He's out with his boy. His boy will be having a few points. >> Not quite up to the with the professionals like myself, you know, but unfortunately I he fell by the wayside in London. Uh not that that's anything to be proud of, >> but you know, you seem to be >> he was just another one of the Thomases that came along and had a bash and failed. >> This is Dan's oldest son. >> Yeah, it's his oldest. Yeah. Not his two young ones. >> Not his two young ones. Yeah, just to clarify. >> So he'll be in a probably in an English pub closing time in England having a diet coke showing people his scar. >> Professional and ready for the classical of the weekend. >> Two things that he's never been accused of. >> Being ready or being professional. >> All right. Thank you so much. We're going to end things there. Thanks for sending in your questions. >> He's showing his scar. Did you hear that? >> Why is he showing his scar on social media? >> Because it's a year since he had his That's classical he did. He was very very ill. >> I'm just quiet. >> It's like a full circle moment. >> I got to tell you, he's quite hairy. >> We love you, Dan. Hey.