What were your thoughts on the match?

Hi, Jason.

Thanks for the invitation once again.

It was not a great final.

It wasn't a wonderful spectacle, but I'm not sure it was ever likely to be.

And I remember on Sunday, actually, just thinking back, talking with a few friends and saying, "This for me reminds me a bit of the 1990 World Cup final, West Germany, as they were at the time, against Argentina." And it was a very 1990s [laughs] performance from Argentina.

I don't totally blame them because I think it was the only chance they actually had of winning that final against Spain.

Mm.

... anybody, if they were gonna rank the game of the tournament, and you had that.

Yeah.

We had the story there that I think every commentator dreams of.

I still feel a bit sorry for Egypt, because they put plenty into the game, and it looked as though they were going to produce what would've been the sensation of the World Cup up to that point.

But- When the first Argentina goal went in and the time of that goal, I remember just having that sort of feeling almost in the pit of my stomach that this is another big comeback moment in the offing.

And I've been lucky as a commentator, Richard, to have two such games.

One was the famous Champions League final 2005, Milan and Liverpool, when Milan were 3-0 up, Liverpool were nowhere to be found and somehow came back to make it 3-3, actually three goals in short order and then winning on penalties.

documented what we know him for scoring goals.

But what, what is kinda like your take from where Portugal was two years ago in your preparation for Euro, Euro '24, and just kinda seeing like where, where they're at as they enter, um, this, this, you know, this very important in terms of Ronaldo's career, uh, this very important tournament?

Yeah.

I think if you look at the trajectory Portugal have been on in the last few tournaments, it just keeps going like that, you know? And I think most people, if you're giving an honest assessment, most people would say that.

I- if you're trying to identify the best, you know, three, four, five countries at this World Cup, I'd be very surprised if anybody didn't have Portugal in the conversation.

You know, because I think that the players who maybe one World Cup ago were still making their way, room for improvement, they pretty much all improved.

You know, they've all got better.

And then you have Ronaldo, you know, who, who- Clearly hasn't got better, but i- in a sense, you know, 41, you're not gonna suddenly get better.

Uh, Derek, what is, uh... what are some of the storylines that, uh, outside of Portugal, um, but what are some of the storylines that you're kinda, um, either personally looking at or, or maybe, um, maybe what, what FOX is kind of, uh, taking a look at in terms of, uh, this, uh, upcoming tournament, um, which is now just, I can't believe it, a week away?

Yeah

... against 33-year-olds, but it does tell you that, again, you're looking at experience there rather than dynamic youth or blistering pace with Silvan Widmer, who's come back to being a regular for Mainz this season.

Been the club captain for a long time, but wasn't always getting a game.

But you've got him and you've got the evergreen Ricardo Rodriguez now at, at Betis in, in Spain.

So those two are, I would imagine would be the, the full-backs of choice.

You've got somebody like Miro Muheim of, of Hamburg who could make a late push.

You've got Luca Hackers of Stuttgart, who we might see in the German Cup final can be a full-back or a center-back.

Mm.

What does Derek Ray say about Giovanni Reyna?

Yes, I also heard that sigh from Ale, and I think there are quite a few sighs at the moment as regards Gio Reyna.

He's played 14 times for Gladbach.

He's only started four matches.

Much of that has had to do with injuries, but also, when he has played, I have to say, I don't think he's completely done himself justice yet, and whether that is all injury related, I'm not sure.

He, he does have a bit of a problem, and I've mentioned this when I've been on your show before.

He has rivals a- at Gladbach for that position.

What can you say, Derek, about this player and how Vincent Kompany has brought out the best of him in the Bundesliga?

Why has it been so tough for him in this start?

Well, I think every Celtic fan would like to know the answer to that question.

He did walk into potentially a bit of a maelstrom with Hearts in the first game, and Hearts are the surprise leaders of the Scottish Premiership.

He had Roma in Europe after that, and they lost heavily.

Then he lost a national final, the League Cup Final to St. Mirren before what happened at Tannadice against Dundee United as you mentioned, and Dundee United had gone seven matches without winning, so that puts it into perspective.

And you mentioned their four successive defeats to start off with.

The last time Celtic as a team lost four in a row was way back in 1978.

Do you see it that way?

Just the one goal in league play last year for Thomas Müller, uh, how much gas left in his tank as he makes the move to Major League Soccer?

I think still plenty, to be honest, Sebi.

When you look at Thomas Müller and you think back to the end of last season, it was very emotional.

I was lucky enough to be in Munich commentating on the night when he said goodbye to the public at the Allianz Arena.

We were all hoping that he would add to his total for the season, which, as you said, was one in the Bundesliga.

And I think, to be honest, it's a slight surprise that he's going to carry on, and I say that because I know he wrestled with the decision and nobody was entirely clear what he was going to do.

But it has emerged in the last few days that, yeah, he sees his future in North America.

What about the rest of the Bundesliga? Is there any potential that he might find a home somewhere else in the German top flight?