Mm.

But because Ligue 1 isn't the most demanding of leagues for Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Enrique's been able to rest and rotate those players, and they basically only have to turn up when it's, uh, Champions League.

So I think, I think, you know, there's some really positive signs there.

Bruno Fernandes didn't play in Europe, um, this season, had a very good individual campaign.

The question mark is Chri- Cristiano Ronaldo up front.

Look, he was a nightmare a couple of years ago.

Um, but still Portugal in that Euros, you know, they reached the quarter-finals.

Mm.

Yeah

... look, it's, um, it's still gonna be a great betting heat.

We've got a load of coverage, uh, coming up in the Racing Post on the YouTube channel on Monday, um, evening from 6:00 PM.

Got myself, um, professional punter Nick Gough and presenter Warren Ashurst going through all the groups, outright selections, top goal scorer, any other angles, um, that we like.

And then on Tuesday, I've even got this out of the bin.

Um, so I can hold it up.

Uh, the PSG winnings will be going onto the outright market on who?

I like Portugal, um, outright.

Yeah, I know

...

it sort of, I just thought it was a routine sort of shot.

I-in terms of Barcelona, yes, I, I do think they are flawed.

I mean, they, they've got Atletico next, and the, you know, the last time they went to, um, Madrid and played Atletico, they lost four-nil, complained about the pitch.

Nearly pulled it back in the second leg, but the damage was done first time around, and, you know, lost four-three on aggregate in, in the Copa del Rey.

Um, so they have got like a collapse in them, um, for sure.

[laughs]

Yeah.

Yeah.

They, they, they were after Zubimendi, weren't they? I think that was the player that, uh, Xabi Alonso wanted, and I think Real Madrid, um, you know, m- spent their money, um, elsewhere.

But maybe there is somebody that just plays that role that they are lacking, that can just knit the team together, because Valverde, um, uh, you know, I, I think he could possibly do that, but he wants to break forward to a many.

He's more of a destroyer, despite his lovely goal.

And Camavinga, like, I, I'm still trying to work out exactly what Camavinga is.

I you just know he's a very good footballer, but I, I don't know kind of what position, um, he, he should play in.

[chuckles] But yeah, um, Mark, you looked poised to say something interesting.

[laughing]

So, uh, we might still be waiting a while, um, for that.

Uh, uh, another really, really poor, um, performance.

Uh, the, you know, the two-one really didn't do justice to, uh, Newcastle's dominance for, for most of the ninety minutes.

It was a brief spell just after half-time when, um, sort of Tottenham sort of threatened to do what they did against Manchester City.

But, um, for the, for the most part, they were completely outplayed by a Newcastle team that's also got injuries, um, you know, and didn't have a, a number of players that you, you might suggest would be in their, their, their best eleven.

So I think the exc-- the excuses have-- they've run out about Christmas, but he, uh, Thomas Frank is still hanging on.

What do you reckon, Mark? Have they, have they left it too late? What do you think?

And, like, when you add that to what he managed in his last interim little spell, it's incredibly impressive.

Yeah, um, fantastic start.

I don't think you get too excited in terms of the long term and kind of, "Right, let's give him the job now." No, no.

Like, I think, you know, United have been here before, and, um, you know, maybe made that mistake, but you can't do any better than, than what he's done.

He's putting people in positions that they feel comfortable in.

He's clearly boosted confidence.

Like, the energy that's returned to the team, uh, just looked so lacking under Ruben Amorim, particularly in, in those final stages.

Yeah, okay.

Mark, where does, where's Phil Foden on, what's his on-the-plane status right now, would you say?

Oh.

(laughs) Yeah, I, I'd say he's probably still more off the plane than on the plane, given the balance that I think the, uh, Tuchel wants in, in the side.

I was one of those that was championing the Phil Foden on the left.

I sort of hold my hands up and say, you know, that was, um ...

You know, I, I feel like I wasn't the only one, but a lot of people jumped off that bus pretty quickly, um, during the Euros.

I still feel like, uh, the problem was more that they had a right back, um, playing at left back, rather than Phil Foden himself, uh, but clearly had a very bad season last year, almost, like, unexplainably, um, bad and the fitness didn't seem to be there, and, and, you know, it's hard to know if maybe there, there was a few off-field stuff, because it just wasn't the, the Phil Foden, um, that we'd seen going into, um, the, the Euros.

How is that possible, Mark?

And back to this game, and we should talk about Haaland, right? Because as Barry said, the header is brilliant, 'cause he's got to generate so much pace, and the first one is just one of those, "God, his legs are so long." And- and another one of those conversations about seven touches in a half, and two of them are goals.

Yes, um, he- he doesn't get involved in- in the build-up, and I think that, uh, Pep Guardiola has- has learnt to- to live with that and is- is trying different ways to kind of, you know, reinvent maybe what he wants to do on the pitch to- to suit Haaland as well, um, at- at times.

And why would you not try to play to- to Haaland's strengths when you've got somebody as good as...... they've got up front, you know.

I think we have seen them, um, even, you know, in the recent weeks since Donnarumma's come in, go longer, um, and, and try to hit Haaland quicker and, and to be more direct at times.

And he, w- w- we do take it for granted just how many goals he scores, just because it's become the sort of, the, the norm, much like how it was for Cristiano Ronaldo and, and for Messi when they were, um, sort of scoring s- two and threes most weeks.

But the header particularly is, um, sensational.

I mean, he was up against three former Premier League defenders, the Monaco back three, uh, Salisu, Eric Dier, and, and Kehrer, um, who, who was at West Ham briefly.

And it is interesting now Liverpool are on this, uh, you know, this disastrous two-defeat run, Mark.

Mark, what does, what is Liverpool's starting three then, if Isak joins?

This come up in Pep Confidential, the, the book where, um, the...

Guardiola was followed around in his first season of Bayern Munich, you know, what's Bayern's best 11.

He just started laughing at the journalist and then said, "Well, you haven't said who we're playing," um, and that...

Uh, so there, there will be times when, you know, you need different, uh, variety in those attacking positions.

Um, I would say that if, if it was, say, the Champions League final, which is always th- the one that you, you go to if you're thinking, "Right, we're going to pick our best 11," uh, I would have thought that, sort of that front three, if Isak signed, would be Salah, Isak, and then it would depend, I suppose, how Ekitike starts and whether he stays out on, on the left.

But probably at the moment, Gakpo, um, may, maybe, um, on, on the left.

You know, I imagine if your release clause is triggered and then you think you're going somewhere and then this is quite an interesting time for him, I guess.

... if this comes true, of all people in the world. I, I wanna like... Me, we got, um... We were sort of joking when we were saying that Liverpool, you know, this constant theme, you know, have they played anyone good? Have they played anyone good? But the fact that they've been so good in the Premier League means that they haven't... It doesn't appear that they've been pushed that often. You know, i. e. the Premier League's become the farmer's league and I don't, you know... And I don't watch enough Ligue 1 to know exactly how easy PSG are finding things this season, but I, I'm just trying to work out why Liverpool didn't turn up yesterday and, and it... Are they knackered because the Premier League is harder? Did they just have an off day? Are PSG just that good and, and that well coached by Luis Enrique? I don't know what you think, Mark.

I felt that on the night PSG were that good, um, and that, that Liverpool just struggled with them. I, I, I think it's hard for to reach those levels sort of, you know, every week, y- for, for any team. Uh, tactically Liverpool got pulled apart. Mac Allister and Gravenberch who have done so well, I think, this season and we saw it the other week against Man City they were so steady in that midfield, um, they were too wide. PSG just made the pitch probably as big as any team could possibly do. You know, Kimmich, uh, more than Mendes would, would, um, you know, causing problems down the flanks but then they had like three wingers essentially on the pitch that were all popping up everywhere. And I'm not sure that Robertson and Alexander-Arnold, like were comfortable. Like should they go inside? Should they be outside? Um, they weren't blocking the kind of, the, the passing lanes, um, that PSG had done so well. Even van Dijk and Konate were then not getting the protection because the midfield was too far apart. I did think in the second half that they changed slightly and went to like a... looked like 4-2-3-1 and Luis Diaz was almost playing as a left back, um, at times. And Liverpool, what I liked about their performance, was that they accepted that they were kind of second best. They didn't have this arrogance of, "Oh, you know, we're just gonna, um, keep trying to do, um, play our way." They actually sort of accepted their kind of role within (laughs) the game and just thought, "We just need to get out of here with, with the tide still in balance." And sometimes you do see teams just, I think, over commit and, and try to... Because they're a big team they feel like they've got to play in this sort of exuberant way whereas Liverpool, I think, quickly realized it was, it was such a hard game, they just needed to make sure they were still in the tie and through a little bit of luck, um, uh, brilliant goalkeeping, they're, they're more than that.

Yeah, I agree with that. Forest play City, uh, you know, in one of those race to fifth places and then you've got Chelsea should beat Leicester, um, Brentford, Villa, two of those sides that sort of could push. Um, Brighton, Fulham, the nice family club six-pointer. Who... O- of anyone, Mark, who do you think will sort of surpris- you know, like... do you think by the end of it all 'cause you've seen like Forest having a little bit of a dip 'cause they don't rotate their players, uh, Bournemouth have form has, has that gone off a little bit? I think it might have done. Like, do you think it'll be the usual suspects by the end?

With five spaces it means that there will be one, I suppose, less, um, usual suspects. I think that, uh, Chelsea and City, I f- I believe will get into the top five, yeah, and join, um, sort of Arsenal and, and Liverpool. The other spot, really open. I do feel like Forest could get reeled in, um, by, by one of those teams and, um, Newcastle, I think once the distraction of the League Cup is out the way, if they can sort of keep Isak fit, um, would, would be, uh, definitely that they've got a tricky game, uh, at West Ham before, um, that, that cup final. But, but Bournemouth would be the ones because Ivanilson is back now and they, they had a couple of months where... or sort of six-week period where they didn't really have a forward and Justin Kluivert stepped up and some of the other wingers were, were chipping in.