Alonso to Chelsea | City Double | Hearts: Scotland’s Third Force?

[Music] Good morning and welcome long to Sunday supplement the show where we digest, analyze and debate the sport stories inside the Sunday papers once again so much to talk about this morning. Chelsea closed in on Shavia Lonzo, Manchester City shipped their focus to the title race. Mahamad Sulla takes a swipe at Arna Slot and Celtic pit parts to the title before chaos erupts. Joining me to discuss it all sports broadcaster and commentator Jackie Oakley, Jason Burke, Chief Football Correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and Mark Ogden, Senior Writer for ESPN. Great to have you all here. Let's see what's making the headlines this morning. Touch of class is the headline in the Sunday time for the picture of Antoine Semenio with the FA Cup and below that, Alonzo set for four-year contract to take charge of Chelsea. The Sunday Telegraph calls it Semenio's stunner and on the right there now Sulla throws Slot under bus in Stinging Post. The mail on Sundays, that pages party Cooper and below that heart slam shameful scenes at Celtic. The Observer Sports Supplement has a striking picture of Pep Guardiola at Wembley. The flame still burns is their headline. The Sulla on Sunday says mind is treble as Pep Guardiola bans his players from drinking to celebrate their FA Cup win. While in Scotland this is the front page of the sun force to flee heart fury on pitch chaos. Ant Thrill is the headline in the Sunday Express and there's a story about Manchester United and Elliott Anderson. The star on Sunday goes with Ant and Deckt and finally the Sunday Mirror which focuses on Arsenal who are two wins away from becoming champions. Pain the town red is the message from Martin Zuvermendi. Right, let's get to it then and let's start with Saturday's FA Cup final. Manchester City beating Chelsea by Goulton Hill at Wembley. But the big news after the final is the imminent arrival of Shabby Alonzo. The Sunday Times has gone with that on their front page Alonzo set for four year contract to take charge at Chelsea and the Sunday telegraphs Matt Law says Chelsea players have been informed that Alonzo will be their new head coach and are said to be excited by his appointment. While Chelsea have not promoted promised Alonzo full control rather he'll be given a more meaningful role in the club's decision making than some of his predecessors. Jackie let me start with you. Are you surprised that Chelsea have got him and are you surprised he's taking it? No, not really. I think the surprise really is maybe that if he was going to come to the Premier League the theory was to Liverpool but I'm sure we'll be talking about Liverpool in due course. I quite like Rory Smith's take on it and the observer today where he described the appointment as surprisingly sensible for Chelsea. Bearing in mind the last few appointments haven't necessarily been the case. It's Max of the Chelsea hierarchy realising where they've been going wrong. I think a lot of us wanted it to work for Liam Rossignia for a multitude of reasons. It just didn't and the players themselves took matters into their own hands in terms of seeming to show up when they felt like it and turning it on when they felt like it and you simply can't have that. So they need this new era of authority and he will by all accounts be named as a manager rather than a head coach for the first time since Joe Saint Merino and it just really feels like it Chelsea they need the manager to be the one calling the shots. They have so much going on above with a five different sporting directors which in itself is pretty extraordinary but they need the manager, somebody who will command the respect of the dressing room having one everything himself as a player and having already proved himself as a manager. Real Madrid, okay we can kind of take that out and put it down to experience. There were reasons why it didn't go right there that I think this is a really really good appointment. Jason the headline in the Sun on Sunday is Blues and twos incoming boss Alonso's huge fix to fix emergency situation. Dan Kingspeace starts there is no trophy to paper over the cracks of Chelsea's disastrous season and the imminent appointment of Shabia Alonso will only be a sticking plaster unless the Blues owners are serious about a change of direction. This structure, this infamous structure if you like is not worked out well for its predecessors and there have been many of them let's be honest. Why will this be different? Because I think as Jackie says I mean the obviously shifted a little bit in terms of the way they're going to organise themselves they've got a manager who's coming in as a manager. Okay what's interesting is Chelsea a briefing that they have decided to calling manager that he's not asked to be manager he was happy to be in a head coach obviously he's been a head coach at Real Madrid, had coached by a Labour cooison. I think this is a different dimension in terms of the stature of the person is coming into the club. I think there's an awful thing about Chelsea's structure is obviously it's not it's not been working. I think they're not stupid people though you know they will learn and I think obviously whatever I've talked about this before in the past a lot of people coming to football going to reinvent the wheel going to change things and obviously it needs to evolve but there are certain things that obviously haven't worked at Chelsea that they need to remedy bringing something like Shabia Alonso in. I think they've really looked out with him I think he's the manager he can give them the kind of the kind of organisation the kind of leadership that they've lacked in the past they've got the balance all wrong in the past and they seem to be re-addressing that a little bit. I think Dan's take is a little bit over the top but I don't think it's a complete disaster at Chelsea I think they have done some quite good stuff as well there but I think something like Shabia Alonso coming in it's definitely an appointment that they couldn't have done better in my opinion they absolutely could not have done better and it's obviously partly so circumstance a little bit of luck and a little bit of timing and I think they've done well to get him. Mark look how this season has gone I mean it's fallen way below expectations they could be in a position where they don't even get European football for next season having been the much vaunted world champions if you like last summer will this have told the owners this season in particular like ah there's the line in the sand we need to change the way we do things especially with how we recruit players. Yeah like Jason said it's been a learning process and credit to the owners they've taken the lessons from this season and implemented the lessons but what I'm saying is that Shabia Alonso is a big manager and they've moved away from there they kind of previous route of hiring inexperienced coaches now we all know about Rossini was very inexperienced even Moresco held him one full season as a manager when he was at Leicester in a potard scene was the kind of in between model but he he left after a year because he couldn't he couldn't accept the recruitment policy and pride in him was Graham Potter so I think they've realised that if you want success and successful Chelsea has been in the Champions League and winning trophies so being out of Europe completely not only hits their prestige it hits their bottom line as well and these people are successful businessmen they're realised that to be best what you have to get the right things done they've made mistakes they've corrected those mistakes and Shabia Alonso for me is you know a year ago he was the hottest property in culture wasn't it and Ramadrid had kind of held off a Liverpool year before to get Shabia Alonso they realised this was the guy he basically stopped by a unit winning in endless Bundesliga titles so top managed top coach what happened at Raya was I mean how do you explain it he just went into a dressing room which has been uncontrollable for quite a long time so Chelsea getting one of the the rising coaches in Europe is a player with great credences of player rising stars of coach and the players in that dressing room who basically brought down Liam Rossini the results brought him down but they were part of those results don't respect Shabia Alonso from day one so Chelsea basically said to these players right you've got no excuses now your excuse last time was the manager wasn't up to your standards and he wasn't Liam Rossini wasn't a Chelsea manager but this guy is so the players got no excuses and Chelsea basically said right you perform there because you got a coach that you can't complain about Jason you mentioned it before and how important is that line between head coach and manager particularly at Chelsea? Yeah you want to make sure it's not just lip service being paid by giving them the title but I think actually there's a recognition that the manager needs to have more import especially in the recruitment side of things that's for the god it wrong and obviously there's lots of rumors been going around about how much power the own at wheels at Chelsea in terms of influencing the team and the squad and so on obviously they're all the stuff before about the medical staff and the stipulations that were put on the head coach there evening writing in terms of actually what happens I'm sure Shabia Alonso's clarified that that a lot more is to what's going to happen in terms of the structure of the club and the first team that's really the number of the matter with Chelsea it's getting those things right getting the recruitment right as well we obviously talked a lot about the imbalance in terms of just going for the younger players they've already talked themselves about redressing that by bringing in some more experienced players especially a centre-half so he'll be he'll play a huge part in that but at the same time he's also worked in similar systems to this I mean you know by a lavercoosen and at real Madrid there were sporting directors he didn't have the full managerial control which very few people are going to get nowadays anyway so he's walking to a situation which he's aware of I think they're just a Chelsea just seem to so many chiefs that's the problem but I think they will try and streamline that a little bit. It's at that point and I think Chelsea got it on themselves to explain that a bit more they haven't got a five-spot in directs they've got five people that do different jobs So I'll just explain that a bit by the salt. People like us can't say. - Blinds and command, you've got five sport and directors, but they have different lands and responsibilities. Recruitment, you know, technical director. They have different roles. So say that and explain it so that we're not saying five sport and director sends ridiculous. - You've got a big job, hasn't it, in uniting the fan base as well? Because the fans don't like what they've seen in terms of the structure of the club. They feel so detached from the way their club is being run, that somebody like Shabby Alonso coming in and as Jason says, recruiting senior players to plug the gaps where they've had way too much use and promise with a view to future value. They could really unite the club. - We talked to Chelsea fans, what they say one of the biggest problems they've got is they've got nobody to really rally around at the club. Not on the pitch and certainly not in the dugout. You know, there's nobody in the past who've always said big characters on the pitch and also big characters in the dugout. That's not really happened before, Alonso fits that bill. - We're talking about Alonso fitting the bill and we're expecting the announcement. Well, it has just been announced. The big breaking news is that Chelsea have appointed Shabby Alonso as manager of the men's team we were talking about. That difference between the manager and a head coach. He will begin his role on July the 1st and he's agreed a four year contract at Stanford Bridge. So that is now official from Chelsea. A day after they lost that FA Cup Final 2 Manchester City Shabby Alonso has been announced as the new manager of Chelsea on a four year deal and then he'll start that job on July the 1st. Let's continue on the FA Cup Final theme as well. - So you see one thing for you, can you tell me? - Don't you? - Even the fact there's a four year contract is sensible. It's not a 14 year contract. Even the fact there's a four year contract is more sensible. It just feels like going back to the Abramovic era. They've got the best manager available and that's what the others used to do. And that will please the fans because the fans want Chelsea to appoint the biggest name managers. - Sometimes it's not rocket science. - Yeah, exactly. - The person's there in plain sight, just go and get them. He was available, obviously we talked about Liverpool before. He's available. He wants to work in the Premier League. Just get him. - But the fact that the way that their structure has worked, has that maybe put people off trying to become. - I'm sure it has. - 100%. But also I think they probably haven't looked for those people either. They don't want that big personality. They didn't want that manager who would come in and want more say. They wanted somebody who they felt could develop with the team like a Morescar or a Red Team. - The minister of manager, Biopointing. - Yeah. - But they've kind of restored that manager to the state as it deserves it, Chelsea. - Right, there was another team. We actually won the FA Cup yesterday. And that was of course, Manchester City, that the front page of the Sunday telegraph says "Somenio's stunner." And it was, wasn't it? Jackie, it wasn't a classic. They are the FA Cup winners, but they just know how to get it done, don't they? - They do. And I think if we're all being completely honest about it, there wasn't a lot of magic in terms of this final the fact that the two teams are so used to going to Wembley, that the two sets of fans are so used to going to Wembley, that the vast majority of the country don't support either sides. They're looking in. We all kind of wanted to hang our hat on something and look for some moment of fairytale. I think Antoine Semenio did provide that in terms of the fantastic finish, the character that he is, even the way that he left Bournemouth, the class of that, the send-off that he got there. Everything about him, the fact that he used to play for Bath City and non-league just a few short years ago, we as English football fans can relate to somebody like that and want him to do well. So all the storylines we're about is Harlinga Deskoury's first, final goal and first goal at Wembley, et cetera. But actually Semenio stealing the headlines, that'll do for us in a game that, frankly, otherwise was pretty drab. - You say pretty drab, Jason, your piece in the Sunday Telegraph this morning, how Guardiola's tactical tweak one more silverware, and you start off by saying, "Guardiola got it wrong again." - Again. - But learn quickly. - He's really strange who finals, isn't he? He always does something. - I mean, the famous one was the Champions League final. - When he didn't play defensive midfielder, when the team sheet came out yesterday and he had my moosh in there instead of Cherokee, I mean, I'm not a coach, but Cherokee can defend deep. My moosh wants to run in behind. I'm looking at it thinking, Cherokee destroyed them as time for bridge. Why did he just start with him? But he always does something, doesn't he? And obviously, he remedied it a half time. And I thought Cherokee had a really, really good game. I know it was much more open than second half Chelsea played a lot better, came at, says you a bit more space. But it does fascinate me how he always seems to do something in these finals that you don't expect him to do. And you look at it and think, "Why did you do that?" - Well, he ended up winning it anyway. Mark, Martin Samuel in the Sunday Times, he was at Wembley as well. Look, he said, about Pep Guardiola, because the big narrative going into this, is this going to be his last final? Is this going to be his last season? Just a quote from his piece, a camera caught him looking wistfully around surrounded by the empty arena and his jubilant players. Guardiola insists we are seeing things that are not there. He gave nothing away, but his adamant, he will see how his contract which expires at the end of next season and is quite affronted, that his word is so regularly doubted, yet trusted left tenants are slowly drifting away. He said it on Friday as well, "I've got one more year on my contract, "or any was questioned about it, "but the noise is getting louder." He's been amplified, he's used his fitness coaches leaving, Lorenzo Brenna Ventura at the end of the season, Bernardo Silver as well, so often known as his favourite and his current captain as well. How do you see the Pep Guardiola situation now? - The fitness coach is really telling, because he's been with Pep Cisbar Salona, he goes with him everywhere. And the fact that he's leaving suggests to me that a lot of people are at City, he's not the goalkeeper coach he's leaving to, the people are planning ahead. And Pep has constantly said, "I have a contract, "but what he hasn't said is I'm staying." It's all semantics, so if I say I have a contract, guys, I'm here. He always stops short of saying, "Stop asking me the question, "I'll be here next season," he hasn't said that. And the more or more people you speak to at City around the club believe he's going, but nobody actually knows you. I mean, maybe Caldon the Chairman, if I'm sorry, I don't know the CEO will know, but maybe Pep doesn't know. I'm pretty sure he does, but the fact that so many people are leaving the close people team. And like I say, for me, the kind of the real kind of clinch he was the fitness coach because if he's leaving Pep, then Pep has never worked as a manager without him. And he's back room staffer of real team. So I do think this will be his last season. And the issue that's it, yeah. The issue that City have got is that they would love to give him the send off that he deserves. You know, 2012, he's won now with yesterday's FA Cup win. But if they wouldn't have born with him when he's on Tuesday to keep the title race alive, then next Sunday's game against Villa will matter. And it's a game that they will have. - They're having a parade on the Monday. - Yeah, but what they don't want is Pep's last game at the Etihad to be a situation where they don't win the league and everyone just drifts away. I think they want to give him the full send off that it's for Alex Ferguson got at Manchester United, but I don't think Pep Grady would want the club to say on Wednesday, right guys, Pep's leaving, turn up on Sunday, going to be a big party, Angon's a title in the line. He's not going to allow that. So I don't think it's a great ending. If it is the end, I think it's the end. I mean, I don't know what you think, Jason. I think, I asked a question a while ago to somebody who's quite close to him, and he just said come back to me at the end of the season, which in itself says everything, doesn't it? I think to a degree it's in the balance. I think obviously this was about a month ago, so by now you'd hope that people are idea I'll say what's happening, but I think it's certainly in the balance as Mark says, he's Pep very clever in choosing his words very carefully. You know, he's not, and also he's done it a very playful way, so he's not been too serious about it. And people keep saying, I wasn't broken a contract, but that's not the point. The point is he's got an agreement with City that he can go whenever he wants to go. That's the, you know that, don't you? You can go whenever he wants. They're not going to hold him to anything. So that's fine. It's not about breaking a contract. He's done everything he can. City, it's a question of whether he wants to carry on when he needs a break. And that's where it's been portrayed to me, and it almost goes from almost like not a day to day, but it just fluctuates quite a lot. So when in the FA Cup yesterday is a high, so maybe if it's a high-stay, or you might think conversely, I don't know, one another trophy. I think because the Premier League title race is still in the balance to a degree, he's probably just pushing it back and pushing it back and pushing it back, and maybe he just wakes up next Monday morning and says, that's it, I'm done. - Jackie Mark mentioned Sir Alex Ferguson and the send-off he got, because he, in advance, said he was going to be leaving Manchester United back in 2013. There's an interesting piece from Paul Hurst in the Sunday Times who kind of compares the situations of Manchester City and Manchester United when both of these managers left and potentially are leaving. He talks about the United Squad, wasn't left in the greatest shape, but by Sir Alex Ferguson. However, he says, if Guardiola does end up riding off in the sunset this summer, he is leaving one heck of a squad to his successor. Any new manager would be glad to have 27 players at Guardiola's disposal. And just picking up on that, you could flip it, couldn't you, because I know Jason was questioning Mark by saying, well, do you think that it is going to be his final year? He's building another brilliant team, it feels like, particularly with the second half of this season, they've picked up two trophies. They're pushing Arsenal potentially to the last day of the season. Will there be that little whisper in his ear thinking, I could go again, because I've got this team that could potentially win the league again? Yeah, it is very different to when Sir Alex Ferguson left. I think he had a load of late 30s players, maybe 40 or old on the bench in that final match as well, and just managed to squeak over the line. But regardless of that, I think if Guardiola was going, and again, I think he is and said that in the studio a few months ago, because everything pointed towards it. If he is to go, then everything is in place for that to happen. The fact that he is using sense of humour to battleway questions, the fact that he's saying, I've got another year on my contract to battleway questions. That is what you would do if you were leaving at the end of the season. You're not going to say, oh, I'm not sure. You have to find a way to get through the press conferences and joking with the British media is the way to do that. And so if he was staying, he'd just say, I don't know where all this has come from. Yes, I'm staying. Okay, so and so, start leaving. But I'm replacing them and I'm working on that. I'm staying. What are you all talking about? He hasn't once said that. And so either there's an element he's not quite sure or he's leaving. And I absolutely think he is because if I was him, try and imagine it for a nanosecond, this is what I would do, given that he's been there 10 years, given the D such a legend, giving that he was going for the FA Cup and the league. If you want to take everybody's minds as far away as possible from him to focusing the players' minds on these two matches, three matches that really, really matter. So absolutely, I think you'll go. And it's a shame if it doesn't quite happen to be the send off he needs, but something has to give somewhere since when does anyone have the perfect send off? He's got to have told City by now, there does any one way or the other. That's a really good question, isn't it? Yeah. You're going to get a replacement in. I think what's been happening there, I think Mark probably knows as well as City been lining up a replacement anyway. I think that. It seems to be pointing that way, doesn't it? I mean, I was fine. I'm slightly, I don't know if it was sorted out that early, but it seems to be all aligning in that direction at the moment. But I'll be honest with you slightly surprised at that. I've got to say from what I know in terms of Maresque's coaching and the way he wants to play compared to Guardiola. And obviously he was at City with Guardiola, but he's not a Guardiola replacement, but maybe City are going in a slightly different direction. It does seem to be pointing in that direction. Even the Lanzo going to Chelsea, Lanzo was on City's list as well. But I think Guardiola is probably well aware of the fact that Hugo Veyran, a director of football, will be getting his ducks in a row that if it happens and they'll be ready to go. But you're right, the danger is you do lose other candidates. People will go elsewhere because obviously they don't know for sure that he's definitely going. But I think that conversation will be between Caldon and Pepp, and I think whether it's taking place or not at the moment, I don't know. Mark, we were talking about this just before we came on air, just on the FA Cup final in general, reminiscing about when we were younger watching it from eight o'clock in the morning right the way through until full time with cameras on the coach, et cetera. The Sunday Telegraph, Oliver Brown's piece, Chelsea Stopgap in a tracksuit lowers the tone in loveless final. This is a year on from when we were talking about the magic being back in the FA Cup when Crystal Palace won their first trophy in their history. Are we back to talking about, well, it's lost this luster again? You know what, you fell out a little bit yesterday, I was walking the Wemble away about one o'clock in it, and it was really quiet. And that's an FA Cup final, and usually it would be colorful and it'd be noisy. I mean, the weather wasn't great as well, so that-- They were watching the Scottish football. We'll be back over the time. But obviously you got two sets of fans who were so used to the Wemble, the so used to winning trophies, that it was almost like we'll turn up at five to three and it'll be fine because it's played a bit with me the Cup final, who went 10 to three. And the ground was half-entity, and that wouldn't have happened in years gone by. Maybe we're kind of reflected on a lost generation, I don't know, but the Calumat final thing, I think it's a little bit harsh to pull him up or wear an attraction because he's the Interim Manager. How do you wore a suit? It would have been like, who do you think you are wearing a suit? You've not worn a suit yet. Pep Guardiola's one for me. You know, we talk about the things that Pep Guardiola's changing in the football. He certainly changed what managers wear, because prior to Pep's arrival, they'd be quite smart. They'd be totally pure listening in the club shop, as they used to say, or a suit. Nobody wears a suit anymore, because Pep's kind of just allowed everybody to dress down. Let me redress down at games, because nobody wears a suit anymore at games. So there's just a change in where things are going. But it did look a little bit like just a normal game yesterday. You know, managers just not really dressed in for the occasion. Just in a couple of words, then. It is FA Cup Final Day, suit or track suit. Suit, definitely. But not a white suit. Oh, that's the whole other Sunday supplement, Jason. I think you should take the team out with a suit, but you can also change after, but you shouldn't wear a track suit, no. And yeah, wear a suit. You know, it's a Cup Final. Wear a suit. You two were there yesterday, weren't you? Yeah. And you were dressed. I was not dressed in a suit like that. Not a cup of tea. Right, time for a quick break now. When we come back, we'll see how the papers are covering Celtic, dramatic, but chaotic title win yesterday, including this in the Scottish sun, forced to flee as heart-leaf Celtic Park, still in their kits after a pitch invasion brings an early end to their title showdown. It's time for the NFL playoffs, where one moment, conchagened in tires season, joined the Simi and Golden on the essentially a NFL podcast for all the stories and the drama across the championship league one and league two. I'll be joined by Sky Sports as top NFL pymist to analyse all of the games and bring you a immediate reaction to the Wembley Finals. That's the essentially a felt podcast from Sky Sports. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to Sunday supplement. Let's focus on a dramatic climax to the Scottish Premiership title race, Celtic Pipping Hearts, right at the end, amid scenes of chaos, Jason. I know you had half an eye on it. I just want to refer you to the Sunday times hearts are broken. It's the headlines that's going through. A lot of the papers are Celtic, snatch title at Death Michael Grant's piece. I just want to quote you from it very, very quickly. It's quite a nice start. He just says, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, heart, Celtic. The game, the season and the league title, Celtic at the death, Celtic coming through to snatch everything from hearts just as it was at the back of everyone's minds that they could. Celtic hauling themselves off the canvas in the game as they had in the season. The story of a breathtaking Scottish Premiership campaign was also the story of its staggeringly dramatic climax, but it was also Jason A chaotic climax as well. And those scenes at the end weren't the best. Were they? Not at all. No, no, no. It's a very good intro from Michael as well. It sums it all up perfectly. But you're absolutely right. Yes, you've got the drama of Celtic pipping hearts right at the end, but then you had very, very identifying scenes as well. The final whistle was even blown. You know, there's still a minute to play. I mean, even Martin and Neil admitted that. Many said that all Celtic hearts wouldn't score two goals in a minute. How does he know that? You know, so it's a very unsatisfying end to the whole proceeding. Obviously parts then left to stay in very quickly for security reasons. Didn't do an immediate duties. Pull out a statement last night condemning what happened. It's probably not the end of it. You know, obviously there'll be there'll be repercussions in terms of the behaviour of the fans and so on and so forth. And it just seems to also sum up a little. Yes, it's very dramatic. Yes, it's some obviously the kind of we want dramatic ends to our campaigns. But it's unsatisfactory and that kind of sums up the insatisfaction nature of the whole campaign. It's got them as well. I think really, you know, it didn't. It hasn't felt quite right. We had obviously the midweek, the penalty, you know, the fact that even the VAR in Scotland doesn't have the same cameras as elsewhere, the fewer cameras. It's not how can you be definitive about stuff. Then all the conspiracy theories start as well. You know, so you know, it's not being satisfactory. But it has been more dramatic and has been more interesting for a start. And the one thing I would say, the only sort of comfort for hearts, I think, is they will be the third force of Scottish football now going forward. Not least with the involvement of Tony Bloom and James Downer analytics. I think they've shown that they can come quite a long way. Last season, they were 30 points behind 30 odd points behind Celtic. So they've come an awful long way quickly. And with Tony Bloomer involvement, I think they'll be a force next season. And I'm going to tip them to winning next season. Wow, okay. Well, let's get the view from Scotland then. David Freel, the sports content editor at the Scottish Sun joins us now. Good morning to David. Thanks for joining us on Sunday supplement. Jason mentioned it there about the hearts, players having to leave in their kit for safety reasons right after the game. We know that police Scotland are holding a news conference at 11 o'clock this morning. Dramatic ending, yes. But not a good look for Scottish football. Would you agree? Yeah, 100% thought you guys in this guy's sports coverage cover that really really well. Yes, they damn mesh. Look, you'll never be able to stop elation, jibolation, all of that as well. But there's also a line that can't be crossed and no player, no matter who they play for, no matter the circumstances should ever feel intimidating, goaded, anything on a football pitch. It's the place of work. And yeah, actually, Starely Strong statement last night. And as Jason said, we have not heard the end of this. The police are investigating. You have you have the SPFL SFA. I'm sure Celtic will have something to say as well. I think it's important to say I think there was quite a lot of Celtic fans booing those who are swimming on to the pitch as well. And you saw myself. So actually they're trying to almost tell fans to go away from the hearts, players. But yeah, we've not heard the end of this. It was really sad that hearts didn't get a chance to even just, you know, thank their own fans. They felt strong enough about what had happened just to leave the stadium and just head back to Ten Castle in their kit. So yeah, this one will run and run. David, for all the drama and the chaos at the end there, look, Jason mentioned it just then. Heart may argue that this race may have been decided in the games leading up to yesterday's match at Celtic Park, which some with some of the decisions they felt had gone against their team. What's the feeling up in Scotland? Is there the feeling that the outcome of this title race not only what happened at the end of that game, but in the previous week or so has left a bit of a sour taste? I don't know about that. I mean, but when Jason mentioned conspiracy theories, they are thought very early. I'm going to be talking about Scottish football conspiracy theories, kick me here all day. Look, it was the penalty. It was awarded to Celtic in my week because obviously being very, very, it's been debated globally. I think there's a difference between. Leith lwynen yr flavour a y rha ddeيلeptu yn ahol yma. Os hon paniadwch gan newidelyn ed breeld aniw rydw cynihadau datblygu bob fod y Why шon y cy zoalsio mewn gall� oedd ladder page was scar i Whatxemaare Syr Dw Clowch Rider i f diyew'r vitalio'r fabONena da newid a'u hiwm, ac dos yn chwannaun 'ny'r rha ddeooo Bob, o foethwyll a sustained м Laurel. Beth y Now doao gofo'r bigame cwllian y unhf можете am y Europa aion. 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David it's Jackie Oetley here and it's incredible the job that Martyn O Niel has done isn't it? 19-23 league games one and the fact that he last won the Scotch league title when he was 52 and he's now 74 it's extraordinary and it's just wonderful to see him enjoying the moment you're saying you're not sure he's going to continue but in terms of you also saying that you think this was not necessarily heart's best chance but surely it's not every year that Rangers are going to make a poor decision in terms of appointing Russell Martin at the start of the season and then having to correct their path and then Celtic making poor decision bringing Welfare Nancie from the MLS and then having to correct their path so how do hearts then close that financial gap even though they have that analytical data expertise bearing in mind there is still the financial muscle of Rangers and Celtic that they have to try to bridge. Yeah I agree with you but I think they do it through smart management and stood recruitment which they've shown this year I mean we can go through the multi-million pound signings at Celtic Town Rangers have made this season who have made zero impact many look at Claudio Braga, Portuguese forward who hearts plot from obscurity almost in Norway and he's won every single player of the year award up here you look at Kizareedis that they brought in a outstanding player that they're they're the record signing argue is hardly played, hearts will get stronger I agree with you know Celtic do have the muscles so do Rangers but hearts can do it in a different way and I think if you if you look at Tony Bloom's work at both Brighton and Unionson and Joa in Belgium you know they didn't always win the league in the first year over there you know it was a gradual thing but they get stronger and stronger look it's going to be hard and I agree I think Celtic will be stronger next year, Rangers will do it but I don't think hearts are going anywhere that genuinely I think they'll be you see these challenges. David Freel sports content editor at the Scottish Sun thanks for your time this morning on Sunday supplement. Thanks. Right time for another quick break can we come back we'll see other papers recovering Manchester United and Michael Carrick including this piece in the observer new manager wanted please inquire within there you go more after the break Miss the post-match analysis of the big games on Sky Sports then check out the Sky Sports Premier League podcast after every live game top pundits like Roy Kean, Jamie Carriger and Mike Richards chat about the big talking points and we hear what the managers and players have to say as well that is the Sky Sports Premier League podcast available wherever you listen to your podcasts. Welcome back to Sunday supplement Manchester United take on non-engom forest live on Super Sunday at lunchtime and one point would guarantee a third place finish for United this season and Michael Carrick seems to have got that permanent job we can go to Old Trafford right now and join our reported Daniel Khan who's got a special guest with him and the morning's newspapers as well Daniel. Yes good morning. Good morning to everyone in the studio. Welcome to Old Trafford this morning. As always we've got some cross-sons of course last home game of the season here I will travel as you mentioned I'm joined by Steven Roelston Manchester evening news Manchester United reporter lovely to see Steven first of all hiding this morning. Pleasure to be here Dan lovely end of season vibes isn't it? The sun is just come out the rain hopefully we'll stay off Manchester rain and hopefully we're going to have a really good day. Casimir was farewell Michael Carrick's final game Old Trafford just for this season which is there's a lot to get through yeah today I'm Manchester United now let's start with the sun. Samuel Luck cursed headline here you can see half of it taking ego trip. Michael Carrick talking about how they've really removed the ego from the the squad really but also better be ego is some good news in a squad but I think the interesting thing in part of this piece Steven is expecting Michael Carrick to be announced or an extension of his current contract as mentioned I did head coach for the next few years. First of all your reactions to that news and how impressed have you been by Michael Carrick since you arrived in January? Fantastic news really Dan obviously has made a wonderful impact since coming into the football club in January. Let's not forget Ruben Amarum did leave them in a decent position six in the Premier League though well placed to return to Europe but I had a feeling they'd probably sneak for the Champions League backdoor but with Carrick they've come for the front door and arrived at the party very early and one ten of his fifteen games. Luzon just twice he's been fantastic exceeded expectations the players are on side the fans are incredibly happy and we see ourselves here doing a little traffordy lift he's given the football club is being fantastic so we thoroughly deserve the job obviously it'll be two years with that twelve month extension it's formal you know. Absolutely and he's going to address the crowd after the match probably expecting an announcement maybe around then you mentioned Ruben Amarum yes Amarum left United in a decent spot but think of the mess after that leads news conference when we were at Ellen Road there's also made some disarmament Covimeini not starting they took some adjusting to his tactics so talk to me about what Carrick has actually done with his backroom staff and the impact they've had. I think the backroom staff have been incredibly important we look at Steve Holland their vast experience with England and Chelsea and when I spoke to me some mongers down at St George's Park recently and he said he's so special I don't think people realise what Steve Holland does in the background you've got Jonathan Woodgate there who's out real Madrid incredibly articulate with the players can speak Spanish Casamiro mentioned that as well which obviously helps him in Diaz himself let's not forget Travis Binion as well who is within the academy he stepped up he's done a brilliant job in Johnny Evans you've got a real blend there of skill sets and personalities within the backroom staff which has helped get these results and Carrick is demeanor I love it he's very disarmament isn't he I mean impress comments as he doesn't really give us much does he but I really like how he's just so calm and it is mana I think he really just looks at ease with himself and he said that after Liverpool game he says it just feels natural and it seems natural doesn't it Dan with Carrick at this football club absolutely and his calmness I think is him personified isn't it let's move on to the mail on Sunday here you can see Chris Wheeler talking about Casamiro's swan song outmanchionated his last appearance out of Trafford today before his end of contract in the summer also mentions earlier Anderson we'll talk about him in a minute just very curious Casamiro his impact in four years is that a rollercoaster isn't he everyone of course that's his at least I mean he came to the football club in remarkable circumstances had lost a Brentford and Brighton and it was such a disaster the start of that season with Eric Dogg obviously they wanted Frankie De Jong Casamiro came into the club 70 million pounds it was a lot of money he is the highest earner at the football club so like you made a fantastic start put the two seasons in between as you say Dan there was ups and downs if you think back to Sellers Park in May 2024 leave the football before the football leaves you Casamiro has come out and said he feels disrespected by that or he felt disrespected and and even Liverpool in September 2024 he was substituted a half time so he called you I came on to the pitch and Eric's an architect who was a fervor embarrassment but look he's got his head down worked hard, came back into the team and the Europa League helped them because you can really play well in that competition, the style of the opponents of the opposition and was a bit slower, he's getting a bit older but you're really sure at his class and he's ending really strongly and it's a testament to his quality of class, Miro. And he was huge in that FA Cup final against Manchester City, wasn't he? And the semi-final against Liverpool, he'll get his tributes after the match and he'll have a flag in the strapped for the end beforehand as well, so that'll be lovely. Talking about potential replacement, now your piece in the Sunday Miro, Carrick and L of a talent now, facing Nottingham Forest, this lunchtime should say, you know, it's a very heavily linked with Elliot Anderson from what we know, number one priority this summer, very heavily linked to Manchester City as well, how realistic do you think he could be in the summer for Manchester City? It's a very good question, he's obviously at the top of the shortlist and it's easy to see why dynamic midfield and excellent number six, going to be a start for England as well at this summer's World Cup, he's only 23. In terms of competition, it feels like Manchester City from what I understand are in poor position to say Elliot Anderson, so you know, it will face in competition and they won't get dragged into a bid more. And I think the fee could be a potential stumble and block here, £100m potentially to saying Elliot Anderson this summer. United have planned to say a high quality class Miro replacement, but they would like to bring in two midfielders potentially, whether or not it is Elliot Anderson remains to be seen. And as a press conference, he said he offers so much that he didn't give too much away as usual, but you could tell that he does like him. Just finally before we hand back, Chris Wheel of Mentions a few different midfielders, if you had to pick two for the summer on the spot, 20 seconds he picked one. I would go with Elliot Anderson, I think, oh well, maybe two or many as well, because he's really a druid, he might be number one. But if you're talking another midfield, you're looking at a B list aren't you really, and you're probably looking £30m, maybe Edison from Atlanta, I know he's interested, so it's a big summer, massive summer, they need some quality, I'm sure we'll get it in. Stephen Rolston, even in News Manchid United reports, thanks very much for joining us this morning on SkySports News, and we'll hand back now, Davesh, because the rain has just started in Manchid as per. Dan Steven, thank you very much indeed. Mark, let me come to you because Michael Carrick set to be announced as the permanent head coach of Manchester United. I would just want to refer you to a piece in the observer by Rory Smith, new manager wanted, please inquire within with club circling the same coaches, the market looks alarmingly short of elite candidates. Now, Carrick's appointment is this a result of two factors, his fantastic performance, we shouldn't underestimate that, how well he's done, but also the potential challenges he might have had for this role. Yeah, so I think what's happened is that when Michael Carrick came in United obviously wanted him to be an interim and find a more proven manager at that level in the summer, so the candidates that have kind of diminished his then, Thomas Tuckold himself up pretty much stretched by a base side of the contract with England, Karl on Tullotti was committed to Brazilian as extended that contract. Luis Enrique, I think, was always just beyond United's reach, and then if they wanted someone to fit their profile of a Champions League winner or a Premier League winner, then you're looking at who's done that, Pat Gradioli, you're not getting him, Jürgen Klopp, you're not getting him. So the field of candidates that would have ticked all their boxes basically disappeared, there's nobody out there that's available that fits that profile. Now when Michael Carrick came in, all these pictures of Lee sitting at Iriola, Oliver Glazner, etc, even Michael Silver were rated ahead of Michael Carrick because they were proven Premier League managers with a track record of delivering success albeit relative, but Michael Carrick's kind of gone beyond all of those by what it done in United. He's proven that he can handle the mentioned rollercoaster to now at least. So I don't think United could have sold the appointment of an Iriola or a Glazner or a Silver ahead of Michael Carrick because he's shown he can handle the pressure cooker of my United. That was a problem for Amarim, for Tenhag and others. It might be the problem for Glazner, for Iriola, etc. So Michael Carrick has put himself at top of that list of those candidates. It was never going to be better than to Kalancholoti, Luisa and Rika, but they weren't getable. So United arrived at a situation whereby he's the best option right now, and we shouldn't diminish what Michael Carrick achieved. When he came in, Stephen Rielsen said then there were six, but there were a million miles of the Champions League. They were more likely to finish him in table. They'd just drawn at Leeds, they'd drawn at home to Wolves, sorry Jackie. They'd lost at home to Everton. They were really struggling to get results over the line. So I think they were going south rather than going north. So Michael Carrick's come in and taken them way beyond the expectations. So he's earned the right for the job. And just one final thing. Everyone's making the comparison to a good assault shot. It's a completely false comparison because different characters, different mindset, Michael Carrick's a harder, less emotional character than a assault shot. And the one significant thing that Michael Carrick did on day one, he brought Steve Holland and experienced coach. I think the soldier never did that. He had a young coaching team and resisted the club's attempts to add more experience to it. So Michael Carrick's shown that he can see a problem, he can identify and get something to solve it. It's different to what they're going to solve. So let's just part the assault shot comparison. It's different. There are two things. I'm not saying given Michael Carrick the job's the wrong thing. There are two qualifications though that I think has been debated internally at Manchester United and needs to be talked about. One, he's been an interim manager for a period of time. Bruno Fernanda, I didn't into Bruno Fernanda's last month and he mentioned this himself. We said, we've had this before. We've had periods where we were flying and that we were doing well, that we had this. It's doing it over the course of a whole season. So it's a different body of work. That's not a station, get the job. The bigger issue for me is the style of football. And I think he's done very, very well. Obviously one games, but they've not been greater times. They've not been great enough. Not his fault because of the situation with the group of players. But I think the internal debate in Manchester United is, can he play the football that they want? That's why they looked at Roberto Deserbi. That's why they looked at Andoni Riraiola. Obviously Deserbi, I'm told, there are a number of factors where he didn't get the job. Obviously he's taken the Tottenham job. I think his demands were very, very high. I think Tottenham has ceded to those demands a bit more. And I think the big concern was the yesterday football is fantastic, but can he deal with the pressure? The ball with one thing. And we've seen this before countless times. I can see why they didn't do Riraiola. But I think there are a couple of things around Carrick. They need to convince internally as well that he can actually be the manager. But I think he's obviously done that for now. But I think it is a fact to go forward. Steve Holland thing is a big issue. But even Steve, there's good a coach to use. He doesn't play a lot of front football. And I think Manchester United, fundamentally, if you're talking about winning the league, you need to do more of that. Jackie, picking up on what the guys have said there, look, Mark said that Michael Carrick can handle the roller coaster as Manchester United. But we shouldn't forget that this is going to be a totally different job in August. He's going to have a transfer window where he will try and buy those players that Jason said will be able to play that front football. But also, by the time the season ends next Sunday, it will have been a 40 game season. We've had a lot of taken charge of half of that season where, on occasions, they've had three weeks between games. He's not going to have that next season. It's going to be Champions League and he will be expected to go further in the cups than opening round exits that they experience this season. How big a challenge is that going to be in itself? Well, it's a huge challenge, but the fact is, nothing in football is perfect. There is rarely a perfect scenario. We were talking about Pep potentially leaving. It's the ideal time to leave, you tell people in advance, then the players take their eyes off the ball. And in this situation that Manchester United, there is no perfect candidate. For the reason that Mark has just laid out, you look at the alternatives and there's reasons why they couldn't or shouldn't appoint any of the others. So therefore, you look at the man in situ and see the job that he's done. And in terms of what he had available to him and the situation at the time, he's done fantastically well. And when you think of Manchester United finished 15th last season, below West Ham, level on points with wolves and started very iffy, wishy, washy, under Aurelio and Amarin, who simply wasn't the right man for that task. He has managed to tick a lot of boxes. So yes, they've had all that time. They went out of cup competitions at the first hurdle, both of them domestically, pretty much unheard of, but he's made the best of the job. And he could only do the best that he could in that situation. So it is going to be a huge summer. The backroom staff have talked about fantastic. He himself has talked about wanting to play that exciting front football. He wants to be lifted off his seat watching Manchester United play. He's speaking the language of the United supporters. He can handle the pressure we've seen that. And it's going to be fascinating to see next season. But the recruitment is absolutely key to the team. And to first, they have got the recruitment more right recently, haven't they? They've had a good summer last summer. So I think that is a big grounds for hope as well that they can actually improve the squad by introducing more coxers and a good job in the recruitment. Midfield has been the Amsterdam team as well, isn't it? Hello, I'm Simon Laisenby. Join me and a host of top guests on the F1 show after every round of the 2026 Formula One World Championship. We'll analyse and debate every twist and turn of what's sure to be a memorable season. New regs, new rules, but same show. Listen to our podcast on Apple Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts or watch us on the Sky Sports F1 YouTube channel. That's the F1 show from Sky Sports. Right, let's talk Liverpool. It was. Another damaging defeat wasn't it at Villapark on the Friday night football. They're crawling over the line for Champions League qualification, it seems. Another bad defeat, as I mentioned, on a slot though, expects to be in charge of the club next season. But then overnight, a thinly veiled parting shot from a certain Muhammad Sala. We can look at it now from the Sunday Telegraph. Now Sala throws slot under bus in Stinging Post. And he talks about bringing back heavy metal football to Liverpool, Jackie. I wonder who he's talking about there. And that post has been liked by several Liverpool players. On a slot is very confident that he's going to be in charge next season. Do you share that confidence? Well, yes, at the moment it does look that way, but most Sala's doing his best to try to make his life as difficult as possible, isn't he? They clearly don't see it UI. That's pretty clear from his rare moment of talking to the media, midway through the season, when he made his point clear, saying the club had thrown him under the bus. But slot probably feels he's been thrown under the bus now. So Sala is an absolute god in the eyes of supporters, and he's clearly playing on that to make sure that his manager is under even more pressure than usual. The fact that it's been liked by the players, of course, you know how much of that is them themselves liking it. Who knows, but also which elements of the post are they liking? They could be liking the fact that, yes, they're not playing the kind of football the fans deserve. You would like that. But then we're not playing heavy metal football, having a dig saying, well, this guy's not your club busy, are they liking that? We don't know, we could read so much into it. Really unhelpful for slot. I think the supporters who adore Sala just want to give him the best send off possible. Clearly, slot would love to be able to say what's going on behind the scenes from his perspective. He's already said in an interview, I'd love to tell you what I really think, but I can't. As a manager, I can't. So much more goes on behind the scenes when players are misbehaving or brave. I think they can. Let me just say it. He's called it on. There isn't this Sala. I think it's the point. The classic thing to do is just say nothing. But I think slot for his own well-being, and to defend his club, he needs to come out and say what he really thinks about most Sala now. He's not going to now. He's going to have this final send off. He's not going to go. He's really impressional. He's called it on, isn't he? He's called it on. That's war. His declaration of war, isn't it? Well, that's what most Sala has been really clever here, because he knows that he has the fans on his side. The majority of fans are on his side. He's a club legend. He's well-evident of a opponent. While there still remains a respect for round a slot, I think that's diminishing. A lot of the fans no longer have faith in on a slot. He's footballed, the results. You're going to come out of fighting, isn't he? It has, yeah, but I think in that scenario, next week, that Sala's founding episode losing battle for slot, isn't it? It's almost Sala's calling on to say, "I'm going to have the mosaic on the Copnets weekend. The big send-off, there you drop me. There you're not playing my send-off." I'm sure I'm in a slot with love not to play my cop. I think what Sala has done here, he's done exactly what Christiana Ronaldo did at Man United when he was trying to fall his way out. He took on Eric Tanharigan and made some really negative comments that was appears Morgan and to get him. And he ended up leaving the club. And that did Tentis reputation at Man United. It still does. I mean, Man United fans no longer sink his name. I don't think we're at that stage with Morsaliya, but he's got to be careful. He's getting there because he's disrespecting the manager. So he's disrespecting the club in many ways. And ultimately, Morsali hasn't performed this season. He's earned the right in the past, but he's not earned the right this season. Yeah, he said in that post, he said, "The bare minimum is Champions League and I'll do everything I can to ensure that happens." Well, fair enough, but he's not screwed. The girls are putting the performances this season that Meredith Dan, I think. It's a massive pay rise. Yeah, he's at everything in his favour. So Morsaliya could have done more this season to help harness a lot of help his team. So it talks about heavy metal football. He's not been playing that this season. He's not been playing it for a while because he doesn't want to. It doesn't put the work in defence, either, that Yurgen Klopp would have demanded so. If he was playing in the Yurgen Klopp side right now, he'd have been dropped by Yurgen Klopp. By the way, Yurgen Klopp said, "Stop playing heavy metal football." Anyway, didn't he? He said he couldn't carry on playing like that. He changed his style. He didn't even like the phrase heavy metal football at the end, did he? I mean, he wasn't something that he really bought into either by the end. I think it's really, really cheap shot. It's really unfair. If I'm the club, I double down now. If I had any doubts about a second on a slot, he's definitely staying. I think Salah wants to take him down with him. Of course he does. That's what he tries to do. Throwing in the bus he tries to throw was fun to the bus with that mixed-own stuff. Against leads. This is his second bite at it, isn't it? And it's like the timing stinks and I think it's really making it all about himself. And I think if you are the player that you should be and have been for Liverpool, you show a little more class than that. And I think that if you're Liverpool as a club, if I say if you had any doubts about a slot, they've gone down. What about all the other players who have liked this post? Yes, that's an issue. I'd speak to them about it. I'd say what I would actually sit them down and speak to them about it. What is it about this post that you like? Tell me. Is it the fact that you should be playing better? Or is it against the manager? And I would say to them, the manager is here to stay, get on with it. It's not a very Liverpool way to do things either. I mean, sometimes I have a way of doing things. Liverpool tends to keep things under wraps a little bit more in-house. Other clubs might have a bit more noise around them. Liverpool have different kinds of noise, but in terms of respects in the club and remembering who you play for, Liverpool are one of the biggest slubs in the world and they're an institution in many ways. And Salas not behaving like a Liverpool player. Just picking up on that, Sam Wallace is peeing in the Sunday Telegraph Jackie. Can slot survive if it's up to Liverpool's owners, he'll stay on. And he says if slot does survive in Prosper, it will be a watershed moment in English football when an ownership faced down its support and was proved right. It will be a race against time, however, because if Liverpool supporters choose to make slots positioned untenable, they like all fans have that power. Yeah, I mean, they are a very powerful fan base. It has to be said, but as Jason just said, I think it does make it more likely that he'll stay. They're probably made up their minds anyway. It has been a nightmare season. Well, nightmare season. They're about to qualify for the Champions League, but compared to what they expected after winning the league with the manager this first season, after then investing so heavily in a window we all thought was fantastic in fairness at the time. There have been so many mitigating circumstances since, so many reasons that suggest he deserves another season. But then again, if you're a supporter who's going every week and watching that villa performance the other night, you're thinking, "Holy moly, this is a million miles away from what it should be." So on paper, you think absolutely back in, there's so many circumstances. The reason that he's injury is that horrendous situation with Joe Gajotto, which is unquantifiable in its effect on the players this season. He hasn't another season, but at the same time the supporters are absolutely right when they say, "What are we looking forward to here? What are we building here?" So it's a huge summer. If he does stay, I think he will. Huge summer in terms of rebuilding and making sure they have the right players in place and the right mentality to play the football they need. Jason, Mark alluded to it there about how Liverpool and their fans approach their manager and how they respect their manager. It's very, very rare that they boo or go against their manager. We have seen signs of that so far this season. An honest lot to response as a San Wallace alludes to in his piece is, let's see what happens in the summer because that's when I'm going to get my recruitment. And then it's going to be next season you'll see what Liverpool are all about. That's going to even add even more pressure and intensity to an honest lot, isn't it? Because if it doesn't go right in the first couple of months of that season, the pressure is instant. It's almost like they're going to start now. The league's long forgotten now. We're judging you and what happened this season. So you better get this right straight away or it's time to go. I think there are a number of factors. I'd love to know last summer who was actually controlling all the recruitment. Whether it was on a slot, getting the players he wanted or whether or not it was Richard Hughes getting larger the players they wanted. It seemed like it was a moment to move on from the Jürgen club team and I think that was a club decision. I don't think it was necessarily just the manager's thing. I think he wanted to do it as well, but I think it was a club decision. So there's a collective responsibility for that. So has there not been enough scrutiny on the recruitment team? No, not at all. I think that's always the problem with English football. We always blame the manager. We blame the manager for everything. We lured them but we blame them and they're always the focus. It's always about them because they're the ones we can get rid of quite easily. And they do the press conference. And they're the spokesperson for every single issue and I've just talked about this a lot before. No, we follow this stuff because you progely, you progely, Jason Wilcox, I'm going to have his window because when it's a good window, the sport director is going to get the praise. It's a bad window. The managers get the blame. And the slot is falling. I was a criticising the past because I didn't think you should have kept told of it every ten hard. I don't think the decisions are made in the past are good either. But if it's a bad window, it tends to fall on the manager. I mean generally. And you know, and the slot, it wasn't his fault that Alexander ESA didn't train properly last summer. Or they didn't say, "Mark Gaye." Exactly. So that's not on slot. He has to manage what the situation is presented to him but he's had a lot of issues that were beyond this control. But ultimately, the Liverpool fans aren't happy with his style of football. No, that is a bridge that I don't see how we can get over because unless he changes the way that he plays, the Liverpool fans aren't going to be happy. They're still yearning for Yurgen Klopp. And that will go on forever, won't it? Until they start dominating again. When was the last time a manager followed a manager as influential, as powerful, as iconic as Yurgen Klopp was? Obviously, you know, we've seen it at Manchester United in Arsenal. And one the league. It just doesn't happen. It's a lot of that. Exactly. That's what I'm saying. It's not just about the press. He won the league. Basically, extraordinary. They've lost five more Premier League games than Bournemouth this season. Five more going to the final week of the campaign. And it's extraordinary. But it does look as though he's going to stay, doesn't it? But I think we all want to see what happens in the summer. We all want to see who leaves the recruitment, the players. Can they come in and fill the gaps? Because defensively, they've been shambolic. And this has been really alarming to watch the Liverpool side. This defensively tame and relying on individual brilliance. likes of Sub-Buzzly and Eccatica when he was fit was fantastic. But I think we want to see Esac with a full preseason. We want to see the new signings coming and plugging the gaps that have been clearly wanting this season. And also, you know, the fact that they've had young curkers coming in and Robinson will be moving on. And the fact that Trent Alexander-Arnold left, and the fact that Lewis Diaz, we haven't mentioned yet, it was absolutely outstanding and has been by Munich and the massive drop of that. What did the seller say about that? Lewis Diaz wanted to go and club sold him a deal. Trent Alexander-Arnold, he didn't necessarily want Trent Alexander-Arnold to go either. There are lots of things that have happened that are outside of slot control. And I think Liverpool, they are doing this, by the way. They're probably stepping back and thinking, let's look at all the reasons why we hired him in the first place. The one that Mark raises is right, though, the style. Now, they knew he's style of football. So they knew that we're getting into. So if they're asking him to change his style of football, that's again, I did the club with the right decision there. That is one issue. But everything else, they've got to look at and think of what he achieved and why they hired him in the first place. This season has not been good enough, but last season was outstanding. So let's balance those two seasons out. Therefore, you earn the right to go into the third season, in my opinion. And he's only got a year left on his contract. So they'll probably say, let's see. And also, now, Shabby Lanzo's gone. It's taken that kind of-- He would accept that as well. The dangling carrot that was there that supporters were kind of-- And Mark's-- A Mark's salargo, as well, won't be a problem, because he's obviously not a good presence in the dressing room now. Clearly, isn't. And he's not a decent presence on the pitch, because he's not delivering the salt. He's a problem that will be taken away. And so all his wages. Just finally, Jason, do you feel he has been harshly treated on a slot only because the narrative after they won the league-- Oh, this is Jürgen Klopp's team. Yeah. And now it's not gone. It's really unfair. It's really on a slot. Yeah, I think it's really, really unfair. I think, obviously, it's Jürgen Klopp's team in terms of the core of that team. But he did changes on the Ravenburg and so on, positional issues. He won the league really, really well last season. It was fantastic. I was outstanding. And they were a little bit unlucky in the Champions League. They were top of the group stages. And they were lucky that they ran into PSG the way they did. And I think that derailed them a little bit. But I do think that classic thing is like, I didn't think he got enough praise for winning the league. I think he's getting far too much criticism now and now that he's struggling. And I think there's a balance in between the two. At the same time, starting next season poorly, I can totally understand why they'd get rid of him. They got it after a couple of months. Now you could argue to do it now, but who would they bring in? And we've obviously talked about Alonzo going, and we've gone back to my United situation. Who's the candidate out there? You know, if Alonzo is at home to Brentford, that's where he can don't qualify for the Champions League, that could change everything though, because if they're in the Champions League, that's kind of a non-negotiable. And I think then even probably slot with, say, fair enough. I imagine if you missed it out on the Champions League, you probably would say fair enough. But then who comes in? Yeah, exactly. Alonzo's gone to Chelsea. Yeah, exactly. Eriola's waiting for a big job, but is it too big? Does he need a stepping stone to be able to prove himself with bigger name players after the phenomenal job he's done at Bournemouth? Just insanely good job. But we really should see where he goes. Yeah, interesting. Interesting final week in the Premier League and for Liverpool. Thanks for listening to the Sunday Supplement podcast. Join us live every Sunday during the Premier League season, Sky Sports News 9-11 AM, or download the podcast as soon as we come off air.