 Welcome back to the Sports Mac Zone, we continue talking football. Last season's English Premier League Golden Boot winner Erling Hallan is being heavily criticised for following his lackluster performance in the top-of-the-table clash between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Defending champions Manchester City were surprisingly held to a go-less draw the first time they had failed to score in a Premier League match at home since a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in October 2021. After the match, we saw both Arsenal and Man City sliding down the table and a former Premier League winner and Hall of Fame inductee Roy Keane labelled Hallan's performance as being below average. This is what he said, the level of his general play is so poor and not just today. The way he's laying stuff off and in terms of headers in front of goal, he's the best in the world but for general play, both such a player and not just today. He has to improve, he's almost like a league 2 player, that's the way I look at him. His general play has to improve and it will over the next few years. Being a brilliant striker is fantastic but he has to improve his all-round game. He has to. Well, weighing in on the matter is former Trinidad and Tobago International, Brent Sancho. Good afternoon Brent. Good afternoon Mariah, good afternoon to all your viewers. What's up with Roy Keane? Is this criticism of Erlen Hallan justified? Well, sometimes I do wonder when former players become pundit that they memory a race very quickly as to what it was like to be a player and when they make outlandish, it seems like the more outlandish statements you make probably is the more jobs you get because I think it's overharsh, it's ridiculous in what he's saying. Yes, Hallan has had a poor couple of games, he's been forced to come back from an injury but to describe him and put him in that sort of mood is really uncalled for and I'm disappointed a player of of course Roy Keane's caliber as a player and footballing knowledge to make those sorts of statements. And I think we forgot that last season he had 54 Premier League goals in 56 starts. It was his first time with Manchester City and he won the treble with the team and I just have to say he didn't just win the treble, he was a key part of Manchester City winning that treble. I think like everybody has forgotten that and now don't get me wrong, I understand everybody wants to see Hallan involved right because when I looked at some of these statistics of course Bukhaya Saka for Arsenal is leading when it comes to things as touches and all these different things in the EPL, when you look at the stats right? Because that is not Erling Hallan's role and to me to be judging him on somebody else's role I think that's extremely harsh Brent. Yeah, it's you know it really big and you have to add Roy as well as age as well, he's a young kid. He's young, sometimes I forget that myself. Exactly and he still has a lot of development to do, he still has a lot of course of growth in the game as well and as you rightly said he hit the pervership like a house on fire and broke all sorts of records last season. Coming off a bit of an injury is still trying to get his rhythm which is again an important factor when it comes to strikers. You always hear them talk about finding their rhythm, finding back of course that consistency in their game and you just haven't been able to do that so far but it doesn't take away from the fact that what he is able to do it but when you hone in on Manchester City and I think that's really what Roy and the rest of them should be looking at is the dynamics of Manchester City have changed. I mean you're talking about Kevin De Bruyne just coming off an injury, people like Jack Grealish and maybe Dooku to the less extent not really having the type of seasons that is expected from them. So a little bit more pressure is put on Harlan and of course requirements in the game that is not normally what they do for Manchester City, they don't have this sort of presence attacking presence like they used to and I think when you add all those factors up it then equates to the fact that I don't think Harlan is getting this sort of supply line like he had before and of course teams have adjusted in the way that they play them just look at Arsenal, their approach was a lot different last season going to the Etihad and it was this season. And I have a question and this is like the most important question I'll ask you for this show right? What if Erling Harlan does all the different things that everybody expects him to do or wants him to do as in you know improve his passes and his touches and all these different things and the goal scoring drops. What happens then? But then you have a serious dilemma because if you go back to why they bought Erling Harlan is just that to put the ball into the back of the net. When Kunagera left Manchester City there is a void. They talked about the fact that Manchester City didn't have a genuine number nine and all of the criticism and the so-called pundits had a lot to say about Manchester City and the way they played football games. I mean of course they said went on to win the title but there was a call for a genuine number nine and there was all these conversations about who can bring in what is of course all these different lists of players but they got arguably the best striker in the world to come to them. The best finisher in the world and he's been brought there to finish. And you know what he did last season is incredible, absolutely incredible. Again using all the factors that you laid out inclusive of his age is incredible and now coming off a season hit injury you have to give the player some time to go. Yes it's disappointed that he's not putting up the same numbers but that's all part of his growing process. It's all part of his developmental process. So it's a bit unfortunate that he's receiving that sort of criticism from people who really should know better. Yeah Brent I like the first set of comments that you made that some of these pundits they seem to crave making these startling comments to attract attention to themselves because that's what I felt when I heard the comment first. Having said that when I heard the headlines and then I saw the full text of what he said I was a little less bothered by his comments because he did say he did admit even what we just presented that in front of goal he's the best in the world. And that wasn't what I had heard when that when I heard the headlines that the headlines pretty much talk about him being a league two player and how awful he was. But Roy Keane admits in this same narrative that in front of goal he's the best in the world. The thing is Brent as a top footballer yourself you would understand that Holland is not a silky is not a silky player if if he were a tennis player he wouldn't have been Roger Federer. That's not his game. He's just a big strong efficient striker. That's what he does. And because he isn't a silky player if he loses form he's not going to look that good. No you're right and he has a particular set of skillset doesn't he really and and he does not have of course as we call him our nine our nine Ronaldo type as well fat boy Ronaldo's he call him now he doesn't have that sort of skill and ability to create on his own. He has a particular set of skillset. What is that of course he's great at run making runs and behind defenders he's good in the air once given the right sort of skillset and he has a lot of pace within it with what he does. And when you when you combine that with a with a silver David silver Kevin De Bruyne and etc. And these sorts of players I can't unlock defensive Jack relation is one be one of capabilities and then laying it and forward and etc. Then you have a potent striker and as I said Holland really is the type of player that relies heavily on the total at some of his team and not his individual capabilities. He's just not that striker to create on his own. But once given that chance he obviously can finish and he can score and put them all into the back of the net. I think you can't take that away from him. Yes you're right. Once things are not going well from a team perspective from Manchester City don't expect early Holland to to score a hat trick on his own doing his own thing and creating on his own. It's not going to happen. Yeah let's not talk anymore about Roy Keane because he was a good player but outside of his playing performances and his playing ability there isn't much more favourable that I can say about Roy Keane. So let's let's move let's move from from Mr Keane. We're sticking with the ball though Brett because we still have you on set. So you'll be on commentary duties in the turn it out at Tobago Premier League on Wednesday. What can you tell us about the state of the league current leaders AC Port of Spain leading at the moment. Are they favourites for the title because they had a good run last year and then faulted at the end in there. I tell you what Lance it's it's such a difficult one to call and the reason why it's difficult because none of the top four teams have played anywhere close to what a championship quality performance should be. They've really struggled. We had an interview with the technical director of AC Port of Spain before the game Mr Batu and he mentioned that his team is struggling for consistency and fluidity because of the stops throughout the latter part of the season. Of course it was a stop for Christmas is also a little break as well for Carnival and recently as well as it was a break for the international games. So the likes of AC Port of Spain and Police and Defence Force and when you look at the results that they've been dropping points regularly in this last round of football and you just wonder to yourself which one of these teams is going to take this title grease by its neck and take the charge on. None of them have done that so far. I also have to say that some of the mid table teams and bottom teams have also shown up to the dance. They've started to take points off of the top team Central FC of course pulling points off of one of the top AC Port of Spain to be a little bit more precise. We've seen FC Phoenix do it. We've seen teams on that side of the table pull it. So it's made it extremely unpredictable and extremely interesting. And I think tomorrow at the Hazy Crawford Stadium may serve up that sort of situation again. Yeah we just had a segment talking about the Jamaica Premier League. The Ren have you Jamaica Premier League Brent. I know that you keep tabs on on that as well. Given the comparisons between the two leagues you sound to be a little disappointed with what you're seeing domestically in TNT at the moment. Is it that the the JPL is is providing as far as you're concerned higher quality football. Yeah no doubt it's a high quality of football. I think there's a is a wider array of players you now seeing players and we spoke about this son on his own before from different islands coming to Jamaica and of course adding to what is already there which makes the player pool a little bit more refined that it is here in Trinidad and Tobago. And I miss I mean lean on what of course coach battles said I just think that some of the stops that they've had throughout the league as you've seen players lose form. I think some players may have been disappointed at making into the national team call up. I think there's been a plethora of reasons why the levels have dropped significantly since the second round have started. And again I want to add as well Lance that the grounds and I know this is something that we are trying to be we should never complain about but the facilities and the ground have been atrocious because of some of the restrictions placed by the government as it relates to wetting some of the pitches. And so it had been bone hard and rock dry and some so it's not being conducive or conducive to good football. So you add all those factors and I think that is what we've been seeing so far. So from a level perspective it's certainly not what we see in a JPL with it start to turn and move within this week now where do you have a direct run of games coming up. I think only time will tell. Yeah. And at this point we have to mention that Antigua and Barbuda's Premier League having a lot of players from St. Lucia St. Vincent of the Grenadiers TNT Jamaica as well. The Ghana KFC Elite League is also having some non-nationals they are playing as well. So we've got to start looking at those those leagues as well as far as you know improving Caribbean football is concerned. Sports Max's feature game on Wednesday though police against Caledonia and AC Port of Spain against the fence force that would be three of the top four teams playing. Action expected to be entertaining Brent. Yeah. I think you'll be entertaining and you know the fact that defense force and AC Port of Spain police needs to win. Of course to stay up with the big boys and of course the defense force defended the current trophy holders. They started to slip away from the race. They had a dagger at the heart against Caledonia in their last outing and dropping two points and going away with a one all draw. So they also have to find some way and some momentum. So this game for me last is a straight final for defense force. I think for AC Port of Spain if they came away with a point they'll be happy. But of course as I said miscellaneous police are in hot pursuit. They need to win that game as well. So it's a lot to play for tomorrow in the Hazy Crawford Stadium. We've had some rain today. So it's not going to be one of those hard and tough pitches here in Toronto. They have the luxury of playing on the lush green surface of the Mr. Hazy Crawford Stadium. So why not come on down and see some good football in the Port of Spain capital of Toronto. Yeah. And if you're complaining Brent about the quality of football I know you're past 40 years old now but maybe you need to come out of retirement and add some quality to the Trinidad and Tobago professional football league. I think my punditry is more than enough quality being added to the football as well. And my slight back street that I have over the last two weeks is also a reason why I probably would stay away from putting back on the boots. Oh no. All right Brent we'll check in with you tomorrow. Big games on tomorrow and we'll be looking closely at them. Thanks man. Take care. All right guys have a great one. Take care. Yeah we go to break now. Zone update two is coming up next I think. Back.