From Stoke to the Arctic Circle - 30 years of BBC's Murray behind mic — and more

John Murray reflects on 30 years of commentating on matches across the globe for the BBC.

UCL: all the first-leg play-off scores

Ligue des champions de l'UEFA / @btolat.com

The first-leg play-offs for a spot in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 have delivered their verdict, featuring spectacular clashes and several teams already taking a major step toward qualification.

On Tuesday, Galatasaray made a statement with a commanding win over Juventus (5-2). Borussia Dortmund also got the job done, overcoming Atalanta (2-0). Meanwhile, Real Madrid secured a narrow but valuable advantage against Benfica (1-0), while Paris Saint-Germain edged Monaco in a thrilling contest (3-2).

On Wednesday, Newcastle United recorded the biggest win of the play-offs, thrashing Qarabag (6-1). Bayer Leverkusen also put themselves in a strong position by defeating Olympiacos (2-0).

The surprise of the round came from Norway, where Bodo/Glimt overpowered Inter Milan (3-1). Finally, the clash between Club Brugge and Atletico Madrid ended in a spectacular 3-3 draw, keeping all the suspense alive ahead of the return leg.

Full first-leg play-off results

It was a message of triumph, but it came with a warning. “I’ve been on this journey now for four or five years with this team and I take the last week as a low moment for myself, but I’ve also had some massive highs, and this is one of them,” said Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu almost immediately after a win over England that changed the narrative around his side. “But I really want this to be the growth now, us to show our growth next week to back up this performance in a stadium that we’ve had troubles in over the last 20 years.”

Tuipulotu had not long got his hands on the Calcutta Cup, a prize with which Scottish skippers have been rather familiar of late, and already he was setting a new challenge for his side, referencing an unwelcome record. Too often, highs against England under Gregor Townsend have been followed by a level below; one step forward, two back, too often. It is a trend that extends beyond even the Townsend tenure – in all, Scotland have beaten the Auld Enemy seven times since 2001, and lost their next match on six occasions. Add in the factor of Cardiff, a city in which Scots have only won twice this century, and Tuipulotu’s trepidation was entirely understandable.

A meeting with a team still seeking a first Six Nations victory since 2023 is not, perhaps, an apposite moment for point-proving, yet a Scottish win would still feel significant in the context of what has come before.

It is worth remembering that they were, in fact, victors on their last visit to the Principality Stadium, and yet the very contrivance of letting a game they had led by 27 points ultimately be decided by one gave that occasion two years ago a somewhat strange feel.

The state of Wales would seem to demand a rather more convincing Scottish success, yet danger may lurk. Injuries to Jamie Ritchie, Jack Dempsey and Jamie Dobie were a reminder of just what the Six Nations demands, with a revamped competition schedule of three back-to-back-to-back Tests creating further pressures on the fitness and mentality of a squad that has, at times, felt small.

Townsend hopes the restorative rays and bright beaches of the Costa Blanca – Scotland have spent the week in a training camp south of Valencia – may be a help before a trip to a somewhat murkier waterside locale.

Plotting what would most certainly be an upset on the banks of the Taff is a familiar foe. Steve Tandy spent five-and-a-half years as Townsend’s right-hand man, establishing himself as a top-rated defensive lieutenant before his own country came crawling.

To term the issues he has faced in the months since taking the Wales job as teething problems would perhaps inaccurately reflect a rugby nation of dotage rather than infancy, but if the scale of the challenge that Tandy faces was not abundantly clear then four successive thrashings have rather emphatically made that point.

It is tough to look too harshly on a man dealt a hand that would have most seeking an alternative poker table. There were improvements to be found in the performance against France, if not the result, and a squad in need of positives will surely take all that they can find.

That said, a defensively-minded coach cannot be happy about an average concession of nearly 56 points per game in five matches against non-Japan opposition since taking charge. Tandy is currently both head and lead defence coach; while he has suggested that a full-time addition to his staff is on the way, the fact he is having to perform both roles shows about where Wales are at.

“I’m aware every coach, fan and player wants to win,” said Wales forwards coach Danny Wilson, another to have spent time on the Scottish staff in the past. “There’s the drive to do that but there’s also the reality of how we do that. We can’t cut corners.

“I’m long enough in the tooth to know it wasn’t going to be a smooth ride. It was going to have its bumps and I’m prepared for that. What we’ve got to stay focused on is working hard to make the improvements we need to make to get this amazing rugby nation back to what it’s been.”

On that front, the good news is that the Principality Stadium is expected to be rather fuller for the arrival of Scotland than it was for France, though a few are still voting with their feet amid a steady din of disquiet around Welsh rugby. But there is perhaps solace in the Scottish story.

It was only 12 years ago that there were questions over the short and long-term future of rugby in the northernmost of the nations that make up this championship, with a dour 20-0 home defeat to England a low point followed three rounds later by a 51-3 thrashing in Cardiff. The scales tipping that far in the other direction is not necessarily out of the question, but Scotland will take any kind of win that keeps them moving in the right direction; Wales any reason for belief that another fruitless campaign does not beckon.

Paul Gorst is remaining hopeful that Ibrahima Konate will ultimately sign a new contract at Liverpool, with the clock rapidly ticking on a decision over his future.

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The Frenchman’s current deal ends in just over four months’ time, although Arne Slot publicly stated last week that discussions are ongoing behind the scenes over a potential renewal for the 26-year-old.

Along with his Liverpool Echo colleague Ian Doyle, the aforementioned journalist recently made the case for the Reds’ number 5 to be kept on so that the club have secured a centre-back for his peak footballing years and won’t have to break the bank for a readymade first-team replacement.

Why Gorst thinks ‘there is hope yet’ over new deal for Konate

In a readers’ Q&A for the Liverpool Echo, Gorst was asked what he thinks will happen with Konate’s contract situation.

He replied: ‘It does indeed sound more promising on Ibrahima Konate’s contract situation, I would agree. I was in the room with Arne Slot on Friday when he told us that the club remained locked in talks over a new deal and it sounded fairly encouraging.’

(Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

The reporter raised one potential ‘sticking point’ regarding the player’s wage demands, noting that he’s still on the same weekly salary that he was earning when he came to Liverpool as a relatively unproven 22-year-old in 2021 and is now an established elite-level operator.

Gorst concluded: ‘Liverpool will have to pay a fortune to replace him this summer if he walks away, and that’s even factoring in Jeremy Jacquet’s imminent arrival. I’m hedging my bets at this point as we are nearly in March without a resolution but Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk only renewed in April [2025], so there is hope yet.’

Konate would be justified in seeking a significant pay rise

The journalist’s point about Konate’s wages staying the same for five years while many other teammates have had pay rises in that time is a pertinent one, and the defender will have also seen new signings who aren’t readymade starters coming in on higher salaries.

According to Capology, the 26-year-old is still on £70,000 per week, a relatively low wage within the Liverpool squad. For context, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Joe Gomez (neither of whom start as regularly as the Frenchman) earn £85,000 weekly, while perennial substitute Federico Chiesa is on £150,000 per week.

Those three are all being paid more than the Reds’ number 5 even though he’s the only one who’s a fixed starter in Slot’s team. That’s not to discredit or demean the others, but to substantiate why the France international might justifiably be clamouring for a substantial pay rise.

Although Konate has had some below-par performances this season, he’s been one of the few defenders who’s remained consistently available to LFC, which is significant in a campaign where injuries have decimated our backline.

Also, the 26-year-old has enjoyed a notable resurgence in form since returning from compassionate leave last month after the death of his father, putting in an outstanding display in the hard-fought win at Sunderland a week ago.

As Gorst mentioned, it wasn’t until April of last year that Salah and Van Dijk renewed their deals, so there’s no need for panic with our number 5 just yet. That said, it’d feel like a huge weight off everyone’s shoulders for a new deal to be struck sooner rather than later.