PL Review: Hull glorious & Spurs dismal

0:00Rick Edwards:This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.

0:30at Whole Foods Market. Odoo, providing tools for businesses across industries into one fully integrated platform. Whatever your business needs, Odoo is committed to providing it. Learn more at odoo.com. On the Football Daily Podcast, Premier League Review with Rick Edwards.

0:54Hello and welcome to the first Premier League Review of the season. a bit of a bumper first weekend actually a few surprise results, a few shocks in there Arsenal looked the real deal on Friday night beating Coventry 3-0 at the Emirates, City turned it around late against Bournemouth to win 2-1 in Envoy Moresca's first match Everton, Ipswich, Leeds all off to winning starts, we're going to get into how Spurs lost 3-0 to Brentford after spending £237 million this summer and we're going to speak to whole City assistant Dean Holden after they beat Manchester United 2-0. Joining me on the pod is the Telegraph Northern football writer, Luke Edwards, and former Premier League striker, Charlie Austin.

1:35Now, I was going to ask how both of you are, but I'm just going to start with you, Charlie, because we already know how Luke is. I'm okay, thank you, mate. I'm okay. I'm glad football's back. I'm glad the Premier League is back. A little bit after today's result, a little bit frustrated. But other than that, I'm glad football's back, mate. Luke, you sent us a little picture, I think sort of fishing for sympathy earlier. Was it yesterday, two days ago? I've lost track.

2:06Rick Edwards:Friday, Rick. You've hurt yourself. No, let's get one thing straight here. There are two people in my life who I'd never go to for sympathy. One of them is my wife. The second one is you. I did not want sympathy. I wanted to explain why I might be a little bit below par on this podcast on Sunday. yes I've broken my foot hang on you don't usually text me before to say why you're going to be below far this is a one-off it's new season thought I better start the season start the season okay yeah no I've broken my foot playing football three weeks before I was supposed to be doing the Great North Run it's very very embarrassing you've trained you going that badly for the Great North Run no I've broken my foot to get out of it no I've no I'm absolutely devastated about the Great North Run but yeah I was going to wipe somebody out I wasn't going to get there.

2:54Rick Edwards:In a rare moment of human decency, I pulled out of the tackle and managed to go over on my foot and the momentum has cracked the chip to the bone at the top of my foot. So to be clear, this is quite a bad injury, a footbreak with absolutely no contact. No contact. I touched the ball once in the game before that moment as well. And when you did the injury, what, in like the 70th minute? Yeah, Luke, before you answer that, I feel like it's one of them where when people think they can play and score goals in the football league and score in the pro league and we can do X, Y and Z, I feel like you're the example.

3:40You can't.

3:42Rick Edwards:No, you can't. Well, I was never very good anyway. And I think I've got to the point where at my age, it's time to stop. Just retire. It's walking football. It's walking football. Doing walking football from now on. But it means that you weren't at, presumably, you didn't make it to St James' Park. No, no. I can't walk without crutches, and I can't actually walk any length of distance at the minute, even in my particular boot. Well, that's slightly disappointing. I did want to start there, actually, mainly with what happened before the game, which was the Kevin Keegan tribute that was really...

4:16It's, you know, generally speaking, opposing fans are respectful of these things with some exceptions, but it's not often that you get one of those tributes where both set of fans are almost equally invested in that person. And it was, yeah, it was really lovely, I thought.

4:37Rick Edwards:Well, football's shown its really nice side, isn't it? And bringing those two clubs together that meant so much to Kevin Keegan, the unity, the love, the affection there was for him. It was the perfect fixture in that respect in English football. to pay their sort of joint respects to one of the great figures in the history of English football as well. Younger listeners might not quite fully appreciate how special he was, but Kevin Keegan was, you know, the first real big celebrity football after George Best, an icon, transformed Newcastle as a manager and a player, one of Liverpool's most successful players as well.

5:11Rick Edwards:And that 10 minutes before kick-off, actually, that was really, really special and a really fitting tribute to the man, as was the game, actually, in the end. Yeah, yeah, yeah, pretty right. Also, I did enjoy the massive contrast because it's not always the case that someone who has been at one club and there's another club is well received. And Alexander Easek's reception was exactly the same. And it was a fantastic moment. I don't know if you heard it on the TV coverage where every time he touched the ball, he was getting dogs abused and booed. but there was about I think 25 minutes in the mic just picked up perfectly just someone saying ASAP you're a and then the sort of the most basic um agricultural term you can use and it was clear as a bell it was really Rick like on that and the same with you Luke like before the game it was amazing right and to see that as a fan sitting at home and watching it but also from from a player's perspective, when you walk out and see that, what that player meant to both clubs is absolutely amazing.

6:22And you go on there and you see it all and you can't help but feel that, well, one person has this effect on two football clubs, like an amazing person. Soon as that whistle goes, however, now it's game on.

6:37Rick Edwards:And it flips, Charlie. Yeah. And it flips, but we go to Alexander Isak for argument's sake. Poor bloke. Now, as a Liverpool fan, I watched him today and I just felt like he was in his shell. He was scared. Every time he touched the ball, someone booed him. Every time he tried to make a turn, they booed him. Every time he got tackled, they cheered. It was one of them that today wasn't the day for Alexander Isak to play against Newcastle. However, if he scores a brace, then all of a sudden it's welcome to Liverpool, welcome to the Premier League. Yeah, I didn't do that. But he didn't. No. No, and he didn't really.

7:16He had one chance. He kind of snatched that and put over the bar. Rick, I don't think that's a chance. So as a former player or forward, the left footer, I don't like XG, right? But the ball comes back to him and XG would say, like, that's the position. He's got it. That's one of them. It's a half chance. If it goes in amazing, it doesn't. Yeah, OK. So overall, he wasn't in the right positions to score any goals today.

7:45Rick Edwards:But is that not just him now? Is that not just what he's been like since he went to Liverpool? I mean, I know it's a tough assignment today to go back to Newcastle knowing that everybody in that stadium hates you. You know, you force your way out of a football club in the most acrimonious and antagonistic way that you possibly can do by going on strike. You were adored, you were loved, and then you know you're going to go back. You know you're going to get that reception. for him to go into his shell I don't think that's great either because what about Charlie does you not use that as motivation?

8:16Yeah that's what I was going to say Luke like you would use that as as a player you've done what you've done you know what you've done to get to Liverpool and you've left a football club that adores you you know every fixture list you're going to see Newcastle home and away now I'm going to show you you're going to use that as a motive but today he went the opposite way and the Newcastle fans were sat there thinking we are so happy we sold you for 125 million you mentioned xg there charlie and it was interesting because at the end of the game they put up all of the stats and pretty much on on every stat Liverpool had they had a ton of shots xg was twice Newcastle's got more it was exactly more possession more everything the weird thing was having watched the game it didn't feel like that at all to me I thought a draw in the end will feel tough on Newcastle but probably was a fair result, it didn't feel like Liverpool were pushing and pushing and Newcastle were up against it you sort of think about Joanne Visser who by the way I thought was excellent had a really best game he's had for Newcastle from what I've seen.

9:36But he should have. I mean, there's that one where the ball comes across to him near post, you just think. But I would always say, Rick, I would always say stats can be used however you would like it to be used. But the only stat that matters is the one in the top left-hand corner, right? So you can have all the ball. Everybody can have all the ball and you can move it and do nothing with it. Prime example, Anteo Lange scores that goal. Liverpool for five minutes, a dominating possession. Ball goes over top, Lange scores. So it actually doesn't matter. You can have all the shots in the world in the right places, but if you don't put that ball in the net, it actually doesn't matter.

10:19Yeah. I mean, was it a fair result in the end, Luke, for you?

10:26Rick Edwards:The circumstances of it, with it being the last kick of the game penalty, and Newcastle looking like they've done enough to win it. It felt harsh at the time, but when you've just had a little bit of time to reflect, I think, yeah, two all is probably fair because Liverpool were dominating possession. They were dominating territory for long spells. Newcastle's game plan was to play very direct, which is a sort of new style of play that Matthias Gaislers brought in. They were very direct and they were very, very good on the counter. And they did have some big, big chances. Visser had two really as well.

10:58Rick Edwards:Then he had the one at the near post where he completely misses it. And that's the one-on-one when he goes through. Decent save from Alisson, that. But yeah. Decent save. But they were big chances to make it 3-1 and then it's game over. But I don't think Liverpool were ever out of it. And I think at the end of the first half, the second half, it was Liverpool doing the pushing. Most of the pushing. Not doing much with it, but they were doing most of the pushing. And Newcastle's second goal, actually, if you remember, brilliant goal. Wisser, absolutely phenomenal what he does. Picks the ball up inside his own half.

11:26Rick Edwards:turns away from three Liverpool defenders. I think what you counted them, Rick, I think there were, were there five or six Liverpool players around two Newcastle players and Willock scores. So that came, at that moment, it felt like that came a little bit against the run of play. So I think two all is decent. I think what it did for me is it shows that Liverpool have got big problems, all the problems we've seen in pre-season. They're too open, they're easy to play against. I know Charlie's got some points to make about the midfield, but they're too easy to play against. Those long balls over the top, Every team in the Premier League would be looking at that diagonal, balls in behind your full-backs.

12:00Rick Edwards:Every team's going to be looking at that because Newcastle exploited that over and over again. So I think there are problems, but they got a point away from home in a tough game. And I think for Newcastle, after all the concern of the summer, all the worry, they've lost their four best players in the space of 12 months. They've lost Eddie Howell, the most successful manager for 70 years. We didn't know what we were going to get from Matthias Gaisler. They've talked a good game for the last three weeks, talked about the optimism and the positivity and how he's re-energised the place. And you're sort of thinking, great, brilliant.

12:28Rick Edwards:You know, my job, I listen to this all the time. And then actually we just wanted to see something. And I think we did see something. We saw a new style of play. We saw a really energetic team. We saw a really committed team. We saw a dangerous team. And so to all that, you know, at home to Liverpool, opening game this season, I think on that basis and what I saw today, I think Newcastle could be a lot of fun. There's been some wild takes. Wild takes. Luke, adding to that, Luke, adding to that, who Liverpool were delighted to have a point. Obviously, last kick of the game, they steal a point. Newcastle would be disappointed they didn't take all three, right?

13:04Rick Edwards:Absolutely, yeah. They'd be disappointed. My thing is, like we said earlier, I see the whole pitch. Newcastle lost their spine. They lost Bruno. They lost Tonali. Liverpool, for me, had no middle of the pitch, nor did Newcastle. So everybody went through the middle of the pitch. but Newcastle exploited that better than Liverpool did. And that was my biggest eye-opener. Today reminded me of when Liverpool opened the season against Bournemouth and Semenyo went at Kerkers every single time. Today, Alanga went at Kerkers every single time. The ball over the top was Kerkers size. And for the goal five minutes in, I got back to it.

13:49Gravenberg should have shot on the edge of the box. I would rather him put it in the stand so it's a goal kick. He doesn't. He tries to pass. It gets intercepted. Alanga gives Kerkers five yards, chaps, and then gets two yards the other side. Now, from watching it from a fan perspective, you're like, how does that happen? But from a player's perspective, you know the quick players. You know what is coming. That ball went over the top, and the moment he got the other side of Kerkers, that gave that gave not only did he score but that gave every time we got the ball as Newcastle we can turn it around the corner to the left hand side because we might get a corner we might get a throw in but Alanga's got Kirkus every single time and that was my thing with Kirkus coming from Bournemouth Bournemouth brilliant team everyone says Bournemouth are this that and the other but we only see that as a spotlight because Bournemouth are a mid-table team but when you're playing for a top six side like Liverpool the spotlight's on them every single week.

14:52And for me, I don't think at the moment, Kirk is at the level that's needed.

14:56Rick Edwards:And you'd be hoping that Iriola coming in, obviously managed him at Bournemouth. You would hope there would be an upturn in his form, really. But we didn't see much evidence of that. It was a good game. I said it in passing at the start, but that is what Kevin Keegan would have wanted. And I think that's my overwhelming kind of takeaway from it. It was end-to-end. There was lots of drama. Okay, it wasn't like the 4-3 that we've seen in the past, or even the free-frees we've seen more recently. But it was two goals each, drama right until the end. It had you on the edge of the seat. And it felt like, yes, this is Premier League football back.

15:28Rick Edwards:It is back. Charlie, you said that start. That is Premier League football. And it was two teams going at each other, contrasting styles of play, both come away from a point. Unlike some teams this weekend, it isn't an early season disaster. And I just really enjoyed it. And from a purely Newcastle perspective, I think we have seen what Matiasi Islas Newcastle is going to look like. and actually, yeah, I can buy into that. I think they showed a lot of promise. And Johan Visser, who was absolutely dreadful last season, by the way, injured in September, never looked fit. I haven't seen that performance from him, but I thought he was the best player on the pitch today.

16:01Rick Edwards:I thought he was electric.

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17:12Five lives full.

17:13Rick Edwards:So here's the first ball of this series. All the cricket you love. Check for LBW. Ouch. Lives on BBC Sounds. Smash straight back down the ground, this girl. Hear ball-by-ball coverage of the biggest competitions on the domestic and international circuits. It's a fourth weekend and it's the huge one. Jeez. Settle down, toughness. Cricket on Five Live Sport. Oh, I've lived every ball of this. Listen on BBC Sounds.

17:43On the Football Daily Podcast Premier League Review with Rick Edwards Hull City stunned Manchester United on a dream return to the Premier League after nine years away beat them 2-0 first time they've ever beaten them in the top flight delighted to say that Hull assistant head coach Dean Holden joins us now I mean you must just be absolutely elated Bad worst weekend Rick I'll be honest it was a long it was a great obviously great result for us the fans the stadium was packed as you'd expect the noise was incredible and it's been a long time coming obviously for the club to get into the Premier League in the first place but since then pictures come out it sort of seemed really real so we had longer to prepare for this we had a month to prepare for United we only had 48 hours for the play-off final remember with the Spygate so we'd done our own work we had a decent enough game plan we felt and it was about the players going activating it on the day and I thought we deserved it I thought we overran them at times in the midfield and to be honest with you we knew we'd have a load of the ball we wanted them to have the ball in areas where it wasn't going to hurt us sounds really simple not easy to do and it was making sure that when the ball came into that sort of middle part of the pitch the lines were tight we were compact front to back and side to side and then we got to work and that's where we stole the ball so many times in them key areas and we were dangerous on counter-attack it was a big threat for us last season so that's how we thought the game would go we created chances doing that just been talking to Chas off air there about that and ultimately won it from two set pieces which our record last year on set pieces was really poor.

19:09So something we've worked on strong. And the first one was, to quote a commentator, off the training ground. It was a brilliantly well-worked corner. Great ball. Regan Slater with two assists. So lots of pleasing things for us.

19:21Rick Edwards:I've been dying to ask you, because there's been a lot of talk about Hull being disrespected a little bit in the build-up to their game, being written off, insulted even by some people about their right to be in the Premier League. Is that something... I mean I know what I'd be like in that situation if I was in that dressing room but is that something you're using as a positive for you is that giving you extra motivation do you quite enjoy the fact that people are writing you off personally yeah I know the manager does as well it was mentioned in our team meeting on Friday morning uh some of the comments that you've spoken about personally I don't take it too serious to be honest I think Joe we've talked about specifically Joe Cole I think he was having a bit of a laugh on here on a podcast I think it possibly if he looked back maybe did come across a bit disrespectfully to the players.

20:06And that was Sergei's point. Because they've been players themselves, they know how difficult it is, Charlie will agree, to not only become a professional in the first place, but to get to the best league in the world. So you can't fluke getting promoted. Yes, last season we were on the wrong side of XG and there's been a lot talked about that. But one thing that you, unless AI gets hold of this in the future, one thing that you can't get with data is personality and character. And we've got spades and spades of that. So the players have proved in that final against Middlesbrough and yesterday that they can stand up to the biggest pressure moments.

20:35And that's going to be huge for us, I think. Yeah, Dean, that's what we were talking about off air. And I feel like you can't, it doesn't matter how much money you spend, you can't bring in personality. And I asked you about Oli McBurney. Now, everybody can have their opinion about him. But what I see yesterday, for me, he is pivotal to Hull. And I don't know what your game plan was or whatever it is, but what a link man he was for the rest of the team yesterday. Yeah, for sure. Leader on the pitch, fantastic in the dressing room character. Always something happening when he's around. Everybody loves him to bits and really surprised they didn't get a shout for that World Cup, to be honest with you.

21:15But he's freshened up over the summer. Yeah, he was linking the play. We spoke, didn't we, just about the two chances before we scored the first goal, where one was a header and one was a great clearance from Masraoui back post, where Oli's come in our own half to link it. And then he's got on his bike and he's ended up getting on the end of a cross. on both occasions. So he can do most things, Canoley. He's obviously a very, very good goal scorer as well, but he's got that aggressive streak to him as well, which sometimes in games, it's a little bit flat. Similar to how I remember you playing, Charlie.

21:41You'll go and noise someone up a little bit and get out of spirit, yeah? Yeah, I would add to it as well. I don't think people realise how hard that is to link the play and be the pivotal point for the rest of your team, but also look at it trying to get in the box. Because like you say, the Keeper makes a great save. Maswarri flicks one away, makes a great defensive error. But he's in them positions. So not only is he linking the play for his team, he's trying to get on the end of them crosses. Yeah, goal scores instant, isn't it, Charlie? He sniffs it. He's come back fit. He looks far fitter.