A POISONING YOU SAY?

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3:26Pete Donaldson: Hello, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble! Spurs look for a new manager, and Jesse Marsh says there's been a poison in.

3:33Jim Campbell: It's Tuesday, 10th of June. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Jim Campbell. I'm ha-ha, Pete Donaldson. You should have arrived here.

3:50Pete Donaldson: Hello, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble. It's a Tuesday treat or a Tuesday tickle, as Pete demonstrated there with his laughter. Ha-ha. Hmm. Ha-ha, ha-ha. If you wanted me to tickle you, where on the body would I begin? The head of the glands, please. OK. He gave him carte blanche.

4:10Marcus Speller: You literally asked for that.

4:12Jim Campbell: I want you to be showered in me. I've got no sympathy for you. No. There is no sympathy for the devil who has arrived.

4:22Marcus Speller: For want of a better phrase, you had this coming. Yes. It's Tuesday and we're having fun. It's Tuesday. It's the closed season.

4:29Jim Campbell: It's an international break. Exactly. And we're having a bit of a giggle.

4:32Pete Donaldson: You and I are having a giggle. These two prudes are not enjoying it. You enjoy your hypothetical effluent. Yeah. Oh, hey, that's two big words there. Only one I understood. Okay, right. Let's start then. Tottenham Hotspur. Ange got the boot a number of days ago now, of course. It was Friday that he announced that he'd been sacked. Sad times for Ange Postigoli, but just to remind you, everybody, the club statement read, whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph. it is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond do you agree with that?

5:16Jim Campbell: yeah I think it is the it's the sensible option isn't it? I mean the argument for keeping him is a romantic one and I think romance is dead Jim well there's that but just looking at the way the domestic season went you can't discount it can you? you just can't would he have not at some point? honestly you're right

5:34Pete Donaldson: you just can't no

5:35Jim Campbell: Would Ange not have said at some point that we need to prioritise here and this could be an opportunity to get the Champions League we don't have the depth of squad to get here in a league Respect the people who paid money It can still be better than it was It was so pissful

5:52Marcus Speller: Also their proximity to the final even just considering the knockout stages when that took place in February or certainly started in February by which point they were so far off it

6:06Jim Campbell: dead in the water. But you've got to see some nice teenagers to fill the gaps. Well, you know, you kind of say that slightly jokingly, but actually those players have, you know, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvar in particular have really learned a lot, I would say, this season. They've really, really been in the trenches and in the firing line. I think that will be very, very character building based on how those players seem to be. I'm the same way of falling down the stairs as character building. Yeah, you just... Bruise forming. You drag yourself out of the canal and you carry on, don't you, when you have a setback.

6:37Jim Campbell: Palace creating.

6:40Marcus Speller: There's also this thing of like, you know, the kids, you know, like Bergvaule and Artie Gray coming through. I think we saw over the last few days that it wasn't just limited to them. The number of players who've come out and put out really emotional messages on social media, that shouldn't be sniffed out. I appreciate it's easy to post on social media, but honestly, I make a note of checking every time a manager gets sacked because that's the biggest tell of whether the squad are happy. And he clearly like... A little bin dipper.

7:11Jim Campbell: I didn't expect such tabloid journalism.

7:14Marcus Speller: Because I think it's always... Approaches from you. But it's always a good gauge, isn't it? Because like... What did Ten Hag get? Yeah, well, exactly. What did he get? Exactly. Like one or two things, if that. You were a manager, full stop.

7:28Jim Campbell: This happened. This happened.

7:30Marcus Speller: but there's can I have my 50p back but there's there's something to be said with the emotional attachment that he had with the squad we knew that anyway he constantly defended them even when there were times when they were really really bad you know I think it was Kulizewski quite famously came out and was like no no I understand why this looks shit but like we are really trying we back him unequivocally but it felt like this was the only move to make I mean you could argue that either which way was comical Spurs have sacked a manager that's brought them silverware for the first time in ages or they would have kept a manager who lost 22 league games last season.

8:06Marcus Speller: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

8:07Pete Donaldson: They couldn't win either way, the ball.

8:08Marcus Speller: No, but I think they have made a decision that we kind of spoke about before the final, really, didn't we? Yes. They could, and part of it was my own experience with my club, Manchester United, with the 10-hark thing after the FA Cup win against Manchester City where it was like, look, it might be the best thing if you go out on that high and walk away. That didn't happen. this has happened. And it's interesting that the, I don't think we should lose sight of the emotional side of it for Spurs fans as well. But it is interesting about this cycle we talk about with Spurs. And I appreciate Thomas Frank is a new contender for this job and it sounds like he's a favourite.

8:46Marcus Speller: But the fact that Mauricio Pochettino has already come out to have to distance himself from the job. For now, for now. Yeah, but does that not speak to the cycle that they were in before Ange, if that makes sense? Possibly. In terms of like, they have that trophy now, they're in the Champions League. This is very different. Yes. This is a very different Spurs from the one that was pining over Pochettino.

9:06Pete Donaldson: Yeah.

9:07Marcus Speller: You know, over the last couple of cycles of managers.

9:10Pete Donaldson: Well, I think that's it. When you say it's a different Spurs, it's a chance to be. Yes. As Andy Brassel said, there's a chance for a reset. Yeah. With the words that he said. And I completely agree with that.

9:21Jim Campbell: With that lack of depth, though, in a Champions League former. But you've got the summer to recruit. You can address that now. I also think they had the most injuries in the league, Spurs. And that, you know, of course has an effect on whatever team suffers that. You would hope that they wouldn't have that again, or they would hope that they wouldn't have that again next season. You obviously get to augment the squad. And also, it's a better squad than a 17th place finish, isn't it? Of course it's a better squad. In terms of the injuries.

9:46Pete Donaldson: I mean, it's a Europa League winning squad indeed. Well, it is.

9:51Jim Campbell: The eighth richest club in the world. Yeah. No, but that's it, Pete.

9:54Pete Donaldson: You're right. Spurs are a huge club and they they I say should be again you look at the top of the Premier League table they are one of the clubs in England that their ambition every season should be to be playing in the Champions League and they let's be honest you know got through the back the cat flap in the back door but they got there fair play to them they absolutely did I'm in your cat flap mate are they in the Club World Cup now? get them in might be a hindrance get them all in but I mean you know win that Europa League Jose Mourinho said it back in October he said Manchester United and Spurs are easily the favourites for this tournament no matter what's going on in the league they'll be there or thereabouts for the strength of their league more than the strength of the actual team themselves well exactly but the finance they've got again without taking any emotion away the scenes by the Tottenham Stadium they were great I was genuinely so pleased for those fine Jim it's about the little victories as Tottenham will attest to he's talking about Robbie Williams you know I was genuinely made up for them absolutely but the fact is right now what are we doing from here are you going to keep Ange Postacoglu I thought it was the position was kind of untenable really because of what happened but I genuinely think for everyone concerned it's better this way I really really do and I think his legacy is defined by this now exactly Jim you're absolutely spot on for Ange Postacoglu who's a guy who yes he can be a bit chippy and spiky but I like him more than I dislike him if you know what I mean And also he has a legacy there, where a lot of guys don't really.

11:27Pete Donaldson: Exactly. And I think for Bostokoglu, he can leave with his head held high, which seems extraordinary considering they've finished 17th. But he can do, and he'll be now fondly remembered. And he'll always, if he ever does go back and watch a game there or do any kind of work there, people will be happy to see him. If he'd have stayed on another season, I couldn't imagine it improving a hell of a lot personally. and if he does he'd be sacked by November maybe whether that's his fault or not the Ten Hag parallels are there aren't they exactly so the fact is he's gone now did he give him a 5th place finish it seems a long time ago but Ten Hag finished 3rd under Ten Hag was it and won the League Cup as well so things can turn quickly

12:11Marcus Speller: I think the important thing at this juncture as well is we don't necessarily need to go and reverse engineer what and achieved, or like, whatever, whatever. But we are in a position now where Daniel Levy in Enoch's ownership of Spurs puts it right at their door. And I know we constantly say that with Levy and the ownership of Tottenham about, across various different situations, but this is the first time that they've actually been presented with an opportunity to start from a position of strength. And for all the dismay amongst Spurs fans at the ownership and the fact that they've made such a...

12:58Marcus Speller: It is a ruthless decision to get rid of Postacoglu. They can have no complaints. From now on, everything is on their terms. Whether it's Levy or Enoch, everything is on their terms. And they will have to live and die by what happens between now and the start of the season. Who they get in. The transfers, they are able to get over the line. And then from then on, the season this has. Because we should really and truly, and I appreciate it doesn't work like this with owners, but their reputations should be on the line by what happens at the end of this upcoming season. And if it goes badly for Spurs, that's grounds to move on.

13:38Marcus Speller: Because they're never going to get a better, a cleaner, quote-unquote purer situation than this for their means and for their ambitions with the club.

13:45Pete Donaldson: Yeah, because Posta Coglu really, with that Europa League win, and I know I say, you know, they were the favourites, but they won it, so all the credit in the world. But he's thrown them an enormous bone. The revenue that they're going to get. Him and his Spurs team winning that trophy has dug the club out completely of a whole.

14:03Marcus Speller: Of a whole that he, you know, he was also... Of course, of course. But that's why, you know, you saw the despair at Manchester United.

14:10Pete Donaldson: A little bit of a different situation, because financially they're in a far worse position than Spurs. but in terms of the playing it was always seen whoever loses that game it will be damning but Spurs won it and they got the celebration and they're back in the Champions League and of course just one more thing sorry to say on Ange he also with that quote of I always win a trophy in the second season that is preserved that is up on the wall in glass now do you know what I mean

14:33Jim Campbell: there's very little swagger I think in successful swagger that can be back with an actual result

14:39Pete Donaldson: totally yeah so you're right I think he genuinely has some sort of legacy It seems remarkable finishing that lowly in the table, but football's a funny old game. Absolutely, and his next move is fascinating now, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah, it wouldn't shock me to see him managing again in the Premier League. No, me neither. But we shall see. But who now does Spurs turn to?

14:58Marcus Speller: Do you think in either situation, because Thomas Frank we mentioned there, so that's Brentford without manager. Yeah. You know, Marcus Silva has also been linked. There's Fulham without a manager.

15:09Pete Donaldson: I thought there would be a job swap with Silva. Yeah, I mean, would you take that? I said before, I wouldn't be opposed to it, to be honest with you. Because I think if you are a fan of a mid-table side in the Premier League, which I am, you know with Postacoglu, if he gets the bit between his teeth, which he can, and we saw that with Spurs, yes, you might lose some games and be a bit crap, but you'll also see some entertainment and some swashbuckling stuff. You've got a hard-working squad as well. Yes, exactly. So I obviously hope that Spurs... And he'll work them hard.

15:41Jim Campbell: Sorry? And he'll work them hard. Yeah, that is the problem. I'd like to see him with the Dama Traore to play with. How much ground can a man cover in a season?

15:50Pete Donaldson: That's true, that's true. But I mean, I hope that the reports are right and that Spurs are honing in on Thomas Frank rather than Marco Silva. And Brentford have given Thomas Frank, according to Sky Sports, they have given Frank permission to speak to Tottenham Hotspur. It feels like a good time for him to make this sort of leap, doesn't it?

16:08Jim Campbell: Yeah. But he's leaping into a situation where, like for a Champions League club looking at like I know earlier there's add-ons and stuff but like Heung-Min Son 31 he's on 190 grand a week and then there's James Madison 170 and Christian Romero 165 is that a Champions League like a sort of you know proper European conqueror well I guess they are because they just won a competition but like is that a Champions League bothering squad like in terms of doing a villa

16:35Pete Donaldson: and getting into the knockouts and giving putting an impression on the tournament well Son has gone all the way in the tournament before. He's looked a bit leggy, I suppose. I mean,

16:46Jim Campbell: I think he could move on in the summer as well. Obviously, we don't know yet. We can only speculate probably would be a good time to do it. While at the same time, you also, if you're someone, you probably think, one last crack at the Champions League would be good though.

16:58Pete Donaldson: Yeah. I think they definitely need to make some additions in the summer. I don't think there's any doubt about that.

17:03Jim Campbell: Van de Ven's on 50 grand a week. Really? Basuma's on 55 grand a week. And I know there are add-ons. Brennan Johnson, 70 grand. You look at that squad and you sort of go, well, the wages aren't quite there, you would say. Even as a person, you know, rank outside doesn't really understand how this all works and with add-ons and stuff like that. That basic pay isn't even what, you know, a German side would pay. Yeah, there's a big gap. You wouldn't get out of bed for that. I wouldn't get out of bed for that. But there's a big gap to plug, isn't there, going from the season they've had to going for a Champions League squad.

17:35Jim Campbell: but that's what this window is about and that the windfall that you get from being there will allow them to augment it and again this is a better squad than the league positions suggest as well but this goes back Romero was fairly recently linked with Real Madrid you know and it's spurious but he was the Serie A player of the season before he joined Top League Alfie Whiteman's apparently on seven and a half grand a week and he's got to go to cinema twice a week he's a big cinephile isn't he

18:01Pete Donaldson: and they're much more expensive these days you get a you get an annual pass, don't you? Yeah, to be fair, there's very cinema in the Tottenham Hotspur. I mean, I'm really not worried about the cinema stuff. Let Alfie buy some popcorn! That's the campaign. But it all goes back to Vish's point, and a lot of Spurs fans have said this time and time again. It's on the board now. You want to re-establish yourself as a Champions League club or playing in the Champions League regularly. You've got to spend. That is the harsh reality of it. And if Tottenham don't spend a fair old whack this summer on new players and attract players with wages and all that kind of stuff.

18:37Pete Donaldson: Look at Villa's wage bill. I mean, it's ridiculous, quite frankly. And other clubs that are in the mix as well. So that's what they have to do. And that has always been the frustration. Spending a near old whack has been the problem. Indeed, indeed, Jim. Absolutely. Much was made. How many times have you heard Spurs fans talk about that season with Pochettino when they needed a refresh and they didn't do it? Single player. Yeah, just been in the Champions League final, we're going well, and that was a chance, and they didn't do it. This is another chance, and this, as I say, really is a fortuitous chance, if you see what I mean by that.

19:11Pete Donaldson: And it's all at the board's door, as it tends to be in football, but very, very starkly in this case. but if they were to turn to Thomas Frank I mean do you think that would be a good appointment because he's only managed Brentford in the Premier League you know to much critical acclaim of course but what would you say to that Vish?

19:32Marcus Speller: My gut says it would be good I think he's got a good way about him I appreciate some people find him annoying I'm just kind of caveating that because it's the internet

19:41Pete Donaldson: I like him he's the type of manager you want managing your club

19:45Marcus Speller: but I think people you know don't pander to them don't worry about them yeah fine see he's a bit of a creep but creep

19:54Jim Campbell: you found some weird stuff in his bins I mean it sounds like it but

19:58Marcus Speller: he's a big character yeah so the point I was going to make was it's hard to gauge how much of him is him being allowed to I suppose flourish given the more holistic side to football ownership that you know Brentford's owners have because obviously he's a bit more involved in transfers, there's obviously the statistical side of it and their use of data, which he's very much a part of. And because it's quite top-down there, he feels a bit more involved and I feel like whatever players come in through the door, and even when they go out actually, he's a lot more involved in that. The thing we've seen with managers when they've moved to teams like Tottenham is how they spend money and how they spend that extra money that they're now privy to.

20:48Marcus Speller: Obviously, we don't really know all that much about him, but I suppose based on what I've said in terms of scouting and recruitment, then he's going to be quite sensible about it. Certainly, he's going to come from a place where he's going to do his research. I wonder if partly because he's quite amenable, as you mentioned there, it comes across really well, that kind of picks up that slack from Ange. You don't necessarily... If Ange had gone without the Europa League trophy, what they probably would have done by instinct is go the other way. You see the way these extremes work with managers and it's like someone who's really hands-on to someone who's really hands-off.

21:20Marcus Speller: You need someone in the middle. Frank probably is the best bridge or certainly the one who meets them halfway in that regard compared to Silva. Silva feels, you know, he's literally your manager right now as a Fulham fan, but he feels a bit more hands-off and perhaps not quite as kind of chummy with the squad. Is that fair to say?

21:39Pete Donaldson: Possibly. I think Silva definitely likes to get alongside the players. I would have thought Frank would have been one of those managers who's quite, when you say chummy with the players, I think he would.

21:51Marcus Speller: He talks a lot about how much he loves the players, basically, as people and how important, like, managing is. You know what Anne says is about creating good human beings or whatever. Like, Frank very much ascribes to that.

22:03Pete Donaldson: Yeah, no, definitely. Yeah, no, sure. I think Frank I mean some have said again with Tottenham you know some are saying the same old concerns are there suddenly we're just going to jolt to another different direction and another totally different manager and we keep doing this and it's like well I understand that I think this is an extreme circumstance though isn't it this is different I mean I know that the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust have said this and you know our concern now is that it appears that we've got yet another change of direction. We can only hope that the right decision has been made and that the new manager is fully supported by the board and everyone at the club has to build on the cup success that Ange has lain.

22:42Pete Donaldson: Again, quite generous to say that, I think, for Ange, but okay, I understand it. I think Frank's pragmatism and tactical flexibility could be perfect for them.

22:52Jim Campbell: Yeah, those are his two standout qualities for sure. Brentford are very, very difficult to beat. Occasionally they have games where they concede a decent number, but I suppose you expect that from a team with a financial situation of Brentford. and he is very flexible, isn't he? So quite often you see they might have a little period where, you know, oh, they've not won at home for a while or they've been a bit shonky away for a while or there's some little story about Brentford like that and he course-corrects it quite often very well and he'll have a much, much bigger budget at Tottenham. And if he can keep that structure that makes them difficult to beat,

23:25Pete Donaldson: it will give them a really, really good platform. Well, what was the criticism of Posta Coglu last season? Is he won't change his style, although he massively did for the Europa League. and look where it, you know, and they won it. So I think that he would be a really good choice. And I think that it's kind of inevitable, the work he's done at Brentford, that he was always going to get a bigger job in the Premier League. He was linked to Manchester United for ages. Obviously, Tottenham is, you know, there's serious interest now. So, yeah, stay away from Marcus Silva.

23:53Marcus Speller: Right, OK. Tottenham, that's crucial. That's what this is really about, isn't it?

23:56Pete Donaldson: I think so.

23:57Marcus Speller: I think Frank would be a better appointment.

23:58Pete Donaldson: I do, actually, yeah. I do. My heart and my head both say that.

24:03Jim Campbell: I think someone from Spurs will now be at the Dixons around the corner just buying as many iPads as possible. Because tactics are bad, baby.

24:10Marcus Speller: Yeah, yeah.

24:10Jim Campbell: We're going to watch videos of players playing football. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Alfie Weidman, get out of the cinema.

24:16Pete Donaldson: We need this big screen. Yes. Yeah, maybe that's it. Well, it'll be interesting to hear the go for, but we expect that Frank is at the top of the list at the moment. So, perhaps it's maybe going to be him. Now, gentlemen, let's talk about a former Premier League manager Jesse Marsh, of course, currently in charge of the Canada national team. He's made some quite extraordinary allegations. Vancouver Whitecaps faced Cruz Azul in the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup in Mexico City the other day. And, of course, some of the Whitecaps players are national team players for Canada. Now, Cruz Azul won 5-0.

24:57Pete Donaldson: So a pretty convincing victory. PSG-esque, you could say. Same weekend. the same weekend Jim now since returning to Canada only seven members of the Vancouver Whitecaps 26 man squad haven't suffered from virus like symptoms hmm so 19 of them have have contracted some sort of virus type thing they've been kissing maybe I got lip

25:27Jim Campbell: problems yeah seven losers

25:29Marcus Speller: didn't get kissed

25:32Jim Campbell: Yeah, seven of them without cold sores. Or maybe they were,

25:36Pete Donaldson: maybe they're not too accurate with the bottle.

25:39Marcus Speller: Yeah. That's not a point at anybody. Perverts just watching.

25:45Pete Donaldson: Jesse Marsh.

25:46Jim Campbell: Seven cucks. Cup bench. Too many cucks. Big laugh from fish there.

25:53Pete Donaldson: Too many cucks in the conca cuff. Now, Jesse Marsh didn't hold back. He said, it's for me appalling that this is the second year in a row that the CONCACAF and the POWs That Be have allowed a major league soccer team to go down to Mexico for a big final and get poisoned. Sorry.

26:10Marcus Speller: Get poisoned. Big shout, isn't it? Second time in a row. You've got to let them get poisoned.

26:15Pete Donaldson: In Mexico. Bring a sandwich, lads. Yeah. It's ridiculous. Something has to be done to protect these environments.

26:23Marcus Speller: Has it been proven that they were poisoned? Well, he adds.

26:27Pete Donaldson: Yeah. Look, I don't have any proof here that this happened.

26:31Jim Campbell: Sorry. But it's not random. I mean, isn't the nature of a virus that it spreads, right? Yeah. If one person has a virus, it makes perfect sense that it's going to run around the squirrel.

26:41Marcus Speller: Jim in the pocket of big poison.

26:44Jim Campbell: Jim in the pocket of Mexican poison. Jim, if this was in the challenge... Oh, they have such nice shirts and lovely poison. I want them to have poisoned the Vancouver Whitecaps. I want to make that very clear. It's funny. I hope no one's seriously hurt and it's fine. but that is it's nonsense it's the reason this show exists as we record this show in the Western Conference Vancouver have just beaten Seattle Sounders 3-0 so feeling better feeling better they in turn poisoned the Seattle Sounders exactly let's see how the Seattle Sounders go

27:13Marcus Speller: they kiss the Seattle Sounders before they do a pretty much

27:16Pete Donaldson: handshake we're just going to

27:17Jim Campbell: ramp this up a bit I think data is at kind of it's pinnacle now isn't it every club has a data section or a data department, maybe every club now will have like a biological warfare department. Yeah, marginal gains. Biological marginal gains. Lovely. It's the future. It really is the future. It's the regrettable future.

27:40Marcus Speller: In more ways than one.

27:42Pete Donaldson: Pre-regrettable future. Yes, exactly, yeah. Let's move on from this nonsense and go for a quick break and after which we're going to talk about England.

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31:01Good morning, Glenn. Can you tell us something your mum doesn't know?

31:09Pete Donaldson: Welcome back to the Football Ramble, everybody. Now, we should say that we are recording this pod on Monday afternoon. So we haven't had the Scotland and Wales games. That's why we're not talking about them. But we're back on Wednesday and we'll talk about Scotland and Wales then. We will talk about England versus Senegal, though. That is happening at the city ground, Nottingham Forest Ground, of course. it's the first time England have played there or will have played there in 84 years wow this is mad

31:36Jim Campbell: all before you were born Peter I thought it was a would it have been it was a Euros Euro 96 yeah but England played all their games

31:42Pete Donaldson: famously at Wembley right greedy very greedy finished top of their group to make sure that that continued in the knockouts but still alright Marcus still I just want to make put it away put it away I mean

31:56Jim Campbell: Senegal are 19th in the old FIFA rankings so I mean you would say that's a sterner test.

32:02Marcus Speller: Probably the sternest outside of qualification.

32:05Pete Donaldson: Outside of a team of stern jobs. Between now and the World Cup? I haven't looked at their fixture list between now and the World Cup.

32:10Marcus Speller: I think England play a top 10 team certainly. I think that was the point wasn't it? Yeah,

32:17Pete Donaldson: so struggled against the 173rd ranked side in the world. So England should get pummeled tonight, Jim. Is that what you're saying? Should we poison them?

32:26Jim Campbell: Shall we poison Senegal?

32:30Pete Donaldson: Is that what Thomas Tuchel's going to look around? He's going to go and get the poison.

32:37Jim Campbell: Maybe this year will be the year of poisonings. Just people just absolutely. Like the opposite of the enhanced games. Yeah. They're really elite athletes, but they've all been poisoned. Vomiting, their fingernails are falling off.

32:49Pete Donaldson: If we're going to talk about this, you have to. Someone's turned purple. So years ago, when the man was alive, of course, Diego Maradona had a show. I don't know. I don't know. To be fair, he did it to himself. I was about to say, in a way. He loved poison. He loved all the poisons. He loved all the poison. Let's be clear about that. Shoving that poison in, wasn't he?

33:12Jim Campbell: There's no tax on the poison, to be fair. You'll have to pay a tax on it. Because you frequently buy it in car parks.

33:19Pete Donaldson: Blush it down the toilet as well. Is there a barcode on the bag? Right, enough. It's bad. Right, it's bad. Maradona had a show, a TV show in Argentina. Yeah. It was, I'd say, many moons ago.

33:32Marcus Speller: This is the one where he did kick-ups with Pele.

33:34Pete Donaldson: Yes, I believe so, yeah. But there was a little confessions corner part of the show. Wow. Yeah, so you can get away with a lot on TV, presumably in Argentina. But he said, I can't remember if it was him or one of his guests who was in the 1990 Argentina World Cup squad. So I think the goalkeeper, Goyica Chea, was maybe on the show. But anyway, whoever it was, on that show, they said that apparently somebody put a little bit of something in the Brazilian players' water and they played them in the second round of that tournament they won 1-0 we got a famous assist we drew all the players in slot it was in Claudio Canegia who finished and apparently a couple of the Brazilian players had said they felt a bit dizzy or light or whatever so it was one of those ones

34:17Jim Campbell: so water had been thrown to them from the other bench

34:19Pete Donaldson: whatever it was Jim it seemed a bit like is this are they doing this are this a bit of a laugh I don't know but it was Argentina it was Maradona so all bets are off

34:28Jim Campbell: quite frankly so did he confess to a different thing in each show or did the guest confess yeah good question

34:33Pete Donaldson: I can't quite remember how it played out but I think they were

34:35Jim Campbell: basically just two fully grown men giggling away I love the thought that he's got enough to do a confession

34:40Pete Donaldson: in every single show Jim that show could have been an hour and he wouldn't have finished his confessions let's be honest but there we are back to England versus Senegal what do we want to see England do this evening other than put in a good performance and win the game

34:54Jim Campbell: I want to see more number nines, less strict nine, please. Okay.

34:58Pete Donaldson: Right.

34:59Jim Campbell: I would like... Kane and Tony up front. Yeah. What I would actually like would be, you know, the team that would start if the World Cup was, for some reason, brought forward to tomorrow.

35:08Marcus Speller: Ooh. Yeah, don't mind.

35:10Jim Campbell: Because... Go big or go home. Exactly. As we've been discussing a lot, it is a very, very short amount of time that Tuga has to get his squad ready. I think the Andorra line-up was clearly an unusual one, and we're likely to never see that collection of players play together again. But this time, I'd like to know kind of what he's thinking, I suppose, in terms of what the best line-up he has available for how he wants them to play.

35:35Pete Donaldson: Fish, is it a personnel thing for you that could be the problem for England? Or are you thinking the way Tuchel, the way England are kind of setting up tactically and so on? Is that more of the issue?

35:48Marcus Speller: I alluded to this on Monday's show I just think he's quite pragmatic with this kind of stuff but I'm aligned with Jim in that it would be nice to see as close to a full strength XI as possible Saka included but also the thing I'm actually looking forward to is England getting challenged by a better squad, by a better team by better wide players a bit of pace

36:14Pete Donaldson: a bit of something about there's a bit of canny

36:16Marcus Speller: in there as well I think it's someone like Nicholas Jackson who might appreciate he didn't start against Ireland but he might be starting this game it feels like they're bringing a few big guns certainly the talk is that they're bringing a few big guns back into their 11 which should be nice and more of a sterner test of England and also just you know you want England to be shit up a bit don't you I know what you mean you don't necessarily you don't want them frustrated as they were against Andorra you want them right do something hit us back

36:43Jim Campbell: Yeah, you want to see what you're made of, what your defence has, what your midfield has when it's actually challenged, rather than when it's just kind of set in the tempo.

36:51Marcus Speller: Exactly, yeah. So I want them put under pressure and I'm keen to see how they respond, because there's no reason why, you know, in any situation those players shouldn't triumph over Senegal. And yet at the same time, you kind of look at it with like, whether it's Menasar or Jackson and think, Right, actually, yeah. Run at England. Really give them something to think about.

37:13Pete Donaldson: And also, Senegal have the small matter of the Africa Cup of Nations this year, coming in December. So we talk about England preparing for the next World Cup, which of course Senegal will, they would be targeting that as well. But the Africa Cup of Nations is just months away. So these games, you would very much imagine for them to be like, right, we need to figure out what we're doing. So I think it's a much better opponent. Obviously, it's a better opponent than Andorra, for crying out loud. But I think this is a nice game for England to really, as you say, be tested at.

37:43Jim Campbell: It could have been a Gea versus Gea off, which would have been perfect for Pride weekend.

37:48Marcus Speller: Oh, yeah. Brilliant. Would have been perfect, but somebody had to smash his eye socket. I don't think Mark Gea would have been... No, he wouldn't have been.

37:59Pete Donaldson: But speaking of Palace players, though, come on, we want to see Ebericchieze again, don't we? I mean, he came on against Andorra. Where do we want to see him, though? Well, this is the question, isn't it? Well, I would say that I think that if you think about the wings, right, on the right side, I know we've mentioned Saka, that he was left out of the squad, but that is Saka's position to lose, really, going forward. I don't think too many people would push back on that. That left side, though, is up for grabs. I mean, there was obviously Foden played there all the way back in the Euros. That didn't really work, and Foden is not even in the squad.

38:28Pete Donaldson: So to mention him is a waste of time. So who plays on that side? Well, Rashford has played there a little bit under Tuchel already, but not in the squad. Anthony Gordon is an obvious one and I think Gordon's got a goodwill from a lot of people myself included in this operation

38:44Jim Campbell: not in the form of his life though

38:45Pete Donaldson: but not in the form of his life and I think that Gordon when he has had the minutes and he has played he hasn't lit it up too much he hasn't had that many though so don't want to be harsh on him you could play Madiweke that's the beauty of Madiweke you could play either side and Eze has been brilliant through the back end of last season he's one of the players in English football.

39:10Jim Campbell: But he is more effective in those central areas though, isn't he?

39:12Pete Donaldson: Yeah, but he does play off the left a fair bit and he can drift inside. So it's more... And here's the other issue though, is a player like Ezza going to work well with Harry Kane? And I think you would naturally think Gordon would be a better fit with Kane up there, although we haven't seen it sort of click too much as I say. So this is what Tuchel's got to try and sort out because England on that left side had a plethora of options not that long ago and suddenly it's like, ooh, actually, I wouldn't say they're light with Gordon and Ezra. I think they're great options and there are one or two others in there as well.

39:47Pete Donaldson: So you want to see some green shoots. You want to see some sort of clicking. And at the moment, it's not really showing too many signs of that. Again, Maduweke and Kane linked for the goal, so you're kind of against Andorra. But I mean, if that's all you're going on, it's not too much.

40:03Marcus Speller: We probably didn't toss him enough credit on Monday, but Curtis Jones' ball to Harry Kane was very nice. There's definitely trying and willing there, isn't there?

40:13Pete Donaldson: Yeah, but look, again, though, you're trying to gauge this on how much do you really look into this and how much are you sort of thinking, don't worry about it, it'll be fine. When the tournament comes around, it'll be a very different mindset, which it will. Look at Spain ahead of the Euros last summer. Andy Brassel was on record as saying that he don't think he would get out of the group stages. They didn't have that many admirers. They didn't have many people tipping them for the tournament.

40:43Jim Campbell: Are you telling me we're going to win the World Cup? Yes. Yes. That's all we needed.

40:48Marcus Speller: Why don't you start with that? Why don't we have to go around the houses with, oh, who's going to play on the left? What's going to happen here? What are we going to do on Pride weekend? This show could have been a sentence long, Mr.

40:57Jim Campbell: Marcus. This magical bacon.

40:59Marcus Speller: Tell us that so we feel better about ourselves. I can only apologise. I don't need to worry about who's playing it right back if we're going to win the damn thing. It's immaterial.

41:08Pete Donaldson: Well, I was just merely wasting time to get to that point. Also, I mean, from now until the World Cup, somebody could emerge. Somebody we haven't heard of. Or somebody we have heard of. Right. because Everton have emerged as shock contenders for Jack Grealish's signature. Jack's got a year to get back in this England squad and lead us to glory next summer.

41:35Jim Campbell: Seems unlikely at the moment. Newcastle are in the frame as well. They're quite fancied, though. Do you think you'd get in over Gordon, though? And Barnes. Jim, I think it's a great move. Sorry, that's a quote from a bar owner on the big market. I think it would be a strange thing to do, wouldn't it?

41:52Marcus Speller: I think it fits perfectly, but it is probably at this juncture beneath Newcastle.

41:59Jim Campbell: Yeah, and also for Grealish, surely he needs to go in and start and be one of the first... Gordon and Barnsley, that's not going to happen, right?

42:07Marcus Speller: Well, I mean, I don't know. I think he's... I don't see a reason why he couldn't get in there over Barnes. You reckon? Yeah. Barnes is playing horrifically well. He's playing well, but I'm saying like of the two, I'm basically picking the weaker of the two players who he could potentially out. We've only got a yellow card

42:23Jim Campbell: drawing fouled monster in Bruno. Yeah, that's true.

42:28Marcus Speller: But the thing is though, wherever Grealish ends up, you've still got to fight for your place. If you go to a place where you can walk in, he's made the wrong move.

42:35Jim Campbell: Yeah.

42:35Marcus Speller: Like he's got to play a decent enough standard. Wrecks him. Yeah. Oh, jeez. He's got to play a decent enough standard where he's going to be challenged and he's got to make a difference in that team and you've got to work at it. And I think the Newcastle thing fits perfectly because almost selfishly the Grealish we want to see is the Villa Grealish yeah I don't think anyone outside of I think everyone who's keen for a bit of fun and a bit of joy self-contained within 90 minutes doesn't really care for an extension of this Man City productive not productive but efficient Grealish we want to see the flair and stuff like that they want to see him at Leeds if they can file his wages true but Newcastle fits perfectly to my mind

43:15Jim Campbell: but yeah and that's fine what we really want to see is him at Newcastle in 1996. Out on the razz with Philippe Albaire. Yes, indeed.

43:24Marcus Speller: Yeah, like a training ground bust-up with David Ginola, but also like on a night out with David Ginola.

43:29Pete Donaldson: Yeah, nice. Well, I think with Grealish, if you look at some of the stuff that's been posted on socials, you know, he's been responding. I mean, he replied to some posts, critical posts in the comments saying, ah, I've been bad lately. Have I scored three goals in my last three appearances over 45 minutes? But okie dokie, love. Kiss. You know, so he's... Then there's some other things. Firing back. Yeah, Grealish is more acutely aware than anybody.

43:53Jim Campbell: It's coincided with the downtown of Man City in general as well. Let's not forget that. And he was already having a difficult time getting in.

43:58Pete Donaldson: But he did drop off not just this season, but the season after. It was that treble winning season in 2023 after that. An appropriate noise, you might say, Peter.

44:09Marcus Speller: But people deal with that stuff differently. And the fact that we see Grealish out more and more, and the fact that it runs parallel with his form is fine to me. People deal with it in different ways. But obviously it's not productive to the standards he needs to set as a footballer. I mean, it's like on the field. I don't give a shit about the, you know, pairing your own kids and all that. But I do think with him, he's just basically got to decide what player he wants to be and where he wants to be that player. Whether it's positionally and also club-wise.

44:42Jim Campbell: He won't be the first player to have had his career stimmed by a spell at Manchester City.

44:49Pete Donaldson: When all's said and done, he'll be 30 in September.

44:55Pete Donaldson: Man City was his big move. I know Man City have dropped off a bit, but I don't think he'll go to a side that have serious ambitions of winning a treble or going for that elite level club. I think that yeah maybe he could go back to Villa maybe go to Newcastle something like that maybe

45:14Jim Campbell: it's a European side isn't it or a side competing in Europe surely it's a hefty loss isn't it but I think he's got

45:22Pete Donaldson: something to prove and if his chat on social media is anything to go by he knows that and he wants to do it as well so we shall see but we do know that former England goalkeeper Scott Carson is set to leave Manchester City as well

45:33Jim Campbell: he's had his career ruined well he's done nothing

45:36Pete Donaldson: he's got a lot of medals now Peter he has got a lot of medals Because if you take it for the time he spent on the pitch to the medals he's won, he's won a trophy for every 9.8 minutes of football he played at Man City.

45:47Jim Campbell: How much has this last season brought down that average? That's annoying. Should have left last season.

45:52Pete Donaldson: Yeah, they'll have to change that to medals because presumably, did he get one? Was he in the squad for the FA Cup final? Do your own research. Now, finally, we were saying the other day that the Bellinghams are England's La Masia, which is what you said, actually, Jim, to be fair. I don't want to take credit for that. You are the man at the forefront of that quote.

46:08Jim Campbell: I just begged them to have more children for the sake of the national team when we got to that conclusion ourselves.

46:14Pete Donaldson: Indeed we did. And they should all start off their journey into fame and stardom with a team in England and then go to Borussia Dortmund. Because Joe Bellingham's move to Borussia Dortmund has been confirmed. £31 million, not cheap. No. But he's gone there.

46:29Jim Campbell: Yeah, I mean, it's exciting, isn't it? It's really, really fun. I'm just going to repeat myself here. I think obviously if you're Joe Bellingham, it's very difficult to get away from your brother's shadow. And he's gone, yeah, fine. All right. It's nice in here. I like it. Yeah, it's cool. I'll do my own thing in a shadow. In the same way that England are obviously spending a bit of time in tents to prepare for the warm weather in America. They've gone camping. Should climb into Jude Bellingham's mum.

47:02Pete Donaldson: thanks for listening to the football ramble part of the ACAR's creative network myself Jim and Vish are back tomorrow I'm not coming back don't worry note you Jim and me we're not having him he was meant to be but I've just struck him off we're back tomorrow to talk about that England game and much much more and much much less make sure you subscribe in your podcast app so you never miss an episode finish the episode

47:26Jim Campbell: close it

47:27Pete Donaldson: Thanks Vish Close the door I'm done Thanks Pete

47:30Jim Campbell: Seriously if you do have blue lips or skin difficulty swallowing or breathing increase saliva do phone an ambulance You have been poisoned I've done it I've done it Get out of here We're just innocent men

47:49Jim Campbell: The Football Ramble is a Stack production and part of the Acast Creator Network

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