A special way of Rambling

0:00Nice day for a white wedding everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble! Scotland managed to win. It's Monday 13th of October. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Jim Campbell. I'm Pete Donaldson. And I'm Viniciusan Hattaraja.

0:23Hello everybody, I've returned and so have you for another Football Ramble episode. How lovely to be spending time in your company. Ooh! Oh, Peter Donaldson. I'll tell you what praise has been flooding in for your performance on My Biddy Aunt over the weekend. I'll give you some examples if you want. All right. This is how we start on Monday. What's celebrating me? I'll take it. Owen B on the Discord. My goodness, Donny put up a solid performance. An epic comeback. I mean, if you listen to the episode, it wasn't a comeback. Right. No, yeah. It's a comeback against history, isn't it? Yes. Okay.

0:55A comeback against expectations, I think. Coming back against himself. Yes. Darby though said I was walking my dog while listening when Donnie said Man United for drink water I hunched over with my hands on my knees saying oh no and someone legitimately came out of their house to see if I was okay it was Pete's mother I mean I would say that I mean that was unlucky that was unlucky very unlucky you just expect him to sort of have dirtied his boots but I mean Man United were quite good back then I would say that a lot of people were basically damning with faint prayers. What's the... Yeah, it's like I can't damn it with faint prayers.

1:33Donal Clare said on Instagram, I think this is the first time I've ever seen Pete display actual football knowledge. He's usually just vibing out. Like, let's make this very clear. This isn't a knowledge test. This is a test of memory. This is two men in a hospital who've got head injuries being asked who the president is. Like, there's no knowledge here. Yeah, but it's memories of your knowledge, though, isn't it? No, knowledge is the use of memory. Which is the aim of the show, or the game, rather. It's basically a clause. Just accept the praise. It's a clause in our liability insurance. That's why Andy had to leave.

2:10He started to go a bit. When he started mailing it in, we were like, right, just take him out the back. I can't shoot him. Come to our embassy, Andy. There's your TNT sports card, Andy. You can look after him now. He's your problem. yeah we actually drove and pushed Andy out of the car and beeped the horn outside TNT tower he's your problem now this really well run award winning very well functioning surgery can't deal with big hits like that he needs to go to a proper hospital he hasn't got the right insurance yeah Fenerbahce is it would you like a cup of tea yeah Turkey yeah that's not how you say it is it Turkey yeah I've never heard that word before shut up Andy generally though do you think he still thinks of us I don't think he does I think we're the big sigh of relief he probably thinks of us well anyway we'll be back on Friday with another huge clash of course we are staying to do another show that's not me signing off today's show that's what we are now trivia show right you've told us what you like and that's enough for us see you on Friday once a week same time on Friday so do hit subscribe so you never miss my biddy aunt Jack's Encyclopedia or any other episodes from us are also available all of it absolutely all of it right We have to go to the World Cup qualifiers.

3:27I mean, it's hotting up, isn't it? Isn't it, Jim Campbell? It's scotting up. Ah, liking your work. Scotland 2, Belarus 1. Scotland clung on to beat Belarus. I say clung on. It was a very uninspiring performance. I suppose it was a bit of a nervy ending with the late goal from Belarus. Scotland are now guaranteed at least a playoff spot. But it wasn't a good performance. Clark was damning after the game. and there were some boos at full time. Yeah, I think the thing to perhaps acknowledge out of the gate though is that in previous qualifying campaigns, Scotland have managed to balls up games like this, maybe draw it or even lose it.

4:06And they did get it over the line. So I think that obviously has to be acknowledged, but it was a really... To call the performance workman-like isn't even quite right, is it? It's like a drunk workman who isn't qualified for the job just turning up and making an absolute arse of it, It's something that should be quite simple. It was a confusing performance. And I guess that's the fear, isn't it? That they've got a trip to Athens, which will obviously be trickier, or in theory should be trickier than Belarus at home. And they host Denmark as well. And based on this performance, those are going to be tough games.

4:40Now, obviously, they've got the job done against Greece on Friday. So that's fine. And Greece are cooked as well. So they can't qualify. So maybe they'll just relax. Or maybe they'll have a point of proof. Quite possibly, yeah. But I know what you mean. In theory, that goes in their favour. Because if Greece... If Greece needed that. Yeah, if Greece have got a chance to finish second, I think that's a spicier encounter. I still think it'll be a tough game, Jim says, but you're right to make that point, Peter. I think they'll definitely try and put one on Scotland. And I think the game against Belarus showed a great difference between being a defensive-minded team and playing well defensively because it felt like they were really passive when they didn't have the ball, which is why Belarus were able to play through them.

5:29Clark made that point. He said without the ball, they lack cohesion. But I don't really know what it is because they've just about worked out how to be a lot more engaging going forward. The fact that Gilmour started yesterday, Clark even said before the game that it's a clear point that he wants him to have the ball usable and he did that brilliantly. Gallon Doak was brilliant on the right as well. basically spamming the same step over and shift right you'd think they would have clocked onto it but they didn't which is fine and so going forward with the ball they were much better if a bit wasteful and then without it they were like it wasn't you can't you can't really describe it as arrogance because you know they were all those players have in their recent history being fucked over by late goals and things like that but there was an element of like they they just wouldn't press, would they?

6:19And for that reason, Belarus were able to get through and get more confident basically with each kind of speculative attack. They had freedom to roam. Every time they were on the ball, it just felt like there was so little resistance. I understand you weren't at the match in Hamden, but so obviously you get a bit more of a feel of it, of course, if you're there. I mean, Clark refused to believe it was nerves. Yeah, it wasn't. It was almost like it was almost laziness to a point. Do you think because they've done a lot of hard work, a point in Denmark was probably their toughest game, they beat Greece at home, they're thinking, it's just Belarus, but I don't know.

6:55Clark himself described the performance as a bit of a head-scratcher. I suppose we're all in an agreement with him because was it nerves you're thinking, oh blimey, don't stuff this up, this is a bit of a gimme at home to Belarus, Jim. The two tougher games are coming. Do you think maybe it was a bit of a coasting of, yeah, we should be okay. I think coasting more than nerves makes sense based on the performance, for sure, yeah, because I think you're right, aren't they? There was a sense they've done the hard work there. The idea was to get six points from these two games. The Greece game is much harder and they had to dig deep to get it.

7:26They've come from behind. You expend a lot of energy that way. This one, I suppose, almost felt like the one they're expected to win. So maybe they can go out there and enjoy it a little bit and they'll have a lot of space and a lot of freedom. And in, I don't know, I mean, you can only speculate on why the game went in the way it did, but it felt like actually it was Belarus who had all the space and had all the freedom. And it is kind of confusing to me as to why Scotland weren't just a bit more robust in their press and just a little bit more dominant. They're strong players. They're good players.

7:57There is absolutely no reason for them to have been like that off the ball. It's really odd. Celebrating. It was celebrating after their last match, I think. I mean, you look at a player like Jack Henry, who's obviously, you know, of advancing years now, hasn't got that many caps and stuff, but he was probably one of Scotland's better players. And he was a seven out of 10. You know, it was just a real, It wasn't quite a canter, but it was just a bit like, it felt a bit after the Lord Mayor's show, like the hard work he felt had been done against Greece. And then this one was just like, oh, well, we should be fine.

8:25But, you know, and there's horse shit everywhere. You do get these performances, I suppose. I mean, you know, England, when they beat Andorra 1-0 away, and there's that moment when Andorra broke through, and you're thinking, why am I nervous? Why are we in this position? Why is it in the last minute? So I understand that's obviously in sort of micro in England. And you do get these performances. I suppose under Clarke, you know, I mean, it was his 72nd game in charge, which is a record-breaking number, of course, for a Scotland manager. We've become conditioned to think, well, Scotland put these games away.

8:57But of course, before Clarke came along, as Jim mentioned earlier, they would probably stuff this one up. They'd have probably drawn it. I mean, you look at these two games against Greece where there's a bit of jeopardy and obviously they score and they, you know, sort of fairly late on to put the game away. pre-Steve Clark they would have dropped two points anywhere between two and six points in these two games they'd be already out of World Cup qualifying sorry, they would have already been out of qualifying for the World Cup and their single would have been released today is what you're saying that's the thing and I appreciate they haven't qualified for the World Cup they're in a great position because even if they finish in that playoff spot they're in pot two they got a home semi-final then obviously you know two legs for that final push to move to the World Cup but yeah like going into this game all of the conversations publicly anyway from the players and from Clark himself was like we are not taking anything for granted and even before Clark gave his post-match press conference but Tominate on the field talked about how he was clearly very annoyed in part with his own performance really as well you know he did score um but he probably had two games in a row where he's not really affected it in the way that you would expect him to um and i suppose yeah beyond being a bit passive in defense there was also you know there were moments in attack where they could have given more i think the problem actually um which is sort of not tactical because it's got them in this position in the qualifying but the number of times they break through out wide and there is only ever one person in the box and that's not always Che Adams because of how Che Adams plays.

10:42And I suppose there were a couple of times where they came to nothing. Gun and Doe got criticized a couple of times for being, I suppose, a bit too naive, say from cutting inside onto his left foot when he should have crossed it. But it's like there was no one in the box to cross it to. so he just has to keep hold of the ball that being said Chalems did score a fucking lovely goal it was a lovely goal which was ruined by the offside call but maybe that goal going in after 15 minutes fairly early on again that perhaps informs the game as well where you think okay that's maybe job done I thought the best they were actually the best Scotland were were the 10 minutes after half time well was that because of Steve Clarke apparently going mental at half time John McGinn said after the game halftime was the wildest I've seen Steve Clark in 72 games.

11:34Wow. Yeah. I mean, Clark himself said after the game, it's possibly as disappointed as I've been here over the whole 72 games he's been in charge. We just didn't turn up. Do you think, so like given where they are in qualifying and they're in a great spot, still in the group, you think when he said that a few players in the dressing room were like, Clarkie, I've got a couple of others. Definitely been worse than this, mate. I wonder if, I mean, again, you look at how tight the group is if Scotland beat Greece and you would expect Denmark to beat Belarus in their game then it's kind of winner takes all at Hamden but then it would go down to goal difference if it was a draw and the Danes have a much better goal and they're ahead you know Scotland it is incredibly unlikely Scotland are going to I mean there's six goals in the goal difference I'm sure Denmark would surely beat Belarus munch that up very easily what you think is Scott McTominay score seven in Athens or something they're in a great position though they are in a good position they can basically manage managed to get to a stage where it is winner takes all in that final game against Denmark which is at Hamden yeah two years ago when they couldn't score a goal for Toffey this is a great position for them being yeah look again I'm just wondering if that was kind of playing in his mind but to be fair though even if they'd have won by say three or four goals I think again with the fixtures as they are it would have been unlikely if you know I think one would expect a point for Denmark at Hamden in that final game would be enough for the Danes to top the group.

13:00But as you've already mentioned, Vish, even if they're in the playoff rounds, I know that's not what they want. There's still a chance. But it would be a mouth-watering prospect of a winner-takes-all game. And yeah, let's hope we get to that. Based on the performance, Marcus, are you starting to doubt Scotland's ability to win the World Cup? Yeah, I think it's early days, Jim. I've not gone full Ali McLeod, 1978, just yet. Okay. But who knows? Well, look, football is powered by documentaries now, isn't it? So, narrative and documentary, so. All or nothing. Well, it would just be a great, it would just be a great story, so therefore, Scotland will win it.

13:35I can already envisage a situation where the Scotland team boycott next year's Ballon d 'Or. Yes. Because World Cup winner Scott McTominay is unlikely to finish in the top two. One man who would be delighted, though, Scotland went there and won the final in North America, of course. The man with the Scottish mother, Donald Trump. Right, yeah. And a lot of Scottish business interests, yeah. Yeah, you can boogie. Boogie woogie. That'll be what he's saying. Well, as you say, Scotland, a couple of important games next. You don't do that impression as much anymore, do you? Do I not? I can give it a go if you want.

14:16I thought that deserved better. Denmark. I mean, it's one of your worst Donald Trumps you've ever done. It sounds like he's been smoking 50 a day. Has he not? He's on so many more pills now. He's a lot better. Do I need to go more gravelly or less gravelly? Less gravelly. More whispery. Okay, we got Scotland turning up here. They're gonna be great. He's become very whispery. He's very whispery. Okay, Scotland here, they're gonna be great. They're brilliant. Thank you. That is... I'd have probably guessed Al Capone. Yeah, I was going Brando there. Okay. Late Brando. Anybody fancy... Well, write these down, because you can add them to the list.

14:52Yeah. right up yours everybody Denmark beat Greece 3-1 Rasmus Hoyland scored the opening goal alright was that an impression of Marcus Pella the horse of the football ramble that was you wanting to tell us off but using the words that were written down in front of you in the running order it was a dig at Manchester United because you rated everything that he did last season well Denmark manager Brian Riemer couldn't help having a dig at Manchester United he said with regard to Hoyland playing well at Napoli the fact that he is now on a well functioning team and has players around him who take pride in doing good for others helps to make the outcome for a striker like Rasmus who needs to be serviced it's like not the best choice of words there in the end but yeah in the shadows the thing is it's like it's not unreasonable is it it might not actually be a deliberate dig it's just a very sort of objective you know assessment of the whole thing Two from four matches in Napoli, and I think he's got four in qualifying this time around.

15:59He's doing very well, and he's an asset to all the teams he's currently playing. You say that like I don't wish him well. How dare you leave the sinking ship? You've changed your tune. I mean, you're probably still paying some of his wages, right? Is that some content? Probably a little bit, yeah. Now, Vish, something that does directly concern you, We've got a tweet here on X from C. Mull Who said, I can't believe Vish didn't name Caledonian girls as a Scottish Katy Perry song Yeah, that's a bit of an awful lot For California girls, yeah A couple of people messaged me this And I was like, oh no, fair play And then a few more did over the weekend And it was like, brilliant mate, what do you want me to do?

16:39Go back and change it, edit it I thought, you know, baby, you're a Fife work Doesn't really work Fife work Fife work. It's written down. I think that joke works. Fire and fife. I feel like the problem was he didn't write it down. Yeah. I think... Would it help? Yeah. Well, up yours again. Now, Pete, you were wondering if Orlando Bloom was still dating Katy Perry. Yeah, I was wondering hard, actually. It seems that she's now dating former Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. I knew that, and yet I didn't... I don't know what... It was a big story a few weeks ago, wasn't it? But you know what the world's like.

17:13There's just a lot of new stories kicking around, new things happening all the time. And a lot of them are about Katy Perry. Like she was in space a while ago. Was she really? She's in space, now she's gone out with Justin Trudeau. Fair play. Former head of state and a person of colour. Good. Very good. At times. At times. When he wants to be. When he wants to be. Not for a while.

17:39We've all done it. We have not all done it. We've all done it. Can I categorically say? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I've never done it. Don't even bother looking. That's what I say. Yeah. Please don't look. Please don't look. Halloween's coming up. Halloween is coming up. Can't wait. Can't wait. I was the Babadook. I was the Babadook. Back to qualification for the World Cup. Faroe Islands beat the Czech Republic or Czechia. 2-1. What? I mean... This is unbelievable. Did you see the first goal? Beauty. So good. Beauty. Have they space jammed someone? Must be. That second one was a gift. Yeah, it was, yeah.

18:21And it was taken like it's a gift that they rarely receive. The panic is, God, pumped it in the goal. But the first goal was lovely. Lovely move. Lovely move. The reverse pass. Yeah. Lovely assist. And the way it just opens the body and strokes it into the net. It's easy peasy. We should always remember, and I say that having just said what I said, that these are footballers. Yep. We're going to first and foremost. Sure. They have played the sport before. Yes. Yeah, but they've played it in a certain way, which has made sure they are ranked 136th in the world. We've also played enough football between ourselves to know how hard football actually is.

18:55So I think it's still reasonable to be surprised by that. Well, they've only won two games at most in qualification groups because they are a minnow, but they're not often the minnow in the group. So for example, they've got Gibraltar in there. So they often get a win or two against those kind of sides, as they have done this time. But they've won four games this time. of course they beat Montenegro 4-0 on Thursday night, now I know Montenegro because of the size of the population and all that, they will have periods where they'll largely be not a particularly great side and then you might have a bit of a generation where maybe they're trying to get a playoff place, that kind of stuff we remember when they held England probably, was it a couple of times?

19:35Certainly England drew with them in Montenegro previously the annoying thing about this though is the Faroe Islands are just they're one point behind Czechy as they go into the final round of games vying for that second place but the Ferros go away to Croatia and Czechy play Gibraltar so it's highly unlikely that they're going to do it which is a bit of a shame and also when you look back at the results in this qualification group they lost 1-0 away in Montenegro to a 96th minute winner if that hadn't happened it was just so annoying John Edmondson the record caps holder for Fair Islands. He's 96 at the moment.

20:16Imagine getting your 100th in the World Cup. Again, highly unlikely. But Peter, going into the last round of games, the fact is they were still alive for World Cup qualification. He's quite remarkable. And scenes of amazing celebration when they got the winner. Martin Agneson, the scorer, looks like Prusa Charlie if his dad was David Moyes. If you don't know, just fleshing out the... Nobody knows what Charlie looks like. Well, Charlie and Charlie's dad presumably do, and we do all do so I'm just fleshing out the world for the people we used to have a Lord Ramblitz I'm a producer Charlie there you go we often mention him we do and he's been and I will use the word accused of being whoa no Luke Moore's younger brother right okay yeah I mean that is an accusation isn't it policeman trainee exactly yeah so good luck to the pharaohs and we hope a miracle happens and they can get into those playoff rounds now then gentlemen staying with Nordic sides Norway thrashed Israel 5-0 over the weekend to take a huge step towards the World Cup.

21:17If you look at these groups, with Norway in particular, you would think, well, a team who have won six out of six, who have scored 29 goals and only conceded three, 18 points, goal difference of 26. Oh, they're serial qualifiers. They haven't qualified for a major tournament since the year 2000, haven't qualified like Scotland since the 1998 World Cup. That feels like a lie. It does, Peter. They both feel like a lie. But this is the thing. If you have Erling Haaland at your side, it does make you a lot better. It does, right? And one of the great things about this, and which I think will be fascinating at the World Cup, is we all know that international football is a bit more of a kind of simple beast than its kind of club counterpart.

21:57So obviously the reasons for that are quite straightforward as well. You have less time on the training ground, etc. and so on. So actually, it's quite straightforward, right? The task is get it up to that big monster up there. and the brilliant thing as well is they're not a one man team there's talent elsewhere so there are facilitators to get it up to that big monster up there and we're seeing that play out often these things they look like they're working this way on paper and they don't in practice but they are absolutely tearing it up and it is I can't wait to see them at the World Cup Norway have not only got Erling Haaland they've got Kalele on goal and Nacmias on goal as well they've got them they've got them to look to as well they do Those are just Erling Haaland's stop-hitting-yourself goals, aren't they?

22:43Like Norway's third in particular. The only goal happened because the guy was so frightened of Haaland breathing down his neck. He's bearing down on me. I mean, Sarlot, who plays for Atletico Madrid. Yeah. He's a... Oscar Bob as well. But in terms of monsters, Sarlot himself is a big boy. Any other time throughout most of history, he would be their starting striker. Yeah, we said this with Lars on the Mailbag the other day, didn't we? About Morgan Strand-Larsen as well. It's extremely unlucky. but with Sorlott though he's at least starting though Sorlott well Lars said that he's playing out on the wing and he's very much saying okay I'm a good striker I'm playing for Atletico Madrid not many Norwegians reach this I have to sort of go alright there's another bigger beast I'll do the doggies then yeah do you know what I mean but he's in the team and when you have one monster feeding another monster give him pens give him pens well now maybe there's a give him pens because Harlan obviously missed the penalty it was retaken then he missed again Sorlott is going come on surely come on give me the pens yeah oh my goodness he doesn't need the pens as well he scored 12 in qualifications as Harlan that's double anyone else his 21st goal of the season for club and country scored in this match middle of October yeah it's incredible isn't it normally what happens with a striker who plays for one of the less fancied nations you think oh it's obviously great but you know he doesn't have the amount of international goals as he might have done because maybe he's not getting the serve Lewandowski yeah 51 goals in 46 appearances for Norway absolutely mad 51 international goals at the age of 25 but they're a really tidy team you know we listed that front line Sander Berger as well the fact that Odegaard's not even there yep I mean they are going to qualify it's as simple as that and they're going to be in North America and they are they're going to be going for gold I mean they are our generation's or sorry this generation's Belgium you know what I mean the sense that when Belgium first had this this kind of crop of players that seemed to come out of nowhere.

24:40They were sort of the really exciting hipster choice and I can't wait to get on board with that. Yeah, Belgium took a few tournaments and a few managers to kind of get it. And I think the 2018 World Cup, as I've often argued before, they did. They were just edged by France. Norway, it seems, as you said earlier, it's kind of like there is, I'm sure they've got a few different ways, but there's just such an obvious thing that they've got to do. don't overthink it yeah exactly so there's not a sort of a selection headache really for the manager absolutely so there'll be a force an always great performance in the group of course does mean that Italy are facing another playoff to qualify for the World Cup that'll teach you for beating us yeah exactly the Euros they've missed out on the last two World Cups as well so this is the last thing they want you know we definitely have had the last laugh yeah absolutely yeah there's probably you know a Calcio ramble you know still lording it up about that one win in 2021 Embarrassing Yeah I know Gentlemen before we go for a break I've got to mention the rep of Ireland heartbreak for them in Portugal Yes They came so close to holding Portugal to a draw in Lisbon but Ruben Nevs scored a header in the 91st minute The most enjoyable moment of the game I think for everybody concerned other than a certain Portuguese was Keller saving Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty 15 minutes from time With his foot in midair which is brilliant It was a flick and he celebrated he enjoyed it He really did Cristiano Ronaldo seemed a bit annoyed that Keller had the audacity to celebrate saving that penalty.

26:09He's the first £1 billion footballer isn't he? He's probably got he's probably thought I've had a hell of a week I've been declared the first billion pound footballer now I've got to deal with this now. Do you mean he's a billionaire or is there some valuation of him? I think it's he has made and will make over his career £1 billion. All of his assets together. Ireland need to beat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to have any hope really of qualifying and they're bottom of the group and it's not looking good for them. But there's still a chance. All right, coming up after this, Big Ange has Big Sean breathing down his neck.

26:53You were given a yellow card. What happened when you went over to the Southampton bench? I deserved the yellow card because I was rude, but I was rude with an idiot. Welcome back to the Football Rumble, everybody. one of his best runs that was Jose Mourinho after getting a yellow card from Mikey Dean I think the red's on the way well thanks to Friend of the Ramble Teej for sending us that clip on Discord he said this is Vish after trash talking everyone when he wins not in a game just when he wins generally yeah you win a lot Vish it's fair to say you win again not enough you see not enough the heart of a winner never satisfied oh Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of the table don't do that what I go to the US all the time and he might be on his way there as well he'll be welcome with open arms let's be quite clear about that good differentiation anyway you can become a friend of the Ramble too for just five bucks a month search patreon.com forward slash football ramble to get involved now then I don't know what kind of news this is if you're a Nottingham Forest fan so Nottingham Forest are reportedly considering Sean Dyche as a replacement for Ange Postacoglu should they decide to get rid of him.

28:07What a tailspin. I mean, well indeed Jim, but Postacoglu is not really working out. I don't think any Forest fans would be happy, would be unhappy if Ange left. I mean, you've heard the chants at the end of the Michelin game and so on and so forth. But they're obviously a fan of the gravelly voice. Yes. They're like, well keep that, how do we keep that? So who better than the man who lives close to Nottingham, who we know has been in the Hooters in Nottingham who we know was a youth team player at Nottingham Forest. Sean Dyche. Sean Dyche. And not only Sean Dyche, you get Ian Wohan and Steve Stone as part of the backroom staff.

28:40Yeah, Wohan and Stone connection. Which is sort of Forest heritage. So I think it will be a universally popular opinion or appointment rather that everyone is thrilled with. It is a confusing one, isn't it? Because they're in the Europa League yet they're looking over their shoulders thinking this could also be a relegation battle which is a pretty mad situation to be in in October. And obviously it comes from the kind of scattergun management or mismanagement of Maranakis. So, you know, of course we're in a ridiculous situation. And it also feels like the success they had was kind of by accident as well, doesn't it?

29:14Just like he happened to get the right collection of elements together that thrived for a bit. And now his kind of mad approach to things is... The place where our best, our favourite and best England player at the moment is plying his trade having to deal with well hopefully Elliot Anderson will have a sort of a Morgan Rogers-esque sort of time of it it doesn't matter what's going on at club level it turns up a good time which used to be the reverse back in the day but Peter Nuno obviously works wonders there the start of the season you're thinking to yourself they have a chance to win the Europa League they've got big squads they've got resources they've got a new European adventure that the fans are all going to love all that and now just loves a medal like chairmen just love a medal don't they they love a mix and a blend but now Peter it's a case of do we need Sean Dyche to come in and sort this out I mean they said a month or two is a long time in football the big feather in his character the big factor they're considering inexplicably you know briefing press on back channels this is what I love about it why do we know about this why do we know about this you wouldn't have to pay any compensation because he's a free agent at the moment in time we can get Dyche on the cheap lands it's the relationship equivalent of going out with someone because they've got a car.

30:27You know what I mean? It's like, I want a bonus. Or indeed, they're just available. They're just available. You'll do. It's the you'll do of managetal appointments. He's up for it. She's up for it. They're in Europe. They're in Europe. I know. It suggests to me that the reason we know about this is that Maranakis is just having phone calls about this like in front of Postacoglet. Just like absolutely... In Greek as well. So only they can hear it. Is this a canvassing of opinion, Vish, that we see politicians do? Oh yeah, we may go for that policy. Ooh, yeah, very... That was very unpopular. and we won't do that.

30:57I mean, I think it's more by necessity, isn't it? I think the fact that Deitch's name has come out is, maybe it's not all that surprising because his people, his agent, are more likely to talk because the other, I suppose, you know, Graham Potter is out there. I'm not saying they've talked to him. I mean, I've not certainly read that. But a lot of the managers who they might be trying to go after, like Marcus Silva was mentioned as well. I think he's a long-term target. Yeah, sure. But they might have reached out to his advisors and it's not in his advisor's interest to have that information out there, whereas it is for someone like Dyche.

31:32Right, yeah, yeah. But yeah, it's strange. It feels like, because they're not even actually in that situation at the moment, really, are they? Like, I appreciate they are 17th, but they're in seven games of the season. And it's like they're trying to hire for a position they might be in rather for the squad they have right now. Well, when you say... The rest of the job you want, a relegation battle. Yeah. But when you say they're hiring for a position they might be in, well, the position they're in now is their Europa League status could be gone in a couple of games, which would be a crying shame.

32:06Yeah, sure. But then Daeshon's going to remedy that. And this is it. I just, I find that, I mean, what do you do? Okay, fine. I get the whole conversation thing. It's unlikely that a manager, say, Marco Silva would want to go there right now, I would have thought. I think it'd be a very strange thing to do. And obviously that would cost them a few quids, you know, I would imagine. But I just, you're right, with Sean Dyche, his, you know, again, he played his part at Everton. I think that, you know, it was right to kind of move him on and they're better off with Moyes. But under certain circumstances, what he did there, I think was pretty admirable to be fair to Dyche and what he did under Burnley and so on.

32:48But he is the type of manager who you think he'll always almost certainly be a lower end Premier League manager or an upper end Championship manager which is again that's an achievement that's taking nothing away from him and also we should probably qualify that and say that we are purely talking about him based on what he's done in the Premier League yes which is not unreasonable for us to say we're not saying he's you know just limited or he's like intellectually a bit stunted because he likes going to Hooters well not that apparently they did good wings right but we're not saying that like he couldn't get in the top half it's more that like he's just never really had the opportunity beyond the first season with Burnley where he's done that and Forrester are a club who having just missed out on Champions League playoff, sorry, Champions League positions last season, Jim, are looking up the table they're in the Europa League, they're a club who quite clearly have ambitions because of what happened last season as unlikely as it was so it does feel like we're completely going back to like when we first went up under Cooper let's just sort of cling on to what we've got and I think for the fans having had that season last season in the Europa League it's disappointing oh massively I think to put a positive spin on it though there is I think there's a strong argument that this would be the strongest squad that Sean Dyche has ever had in the Premier League so that's so that's something but it does seem like a huge gamble that he would be the guy to manage to maintain the kind of forward momentum that they've had in the last season.

34:19And I think you're right. This appointment, possibly again, because it is just out of necessity, feels like they're thrown in the towel on that. It's just like, we've made such a mess of this that we just have to prioritise our safety rather than our ambition. Marcus, you love a 90s reference. Are we forgetting the Paul Rees, Greg Evergan vehicle, My Two Dads? Let's have a manager for the Europe fixtures, manager for the league fixtures. Let's keep Forrest in the league. Let's get Forrest, the European competition. Do you know what I'm saying? Maybe Stone and Wine can take it in Europe. I actually think that's not a bad idea.

34:52I don't think legally, I think legally you could do it. They do it in Newcastle, but they happen to be doing the same fixture. Dice for the Premier League and for the Europa League. That's what I'm saying. That's exactly what I'm saying. But that's the problem though, Jim, is that loss against Michelin and what they've shown is Ange's Europa League perhaps seems to have left him. Sure. So make them fight and at the end of the season they get the main, one person gets the main job. It's not like, it's not you. one of them gets to mate with Barrett-Ashley. Cut the team in half and whoever objects, they're the real manager.

35:23There we are. It's not really Europa League expertise though, is it? It's purely a guy who came into a situation because the manager everyone liked and everyone had been listening to for quite a long time decided to get, you know, got flicked off through the whims of a chairman who, I don't know. The sporting director or whatever Edu's position is. Yeah, yeah. They weren't sort of clicking. Yeah. And then Maranac has made a choice and like sided with him, which is fine. But yeah, like it's not, it won't necessarily end with Dyche. If I were Sean Dyche, I would look at that and be like, that's a really good squad.

36:02That is a history club and certainly a club that's close to his heart and house. But he must look at Maranac and be like, if I can squeeze a decent compensation out of this, maybe it's worth it to show people that I can work with those kind of players. Even to the end of the season. Yeah. Or do I want the stress of constantly looking at my show every week and wondering how this bloke wakes up in the morning? I think with Sean Dyche, you're right. You've got to look at the three H's and you get a tick of all three. Heart, house, hooters. Bang. Right. Now, in other managerial news... Sounds like somebody wants to go hooters.

36:36I've got a shout about hooters today. Well, we know it's a good one because our David Cartlidge has been there. Yeah. He was very forthcoming with that information. I think it closed down or there's another one opening up somewhere I think it may have closed down I think it may have still going still going? yeah when I went there it was closed down wouldn't let me in it has to close sometime Pete my picture was on the wall now speaking of the managerial mail go around Steven Gerrard has apparently turned down a chance to go back to Rangers he was holding talks with Rangers last week and he was keen to return at some point but it's believed that the timing wasn't right for him at this stage because they are pretty shit at the moment and there's no league title campaign to be had is I think what's being insinuated there I wanted that video clip of him in the dressing room and turning around and seeing a picture of the Charles or be the king now will be the king yeah recreate it how much of that do you think is I can't be the incumbent Rangers manager if Hart win the league yeah fair I can't have that against him do you not think a lot of it is kind of that was good for me I don't need to go back to change that that door is closed now I don't need to kind of and it's always there if I need a little bit of a plumping but yeah yeah I wonder if he's had enough conversations to know that his stock in England is still high enough for a job to come up that he would want to take yeah yeah well I mean he did an interview before Russell Martin's sacking where apparently he said he wanted to be a team that's going to compete to win because he thinks that that suits him better I mean isn't that saying I prefer the job to be easy rather than hard 100 % this is sort of like Rooney said something very similar and got credit for it.

38:15He's like, oh, you understand where he's coming from? He's like, oh yeah, everyone wants an easy job. This is sliding into Tim Sherwood territory. Well, it's not necessarily, I understand why you're saying those points. It's not necessarily an easy job. He's thinking he's used to, I don't know, certain standards or whatever. And some managers, you know, we'll never know really what Pep Guardiola would be like in a relegation battle. Sure. You know, all that sort of thing. So maybe, I know what you're going to say. Yeah. and this is the argument about Zidane as well wasn't it you wouldn't necessarily want Zidane a team that wasn't full of elite players because he was an elite player himself so that's the world he understands we've just been saying this about Deich with top Premier League Gerrard hasn't shown this in his managerial career though is he he has specifically a Rangers and I think that's what he's saying I mean I can do it when there's only two teams competing but three you have to laugh exactly yeah exactly yeah I think it's quite clear but I mean he is open to go back but as we say maybe when the magnificent Gorgie Boys are not eating everybody up.

39:14Yeah, I know. I think Rangers fans would be a little bit disappointed with that. Because the way he left the club, a bit like when Rodgers left Celtic, it was kind of like, oh, I see. As soon as a decent job in England comes about, you're off straight away. God, I'll be used to that by now. But with Gerrard, I think that he would have had a bit of credit still in the bank, as you mentioned, and he would have been welcomed, especially after what's happened with Russell Martin. Probably the long-term smart thing is to keep that credit right where it is, isn't it? Are Rangers fans going to be enthusiastic about the reports saying that Graham Potter has been sounded out?

39:53I don't hate it, but also it's not my club. Do you know what I mean? The principle is actually quite sound. This is what we were saying with the West... This is the problem, what West Ham... No, no, no, but it's different, isn't it? No, because it's a right-off season for Rangers, as it was for West Ham. they're not going to get relegated so fine you've got until the rest of the season and then it bleeds into the next season West Ham had a very good squad for him to work with yeah fair so I look at that and I think you know Ange might be available soon there you are imagine that I can't I cannot it does feel a bit has anyone done well managed wise yeah I don't think so not for I can't maybe many many moons ago he'd definitely fancy it you know Yeah No he wouldn't No he wouldn't No he wouldn't Because his big thing Well not his big thing I don't think he would No Some of his motivation Is People said I couldn't do this thing And now I'm showing them It would just need A few people He doesn't like to say And you can't take the Rangers job After being a Celtic manager Is that what I can Yeah That would be I always manage Rangers in my second season It would be very funny if he did But I don't think he will Alright gentlemen Coming up after this England prepare for Latvia and Wales are world champions.

41:19Tomorrow night at 7.45, England travel to Latvia. Well, they'll travel before that because that would be cutting it fine. They play Latvia in Riga. They're not Man United. Why are you having a pint at the airport? but we're playing them in three hours. England will confirm their qualification for the World Cup next summer if they avoid defeat in Riga. You'd back them to do it, Peter. Yeah, you would back them to do it. I think we didn't do an easy after the Wales win, so I'd like to apologise, Marcus, the Marcus Nation. Well, we've kind of kept a powder dry with the easies. Easies tend to be a tournament thing, right?

41:58Is that right? Okay. Can we have one after qualifying then? Tune in and find out. Tune in and find out. If we give it the easy. Yeah. assuming England win Peter don't be disrespectful to Latvia they got a point against Andorra the other day I know they're only turning up 45 minutes before kickoff but you shouldn't take the piss just one big stag in Riga isn't it I mean I would say that like Domestukov's players may have had just their big dinners they've been ordered to have a big dinner with their family so it might be full absolutely full you're not worried about Latvia you're worried about Fatvia yes I am I mean I wouldn't eat a big dinner in Latvia literally their signature dish is brown peas ugh disgusting I've found your limit brown peas he didn't say you wouldn't have any no I said ugh in the same way that I go ugh I was about to say that's more of a prince ugh brown peas just a medium serving of brown peas yeah just a medium serving please half baked beans I was eating dates at 6 o 'clock in the morning this morning Dates are really nice Dates are really nice What are you doing breaking fast I'm re-upping You mean the food it's not like a Dennis Nilsson stuff No no no I was just eating some fruit Well England of course are on the brink of World Cup qualification that's after Serbia lost 1-0 to Albania on Saturday which prompted manager Dragan Stoicovic to resign immediately With good cause they've been awful We don't get enough of that over here I think Keegan ruined it for everyone you don't have to do it in the toilet hey Roy Hodgson fell on his sword after Iceland did he not yeah I have a great story about that that I will save for Uncut really yeah there we go it includes having a long long conversation with the person who wrote that resignation letter really that's lovely that is he's been talking to chat TVT he has that's what he's been doing Roy Hodgson had a Malcolm Tucker that's amazing Not that he knows Exactly That works Sounds like that's the whole story Yeah a chap I know sent me a photo From a friend of his So I understand we're slightly removed But he said oh my goodness I'm on the same flight as Roy Hodson And there was Roy Sat in the emergency exit aisle And I thought that would be quite comforting If there was an emergency Roy's there shepherding people He wouldn't need it though would he As soon as it's in turn he'd just fly out True, yeah.

44:30That's why! Did he have one of those helmets on? Was it one of those 747s where the chick takes his eagles around? It's exactly what it was. Every seat, a different kind of bird. Is your friend a bird as well? Yeah, it is. No, my friend's a mouse. He was terrified. Yeah, that's right. He's in the emergency exit. See you later. See you later. On off he flies. Anyway, England, yeah. So there's that preview. Thomas Tuchel gave his players a day off on Friday, allowing them to go shopping, spend time with the family. And as Pete had already mentioned, have a cheat meal. Yeah, I'd get yourself a little cheat meal, guys.

45:02What would your cheat meal be? That's a dangerous game to play. Every dinner. I mean, he's cheating all the time. Imagine what he's coming up with. Me and Vish went for a business lunch on Friday and just ate crisps and beer. Real mad men of a Christmas. Christmas? It felt like Christmas. Pre-Christmas. Very free Christmas. We never got any tea in the end, so I don't know. And then I went on and ate more crisps. I don't think there's a single sort of amazing chef that could come up with anything better than a bag of prawn cocktail crisps prawn cocktail, you dirty boy dirty boy especially in a pub you get different flavours now I just think people you never get any exotic flavours in pubs it's always just beef Thai sweet chili scampi fried chorizo any major potato based snack We're going a bit Carve Solihol now.

45:57We're just naming flavours of crisps. If you don't like prawn cocktail crisps, you can have salt and vinegar, etc. But anyway, they had a cheat meal, Thomas Tuchel's men, and they deserved it. And of course, England. Now the mood has changed under Tuchel. You spoke about this after Wales, after a decent victory in that friendly game. But England have just got five games, including this one, until Thomas Tuchel has to name his squad for the World Cup. Which seems a bit mad, doesn't it? But that's how it goes, Jim Campbell. That's how it goes. Well, the thing is, that's very often not how it goes.

46:27That's what's so interesting about this campaign and this World Cup, because he's got such a short amount of time to fulfil his brief, and it's quite exciting. Yeah. I mean, when we always say that, we always say it as if all the other teams have got like 15 games. Yes. Everyone is in the same boat, pretty much. He did say on Friday that the door is open for anyone to jump in. But do you jump in a door? It feels like a skylight. You jump into a room, don't you? You jump out of a door if it was on a plane and Roy's just opened it. It's like Jackass or something. Yeah, maybe. What am I like? Yeah.

46:57But I mean, you know, you had this chat, of course, last week after the Wales game. But it is quite interesting who he's going to pick because right now the team is playing on form and they've got this handful of stars who are not getting in there because of big Morgan Rodgers, Jim. Yeah, it's very, very interesting because I think, you know, he's quite, in theory, is quite far down the pecking order in that position. But he's really, really making a case. But I think this is one of the things about this World Cup that's really important to think about because of the conditions. We send Morgan Rodgers to live in North America for the next six months.

47:34Why not? I mean, yeah, that's not a bad idea, actually. But Tuchel has spoken a lot, hasn't he, about getting England playing like a Premier League team. And I think everyone's like, is that going to be possible in those... Which Premier League team? Yeah, firstly, which Premier League team? And is that going to be possible in those conditions? But I think what he can borrow from the increasing trend we're seeing in the Premier League, and possibly across football, is that you really have to use your bench in a quite considered way that is not just, oh, this isn't quite working, let's throw something else into it.

48:06If Jude Bellingham's tired because the sun's been beating down on him, don't be afraid to take him out. You've got these incredible options on the bench. Taking him out is a bit strong. Take him out of the team. Did you mean the burning ball of gas in the sky or did you mean the newspaper? Both. Why not, actually? protect them from both Vish, you think England would have too much for Latvia? Yes Good Sorry, I was just thinking about the time that I went to Latvia and it was on my first ever stag do not my stag It's a hell of a start that, off to Riga Yeah, big one I mean, I had better meals than that but we knew we were in for a bad time when we looked at the hotel beforehand that the groom's brother had booked.

48:53And one of the things said, we were traveling around Europe and we knew we were staying in a bad place when we called down to ask for a spare towel and they said it was currently being used.

49:06Delicious. Amazing. Did you get on one of those little bikes that's a bar, a bike bar? Did you go to Riga? What are you talking about? I went to Riga. It's quite stag-dewey, isn't it? It is a bit stag-dewey, yeah. But they've got more than beans and bikes. Beans, bikes, beauty It's a beautiful town I went there like two months ago It's meant to be lovely It is beautiful A certain part of the year When certain people aren't there Now, much closer to home Tonight, Northern Ireland host Germany at Windsor Park Of course they put Germany through their paces Last time they played in September After which Julian Nagelsmann described Northern Ireland As not brilliant to watch And said they played a lot of long balls Hello to you Mr Ideology he tried to dig himself out of that hole on Sunday saying that he didn't mean any offence that Northern Ireland have a special way of playing right special little guy what do you think of their tactics you slag them off I just think they're special yeah they're interesting sorry my turtleneck was on too tight yeah I mean they took a little while didn't they Germany Northern Ireland had them going for a bit but they eventually got there but I mean all to play for in Group A for World Cup qualification Germany, Northern Ireland and Slovakia all locked on six points.

50:19It was a big win for Northern Ireland against Slovakia, was it, last week. I don't think this is a given. Germany are favourites, of course they are, Jim. But going into this game, they've not been brilliant. They're not brilliant, to be more accurate German at the moment. Clearly they're the best team on paper and on field in this group. Are you saying they're vulnerable to a special way of playing? I think so. Do you know what? I'd love it, a proper bombardment at the box. They have to get big Nick Voltemar to back their head and balls away. How do you like it? Up your hill! That would be nice.

50:53But I expect Windsor Park to be pumping for that one. Wales play Belgium tonight, of course, because of course they play Belgium. That fixture seems to happen every other fixture for Wales in international football. The fate's in their own hands. Belgium only drew 0-0 with North Macedonia on Friday night. So that means in the group, Jim Campbell. Wales are third with 10 points. Belgium ahead of them on one point. North Macedonia top with 12. But they do have a game in hand on North Macedonia. So big chance for Craig Bellamy's men. Well, if they win it, then it's absolutely on. Oh, it is on, yeah.

51:25Because they'd have Liechtenstein away. Yes. That would mean the group would end with Wales playing current group leaders, North Macedonia at home. And that could be such a huge game if they can get that into a sort of winner-takes-all situation. What are North Macedonia up to? Yeah, I know. It's a surprising one, isn't it? To see how well they're doing. How are they large and in charge in this league? I met someone from North Macedonia recently, and they said they were from Macedonia, and I said, North Macedonia? They went, oh, you're absolutely right, North Macedonia. Oh, so you corrected that right?

51:51Okay, nice. Don't get it wrong again. Wow. Okay. I like to do that, Peter, you know? Just chat to people from foreign lands. Yeah, exactly. Correct them on the position of their own country. I'll ask you again, where are you from? I spoke to someone the other day. I said, where are you from? They said, the Albion. I said, it's England, okay? Right. It can work on the local front. We're going back to Pangaea again, aren't we? Not anymore. You're not from there. Since the breakup. The quite literal breakup. Big Panj. Big Panj in the hot seat. Oh, dear. I bet Pangaea made the same noise that Anj makes when he gets up from a sitting position.

52:31Urgh! A lot of cracks. Cracking. Urgh! Yeah, a lot of ice cracking. Is that what it is? well no no no matter what happens on Monday night to Wales they are currently the world champions Wales won the over 70s World Cup for a second year in a row nice come on they won the tournament without conceding goal beating the US in the final 2-0 Tom Jones got both goals nice very good you had a think there Jim I did have to think is there actually someone called Tom Jones I was like how would he know that it might be yeah the USA had lots of ex-MLS players as well like decent Decent standard. And this is, in the report I read about this, the party they're going to have when they get home was mentioned three or four times.

53:13Oh, yeah. That is going to be full of proud grandchildren. Yes. And it's just going to be absolutely adorable. Were they MLS players? Surely they would have been nasal. Yeah, maybe they would have been, actually. Oh, that's a good point. The match happened in Japan, where the tournament was held. And the Wales goalkeeper said it had been brilliant, but very demanding week as they battled the heat, humidity, and of course, time difference. So maybe they just turned up before kickoff, I don't know. But it does bode well, this, for the British sides ahead of next summer. We're worried about the heat and all the rest of it.

53:46Well, look at the Wales over 70s, Vish. An inspiration to us all, I think you'll agree. Yeah, yeah, that's, I was actually going to justify that with a point, but I didn't have any. Okay. But, yeah, different part of the world, different time of year. It was a hospital ball, to be fair to you, from Marcus. Yeah. Got anything to say about an over-70s Waleside playing in the heat of Tokyo. No, not to be honest, Marcus. No, I hadn't prepared anything. So I think you know what the answer is. What a sad note to end on. Thanks for listening to the Football Rumble, part of the ACAST Creator Network. I'll be back tomorrow with Jim and Vish for the mailbag.

54:21Good. Hopefully we'll have something to say and we'll be talking about the future of some of England's absentees and much more. It's been an absolute pleasure. Thank you, Vidushin and Hantharajah. Thank you. Thank you, Peter Donaldson. I suppose he's from North, sorry. Thank you, Jim Campbell. Thank you. And thank you, Wales Over 70s. You're an inspiration to us all. The wind beneath all of our wiggies.

54:50The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.