Arsenal get their steam back

0:00I keep getting younger. My life's been funny that way everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble. Wolves got a point and Arsenal got a huge win It's Wednesday 31st of December I'm Marcus Speller And I'm Luke Moore

0:24Hello everybody Good to have you with us on this wonderful Wednesday Which is of course New Year's Eve I want to say thanks to friend of the Ramble Daniel Serafini-Sowley For giving us that intro line if you want to submit an intro line for a future episode and get an extended edition of today's show then become a friend of the ramble on our Patreon and starting from today we're not even waiting for 2026 we're doing it in 2025 we're offering 15 % off all annual memberships and don't worry there's no catch it just doesn't last for the rest of the day that does count for 2026 so that means bonus episodes ad free rambles and access to the discord throughout the rest of the season the World Cup and the first half of next season for a little more than£40.

1:06That's a great deal. It's a brilliant deal. What can you buy for£40 these days? Half a meal. A fruit salad in Pret. That's it. It's a good fruit salad. Yeah. What's the link, Marcus? The link is patreon.com forward slash football ramble. Yeah. We're Bill Withers today, aren't we? Just the two of us. Yes. We can make it if we try, isn't it? You and I. Oh, you've twisted my arm. How do you turn a duck into a soul singer? Exactly. Stick it in the oven until it's Bill Withers. I thought the fellow Ramble presenters would be queuing up to come and be on this show today after my take on Arsenal earlier in the week I thought Vish would be on a flight straight back from his holiday and it is a holiday to Australia to talk about Man United getting a point that's why he stayed over there he got halfway back turned around again when he saw that result that's right sadly it's just you and I Marcus but we'll struggle on will we?

1:54I think we will I think what the other Ramblers actually said to me having become a little bit of a darling among some of the Arsenal fans as I was for a moment on social media recently. They thought, he's all yours, Speller. Yeah. He's all yours. I feel like Daniel in the Lions then. Did you see that? I did see, you know I've seen it, Marcus, because you told me about it before we came on air today. So you can queue up as much as you like on the show, but you've already given me the full rundown of how great all the Arsenal fans think you are because of your performance in TalkSport at the weekend.

2:22I was desperate to go, Jim, have you got that spare ticket? They're going to love me there. Now that's talk about Celtic fans. Yeah, they don't like me so much Because I said if Wilfred Nonsi is still in the job, then Hearts are still in the title race. I don't know whether they're more annoyed at that. Before or after the Motherwell. I was about to say, are they more annoyed at that or the fact they lost 2-0 to Motherwell last night? I don't know. One thing I would say is about that, and we'll do the Arsenal thing, because people are queuing up to listen to me eat a load of shit about Arsenal, right?

2:48So that's fine. Very happy to do it. But before we do that, I do want to say that I generally applaud Celtic fans or fans of any club sticking the boot into you because you get away with far too much. I've said that to you before. But for them to say that you've never watched the Scottish Premiership, given that you grew up in Scotland, is very poor form. Was it even called the Scottish Premiership? Whatever it was called then. But you spent a lot of time in Scotland, so I think you will... I mean, everyone's got a right time to pick it anyway, but you... How long did you live in Scotland for?

3:17For 15 years. There we go. But to be fair, though, I mean, I haven't lived there for, you know, beginning... Don't undermine it. No, I'm not going to undermine it. Up yours, you're still second. Right, okay. Listen, if Wilfred Nonsi does lose a job in the context of this recording, we'll go back and redo it. Yeah. It's possible. I think we will. Come on then. Arsenal 4, Aston Villa 1. I was talking to... Didn't see it. Watch the darts. Next. I was talking to a friend of mine a couple of days ago and my friend said this. I think Arsenal are rapidly running out of steam. Do you like how I referred to you as a friend there?

3:54Yeah. It doesn't soften it for me. Rapidly running out of steam. Can I just say, to producer Finn... I mean, to be fair, they conceded late on. They looked exhausted after they went for another. Yeah, yeah. He never does these little sound clips for any other presenter. Well, he can't find them, that's why. He'd have to tango and cash it, which is a lovely old reference. I'll tell you what, if this had been Pete, I'd have had Pete in my WhatsApps all night last night having a meltdown. What are they going to say about me? Pathetic. Don't try and deflect it on Peter. he was watching Southend last night he was a cold night at Southend that would have been well it shows you how committed he is but anyway we digress Arsenal they got their revenge on Unai Emery and Aston Villa they ended Villa's 11 match winning run Villa were just one away weren't they from a new club record of course which showed you how well they've been doing but Arsenal they did it without Declan Rice as well and they were in that second half scintillating but before we get to that the first half of this game, it was absorbing stuff.

4:56It was intriguing, yeah, it was. It really, really was. Proper game of two halves this. And in that first half, so people said, oh, well, you know, people have been saying Arsenal have not convinced of late or they've been sort of just about coughing and spluttering. What kind of people? Various people, some from the Portsmouth area, others from elsewhere. And they've been saying that Arsenal, you know, tonight, sorry, last night's match, it was going to show us something. about this title. For sure, and that was the build-up, and that was right. I said that going into the game. We'd find out a lot about Arsenal, but I think it's that by far, they're, given the context and the timing, the biggest test of the season.

5:33Yeah. Given Villa's form, you have to say that. On that first half, I thought it testified. We were chatting, weren't we, throughout the game, and I said, you know, this first half, both teams are aware of what's at stake here. This feels like two teams, obviously Manchester City as well, but at this stage of the season all the chat that's being had the great run Villa are on Arsenal not looking as convincing as they'd been in the early stages of the season it was a proper tactical battle teams both teams are feeling each other out and you thought both of these know how big this match is and what a result it would be but also as the game goes on you suddenly see one team go no we're in it but lads not you but this was a classic game of and I know this is a stupid bit old cliche but goals change games when gabriel scores that rather fortuitous goal arsenal suddenly bang relax they grow in confidence and all the rest of it aston villa had opportunities in that first half ollie watkins misses one i know the ball where it comes to him it's he would have liked it slightly further out but in the in the context of the game he has a chance i mean jokeres has a header as well to be fair a couple early on as well then that moment where jayden sancho i I think might have been given offside, actually, as I'm saying this, but Saliba makes that great defensive clearance.

6:51But in that first half, Villa had Arsenal slightly worried. But of course, with Gabriel and Saliba back there, Arsenal looked so much more assured. Gabriel being back was massive. Absolutely huge. Not just because of the goal, which we can come on to. But I agree with you. The first half was a really, really intriguing encounter. Two high-quality teams, as you say rightly, knowing what the stakes were. And I think what actually happened in reality was that Arsenal just broke out of their hearts, basically. And I think this game probably rested on three kind of key sliding doors moments. The first one is Amadou Onala picking up an injury.

7:30Yeah, because he looked good. Yeah, so dominant in there, really, really physically strong. And that could have been the difference given that Rice was unavailable. And for Arsenal to overcome losing Rice late on, they deserve a huge amount of credit for that as well. Shows you the strength and depth. Totally. but Onana going off and also Kamara not being there they did lack a bit of physicality so obviously he has to come off at half time I don't think it's a coincidence that straight after that Arsenal it made a difference Onana again he looked very sort of industrious do you know what I mean very very I rate him I think he's a really good player oh he's a good player but the way he was picking up the runners that midfield battle was utterly intriguing totally and he was a big part of why Villa were doing well the other sliding doors moments are the Gabriel goal which we'll do in a bit more depth in a minute.

8:14Sure. And the Marino should have been sent off. Marino should have been sent off. He wasn't sent off. I don't know why. If you make that kind of foul on a yellow, you basically deserve to be sent off. I cannot see why he wasn't sent off. Dictionary definition of a professional foul, which is a yellow card. So they're the moments, right? The goal, I think, is a particularly big moment chiefly because... Now, I've got to kind of unpack this because I don't want to come across like I'm trying to be sour grapes about Arsenal because I'm not. They deserve to win the game. The way they came through it in such fashion was brilliant and a proper stern test of their credentials and they passed it with flying colours.

8:53Got to be absolutely clear about that. And in addition to that, I don't actually want to see those kind of goals that Gabriel scored be ruled out for fouls on keepers, which happens all the time because I think it's wrong. I think goalkeepers get too much protection. And yet, it's confusing to me as to why that one wasn't ruled out given that every single other coming together of a player and a goalkeeper battling for the ball like that seems to be given as a foul. I don't understand what the rationale for not giving that as a foul was even though I don't want it to be a foul. But the rationale is it wasn't a foul.

9:29I totally disagree. I totally disagree. You thought it was some sort of impingement. I think he clearly impedes one of Martinez's arms when he's trying to catch the ball. And look, for the record, I think keepers get too much protection. I think the fact that they can use their hands and they are big and tall strong guys they should get less protection but I'm not aware of any directive in the middle of the season which suddenly says that referees shouldn't be given that as fouls I think Darren England had a weird game I think the Marino decision was weird I thought the Gabriel decision was weird I thought there were one or two others as well so I would just say that was a key moment I'm not for or against Arsenal or Aston Villa I just think I'm able as a neutral to identify that was a really key moment because the reality is if the referee does do what basically every other referee does in the Premier League and gives that as a foul, it's never mentioned again.

10:18It's in no way controversial. I know what you mean. I do. Now you do your bit to say why because you're best friends with Arsenal fans now. So why don't you tell everyone why it should have been a goal? It should have been a goal because the goalkeeper in question was Emi Martinez. Do you honestly think it wasn't a foul? No. Do you honestly think it wasn't? I didn't think it was a foul. I take the point totally what you're saying that nine times out of ten they're given as fouls. so so why the change that's the main point I'm making no no no cool so whether you think it's a foul or not is not necessarily what you're saying that type of challenge on a goalkeeper 9 times out of 10 it's given as a foul so how come this was one of those ones that kind of slipped through if you like I suspect that looking at it in you know a number of times I didn't think it was a foul I think it's a clumsy one from the keeper and that would be my take and clearly that's what the referee and VAR thought as well.

11:13I'm curious. Finn and George, do you think it was a foul? Is it not or not? No. They both didn't think it was a foul either. That's fair enough. Fair enough then. Yeah. Maybe I'm got one. Maybe I was just desperate. And neither of them are Arsenal fans, by the way. No, they're not. I was desperate for Arsenal to lose because of what I said. Maybe it's just cloudy on my judgment. Well, let's remind everybody what you said. I think Arsenal are rapidly running out of steam. I can do it now alive if you want. You've got to press the button. I like having the button. And then what I should have to say, I should also say after that is that I thought sorry I thought Aston Villa dealt with going behind so soon after the break in that fashion yes they dealt with it so poorly then they they considered again straight away with a really good quality goal oh that was a beautiful play to play from Odegaard and Zubemendi with a lovely finish yeah that was that shows you how good Arsenal are that's basically the heartbreaker yeah even though 2-0 is a petrifying scoreline which is why it's just as well Trossard's got the third to make sure but Trossard's got a habit of scoring goals well Trossard he is involved in so much I think he goes slightly under the radar sometimes for non-Arsenal fans if you know what I mean he's a key player for them and comes up with moments but you're right the manner of which that second goal goes in and that's what I mean you know the old you know painfully obvious cliche that goals change games when that first one goes in I wasn't at the Emirates last night but it felt to me watching it on TV was they relaxed and we thought Gabriel's back look at that there's a set piece okay fine it was very fortuitous one and as you say on another day it doesn't get given but it's a goal and suddenly the second one goes in and when that second one went in despite Villa having the most points from gaining the most points from losing positions there was no way Arsenal were going to lose and that's what I mean this was a huge result and a huge performance from Arsenal and they needed this I think and it really I understand Arsenal have done this before you go all the way back to say like when Leicester City won the league and Arsenal beat them at home, didn't they?

13:08They scored a last gasp winner. I think they beat them both that season, didn't they? I think they did. Both times, yeah. At the Emirates, I think it was Danny Welbeck who scored a late winner. Forgive me if that's wrong. Off memory, I think that's it. And they score and it's like, oh, you know, is this season going to be our season? The manner of this, it's very different to that. The manner of this performance is we are better than Aston Villa and this is a team who have won 11 in a row who are right now, you know, obviously they're six points behind Arsenal now, but going into the game, There were only three.

13:36And so you have to at least glance at the idea that they're in a title race. I know people maybe expected them to fall away. Well, they still might be. Well, indeed, yeah. The title's not won in December, as we know. But Arsenal, they just thought, right, this is our game and we're going to exert our dominance. Trossard smashes in the third. And when Gabriel Jesus comes on as well, you know that's there. It's a perfect day for them. And that was really interesting. That's really interesting for Arsenal fans and particularly for the manager as well, obviously, to contemplate what they do going forward.

14:06because Giocarez huffed and puffed again. Havertz was on the bench and the squad again for the first time in ages. And Jesus comes on and immediately scores. I think the perfect game would have been Giocarez scoring. So obviously, you know. Yeah. But Jesus coming back. It gives him a question to answer now. Well, it does. Yeah. Because all of a sudden from nowhere, from the dialogue being, you know, Arsenal are a striker light of a title push. Yeah. They now find themselves basically with three of them. You know what I mean? Which is weird. Yeah. Mikel Marino as well could do it. Well, exactly.

14:34Well, Zubimendi by the look of it. So, look, I think it's really important to state, given what I said on Monday, that I didn't think that Arsenal would be this good against Villa. I certainly didn't think they'd be this good without Rice. I thought, you know, perhaps the occasion might have got to them. And they beat Villa in the way that you have to beat them. And I'm saying that, you know, looking at an Aston Villa side, I can't really remember the last time they were beaten. But if you are going to beat them, you have to break their hearts. you have to score one or two in quick succession like that and even with two I know the context of the game is slightly different but I think the evidence shows us that even if you're 2-0 up against Aston Villa and we talked about this on Monday as well it doesn't necessarily mean the game's over Emery's capable of changing it he's a brilliant manager he would have had extra motivation because of the way things went for him at Arsenal as well and they were just relentless Arsenal and I thought physically they were really really strong partly because Gabriel came back partly because Onana went off and partly because Kamara didn't play you know ultimately as I said it was a really big test it was the biggest test of the season for them and they haven't just come through it they've come for it brilliantly in a way that's going to give them an awful lot of confidence going forward and this could we could look back at this as being the key point as to when Arshton win the Premier League because you only have to look at the form Villa were in to say that that was that was massive for them yes it was oh 4-0 up I mean obviously that was the game put to bed David Raya made a great save from John McGinn who should have scored although McGinn hits it straight at Raya it was a great save but it was almost like he didn't really know much about it and McGinn he should have buried that oh my goodness absolutely buried it yeah and that would have been interesting Ollie Watkins saved his blushes though because he did make it forward but if that but if that McGinn goal goes in yeah or that chance goes in and then Watkins scores oh come on come on what are you saying and Marino's been sent off as he should have been.

16:31And the referee said, right, we've got another half an hour to play. And the referee just goes on the VAR and gets mic'd up and just goes, prison rules. You never know. Yeah, that's true. There's a lot of what ifs. Now, did you see that Unai Emery didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand at full time? He was asked about it after the game and he said, well, no, no, this is nothing new. After the game, I like to quickly shake hands and then jump down the tunnel. And he said about Mikel Arteta, look, I can't wait forever. it was cold I mean he was kind of happy and celebrating it's no problem it's no problem so I just went down they're probably pals are they?

17:05well maybe not maybe not now at least have a little bit of a push and a pull like Tuchel did with Conte that time which prompted Graham Sooners to say we've got our game back yeah that is great stuff that was great stuff I don't know if there's anything in that Marcus I'll be honest with you okay would you like something to be in it though? I think that people do get pissed off with Arteta so I can see there's a seed of something there and Arteta was being told off by the referee again wasn't he for being ridiculous. He can't, I mean, I don't want to sound like Richard Keyes here. Yes, you do.

17:35I want you to sound like Richard Keyes. Okay, everybody. I'm just going to relax a nervous studio guest. Here I am. Press the button again. No, he doesn't like leaving his technical area. He does, yeah. But to be honest, I think most managers... We investigated this, I think, in the middle of last season, didn't we? Oh, that's right. The laws around that are actually quite vague. Yeah, they are. It's down to the referee's discretion. Yeah. I think people see the technical area as being something like... Advisory. You know, like, sometimes you get those dangerous dogs who have those invisible fences.

18:02Yeah, yeah. Where if they go outside and they get an electric shock. I think people think that... A little bit running, man, but not so harsh. Yeah, a little bit like that. Yeah. I think people think that managers should be like that in the technical area, but that's never been the law. So he is technically, pun intended, able to venture out of it occasionally. Yeah, fair enough. But I think he pushes it to the very limit. He does. Naughty little sausage. Yeah. Well, Arsenal have a five-point lead going into 2026. Yeah, I mean, that is very... That's, again, technically true because Man City are playing on New Year's Day.

18:29Right. So for whatever it is, 24 hours. Yes. No, not even that. For 20 hours, they'll have a lead going. Five point lead. Well, you're writing off Sunderland, aren't you? I'm not doing that, no, because I think that's a big test for Man City as well, actually. It is. Although, without getting too much into the weeds on that, you've asked me the question, so I'll answer it. Sunderland were outclassed by Leeds. I know it was a draw, but it was at home and Leeds were the much better side. So, I mean, if Leeds can do that, I'm pretty sure... But it's a sign they're a quality side if they play badly and don't lose.

19:00Well, there we go. Exactly. So overall then, we're saying big props to Arsenal. Absolutely, of course. I can't say enough. I've sat down the camera because people are going to accuse me of backing down and not fronting up. I think Arsenal were brilliant. Congratulations to them. Yeah. You've been to Spurs too much. It's affected you. I really hate Spurs as well. I'm not going to Spurs because I like Spurs. I'm going to Spurs because I love watching top-flight football and it's normally really funny. Coming up after this, Manchester United don't cash in their Wolves voucher.

19:53Well, back to the football round, everybody. If you don't know what that is, Luke, could you explain? So what you've heard there is, my particular highlight of that was the Charlton fan individually going, don't you fucking dare. When you basically heard a load of Charlton fans in the Milton end, the way end at Fratton Park, all putting their crisps down in unison. Because, I mean, how deep do you want me to go into this? Because I'll go a few minutes. You've fronted up with Arsenal, now it's your chance. So Charlton haven't lost at Fratton Park, I think, for 20 years. I think it's 2005 I always said that long I knew it was long it's a long time having said that Portsmouth have won at the Valley a few times but so they've got this thing where they don't lose at Portsmouth right and Portsmouth won a goal up against them and then in the 96th minute Charleston scored an equaliser it's not exactly a collected item in Portsmouth shit so it's not a massive surprise and then they all get very excited as of course you 96 minute equaliser you think we've got the point yeah and they start singing we never lose at Fratton Park we never lose at Fratton Park and Portsmouth basically scores straight from kickoff in the 98th minute to make it 2-1 to get a famous win in the dying embers of the game.

20:59And for me, the best part of the clip is seeing hundreds of Portsmouth fans running back up the exits trying to get them off the celebration. It's like, I'm not sure you should be eligible for that because you've sold the team out. You've left before the end. I know what you mean. But yeah, ultimately Portsmouth won and it was a much needed win. Lifted them out of the relegation. Nathan Jones was gutted and that's an excellent answer, man. Just gets sweeter and sweeter. Come on. Yeah. Oh dear. Crisps all round. Now thanks to Big Con who sent us that on the Discord. There are so many of those clips.

21:28I don't know how many of them have got out because if you're a Charlton fan you're filming that presumably you're just going to delete it. Silly song. A lot of those clips have flooded the internet. Almost as many clips as you endearing yourself to Arsenal fans. Or just being honest. Yeah. I think people know. Sucking up. I think people... Come on. Now, Manchester United won. Wolverhampton Wanderers won. They've got to the front of the checkout at Morrison's haven't they? And they've said hang on I've got a voucher for this delicious delicious chicken breast yeah normally it's two for three but your third one it's just 10 % off yeah it's expired it's expired how has this happened oh man Wolves got their third point of the season and their first under Rob Edwards it ended an 11 match losing run in the league 12 in all competitions quite an interesting symmetry to that with the Aston Villa thing a little bit yeah 11 games winning in a row ended 11 games losing in a row ended both from the Midlands I know where I'd rather be yeah I know where I'd rather be In the South East?

22:21Yeah. Probably, yeah. I thought this was a remarkable result. Come on. I have to say. Well, we said this, didn't we? We said. Could I whisper something very quickly? Please. I think. Oh, sorry. I found myself kind of thinking Wolves were fairly unlucky enough to win it. Yeah. I mean, they had chances. First half, they were better. They had more shots and the stats, you know, would back that up. I think, though, as the game goes on, I think Man United were the ones pushing, of course. maybe I just wanted to believe I was Fox Mulder I wanted to believe but we said didn't we that when we were we were particularly excited and enthused before Arsenal Villa we were saying this is a huge game I was really excited for the match but then I said ah but man United Wolves is also on at the same time so depending on what you like you can get a very very high quality football match where you can see potential kind of car crashing stuff yeah and I would ordinarily I felt I watched to me I went business over pleasure I watched Arsenal Villa because I had to and I would have preferred to have watched it yeah okay well you know yeah I mean if I think if Wolves had won we'd have been gutted if we hadn't watched it yeah because I was also watching the darts as well there's only a silly amount of screens in the house that's true I have to say for me the highlight of this was the absolutely shameless behaviour of Joshua Zerksi oh yeah who scores a goal with the old shooting yeah he scores a goal yeah he didn't even believe in it did he against possibly the worst Premier League team in history remains to be seen but could be the worst team in history he signed from Manchester United for the thick end of 40 million this is like I think his fifth Premier League goal in total oh yeah you're a gunslinger are you Joshua yeah great well done mate is that why Amarin brought him off at half time but yeah put your cap gun away and fucking let's get on with it yeah he should have been dragged straight away for that what do you think yeah it's ridiculous or made to play in the back three that would be a punishment wouldn't it What he should have done is gone, fucking thank God for that.

24:22Yep. Let's get on with the game. I'd love another one. It's the least I can do, given what I've put you all through. Well, I love the fact that Amarimi changes it to a back four against Newcastle. He changes it back and they win, yeah. Wolves are coming to town. Yeah. Better shore it up. Back five. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's better safe than sorry. Yeah. Oi, this should guarantee it leaves the point. Oi, thinking in his office before the game, would the fans at Old Trafford take a point now if you offered it to one? I don't know, they would. back three just ah like Karen Elmore was fuming as you can imagine yeah it's funny with that room isn't it because there was a few months because his team talk started off by saying security is not a dirty word yeah but no it was a couple of months ago when we were saying if you know he'll be gone in November was what the chat was because of that that thing in his contract that if he was sacked after a year and it was international break all that and another one of my takes didn't quite come to pass but there we go you live and learn No, but it was heading that way.

25:18And then, of course, they have a handful of better results. And suddenly they're like, bloody hell, they're up to sixth in the table. They're only a couple of points off the top four. And you think, oh. Which they still are, by the way. Which they still are. But as we know, the league table, for the most part of the season, is still a big fat liar. Yeah. And that is more evidence for that. But then when you see these things and fans being disgruntled and so on and so forth, you think, the feeling hasn't changed that much. On vibes, it's still poor. Very poor. Yeah. And people still, because some of the subs he made, people go, what are you doing that for?

25:51Like when he took Heaven off and he put on, what was the point of that? Now maybe there was a slight injury. But the fans just seem to be looking at some of the comments and stuff. But if you look at Amarim's subs generally, and we'll have to check this, but I'm fairly certain he changes his centre-backs during the game all the time. I've never seen a manager subs you off centre-backs so much. Yeah, I mean, just because they're sixth and on, you know, a couple of points away, I understand that if they were to finish fourth this season, it would be deemed a success, absolutely, compared to last season.

26:24But because of that, I mean, look at Chelsea and Maresca. They're still not sold on Maresca. They're fifth, by the way, and are playing Champions League football and won a couple of trophies last season. Okay, I know trophies that they wouldn't really be that fussed about normally. I think they were fussed about the club World Cup, weren't they? Yeah, but it's not your domestic trophies or the Champions League or even the Europa League. But what I'm saying is that just because Man United are there doesn't mean you say to those fans, well, shut up, what's the problem? You finished where last season?

26:53Look at you now. There still is, as you say, on the old vibes, it's still very, very low there. A win there would have put them in fourth position, of course, at the end of 2025. But there we are. Speaking of Amarim, though, Christian Eriksen did an interview with The Times this week where he spoke about some of Ruben Amarim's comments, including when he said that this Man United team was the worst in the club's history. That was brilliant. And Ericsson, you know, at times, was perhaps sort of squirming to stay like a, you know, professional and nice about it. And he said that, he said, Amarim was great to work with, but he said he was very honest and honest with me from the beginning.

27:35Very, very, very honest, I would say. I've never heard anybody say that he's very very very honest I don't think you appreciate how honest he was yeah I'm getting to the point that do you know what honesty means I've got a lot of insecurities off the back of that but I mean there is there is something to be said for on the face of it there is something to be said for a character a figure coming in after what's come on come along before Amrim and saying the bullshit's got to stop him you've got almost like a Gordon Ramsay type thing in Kitchen Nightmares you've got to stop fucking kidding yourself so I'm trying to make this saying it's never going to be be honest with yourself this is where we are and I think the language barrier given that Amarim always speak in English as a second language means it often comes across very forthright but Van Gaal was the same it's always the same when Van Gaal speaks I mean Ericsson also did say that some of these quotes going public and so on weren't really helpful for the team which is quite obvious I mean when you say the worst team in Man United's history that's publicly you have to be a little bit but Amarin was probably of the opinion that he's like I've tried everything else do you think he's a glutton for punishment because bearing in mind he nearly took the West Ham job he's quite emo he's very emo I've always thought that I think we've always said that I think he makes odd decisions I think he always looks like he's got you know like in the Charlie Brown cartoons when there's a cloud raining over an individual person oh you're going back a long time there he's like that he's definitely got that feel about he wasn't like that sporting was he I mean maybe he was a little bit he'd have a lovely time over there though he would do yeah Seafood's beautiful Weather's great Yeah There's no reason To be depressed in Lisbon Yeah I know what you mean Maybe he failed away Maybe he thought He was too happy Yeah He thought sod this I'm going to Manchester I mean If you don't beat Wolves at home You deserve everything you get I mean that is just The reality of it I would spare a thought For two things From this game Just before we move on One is the Jose Saar Save That was great Roy Carroll-esque He looked like he had he looked like he had no chance of getting there I couldn't believe he saved him yeah and there's actually a bit of room to spare as well yeah he's a brilliant brilliant save and then also special mention for Ladislav Krejci who scores the goal yeah who I think's actually been okay I think he's one of the ones who might get a move yeah well I mean again he might have had a second yeah Lemons made a brilliant save yeah he's made a bit of a difference since he's gone there yeah because he actually saves things well the best thing you can say about Lemons is he's no one talks about him now yeah exactly the goalkeeper in this year of the night.

30:03It was everywhere all the time. And he just seems to have quietened that just by being competent, which shows you it's all it took, really. So, yeah, he deserves credit for that. Yeah, for sure. Well done. Well done, Wolves. Well, at that club that Amarim nearly went to, West Ham, there was a draw there. They drew two all with Brighton. West Ham haven't won in eight matches. And you have to say, it's another big opportunity missed for West Ham. I mean, Brighton haven't won in, what, six? And West Ham, you know, they had home games against Fulham and Brighton and they picked up one point. One neither, yeah.

30:35Forrest lost last night, which was a good result for West Ham, of course. But I mean, again, when they lose, oh, yeah. In these matches, against Fulham, basketball matches are not quite the right description, but it was reasonably end-to-end. Yeah. And it was, despite it only being one goal in it, one goal scored, it was reasonably open and they had their chances and they didn't put any away. But this game again was similar. And I know that West Ham are all over the place, but when you play those two games and they only get a point, you know, they are away to Wolves next and then they have Forest at home next.

31:17They're massive. You have to, you know, you think about it. If you said to West Ham fans, right, all the crap that they've had this season, you go, right, Fulham at home, Brighton home, Wolves away, Forest at home. you're thinking you've got to get at least six points I'd say and maybe that even is slightly more conservative but you've got to get something just the one point so far those two games are huge their discipline's really bad and they can't stop conceding but the problem is they cannot stop conceding and we talked in a different context either earlier this week or late last week I can't remember about it probably would have been Monday actually after they lost to Fulham with the young lad making the mistake that was the game we were talking about last weekend yeah yeah and how none of the players went over to kind of console him.

32:04And there's reports coming out of West Ham that Nuno is quite distant. He's not formed bonds with any of the senior players. This is other people's reporting, not mine. So I don't know if it's true or not, but it is being reported by reputable sources. And the fact that they seem to have really poor discipline. I mean, look, what's Pacitar doing for that penalty? The second penalty. He's playing rugby. What are you doing? What are you doing? There's absolutely no need to do it. So stupid. It feels to me as a real lack of robust, clear thinking and concentration. And that, given that they keep sitting in goals as well, given that the games that you say they should be rightly targeted and they're just not picking up points, you've got to fear for them.

32:44You have to. Oh, you do. Because they've already kind of rolled the dice now. It's not really realistic to suggest they're going to lose Nuno now. And that's going to change anything. Well, I think he'll be there for another couple of months. And if nothing has improved, they'll have to change. They'll just have to. I don't know if they will and I don't know if that would change anything. He's not going to stick around in the championship so it's not like one of those ones where like with Wolves may stick with Rob Edwards because he knows how to get out of the championship or something like that.

33:10And the other thing I would just say is like whether or not Nuno has been able to endear himself to the players and built up a bond or whatever maybe he has, maybe he hasn't. But you know, taking off Callum Wilson with half hour left is mad. I mean that is a mad thing to do. You heard the boos. Yeah, rightly so. Yeah, because that is one of those ones where... Producer George said he was there last night. He said he almost ripped his seat up. Again? Yeah, I know, exactly. I said, we're in Rome. He said, I ripped my seat up. I couldn't throw it anywhere near the pitch.

33:43Yeah. Oh, dear. But, I mean, you can understand the frustration, right? Because totally. The other thing about it is that they... He's good for a goal, Wilson. I know he's injuries and he's... But they target this game. He's a proper striker. you need someone to stick the ball in the back of the bleeding net. They go a goal up, right? And then they give away two penalties. Pakatar contributes a goal and an assist. But he's essentially like a rogue agent, like from Colonel Kurtz, disappearing down the Mekong, doing whatever he wants in the middle of a war. He occasionally does some good stuff, but he's mad.

34:15And Kurtz doing anything good? And they end up... Well, I guess not. It's probably a shit analogy, to be honest. That's all right. But my point being that they can't get out of their own way even when they do score goals is what I'm saying. They were one up and two one up against Villa. Yeah. And still... Oh, you wouldn't trust them with a lead. I mean, I suppose the fact is that they are playing a better side, although a side who haven't won for a little while themselves. And with half an hour to go, they didn't concede a third if I'm really trying to be generous. Brighton battered them towards the end.

34:45Based on what I saw, Brighton were smashing the door down the way. But right now, West Ham are going down. Right. I mean, it's interesting there. Again, they're preparing preparing a bid for Jorgen Strader-Larsen, why on earth would you... It's not going to do anything. Why would you go there? And also, it's not going to do anything. Well, it might do a little something, but from Strader-Larsen's point of view, why would you go there? I would find that a very, very strange move indeed. Well, because you're basically leaving a sinking ship for another ship that's taking on water but might not sink.

35:14Yeah, but Strader-Larsen, he could go. If you think about sides who could do with a striker, who would fancy that, you know, you might say Bright might be interested Fulham if they're not they should be I know Newcastle obviously they've got their strikers now but Flippin' Man United would be better having Strand-Larsen up front do you know what I mean this is the thing I find the chat around Jürgen Strand-Larsen quite confusing anyway yeah but I think he's shown that he can that he's shown a bit in the Premier League has he? and strikers yeah I mean last season last season so he's basically one season where he scored a decent amount of goals double figure goals he's not really done that at any top level I suppose yeah maybe in Spain he did okay yeah but the fact is that strikers are at a premium aren't they yeah I guess but I think Strelaston there's a player in there and he will have suitors I'd love him at Fulham oh quickly Danny Welbeck scored a penalty then he penagled one off the bar what was that about I think it's just I've got one under my belt I'll have a bit of fun with the second one was it disrespectful because it seemed unless I'm missing something it seemed like the West Ham players were annoyed that there was like a lack of respect doing a penalty I thought it was because he handballed it and tried to get away with it Do you think that's what it was?

36:22It was confusing. It was a bit confusing. The whole passage of play was confusing but I think to answer your original question Welbeck's like, I've done my bit. This one's for me. Yeah. I'll have a bit of fun with this one. Hey look, Zenedine Zedan and I, we both penankered them off the bar. Yeah. I don't think he was thinking that. No. I would say though, if you want to talk about penalties more broadly, I would say that the way Pakitar took his penalty and the way this is going is ridiculous. I think that we're going to start seeing at some point, we're going to start seeing referees pull players up.

36:50Well, I still think the stuttery run-up, I think it's bollocks. So the whole point is, the whole rule at the moment is that as long as you've got a full momentum, it's legal. But I mean, he's pushing the very limit with that penalty. He is. I know other players do it. I'm not picking on him individually. But it's getting to the point now where it's pushing the very limit. Yeah, I agree. I think you should have to, I think you should have a speedometer and you have to move at a certain speed. Like Keanu Reeves' movie Speed. Yeah, if you like. Dennis Hopper's there. Why don't anybody die if you don't do it?

37:19I think that would be a little bad news. I think it would stop it happening. So the referee has to put a tag around the penalty taker's neck and go, right, if you... It's like that Jason Statham movie, Crank. If you don't take this penalty properly, your team are down to 10 men. Permanently. Anyway, that took a strange twist. It did. Forrest lost 2-0 to an injury hit Everton at home. Great win for Everton, that. James Garner had a blinder. He did. He didn't celebrate his goal. But he didn't apologise and I don't mind that. He was neutral. He looked quite angry, actually. Well, he wasn't neutral.

37:47He was clearly on Everton's team. No, but the celebration was neutral. well okay it wasn't a I hate that I've scored and it wasn't I love I'd scored although I think he secretly did love that he'd scored well obviously yeah so yeah bad speaking of players that would improve Man United former Man United player James Gunner great win for Everton they're up to 8th knocking on the door of Europe as every other team in the league other than Wolves is well there's like 5 points separating 5th and that was a much needed win for Everton because again Burnley they battered Burnley but they didn't manage to score so that was a poor result for them but this one but just quickly I keep saying and I think a few people keep saying Forest will be okay because guys are there Yeah you keep saying it and I keep saying you're talking out your ass Oh right I think First time you've said that to my face Well you start pressing the buttons and I got angry No I think that they're sleepwalking and I think people again They're relying on West Ham being crap It's this whole chat about it happens all the time and I say it over and over again and I apologise if it's boring but what happens when you're covering football is that people just the group think just decides that teams are fine or players are good.

38:50You want stuff wrapped up in a neat little package. Yeah, and I think the evidence doesn't show that they're actually that good. I think the evidence shows that they had a handful of good results in the first five or six games when Dyche came in, starting off with that game against Porto in Europa, which was a big game for them. They won it well. And they had, they rocked up at Anfield and smashed Liverpool when Liverpool were in right old state. They played Leeds at quite a nice time as well. They narrowly got past Wolves. and then Spurs did a Spurs thing. Yeah, of course. But since then, it's been poor.

39:23Yeah. And, you know, they've got Villa away, West Ham away, you've got Arsenal coming up. They're four points off relegation. West Ham away is a huge game. Massive. We're talking about it for West Ham. Luckily, West Ham are totally shit as well. But the thing is, though, the reason why I think that they will ultimately be okay, even if they finish 17th, and it's also the reason, I've said it before and I'll say it again, why I don't think he'll be there come the summer, is because the way that that team could equip themselves is they can do all the pressing and the running and all that basic stuff.

39:50And that basic stuff will be enough to get the better of Wolves and Burnley. And right now, it will be enough to get the better of West Ham. Because when they play West Ham, they may not create that much, but they will hurry them and they'll make mistakes. Look at the amount of quality players Forrest have got, particularly going forward. Which is why he won't be there come the summer. They are rubbing along under a goal again. Of course. He has surgically removed all the goals from that team. The only reason they're not the lowest scorers in the league is because of Wolves. Honestly, But you take my point about this, that he'll probably be there until the summer, then they'll change.

40:25Yeah, probably. Maybe. I think Dyche is a proper charlatan. I think he's dreadful. I think he's done one good job at Burnley his whole managerial career. Everton, he did all right considering, because they could have gone down. But he did what he's doing now. They couldn't score. He was in press conferences saying, there's probably loads of managers out here that could get this team scoring goals. I can't do it. I'm paraphrasing. But that's basically what he's saying. At least he's very, very, very, very honest, though. Exactly. Yeah. Oh, did you see that Nottingham Forest have made a formal complaint to the Pugmol over referee Rob Jones' performance in their game against Man City?

40:58Yeah. What's Klattenburg doing? He's refereeing gladiators. Can we get Klats to write the letter? Oh, he's on the fucking telly again. All right, we'll do it ourselves. Yeah. He was pissed off about, they're pissed off about the Man City game, aren't they? Pugmol ready. I think that this, I mean, this kind of... One of the decisions was they thought Gibbs White was fouled in the... Dice went on a big rant after the City game saying that he wasn't happy with the amount of calls that went against him and he wasn't happy about the penalty against Fulham as well. Which was a pen. What is he talking about?

41:34Yeah. Absolute penalty. Because even one of the decisions he was annoyed about, Wayne Rooney, former Man United player, was a bit like, if anything, Gibbs White is fouled. Was it O 'Reilly? I forget who it was. Yeah. I think it's a bit of a distraction thing, isn't it? I think this kind of stuff stems from the top. Evangelos Maranakis is a very strange character. He clearly has the most main character energy of any bloke in football. And any time things don't go his way, he doesn't like it. And I think he's by no means the only super wealthy person that thinks that way. But it tends to infect the football club he owns.

42:08And I think that shit comes from the top, basically. I think they're embarrassing themselves. Can you imagine a scenario that you could say on Mike where Maranakis is happy or cheerful? I don't think I can. I can say on Mike? Yeah. No. Right, okay. But I do think there's, you know, it has been proven, I think, a number of years ago now, I think, that there is almost like an unconscious bias in certain directions when it comes to refereeing for matches around big clubs and home teams and the rest of it. look, my advice to Forrest would be pick your moments because there's nothing in any of those things we've seen that warrants this response.

42:47I mean, teams do get off the back of bad ones, you know, particularly before VAR. You look at some of the shocking decisions we've had in the Premier League over the years, you know, the aforementioned Roy Carroll Spurs Man United thing. Yeah. You know, that kind of stuff. This stuff does go on. Yeah. Josh King's goal at Stamford Bridge this season. Well, there you go. I would say that's a much more worthy of complaint situation than anything that's happened to Forrest in the last couple of weeks. It is. I agree with you. Yeah, so it's distraction. Four more complaints to Pugma about refereeing the seat.

43:17Fuck off. Coming up after this, a very surprising transfer.

43:33Welcome back to Football Rumble, everybody. Right, tomorrow night, we've got some more Premier League games it's the Tommy Frank Derby Brentford versus Spurs at 8pm and Brennan Johnson looks like he won't be involved he looks set to leave Spurs for Crystal Palace the fee is approaching 35 million apparently he's still weighing up his options and there are a few clubs in for him as you can imagine but I mean it would be Spurs' fourth biggest ever sale if it does go through are you surprised at this but he hasn't featured that much under Frank I was about to say was he likely to have been involved from the start anyway had he not been subject of transfer speculation?

44:06Possibly not. Are they trying to purge anybody who did anything of note for that Europa League final win? Maybe. Get rid of Ange, get rid of Van de Van. You can stay for now until you want to go. What is surprising is that obviously they've got a lot of injuries. You think losing another player would be careless. But he should be starting for a Premier League side, you would think. I think he's a poor player, personally. He should be starting for a side. Yeah. Yeah. I'd get bored with that. No, I think technically, I think he's really quick. He's got a habit of, you know, popping up in the right spot to score goals.

44:42I think he's not a bad finisher. But if he has a habit, of which he does, of popping up in space and scoring, that is something that definitely at least a lower half Premier League side could use. I mean, he was Spurs' top scorer last season, wasn't he? Yeah. He got 11 Premier League goals last season. He's got 80 in all competitions. Maybe he is an improving player. Maybe he is someone who's going to go and do well. I know everyone was excited about him. he had that amazing season in the Championship before us were promoted he didn't do badly in their first season back in the Premier League either you have to say that but I think when you're talking about top level players he's not one of them and I think the reason that Spurs are letting him move on is testament to that I think the transfer fees he's you know he's kind of warranted it's a bit tricky because the inflation is massive and it depends on the situation and it's not that much to read into transfer fees per se but they are huge for a player of his quality I mean I don't think he's I mean this may say more about what Palace need than anything else but I mean the thick end of 40 million for Brendan Johnson is a lot of money for a technically quite flawed player in my view but he signed for Spurs under Postacoglu so it was a particular time but obviously in that first season Postacoglu did you know alright with Spurs he's still a young player 24 years old I just think I wonder if he did go to Palace playing in a proper system under a manager who knows how to get a tune a very fine tune out of players that he you know Glazer will drill him pretty well.

46:06That would be somewhere where he could potentially flourish. Yeah, those are all entirely fair points. They're all entirely fair viewpoints. I'm only going on what I think when I see, and I've seen it when I watch him, and I've seen him play a lot of times. He gives the ball away a lot. His passing's not very good. There's a lot of obvious flaws in this game you can see when you watch him play. And that doesn't mean that a manager can't get a tune out of him. It may well be that he goes to Palace, he plays every single week in a completely different environment in a different system where the scrutiny is not as high and he's really good again because there's been like a load of examples of players who are really really good at middling teams and then when they go to big teams they find it hard I suppose it is a bit of a bad house as well yeah I don't think it's that dissimilar to Dan James okay I see what you're saying to get him in at Leeds Dan James goes to Man United in his basic I mean he had that amazing first month at Man United where I think he was player of the month he couldn't stop scoring and after that it was diminishing returns he was just nowhere near the quality I just don't think Johnson has got the quality of a very top level player well let's hope Craig Bellamy can get the best congratulations to him on this move yeah maybe he'll be playing at the World Cup next year yeah I don't think so oh that would be a shame well tomorrow night Thomas Frank takes his Spurs team to Brentford for the first time.

47:32Yeah, they're below Brentford in the table as well which is kind of mad. Do you think the Brentford fans might remind him of that? Possibly. I think also but we know for a fact that Spurs are the best away team in the Premier League don't we? On form. Yeah, it's mad. It's absolutely insane how it's gone. I mean, they're only a point behind Brentford but there are a few places of course. Brentford will be rubbing their hands together. Well, I have absolutely no inkling at all at the start of the season that Brentford at this point at the halfway stage effectively would be in the top half of the Premier League.

48:01I mean, that's wild. You're absolutely right to say all that because Brentford, when they lose the manager and they lose Wisser and one or two others, you think, that's a sinking ship. They're in real trouble. And you would imagine... They lost so many plays. So many goals. Even the goalkeeper. No, I thought Kelleher was a good signing. You know, it's a proper goalkeeper. They got in there. Yeah. And Henderson coming in as well. You think, well, at his age, has he still got it? Well, he's proved that he can still play in the Premier League. Thiago has been brilliant, but we didn't know much about him, of course, going in.

48:29you could have been forgiven as one of those Brentford players for thinking we're going to struggle this season. And you're going into the season slightly demoralised, you could say, with a new manager, totally untested at this level. It's been very impressive and you have to say it's probably testament to the way the club has run that they've managed to do all this. Yeah, I think that's probably fair. What adds another interesting kind of aspect to this game is that Brentford go to Spurs earlier in the season and it's happy hunting ground for anyone who turns up there and they just don't turn up.

49:00They get beaten fairly easily. They've got beaten 2-0 and it's one of the bright spots in the home form of Spurs this season. So that adds like another dimension to it. But Spurs are, you know, for all their faults, of which there are many, and for all the limitations that Frank seems to have, they're good away from home. I know that the away game they recently won was the first one they won in a while, but they are still top of the form table away from home in the Premier League. So, you know, who knows? but to me it feels like Frank is struggling to adjust to a big club. Because I just think that you can't really set up the way he used to set Brentford up at Spurs, particularly at home.

49:44Yeah, the home games are the ones. And the players, I've been to Spurs a few times this season, and the players a lot of time look confused. Now, I know they've got injuries. I know they have players missing, but I cannot tell you the last time Spurs didn't have that. It's been years, really. there's something going on there they need some kind of curse lifted or they need to completely rip up and start again their strength condition in their physio department because their players are always injured I don't know why and that's cycled through loads of different types of managers as well because when it happened under Ange oh he's training them too hard well it's still happening but it's still happening before that do you think they need Barry Fry to have a piss at all four quarters try it just try it sold to the fat bastard in the blue blazer I'd love a bit of that ringing out of Spurs.

50:28Yeah. It'd be great. Pissed on by the fat Marson and the blue blazer. He says to every corner flag. Speaking of football executives. Oh yeah. Departed, recently departed Daniel Levy got honoured in the New Year's on his list didn't he this year? Yeah. He's still alive. Departed from Spurs though. Yeah okay. Why do you want to clarify? He's dead to a lot of Spurs fans. Come on baby. A lot of them might have even said that. He's dead to me. Why am I constantly overlooked in the New Year's on his list? How long have you got? How long have you got yeah you'd be pleased for me to become a knight in the realms I'd be confused yeah I'd be very confused they're just handing them out then I would start thinking can he find a way of becoming more pompous when they say they're just handing them out wherever they are I'm going to the wrong places you are yeah they're not handing them out I don't know now you mentioned the darts earlier Luke Moore did you see that Mickey van der Ven was in the crowd the Dutch lads love it I like this it's so popular in Holland darts it is it is so many players over the years being at Ali Pali watching it is that because of your bald man what's his name who's the Michael Van Gogh there's loads of Dutch players no but he particularly Van Gogh got knocked out last night oh that's a shame is it fair to say that he's very very very very very honest oh yeah yeah but Dutch players are brilliant that's the thing it's the sport of things the interviews are amazing the interviews are off the scale good yeah what did he say about he's got a big rivalry with another Dutch player called Peter Wright right Snakebite Wright who paints his head with snakes on it.

51:56I know the guy. You know the guy you mean, yeah. And he said, because Peter Wright got knocked out and Michael Van Gogh was asked about it because he's got a bit of a rivalry with him. And Michael Van Gogh, he said, were you surprised that Peter Wright was knocked out? I love it. It's easy for the journalist. Yeah. Because in football, you kind of, they go, don't try and get a quote out of the Middards. I'll give you a quote. Just tee it up. Just tee it up. Absolutely, yeah. Michael Van Gogh was so old. I was hoping you were going to ask about him. I'm not surprised he's knocked out. He's been playing like shit and I think he should retire.

52:24Imagine that in football. Oh, mate, it would be so good. The other day... Jose Mourinho's got to get into the darts, hasn't he? The other day, another player he went through in the... Alexander plays for the first time. Yeah. And they said, oh, you must be really pleased to get through to the last 16 or whatever on your debut. How have you felt the pressure? And he said, not really, because none of the crowd are watching. They're all just getting pissed. Yeah, didn't he say at Lakeside, he went, if you go there... They're all watching. They're watching. now much more nervous there Superb Imagine if Declan Rice said that about Arsenal fans no they're not watching the game it's fine there's never any pressure or Charlton fans or Charlton fans yeah probably be true with Charlton fans that's right yeah well stuck into their walkers aren't they much like us the darts players are entertaining the crowd at Ali Pali we weren't in the main room there was an Azed Altmaier player there as well dressed as Sean the Sheep as well that was good great to see yeah 19 year old Keyes Smith yeah getting involved I'm pretty sure I remember back in the day at the height of his ability and fame Robin Van Persie like sitting in the front row at the darts.

53:17That rings a bell. James Madison was there the other night as well? Yeah, obviously. Yeah, of course he was. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, obviously. Got an ACL. Keith Smith is being linked with Man United, by the way. Of course he is. Yeah. Yeah. Any agent worth his salt is linking a player with Man United. As long as he's wearing that Shaun the Sheep outfit when he signs for them. That'd be great. It'd be fitting. Should we end with an email? Oh, go on. Daniel's been in touch. Go on, Danny. And this is an email that probably not quite, I mean, I guess the producers have decided this is not quite the quality of email we'd use on the mailbag so we'll do it on here instead.

53:47Daniel says, over the last few years I've been going to a pub in rural Cheshire on New Year's Eve called the Dog Over Peaver. Oh. I first did this in 2021 and Jordan Pickford was there with his family. Oh, go on. I mean, obviously he wants a rave for New Year's Eve. With his family. It's the start of a pattern as well because apparently according to Daniel the next time he went back was in 2023. Yeah. And he saw Steve Bruce. Oh, Brucey. He'd recently moved back to the area I assume before he took the back pull job. He says, unfortunately, I wasn't able to speak to either since as a Geordie, I have nothing positive to say to T-Rex Arms or the bacon man.

54:26I'm the bacon boy. Yeah, you're the bacon boy. Steve Bruce is your bacon dad. The bacon man. He says, I went again last year but there were no football figures in attendance which clearly leads to the conclusion this only occurs on odd years. Well, it seems to be the only case, yeah. So which North West-based football player slash manager might I see this year? And which footballer would you most like to spend New Year's Eve with? I'm backing Michael Owen for the first, but definitely not the second, since I assume he lives in the North West and I fucking hate him. Oh dear. Poor little Michael.

54:59Should we discuss who we'd like to spend New Year's Eve with on Ramel Uncut? Yeah, that'd be nice. I don't think it would even register if Michael Owen walked into the pub on New Year's Eve. And I think Michael Owen thinks he's probably above hanging out with the normals. do you think yeah I think so I don't think he'd have a great time there I don't think he probably doesn't drink he probably wouldn't have a night he wouldn't be involved I think if you saw Michael Owen it'd be very surprising in a normal pub it'd be very surprising yeah I understand or if he was he'd be probably playing pool and cleaning up yeah or throwing apple cores into a bin or something like that something like that we can definitely discuss who we'd like to spend New Year's Eve with from the football world on Uncut I'm up for that well let's do that thank you very much for listening to the Football Ramble part of the Acast Creator Network how is that show an hour by the way we've been talking for an hour yeah fuck you now sorry about that no short shrift on this show the longest of shrifts only probably something to do with this I think Arsenal are rapidly running out of steam they still might be you don't know that's the thing alright well we'll keep that it's halfway through the season we'll keep that on the sandbox then at no point you're in the London Marathon are you watching the leaders and going they're definitely going to win now because they're leading at the halfway stage alright I'm just saying alright let's keep that on there for our friends of the Ramble the party doesn't stop because you have our final Ramble Uncut of 2025 coming up right now and if you're not a friend of the Ramble then head over to painedriff.com forward slash football Ramble to sign up now and get on that 15 % discount there we are everybody that's it see you later we'll be back in the new year thanks for your support through 2025 we bloody love you and all the best for 2026 we look forward to seeing you then definitely thank you Luke Moore thank you very much thank you the late of an hour

56:46The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.