Dutchmen in crisis

0:00I tell myself, it's not about comparing. But then I start wondering, what can they lift? Are they adding more weight to their barbell than I am? And suddenly, I'm not training. Then I realize, my journey is not theirs. I've earned every step. So I smile. My smile is the shape resilience takes to keep me moving. To put more smiles out into the world, Colgate has supported female athletes for over 50 years with the Colgate Women's Games, the nation's longest-running indoor track and field series for girls and women. Colgate, your smile is your strength. You know what's wild? Most people are still overpaying for car insurance

0:33Jim Campbell: just because it's a pain to switch. That's why there's Jerry. Jerry's the only app that compares rates from over 50 insurers in minutes and helps you switch fast with no spam calls or hidden fees. Drivers who save with Jerry could save over$1 ,300 a year. Before you renew your car insurance policy, do yourself a favor. Download the Jerry app or head to jerry.ai slash ACAST. When you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters. But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays.

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1:49Did the car have a sunroof? It did, actually. Okay. Good story. Car buying you'll want to tell stories about. Buy your car today on... Carvana. Delivery fees may apply. Hi, this is Mark Bittman from the podcast Food with Mark Bittman. Spring means literally to burst forth, to grow, and that's what we're talking about both in our kitchens and at Whole Foods Market. Freshness and seasonality is what's happening at Whole Foods Market right now. With the season's first new potatoes, spring onions, artichokes, favas, snap peas, radishes, spinach, and other spring greens, and more. Enjoy the fresh flavors of spring and save at Whole Foods Market.

2:54at quo.com slash business. That's quo.com slash business. Bursting forth in glorious day, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble. Man City thrashed Liverpool and Southampton calls the Cupshead. It's Monday, 6th of April. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Troops. And I'm Theatre College.

3:26Hello, everybody. What a Monday we've got for you. It's a bank holiday Monday, and Jim Campbell is already on the banter. Explain that comment. No, it's just how I'm feeling. Yeah. Guided, mate. Our troops. Yeah. We'll go that far.

3:42Jim Campbell: We'll go that far. It's not been a great weekend for old Jimmy. Although I can recognise it has objectively been a great set of FA Cup quarterfinals. That had a bit of everything, didn't it? There was a thrashing, there was a late drama, a cup set. In fact, there were two thrashings. I'm forgetting that 7-0, despite them being a league onside, is a thrashing. I'd probably go as far as to say that was a goal fest. And also the thrashing of one big team of another is quite a rare thing as well. So there was a lot going on. There was a lot going on. Where to begin? We have to begin with a stunning result on the South Coast.

4:16Southampton 2, Arsenal 1. 50 years after winning the FA Cup Southampton are on the verge apparently so I tell you what it makes me feel better as a Fulham fan very frustrated I was that Southampton knocked out Fulham and I think to myself actually maybe it wasn't all that bad because if Southampton go on to win it which I think they will now based on what I've seen at least we'll have all been beaten by the winners and so on and so forth it's the first time Arsenal have lost back-to-back games all season and the quadruple has been gone for a while the treble is now in tatters. The important thing for Arsenal is the most important two trophies are still left on the table to play for, Jim.

4:56But what were your thoughts before, during and after this game?

5:00Jim Campbell: So I was at a friend's birthday party, sat in a seat in a pub where I'd previously seen us lose to Newcastle and also lose the Europa League final to Chelsea. So I wasn't happy about where I was. And I hold my hands up and take some responsibility for the result for being in that seat. But the circumstances kind of required me to be there. So I was nervous about that. And it was one of those things because a lot was going on. I was kind of like, okay, I'm just going to concentrate on the things around me to sort of ignore the gravity of what's happening here. But it was an extremely frustrating performance from Arsenal.

5:33Jim Campbell: Obviously, Southampton were very, very good in how they attacked Arsenal, which was quite simple, really, wasn't it? It was counterattacks and long balls. It was similar to what they did against Fulham. Yeah, just be direct and be committed and believe in what you're doing, essentially. There was a lot of long balls and the confidence that I'll win the second balls and with no rice there was a particular gap and there wasn't somebody scurrying in to get those scoop up those second balls and so I'm going to win every single one. Massively so I think a big factor of that as well was something that's been kind of a big thing in the Arsenal fan base for a while given how many miles Martin Zubemmendi has on the clock and how that started to affect his performances because he just looks very tired was well how come Christian Norgard isn't playing more surely he's handy and I think this is possibly a demonstration of why that is because I thought he had a poor game he was kind of overrun in that situation perhaps a player like him coming in at 31 he's used to playing every week finds it difficult to kind of be at their best level when they're barely playing but I mean that's not to take anything away from Southampton because they set the agenda in the game they dominated it really in the moments that actually mattered despite Arsenal having a lot more kind of shots and possession and all those other metrics that become irrelevant when you lose and Arsenal just they made a lot of mistakes and there's a sense for me that it has to be a mental thing.

6:50Jim Campbell: It comes from a lack of mental composure. It comes from a lack of focus to be making lots of mistakes that they got away with as well, not just from the goals. It was a kind of feature of the day and it's a massive concern because, you know, if they're going to throw everything away again, this is what that looks like. There's no shying away from that. How much does he keep it back in goal though? Yeah, I mean, he wasn't at fault for either goal so that's something. Made a good save later on. The bar's that low already. Incredible. yeah I mean I think I would agree with you there Jim what about Southampton though David I mean you've talked a bit about their sort of set up and what not but again I'm sure everyone other than myself and full of fans have forgotten the previous round but they were excellent when they went to Craven Cottage they were I mean it was incredible how they didn't win by more there because the amount of chances they created against Arsenal they were never going to create as much really far a better side but they took their chances and again what they did they were phenomenally effective they took their chances and they were extremely positive and the latter thing is really really important and just saying before we came on the show at the gym I think a lot of teams play Arsenal whether it be home or away and are very very negative and they face them in a negative manner and happy to sit back and just say Arsenal ground and pound us down sort of thing and Arsenal a lot of the time end up doing that but Southampton came with a different mentality.

8:14Skienza wasn't having any of that. Yeah, Salam with a different mentality. They probably looked at the team sheet and said, oh, there's, you know, Rice is not there. There's a few big names not there. Let's have a go at them. Let's at least pose a question, which you've got to do. You can't just sit back on teams all the time. And they've got a just reward, I thought. Yeah. Ross Stewart up front, work in the back line. And at the back as well, Sam Hampton, you know, bodies on the line, you know, James Breen, Taylor Harwood, in particular were excellent. although you could go through the whole team which nobody wants me to do right now but you've got to mention some of those names.

8:48But they look like a cohesive unit and Eckhart is obviously covered and he's done very well. Done really good. For this stage of the season as well just taking to the championship for a second they're in a nice little bit of momentum and this will only boost them further I think and they're one of the teams you'll look on to kick on down the stretch of that season as well. Yeah, you would think. But when they came forward and again played those kind of effective passes shall we call them because I don't say long balls you know there was a bit more craft about that I suppose it always it never seems to amaze me how tactics sort of come and go and we have seen people teams going back to some of the old tropes like the long throw and making most of set pieces and you know we used to laugh years ago on this show we used to go oh it was an English goal when you scored a header from a corner you know you go back years and years you know We used to joke about that kind of thing.

9:43And I know that's not where Southampton's goals came from, but we are now, and this has been the case for more than just this season, reverting back to these types of diagonal passes and getting the ball forward quickly. Teams, when players are brought up through academies and so on, they're taught to play in a certain style. Sometimes when it happens, you think, how are you not just dealing with that? It's the basics. But years ago, you were dealt to deal with the basics because that's what people would do. Whereas I don't think you do now. Is that what you're saying? Indeed, yeah. It seems so silly, but I'm looking at this Arsenal side thinking, well, okay, they were on for a quadruple.

10:23Right, okay, you can be beaten in a final by Man City, Pep Guardiola's Man City. That can happen, right? I understand that you go back, Guardiola's Man City were beaten by Wigan when they were on for a quadruple. You know, like Ferguson's Man United, you know, drew 0-0 at home with Exeter City in FA Cup. You get these kinds of performances and results. But again, the manner of this, I'm just looking at this going, how is this side on the verge of a Premier League title and potentially Champions League glory? I understand there's a few rounds to go and so on. It just seemed quite basic. That's the word I keep coming back to.

10:58Jim Campbell: Yeah, although oddly, in one regard, certainly looking at the attacking set up that Arsenal had, they've played worse than this and won games this season. That's part of the odd thing about it. There have been games where they look sort of bereft of ideas in terms of creativity. This wasn't really like that. They just didn't take the chances that they kind of crafted for themselves with any sort of particular ruthlessness or efficiency. I thought Martin Odegaard had a good game coming back into the side after a long time, played for an hour. Max Daumann, I'm sure we'll come on to separately, had a really, really good game as well.

11:28Jim Campbell: So there are elements of that. But I think, again, I think there's some sort of mental fatigue. There is some sort of mental block, perhaps, that means I'll come back to it again it's a loss of focus both goals are a version of that I mean the second one in particular the six players sort of bunching like school kids do yeah exactly run towards the ball rather than the options that people have for the ball the ball's not going to score on its own and that was again that's a bit of panic right it's got to be which I do find crazy because again you know everything I just said about where they are and we all know where they are in the Premier League, to start doing this, you compare it to the first part, if you like, of the season.

12:15Arsenal were ruthless, you know, the way they were going about the business. It simply has to be a mental thing. Because I know they've had a few injuries and so on, but so has everybody else. And I agree with you. I mean, to highlight one player in particular who, to be fair, he's had his injuries and he hasn't been there, but Ben White had a poor match. He did. I think he's played his way out of any kind of World Cup talk. Oh, for sure.

12:35Jim Campbell: Sure, but I also think he's playing himself down the pecking order at Arsenal at this point. Now, you know, Arteta has in the past spoken a lot about standards and I think a couple of players, him and Myles Lewis-Skelly as well, had a very poor game. Christian Norgard is probably in this conversation as well. They've really kind of played themselves, as I say, down the pecking order, I think. Christian Mosquero, who also had a kind of difficult afternoon or difficult night, but probably has a bit more leeway because it's his first season in England. I was going to say, he's younger as well. You'd expect from your more senior players for their heads not to drop straight away.

13:11There's almost a sense of when the goal gets a little bit tough, the heads kind of drop and they go down. And I think that's what Arteta means about standards. Not even just quality. Standards in terms of consistency and just levels to keep winning and winning all the time.

13:24Jim Campbell: But what I was going to say was I think that Christian Mosqueira has sometimes been used as a right back. I think he comes in over Ben White now as the option if Timber's not there. and I think possibly Madueke comes in as an option over Martinelli on the left now because Martinelli had another frustrating game. There's been a lot of them and if you're going to talk about standards, there has to be consequences if you put in performances like that, particularly against a championship club as good as they were. It is inexcusable. Well, Martinelli is one that I was watching and I echo your thoughts there that again, it's the, you know, at times he beat his man, at times, you know, but it's that final decision making.

13:58It's the lack of, it's the bluntness really and that goes, that's a mentality thing as you say I understand some players are tired and and so on and so forth but my goodness you know what's happened to him this season he's not a kid anymore Martinelli so like when he first arrives from Brazil you can make excuses and say he's going to have that he's trying things he knows he needs to get up the level but he's been in the Premier League a few years now he's been at Arsenal a few years and he's one of those you'd look at sometimes and go has he really kicked on massively as a player

14:25Jim Campbell: no he's plateaued massively there was a point earlier in the season very early on in the season where he was someone whose position at the club was considered under threat because of the players that had come in and he responded pretty well to that. He scored against Man City, scored some goals off the bench in Europe. It's like, okay, he's doing it. He's digging in and he's fighting for that place. That feels like a lifetime ago now. Yeah, but the one Arsenal player you think did offer a bit of creativity and flair. You mentioned him earlier. He's Max Dailman. Yeah. And it's madness to think, but do Arsenal now in this very, very important, the business end of the business end of the season they might have to turn to a 16 year old I absolutely would by the way yeah I would as well I mean it happened against Everton of course I think the fear and the nerve and the twitchiness he doesn't have it he's no idea exactly and it's got to a lot of the other players and they're second guessing everything and I think and look our system we all know about I think it's very much safety first it is risk averse he doesn't want to make mistakes and if you keep saying to a player don't make mistakes they will make mistakes because they're scared where to pass the ball and Dowman won't have that.

15:31He's playing with that flair, youthful exuberance and such. I absolutely would, with hopefully not putting too much pressure on the England, I absolutely would want to see him in there. But he's full of it and he wants it. And look, I didn't say this last week, but get him on the plane.

15:47Jim Campbell: His performance though, I've seen a lot of the analysis of Max Dowman's performance has been in the context of why is a 16-year-old the best player on the pitch. And I think it does actually take away a little bit from quite how good he was seeing him play that you know that many minutes was really something the quickness of thought he has to just sort of like put a defender on the wrong foot and then kind of you know carry it a bit further and then do it again if the defender's caught up with him he's got such a quick football brain and it is a really quite amazing thing to witness and he was close obviously Peretz who was excellent in goal for Southampton makes a great save from him you know that goes in they get out of there with a 2-1 loss but still the feeling of the performance and the individual performance is there.

16:30But Southampton themselves, David, you said they were in a great run of form. You're right. I mean, they are the form team in the Championship at the moment. I mean, even Coventry themselves have lost in their last six games. And looking at it, just very, very briefly turning our attention to the Championship, if I may, they're seventh. They're a point off the playoffs. They've got a game in hand in every side other than Ipswich above them. You know, with the form they're in, I mean, I understand this is, the Championship is a funny old beast. It's crazy. Yeah, right enough. If there are games to play, there are twists and turns.

17:07It is not outrageous to think, maybe it is in Championship terms. Could they, if they carry this on, maybe even get automatic promotion? I don't know. They have the mighty Millwall in second now. Which is something else, isn't it? I was going to say, yeah. Is the Premier League ready for Millwall? Will the Premier League ever be ready for Millwall? I don't think I don't think Millwall's ready I don't think it goes both ways yeah exactly it's one of those but they were they were great against Middlesbrough like really good to see their chances they did incredible anyway all the way back to the FA Cup so Southampton they have been rewarded with a tie against Manchester City in the semi-final but it's always one of those things isn't it when people start talking about it's 50 years since they won it and as the great Jonathan Wilson says well in football fate and inevitability doesn't exist until it does.

17:57Yeah, sure. And I was hoping that they were going to get one of the other Premier League sides because that is the hope. Because basically you can almost roll out the same kind of tactics. Teams will be much more aware of them of what they did to Arsenal. You know, again, if you win at Craven Cottage with an understrength Fulham side, even if it was full strength, that's kind of like, oh, well, there we go. Arsenal, I don't think... My guess would be they didn't look at that enough. Whatever it is, we've talked about it. but what you have to say that again the style of what they did against Fulham but more notably Arsenal of course they should be able to do that against Man City because what's Pep going to do?

18:37Ah okay we're going to sit off you as well they're not going to do that

18:40Jim Campbell: I just feel like if you look at you know the Man City's performance against Liverpool that we'll come on to and you know how they were in the Carabao Cup I reckon they'll be alright Marcus I reckon they'll have enough for Salampton Yeah, but people thought that about Arsenal. Well, quite. City's not doing too bad for their crisis season. One trophy already in the bag. It was absolutely ham and do it. We will come to them in just a minute. Before we go for a break, I do want to say that great news coming from Southampton Football Club, other than this very, very fantastic win, is that Matt Letizia has reportedly returned to the club four years after he quit.

19:17He's not a player. Don't worry, David. Don't look at me like that. He'd been working as a club ambassador before he left in 2022 over posts he made on X. Much has been made, particularly on this podcast, about what he said on X. But he has been reappointed in a formal advisory role. It's a great shame Luke's not on the show today because he could bask in the glory of a fellow South Coast. The South Coast has been represented very well in the FA Cup season, Southampton doing that for all the teams down there. But Matt Letizia coming back in a positive way.

19:45Jim Campbell: He's apparently been brought back to aid decision-making. Is he just going to tell people to buy CBD? whoever he advertises on the time or whatever it is take that phone mask down there's a few of those experts advertising CBD first and foremost I'm not saying anything until I know that all the 5G masks have been taken down around this crowd and he'll be talking in code well Arsenal have the little matter of sporting in what a day or two we are going to talk about sporting's credentials tomorrow on the mailbag so do watch out or listen out for that right coming up after this a shootout in East London.

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22:06Jim Campbell: You know what's wild? Most people are still overpaying for car insurance. Just because it's a pain to switch. That's why there's Jerry. Jerry is the only app that compares rates from over 50 insurers in minutes and helps you switch fast with no spam calls or hidden fees. Drivers who save with Jerry could save over$1 ,300 a year. Before you renew your car insurance policy, do yourself a favor. Download the Jerry app or head to jerry.ai slash ACAST. Hi, this is Mark Bittman from the podcast Food with Mark Bittman. Spring means literally to burst forth, to grow, and that's what we're talking about both in our kitchens and at Whole Foods Market.

22:45Freshness and seasonality is what's happening at Whole Foods Market right now. With the season's first new potatoes, spring onions, artichokes, favas, snap peas, radishes, spinach, and other spring greens, and more. Enjoy the fresh flavors of spring and save at Whole Foods Market.

23:10Jim Campbell: It must be difficult for him as well to shut out all the noise. Have you spoken to him and is he dealing with it all OK? It's more difficult for me, honestly. Because I also have to speak to you. Well, we're at the Football Ramble, everybody. Oliver Glasner and Gary Cottrell there. Best of friends. Gary Cottrell hasn't even done anything in that example. Yeah, but you know he's a completely reasonable question. Thanks to Friend of the Ramble, Jimmy to the Bee, for sending us that clip. you can become a friend of the Ramble too. Search patreon.com forward slash football ramble or click that join button on YouTube to get involved.

23:43Right then, scenes, all sorts of scenes at the London Stadium between West Ham and Leeds United. It ended 2-2 and Leeds won 4-2 on penalties. They reached the FA Cup semi-final for the first time in 39 years, which again is a reminder of the journey of Leeds United Football Club. But even so, you know, they were a Premier League side for many years. That's why this cup is so special. and for teams like Leeds or specifically Leeds this is massive David because it's such a huge side we know all this 39 years for a semi-final a lot of those fans won't have even been alive some of them won't even have a memory of it a glorious glorious victory for them although it was in the balance for a bit they showed why it has been 39 years in that injury time spell basically that was the most classic Leeds it's in our hands it's in our hands Farger said that didn't he so many times you've seen Leeds do that especially when they were pushing for promotion or anything like that the playoffs had a shock in time yeah exactly they've got it in them but yes yes they eventually saw it through and they got a nice victory it would have been a sicker the gym if Leeds had won but it would have been

24:49Jim Campbell: glorious for West Ham had they but Daniel Farker at 2-2 was breaking my heart he just looked so sad I found it absolutely unbearable and it was it was kind of mad that they got themselves into that position because they were comfortably the better side for them the majority of kind of regular time in the match. West Ham had a few moments, but they looked pretty comfortable leads. And when they get that second goal, you're thinking, okay, they've kind of wrapped it up here. Willy Nonto had a chance to make it 3-0 and it wasn't an easy chance. And it's perhaps, you know, a bit harsh to suggest that he could have wrapped the game up there.

25:25Jim Campbell: But nonetheless, he had that chance. And then West Ham just spring into life. And then in extra time, they were comfortably the better team. Yeah, they were doing the running. Adama Traore turns into hench Neymar. Yeah. He probably is the best game we've seen for a while actually. For any club, really. I thought he was very, very good. And yeah, it was, I'm kind of gutted for West Ham because the performance they put in, in extra time in particular, once they grabbed that opportunity and got themselves back in, get the ball in the net twice. But they were really, really on top. And it is a sickener to lose it like that, an absolute sickener.

25:59Jim Campbell: But they were, I think they can take a lot of positives from that performance. and if they can just channel that a bit more, it's vital. Vital for the Premier League. You thought it was all set up for them to win when they have to make the goalkeeping change as well. When Areola comes off and then 20-year-old Finn Herrick comes on. Again, with respect to him, but Traore comes off and it's like, well, he's not going to balloon a penalty into the car park. Well, he did score in a shootout for Fulham, actually. So I've never seen him miss a penalty. But yeah, when Finn Herrick comes on, who looks like a proper West Ham lad as well, never played for the first team before he was on loan at Boreham Wood in the National League for the first half of the season he was a baby when West Ham last played in an FA Cup semi-final and when he saves that first penalty you thought oh my goodness this day it's going their way and then Bowen misses and then leads credit to them you have to give them credit it's smart because I think Boreham was their best player on the pitch as well so for him to do that he's the last person to expect him get it out of your system before the World Cup Jared I mean I'm always so impressed by how good goalkeepers are at keeping a foot on the line.

27:07Jim Campbell: Because both of those penalties, I was like, oh, has he come off his line before he saved it? But no, both of them were absolutely spot on. Well, the temptation to go forward would be enormous. But they were both really sort of, they were penalties at a good height for both keepers. But again, you're right. In that moment when Herrick saves it, you're like, okay, this is a huge moment. This could be a talking point for a long time to come if he goes on to have a good career. But what I loved about it, was how much fun he was having. Yeah. Because there's so little pressure on him, really. No one expects him to sort of, you know, be the hero.

27:39Jim Campbell: And then he goes and saves that penalty. So he's done as much as you can really expect. And he was just having the best time out there in that really sort of high-pressure situation. And that was a great thing to see. Yeah, but it wasn't to be, sadly. It wasn't. It wasn't. But, you know, I'm sure it's a memory we'll live long with young Finn Herrick. But, you know, Leeds, they go through. Calvert-Lewood obviously scored a penalty in regular time. Tanaka scored a nice one, actually. if we go all the way back to that. He was excellent. Slightly helped by the deflection. He was Leeds' man of the match.

28:05He was everywhere causing a lot of problems. He was really, really good. And yeah, he was fantastic. Yeah, much has been made, obviously, about the psychological impact for Arsenal and Man City whenever they play in cup competitions. What about the psychological impact between these two? Because you said, Jim, that maybe West Ham will be able to take something from that. I mean, in terms of relegation, obviously Leeds four points from safety. Both are down there. So yeah, West Ham, I think... I think the confidence it would have given them would have been quite something. But now Leeds again, every game Leeds go into, the mood is good.

28:45They're going into a semi-final with Chelsea. They will fancy that. Chelsea will of course be favourites for it. But that is a game that... You basically avoid Man City for as long as possible is the name of the game really. They won't be intimidated by Chelsea. when they played them earlier in the they played them off the park as well so it's just yeah I think I think Leeds are going to win this that'll be an amazing atmosphere the tie or the whole cup alright the tie my eyes lit up there not getting that carried away it's funny because I think there's a lot of pressure on Chelsea to win it because if they don't get Champions League through the league they really need to win this well let's talk about a side who are struggling and really really need to get Champions League to save their manager you would say Liverpool battered 4-0 by Manchester City at the Etihad.

29:30I mean, my goodness, this was something else. I thought Man City would win. I didn't think it was going to be this bad for Liverpool. The first thing we have to say, sorry, is that Man City, they reach a record-extending eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final. So that's one of the reasons why I thought Man City were going to win. I mean, they just love the domestic cups under Guardiola. You have to say that their 23rd trip to Wembley under Guardiola, the man absolutely, loves the domestic cups in England, doesn't he? He does. For all, whatever you want to say about Guardiola, and I don't think you can say that much bad stuff because, again, one of the most influential and brilliant men in the history of football.

30:12But when it comes to the domestic cups, there's no, we're not really treating this. He just puts it away. You've got to love that. His appetite for trophies is just second to none. And they're at it again. Of course, he had to watch the game from the stands to serve the end of his two-game touchline ban. But he would have liked what he saw, David. Oh, absolutely. I think everything from that was really, really encouraging. And it's funny you say about trophies, I think Mark Gave has been interviewed after. And he goes, oh, yeah. And obviously Palace and City are two different clubs and all this.

30:41But he was like, yeah, the levels are really different. He goes, the obsession that he has with football and the obsession he has with winning and constructing something to allow you to win is immense. So you can clearly see how that rubs off on a new player who only came in in January. Well, Gaye's on for a treble. Community Shield, League Cup, just needs one more.

31:02Jim Campbell: How about that? Don't include me in your dickhead double chat. He's a thrilling treble for me, pal. Liverpool definitely could have done with them, eh? Yeah. Well, indeed, indeed. Had he passed that medical at Liverpool, perhaps they'd have only lost 2-0, I don't know. He's beaten them five times this season. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. But only Harland. was at the front and centre of everything. His 12th hat-trick since joining Manchester City. I mean, that sounds like a fairly routine thing that would appear in our running order, doesn't it? But we were talking just the other day about his goal drought, which was a real one, not even one by his own standards.

31:40Jim Campbell: And that is an emphatic way to break that. So Liverpool have really pissed you off as an Arsenal fan, because not only have they not knocked out Man City, they've managed to unlock Erling Haaland from his... Yeah, exactly, they've reactivated Erling Haaland. Yeah, reactivate would be a better way of putting it. They've thawed him. Yeah, maybe. on the match ball one of his teammates wrote well done you big fucking weirdo which I don't know the man I want to know which player did that I really really do yeah because yeah I know which he celebrated apparently with a Greggs takeaway I respect that I do as well I knew you were David that's right up your alley that's pure class but I mean the goals he scored you know obviously the penalty but again proper striker stuff particularly that second one it was lovely they were brilliant Antoine Semenyo Getting in on the act as well.

32:26I mean, he is just taking it like a duck to water.

32:28Jim Campbell: Shooting from the halfway line as well. They were enjoying themselves out there in a way that will really annoy Liverpool. Yeah, and a delightful finish for his goal. I mean, with Manchester City, a number of people have said, obviously, they click in towards the end of the season. And I've been saying what I've said, you know, they're not doing it. This is different. Well, we might be finally seeing that. They might have left it very, very late because again, you look at the way they played that League Cup final. They were the best team on the pitch by a mile. They've put Liverpool to the sword.

33:01I understand Liverpool are in a very sticky patch. We're going to come to them in just a second. But if you're a Manchester City fan, you're thinking, well, hang on, we're favourites for the FA Cup now. Again, I've said this in the previous two rounds, it's a good draw playing against the championship side. We shall see who Southampton can shut everybody up and I sincerely hope they do. they don't have the Champions League obviously they went out so again a little bit more rest and then not long they're going to be playing Arsenal so I'd imagine from an Arsenal point of view you're probably a little bit nervy about what you've been seeing yeah of course

33:36Jim Campbell: I mean from Man City's perspective right what they need to do is they need to win their game in hand against Crystal Palace which you'd expect them to and they need to beat Arsenal at the Etihad and then that's three points behind and a shootout with however many games is left after that scenario so yeah absolutely that's exactly what Arsenal have to fight off they need to not let the form of the last two games come into the league but yeah I mean that's a carrot for Man City isn't it of course totally completely and they're in the right form to go on that run so this can fuck off all of it yeah I mean what did you make of Liverpool's performance of this I mean Jim was telling me before we came on about some comments Van Dijk made he said about them giving up was it Well, shall I read them?

34:21Yeah, please. Yeah, go ahead. And I've cut this down because he was talking at length about this. And Van Dijk said, I can only apologise to the fans for what we have shown, especially in the second half. To come back from 3-0 is obviously very difficult from here, but you shouldn't give up. And that's maybe at a certain point what happened. We let our fans down. We let ourselves down and the manager. We've been going through this almost 75 % of the season. That's a very interesting point he's made there. We fall back into games where we get beaten on intensity or beaten on how much you really want to go for it.

34:55Everyone has to look at themselves. And Dominic Sabozlai echoed his thoughts, saying the fighting spirit wasn't there, the mentality wasn't there enough. None of us were there, to be honest, as much as we could. Now, Sabozlai's been their best player this season. Van Dijk's obviously been their captain. Van Dijk, by his own standards, has not been good this season. He's been some high-profile, isolated errors on his part that led directly to a goal. Gave another penalty away. As we saw in this game.

35:21Jim Campbell: But those comments, I mean... It's interesting seeing a Dutchman in crisis, isn't it? Because they're so honest. So, so honest. Is Anastalot a more measured Dutchman, do you think? It seems that way, actually, doesn't it? Yeah, but Van Dijk has been really to the point here, and fair play to him, because we can all see that those issues are there. But I feel it's almost like just scratching around in the dark. He's in this point. Like, what are the reasons I've just got to come out and say it? You know what it's like? You've been on the football pitch yourself, It doesn't matter what level you've played, and it's very much a grassroots thing, and you're shouting and you're going, come on!

35:53Grass, I love grass. You're going, come on! And you're trying to shout a better performance or something into existence, and then you have a chat because they had an emergency meeting after. At this stage of the season, it is what it is. I just, even if they were to get into the Champions League, and like I say, what Liverpool really need now is they need that fifth spot to be given to the Premier League, and like Chelsea, they need Aston Villa to do them a solid in the Europa League and win that competition. And even if they do that, I just, for all the reasons that we've talked about throughout the season from, you know, Mo Salah's individual efforts, if you like, you know, and you say it with the greatest respect and sensitivity, the death of Diogo Jota and a number of other things.

36:41For whatever it is, this season, like I say, it is what it is. It's not going to change. They might have a few results here and there. And I just see Liverpool without a slot come the summer.

36:53Jim Campbell: Yeah, I mean, I said the other day that I felt like he would be given a lot of leeway. And if they were to get into the Champions League, then Liverpool as a club might go, OK, we're going to back our man and give him the benefit of the doubt of a really kind of complicated season here. But the manner of this defeat suggests that he doesn't have things under control. And he's practically admitted that himself a few times. And that is sort of making me revise that opinion a bit, to be honest, after this performance. Because Van Dijk is right. It was clear that they, to say they completely gave up is obviously not true.

37:28Jim Campbell: But I mean, they had been roundly beaten with little sort of reply to it in terms of performance in a way that is absolutely shocking from a Liverpool team. And I think the amount of change in the summer as well has changed the group dynamic in the dressing room. and Soboslav sort of suggested that was part of it as well. Hasn't been unlucky with these acts? I get all that. A lot's gone against them as well. But this, the manner of it, Jim, as you say, because, you know, under Jürgen Klopp, obviously it wasn't every season they were going for league titles. You know, they're obviously brilliant under him and they had, it was the odd season here and there.

38:01Certainly towards the end. So I have sympathy with Slott. But I mean, have you ever seen a Liverpool game, David, where their fans have left? A lot of them have left after an hour. Yeah. I mean, because people don't inspire it. I think you just said slot, slot a measured Dutchman. I think he's perhaps just an inspiring Dutchman because the way those players speak about how everything is right now, I mean, that doesn't strike me as players who are motivated. And, you know, and I said to Jim, look, to give up, you have to have got going, you have to have started. I don't think they got going in this game.

38:34They just never really looked set for it and right where City were locked in, knew what they had to do, knew what the job was. I just don't think Liverpool did at any single point. and they're a real mess. And I don't really, I just don't really see how Slott stays. I really don't. Because look, what do you do? You keep him, and then obviously several parts of that team need changing again. So another 400 million, 300 million might have to be spent. Which seems extraordinary because of the money they've spent, but I agree with you. Are you going to trust Slott with another 300? Probably not. You're right, because you spend that amount of money and it doesn't work or, you know, whatever happens, do you then, you know, how much, there's only so much you can do with the financial restraints and so on.

39:20And obviously, you know, they've made some big sidings already. I totally take that point. I'd like to think they're a smarter club than Sir Manning-Eighted were with Ten Haag. I can remember when they decided to keep Ten Haag on and then give them more money and then it didn't work out. So you'd think Liverpool are a smarter, better run club, wouldn't you? They've gone off evidence of the past few years. And they'd make the decision to say, look, Arna, you've done some good things, you've had some things go against you. We understand the Issac situation and such, but this just isn't going to go for old with us together.

39:47No, no. Yeah, I can't see. Even if they showed a bit and got into the Champions League, I think it would be an enormous sigh of relief that you'd have to bring someone else in to make the most of that, really. Because there's no guarantee you are a Champions League side.

40:01Jim Campbell: And also, yeah, I mean, just think about that statement and how that would sound at the beginning of the season. You're talking about just qualifying for the Champions League as an achievement. That's unthinkable, isn't it? at the beginning of the season. We were thinking this team could dominate for, you know, years based on the players they brought in and it's just not gone that way. They were saying the Premier League was already over after they had a few signs. I think when they got Wurtz, Eketike and Issac in that order, I think it was. When they got those signs, everybody was like, oh, it's over.

40:27Jim Campbell: Kyrkos and Frimpong as well. It's like, wow, they look so strong everywhere. Mahmoud Ashwili. We were all like, oh my God, look at this super squad. It's quite amazing, really, that it's come to this. It's not as simple as that. I was going to say, it's not football munger. It is actually like real football. You have to make a team gel and work. Yeah, much has been made about Mo Salah this season. Obviously, he announced that he's leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. Even he gets a penalty and he misses. You know, it doesn't just shower, it pours, doesn't it? But I wonder, with him leaving the club, you know, how has that relationship been with Arnaz Slott?

40:59And how much has that potentially destabilised things or caused a bit of a ruckus? Because, yes, we've given Slott credit, in previous months this season, when we said, you know what, this could have blown up, but actually the way it's been managed, blah, blah, blah, blah, they managed to keep a lid on it. But I don't know, I wonder how big that is, that's been underneath the surface of it. So you can keep a little bit of it under wraps. Obviously, he made those comments when they went away to Ellen Road. But would the owners potentially say, right, well, with Salah going, maybe Arna, you've got a little bit more of a wrap.

41:34Or do you think? No, it's... I think it goes beyond that. I think Salah's just... His time had come to an end. And we've got to accept that Slott has as well. And I just think he can still go in a different direction. But look, outside of... Everybody's talking about Slott. But outside of Slott, they've got some huge decisions to make. I think they badly need a new centre-back. Oh, yeah. They obviously need to replace Salah somewhere. They need to figure out what happens with Isak and how he fits into the mix alongside Eka TK. They've got to get the best out of Virts as well. there's a lot there's a lot of big questions before you even start to look at who your manager is going to be

42:10Jim Campbell: contractual issues with Canate as well I think he's probably going to go so you might be looking at two big centre backs well they do need signings come the summer could Ryan Cherky be one of them because we've seen him wearing a Liverpool kit that was astonishing yeah we spotted wearing Hugo Eketike's shirt while he was sat on the Man City bench as the game was still being played essentially wearing the skin of your defeated enemy quite an amazing thing to do obviously the City staff are like probably don't do that actually it's not the best look and I think he doesn't care necessarily so much about that it's an amazingly naive thing for Eke Tike to do as well like they were 4-0 down at that point yeah there'll be some players swap shirts at half time yeah sure but I mean I think they just don't think yeah it's like an unbelievable lack of awareness I genuinely don't think it came from a place of malice or anything like that it was just pure lack of awareness yeah But putting the shirt on on the bench, though.

43:03Come on. I don't get... No, honestly, I don't... He didn't think about it. He thought, I'm not doing anything wrong here. He just put it on and that's it. And then, like, he didn't realise. Yeah. Well, it must be just like, oh, I need a top. Yeah, that'll do. Yeah, I grant you, it is just ludicrous behaviour. But I enjoyed it. Yeah. You know, what's good for the Ramble might not be good for the profession we don't. Of another player. There we are. now speaking of people who may leave before or who will leave their club come the summer Bernardo Silva apparently will leave Manchester City at the end of the season he's 32 in August I thought he was a couple of years older because he's been Danny Glovering it for a couple of seasons now but you play that amount of football under Pep Guardiola you are going to be exhausted let's be honest I think he wanted to I think he's been wanting to leave for a couple of summers he has he keeps talking about the sun in Madrid a lot yeah having played that amount of football in the reign of Manchester So you're like, I've proved my point.

43:58I've earned my stripes here. Get me to an Iberian Peninsula and perhaps some more dead rubbers. I want games where we turn up and we... I miss those days, he's thinking of Man City, where we say, whoever came to the day, yeah, 5-0, sod off, not interested. I can go off after an hour, get my applause. He's been a phenomenal player for me. He has. He really is. He's ran himself into the ground. But that suggests he's just a workhorse. obviously he has unbelievable amounts of craft as well to his game but he's he's a Man City legend

44:29Jim Campbell: I mean he's their captain as well he's adapted his games so much over the years like he is a pretty handy defensive midfielder if need be which is amazing very tenacious for all his craft he's got that little edge about him which is really nice and it's made him such a success indeed and Guardiola said you know he's one of the most intelligent players that he's ever managed now I know Guardiola does lavish praise on people but I think that is right because as you say you think of him as an attacking winger when he kind of first came or certainly that's how he's utilised. You can put him anywhere on the pitch and his reading of the game and understanding is phenomenal.

45:02So yeah, he'll be missed from the Premier League certainly. Right, coming up after this, another man that is missed from the Premier League is Roy Hodson.

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46:54Welcome back, everybody. Before we get to Roy the boy, we've got the small matter of Chelsea 7, Port Vale 0. Easy peasy. The goal started early. Hato scoring from a corner after just 64 seconds. Port Vale said, you know, we were planning to kind of keep it tight for the first 20 minutes, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And bang, it's in the second minute, 1-0 down. And it went all downhill from there, really. It does beg the question, David, what the bloody hell were your boy Sunderland doing in the previous round. Yeah, genuinely, I have no idea. I still have no idea. I'd love to shed some light on that, but I just really, really don't know.

47:29It was annoying. I really, really wanted a cup run as well, like badly wanted one. Yes. Well, Chelsea are having a cup run, one has to say. They've been rewarded with Leeds United in the next round. And Port Vale started with eight free transfers and two loan players. Well, Chelsea's starting 11, including add-ons, which is very important in this day and age. It was worth almost£440 million. that money pays off in the end. It does. Yeah, it does.

47:54Jim Campbell: I do. Yeah, you're right. I do think the respective budgets have been an issue here. Yeah. For sure. Yeah, but I mean, it's just a fun afternoon though, isn't it? From a Chelsea perspective. Yeah, absolutely. God mustn't, yeah. And, you know, that's to be enjoyed from their perspective. I mentioned it at the top of the show. Like a proper, proper shellacking is entertaining in itself and just seeing those players express themselves out there will be, as you say, it's exactly what Chelsea have needed after a difficult run prior to the international break. Willian Esteval on the score sheet as well.

48:29Jim Campbell: I think he's been talked about a little bit less in recent months, but he's like one of the breakout stars of the season, really. Some of the displays he's put in for Chelsea have been really something. I find this Enzo Fernandes thing interesting. Yeah, it's extraordinary, this. So he was obviously banned by his own club, or banned, he was suspended rather. by his own club for this game and also for the next game, which is against Manchester City. And I fully expect him to be reinstated to that game after reacting well to being dropped because I think not playing one of your best players when you're scrapping for a Champions League position and you're playing against Man City is not high performance.

49:09Jim Campbell: Yeah, so surely he's going to go back on that. 3.29pm on Sunday afternoon, maybe he might be back in. Although, I mean, he has, again, according to reports, kind of rubbed some of his teammates up the wrong way being given the captain's armband. So it depends how Rosinia manages the men who are aging in that squad. You know, he's got it all to do. Yeah, I mean, he's read it in some self-help book or something. This type of strategy is good or whatever, maybe. But we'll see how it plans out. But I think Jim's on to something there with that. And Liam Rosinia will tell us it was all part of the strategy.

49:44Smokebearers and nonsense. and it's classic Chelsea they're in an FA Cup semi-final with all this disarray they'll probably bloody win it you know it's a funny old thing but Rosinha again like I do despite his nonsense and high performance and self-help books and all that kind of stuff I do feel somewhat for the guy because coming into that situation was crazy you know he shouldn't have been given the job really I mean you know even Kukurea comes out and says under Enzo Maresca you know we're a bit more stable Yeah, Kukaray and Enzo have given it.

50:16Jim Campbell: Which is ridiculous, isn't it? You're sort of lamenting the stability of your past manager and actively destabilising your current one. Yeah, I know. And Rosinha has all these issues going on. I can't see him lasting that long unless he ticks a few boxes from the current board and the current board are all over the place. I wouldn't trust them to organise a piss-up in a brewery. I don't know. If he can get them into the Champions League, which is very possible, surely they won't sack him. Well, indeed, that's the point I'm making, that he may well take a few boxes. When you're in blue core, do you ever get sacked?

50:49Will you just get moved elsewhere? Yeah, exactly. You're a different role. And that's the point with the ball. It's a shower of shine at the moment at Chelsea. I don't know where they go in the summer or what they do because clearly their transfer strategy has been set. They're buying younger players to sell them on and all this kind of stuff. But as I say, they could end up getting into the Champions League, which for all intents and purposes, certainly at the start of the season, they would have taken. Yeah, I mean I mean, what do you make of what's going on there at the moment? Oh yeah, it's a mess It's interesting I know it's Enzo and Kukureya two of the players that you'd consider alongside Rhys James as the most experienced there that clearly have an issue with this strategy Well, because they want to win things now, right?

51:29And sort of Yeah, exactly and sort of Chelsea fans I think Because if you add just a few more they've got a squad there Yeah, exactly They've got some players there I think so Maybe But bearing upon the state of the rest of the Premier League Guardiola will probably leave in the summer Yeah, but I mean if you buy 100 players then some of them quite a few of them have got a hiss surely that's literally their strategy though like oh we'll buy a lot of players they will be the odd hit they are here and there yeah but they're not buying the experience here and now players oh no they're not but like that's the issue oh it absolutely is the issue don't sign you know the other 97 just get three guys but they're not going to do that no I know well that's it

52:06Jim Campbell: I'm not sure I completely agree with that though because if you look at Caicedo Fernandes you know Cucurera to a point as well they were here and now guys They do put a few of those in there. Just not enough, I think, is the issue, isn't it? Well, okay. But Kayser, I understand what you're saying. Kayser was bought from Brighton. And he's young, yeah. But he was definitely someone who's like, this guy is plug in and play. He's not someone who's going to be great in two years. But there's obvious... I mean, look, I think De Lapp is, you would hope, one for the future. But I look at this Chelsea side, I see it as a lot of other people do.

52:39It's all over the place. They have a chance, especially in the current climate of the Premier League Liverpool are all over the place if Arsenal do go on and win the league they'll probably be they'll do it in sort of unconvincing fashion but you know the best team wins the league so I'm not taking anything away from them I just this summer if I was a Chelsea fan I'd be thinking right this summer guys you've got a chance to really kind of do away with a lot of stuff but the board is so they're not going to no of course not it's their strategy it must be so frustrating for them they've already got two new players one of the lads from sport and Quenda who's coming in as well They've already got players lined up, already signed up, and they're exactly the same model.

53:15And I wouldn't be surprised this summer if, say, Palmer or who else left as well. And then the squad gets younger again. They're bringing some players from Strasbourg again and wherever it may be. And it is just a mess. And it's funny, every single Chelsea fan who I speak to just absolutely detests where the club is at right now. They had it unbelievable when Mourinho came in. And if you look at Chelsea pre-Mourinho, they didn't really have that identity as winners. Mourinho comes in, he shifts the entire idea of things alongside Abramovich's approach to the transfer window. So they change identity.

53:48They finally do one of the hardest things to do in football. And then now they're just eroding all that away and set up as now this hedge fund. It's not a winning club, but a hedge fund.

53:57Jim Campbell: Well, I mean, they won two trophies last season. As Marcus says, they're in the FA Cup final. So there is a, perhaps there's a sense internally, sorry, of course, semifinal. There is possibly internally a sense that they are on the track to maintain that. But yeah, I mean, I would have to agree with David though. I think that again you look around yeah I also do but I just feel it's worth pointing that out yeah but the two trophies last year okay Club World Cup I think there's a bit of merit in that you are genuine world champions let's we forget but I think I think fucking didn't count I forgot that competition even happened yeah yeah right but I think though they feel it's sort of drifting away and you see how many years Liverpool went without winning the league you see how many years Manchester United have gone Arsenal have won There's no guarantee that it sort of bounces back.

54:44And to be honest with you, I think that they are right now, it's almost, again, with the board, they're like a good Tottenham Hotspur. Oh, damning. Damning. And I will get comments for that. You will. But do you see what I mean? The hatred to the board, nobody trusts them. Sure. The way it's disjointed and so on and so forth, with managerial appointments here and there, it's a far more functioning side, obviously, because they are where they are and they can go and do something. But that's kind of where it is.

55:09Jim Campbell: I think what will be a really interesting test of this sort of Bluco era will be if an Enzo Fernandes or a Cole Palmer or a player like that who is under contract which obviously they're all under these really long contracts if they really want to leave but the club wanted to keep them so what happens there you know we've not seen anyone sort of test that yet I think they'd happily sell every single player on that I don't think anyone's untouchable in a Chelsea sport I think if the right offer came in the way the Bluco operate they would sell them all I don't care who it is I'll tell you who might throw a spanner in the works is Enzo Fernandes' agent, Javier Pastore.

55:42Yeah, that was brilliant to see. Yeah, he absolutely loves it, doesn't he? I mean, he was, you know, there's been a lot of chat coming out of him and so on. And with regard to the situation that Fernandes found himself in, he said he didn't understand Chelsea's decision, you know, suspending him really. And he's reacted angrily, as you'd imagine. He was just saying that Madrid's nice, which it is. that's really his argument

56:08Jim Campbell: isn't it yeah well Rosinia said to this he said the conversation I've had with my individual players stay within the dressing room the dressing room is sacred not to Enzo Fernandes of course as we know but you know that is a situation where that could rumble away for the rest of the season and kind of destabilise anything they have because Fernandes is a big player for them but they have a semi-final to look forward to gentlemen I'd like to end the show with Roy Hodgson he got a win his first match in charge of Bristol City come on go on Roy bloody love that man didn't he look great with his sunglasses Jim oh of course yeah I should say that at the time of recording because there are championship fixtures this afternoon Bristol City are 10 points off the playoffs not going to happen that would be something wouldn't it I mean it would be absolutely something I just wish the blog would just enjoy retirement man he can't though can he he just can't yeah but to be fair to him though when they said what about next season and he went, oh, I'm too old.

57:05So he does know. Sure. The old little interim job here and there. Do you not quite like the romance of this? Are we getting a win in his first game? And they needed it as well. You know what it is? It's nice. It's nice. It's nice. If David says it's nice, then it's brilliant. His gardener must be unbelievable, because he doesn't have to touch his garden. He doesn't have to spend any time in it. So they beat Nathan Jones' childhood, too. And after the match, Roy said, if you can trust players to keep working as they did today, I shall be happy enough in these last six weeks or five weeks. One's gone now, isn't it?

57:33and only five before I get the slippers back on.

57:35Jim Campbell: Would we begrudge Roy wearing slippers in the dugout? No, I don't think we would. I love it. But I love how he's talking about it. This is like a holiday. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? This is it. This is how he relaxes. What a guy. Yeah, managing in the championship. Come on. Gotta love that. There we are, everybody. Thanks for listening to the Football Ramble, part of the ACAR's created network. We're back tomorrow for the mailbag, so do subscribe to make sure you do not miss it. I hope you had a lovely Easter. But that's it for us. We're back tomorrow, as I say. Thanks Jim Thank you Thank you David Thank you And thank you Roy The door

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