Geller’s New Spoon

0:00Luke Moore: River cools where I belong, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble! Eberich here as he was sublime and it's crisis time at Liverpool. It's Monday, 24th of November. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Luke Moore. And I'm David Cartlidge.

0:24Luke Moore: Hello, everybody. What a Monday on the Ramble. And DC's in the house. Jump, jump for joy.

0:29Uri Geller: DC's on the pod DC's on the pod

0:32Luke Moore: David, good to have you here

0:33Uri Geller: David Cameron good to see you

0:36Luke Moore: Oi, come on behave yourself sorry, yeah

0:38Uri Geller: it's good to be here lads

0:39Luke Moore: why did you have the Brexit vote? seriously

0:43Uri Geller: DC just reminded me of David Cameron but it's great to have David here it is great to have David here

0:46Luke Moore: I gave you a little bit of whoop there it is and you ignored that and you thought I'm going to come back time

0:51Uri Geller: can I let people behind the curtain just say the reason I ignored it is because you tried to get me a bit of whoop there it is on Friday as well and I ignored it then and you've come back and you've had a weekend to think about it and you've come back and had another run up at it.

1:02Luke Moore: You've had a weekend to think about it.

1:03Uri Geller: I have actually, yeah. Error of my ways. Indeed it was.

1:05Luke Moore: Indeed it was. No, it's good to see David after obviously Fulham beat his beloved Sunderland. He's come to face me.

1:10Marcus Speller: Yeah, but also David we should probably say before we get into the big story, Marcus, I may be so bold. David's been totally vindicated so far by his Sunderland chat at the start of the season.

1:18Luke Moore: Very much so.

1:19Marcus Speller: I mean, not even you, David, must have thought they'd go quite as high on the table as they had so far.

1:24David Cartlidge: Oh, 100%. I was fairly confident they'll have a good season. But no, this is something extra. And it's been special so far.

1:31Luke Moore: I didn't put them to get relegated on David's confidence.

1:34David Cartlidge: Nor did I. I think a lot of people said that.

1:35Uri Geller: Yeah.

1:36David Cartlidge: They just needed to get out of the division. That was honestly when they got out of the championship and I just knew they'd kick off. Easy peasy.

1:42Luke Moore: What about that Samuel Chakway's assist? Anyway, we're not talking about Fulham today because it was last on Match of the Day because a lot of other stuff happened. Now, before we get started, here's your Monday morning reminder that if you want to support the show, join the discord with other listeners and get an extra episode every single Wednesday of the Ramble. Then become a friend of the Ramble. Sign up to Patreon, patreon.com forward slash football Ramble or become a member on YouTube. Patreon members get every single podcast completely ad free. While YouTube members get Ramble and cut in video every single Wednesday, choose your poison.

2:15Luke Moore: Come and join us and we'll get intoxicated together.

2:18Uri Geller: Yeah. Is that part of the deal? Is that an optional element? If you can find us after a live show,

2:23Marcus Speller: I've joined the I've joined the Discord Music League as well so I'm involved with that yeah you have to submit a song to a certain parameter every week and everyone votes on whether they like your music taste or not

2:32David Cartlidge: it's been quite brutal I quite like that yeah it's been good I judge people heavily by their music taste so do they it sounds great

2:37Luke Moore: plenty of Aasis songs still available to choose from yeah you probably should get involved mate I'll see you in a minute

2:42Marcus Speller: he's done Aasis he has done Aasis again yeah songs under five minutes and Aasis won that

2:47Luke Moore: yeah songs under over eight minutes oh it's all around the world yes right Liverpool nil Nottingham Forest 3 Yeah we have to start with that don't we Well I mean Arsenal fans keep your powder dry we've got plenty to say on you and Thomas Frank fans plenty to say on your man

3:01Uri Geller: Thomas Frank fans

3:03Luke Moore: Who are they?

3:04Uri Geller: Yeah where are they?

3:06Luke Moore: They're a low in number today Are they in a

3:07Uri Geller: Brentford Ports Court Yeah They've got a protected area It's like a safari park in West London

3:14Luke Moore: But if you want to get into it then someone's got to launch you like a big long throw and you jump in

3:18Uri Geller: But we have to start with a Liverpool game because as I was saying to you earlier who better to rubberneck the motorway pile up than the football round ball? That's what it is. It's crisis time, isn't it? It is.

3:28Luke Moore: It's sixth loss in seven Premier League games for Liverpool. I mean, they are now down in, what are they, 11th? In the Premier League table. You think to yourself, okay, they've not really, I mean, this is the thing, they've not really convinced all season, but they were getting results at the start. We know that that's gone and been gone for quite some time. but David you have an international break where that's the old cliche right we can have a reset they start this game against Forrest all guns blazing McAllister goes close a great clearance off the line blah blah blah and they end up losing in that manner 3-0 what do you make of it all?

4:06David Cartlidge: Yeah the international break thing's always been funny to me because how can you have a reset when the players that you want to reset with aren't there? They've all gone away it's not like you're in a little camp together discussing things through

4:15Marcus Speller: Move their lockers around change their car parking spaces so they think they're coming somewhere new maybe

4:20David Cartlidge: Exactly. So yeah, they've come back and quite frankly produced their worst display under Anaslot. I think by far. It's been a season of lows, but this is categorically the worst performance under Slot so far.

4:34Luke Moore: Yeah. Do you agree it's crisis time or do you think the crisis time had already been called?

4:37David Cartlidge: Of course it's crisis time. It's irrelevant of how good your squad is, how big you are as a club. If you are in this run of form that they are, you are in crisis. There's no getting away from it. and you know there's been lots of talk I think it was after the Palace game it was kind of like oh they have to start winning games now they'll have to start winning games now they haven't won any games they're not winning games they haven't kicked on since then and then they produced this which was absolutely appalling

5:01Luke Moore: yeah I mean look Sean Dyche is a fearsome opponent of any manager but Luke Moore

5:06Uri Geller: well I think that's part of it as well I was thinking to myself this morning how many more addresses to the nation is Virgil van Dijk going to do every single time they play a game he comes out saying you know guys talking's not enough but we are going to have another talk

5:19Luke Moore: I think every time now he does that he has to have Wayne Rooney stood next to him

5:23Uri Geller: yeah

5:24Luke Moore: that's right yeah because he had a little dig didn't he towered over him as well

5:28Uri Geller: which I thought was disrespectful hand shelved him

5:30Luke Moore: I don't think Rooney's worried about that no he's not well I mean that was you're talking about or we're talking about in the Champions League game was it when they beat Real Madrid and after the game they had a little chat yeah

5:43Uri Geller: Virgil van Dijk took issue with some of the comments that Wayne Rooney said which is fine I thought it was good TV

5:47Luke Moore: and I thought it was good TV and I think fair play fair play to Van Veit for answering back and I don't necessarily look at this and think it's Van Dyke's fault there's a lot of stuff going on Luke but as David said that's their poorest performance so far and after the whether you want to call it a bit of a misnomer or whatever the reset of an international break and so on when Nottingham Forest come to town with Sean Dyche's manager and Dyche was saying rightly so they've had a few different managers which are still trying to get used to the football despite some of the players they have Liverpool are favourites for this game they've got to at least get a result

6:22Uri Geller: I liked it when you said when Nottingham Forest come to town

6:24Marcus Speller: like the tricky trees

6:25Uri Geller: like the forest marching on Dunsinane

6:27Marcus Speller: I think that's key to this because there's nothing in even the slightly improved form that Nottingham Forest have shown that suggests that they would have the weapons and the ability and the tactics to beat Liverpool at Anfield 3-0. And so you have to then, without taking anything away from Nottingham Forest, you have to then suggest that it's obviously because Liverpool have been as they've been. What I found, there's two things I'll find super concerning. One is, not enough people are saying this, by the way, Liverpool were actually pretty poor at the end of last season.

7:02Luke Moore: Yes, they were.

7:03Marcus Speller: They didn't win a game in the last four games. I know they won the league and it was done.

7:07Luke Moore: But it was at canter.

7:07Marcus Speller: It was. And the intensity wasn't there. And then, of course, as Jamie Carragher famously pointed out, despite the fact they were getting positive results at the start of this season, there were alarm bells. And the second thing I would say, which is really concerning, is actually against Forest for the first half an hour, they were okay. Yeah, that's what I mean, yeah. And the real problem is that they really lost heart. I mean, the exception of Dominic Sabozlo, I think can stand head and shoulders above any Mike Liverpool's, carry himself with amazing credit and been their best player. And he's played a variety of different positions.

7:39Marcus Speller: He's been like a Swiss army knife. Slott made odd decisions. about the players he picked. Fair enough, Robertson maybe sits out because of Scotland. Other than that, there's no reason whatsoever he plays Sir Boslard right back instead of Joe Gomez when he can have Sir Boslard, who's been his best player, affecting the game. There's no reason to play Alexander Isaac, who's not been very good, other than the fact he feels like he has to almost justify to the world that the transfer fee means that he has to play. So he's not fit.

8:05David Cartlidge: And Slott said... And they can take he's been better anyway. Exactly. Slott said in his pre-game press conference, the only way we get him fit is by giving him minutes. So that's why Isaac's playing. I don't think he's fit. think it's anywhere near fit. Playing for the reserves midweek and stuff like that. They're desperate for now. They're rushing them a little bit and honestly if there was a setback.

8:22Marcus Speller: But when you go like half an hour like that they did where they were okay and they were competitive and it looked like they might just take the game away from Forest and they lost hearts so badly. They lost hearts so badly when they conceded. The second Forest

8:35Luke Moore: goal. Was it Williams down the flank? Was anyone seriously trying to tackle it? No. Because you all said, oh bollocks they've scored. There's no intensity.

8:43David Cartlidge: I mean a lovely move from Forrest's point of view

8:45Luke Moore: so easy the focus and intensity

8:47David Cartlidge: is gone I think that's the sixth time they've conceded first this season as well in Klopp's final season they conceded 17 times first so it's along the same lines of that momentum and that sort of belief what's running through them so a team who's managed by Sean Dyche will come into town and say look we'll have a go we can get them they're vulnerable have a go at them and they did and other teams will see that as well

9:09Luke Moore: but I mean it's funny because there was a small part of me that thought well actually you know what if McAllister scores that goal and they go 1-0 up but what if but it didn't happen and the thing is it's not like they've had a sending off or they have a couple of injuries this is happening all the time

9:25Marcus Speller: you want to do sliding doors though you could also say there's no way Igor Jesus' goal should have been chalked up that's not a handball

9:31Uri Geller: there's no considerable evidence that that should have been chalked up

9:34Luke Moore: I couldn't believe I mean do you think I mean I don't want to say sort of evened it up because I don't think that's how sort of referees always work and I don't think VAR would work that way but Murillo's I mean it was a lovely finish yeah there was controversy over that one though

9:50Marcus Speller: because of the line of sight and stuff yes

9:52Luke Moore: because Dan Doyle was apparently well he was stood in an offside position

9:56Marcus Speller: and then Liverpool would be hard done by I suppose on that because they felt like they had one chalked off against Man City which should have been so yeah look I get that but I mean it's sliding doors isn't it you lost to going 3-0 at home against a team who have been overall very poor this season to the point where they're about to change their manager yeah

10:10Luke Moore: twice well yeah indeed with Alisson back in the side I thought well that would give them a bit more stability it didn't matter no it didn't matter like you're talking about one of the best goalkeepers in the world and no difference

10:21David Cartlidge: no there's too much wrong beyond just the goalkeeper and beyond a refereeing decision over a goal but way more way more it's not even

10:28Luke Moore: it's not even because yes I think they do miss Trent Alexander-Arnold and for tactical reasons the teams you know can push up a little bit more I think that you know Salah and Van Dijk being a little bit older might be a teensy factor. This is what I mean. There's so many of these little factors, you know, without sounding sort of crass and you say it with, you know, with great sadness, you know, obviously the death of Diogo Jota has been mentioned. That's a little factor. There's all these little factors going into this and how big, you know, some will be bigger for other players than others.

11:00Luke Moore: I just wonder if we're looking at a situation here where Arnaz Slott's not come under that much scrutiny as a manager because he won the Premier League, of course,

11:10Uri Geller: I think he will now last season well he has to he has to now

11:13Luke Moore: and I just wonder David that we've seen this before say with Mourinho's second spell at Chelsea they win the league but towards the end of that league win which was a bit more competitive than Liverpool's last season they just were scraping and they get over the line and they do it but the team wasn't as purring as they they had been and same with Liverpool they go into the new season is there a touch of I don't know inertia or whatever it is we tend not to think this And we tend to look at Liverpool as a club who don't just sack managers as freely as, say, like maybe Spurs or Chelsea do. But are we getting blinded by maybe the Jurgen Klopp era with that?

11:49Luke Moore: Because if you look at that previously, I mean, I don't think they're quick to pull the trigger. But, you know, you saw, we've seen some sort of come and go like Brendan Rodgers when he was close to winning the title and the next season it wasn't really happening and so on and so forth. If this doesn't change, I'd maybe, if this carries on like this, how much longer do you give Arnest Lott?

12:10David Cartlidge: That's the thing. I mean, look, we know how the festive period comes and goes very quickly with a lot of games as well. It can't be. And I think there's been so... The magnifying glass has kind of been on the worst deal and how he's performed and what he's done. Whereas the problems are way, way bigger than that. They're all over the field and slots got off from there. So I agree. I don't think he's faced a level of scrutiny that maybe Amarim has at Manning Eiters. I don't think anywhere near it. No. So what happens if we get to, say, mid-January and Liverpool still haven't turned the corner they have then got to seriously look at it no matter it doesn't matter that he won the league last season last season is last season and that was done okay you've got some credit in the bank but if you keep on losing you keep on drawing you're not winning things aren't changing Salah hasn't suddenly found form Wurt still isn't fitting in Isak isn't fit and he isn't starting games then they've got to look at the absolute collective and say right it might be better for a change now we need to go in a direction I can't give you a name now or a direction right now but they do have to look at it at some point because they can't let the season get away from them and it will before they know it

13:13Luke Moore: well indeed because look Liverpool I think everyone's pretty much agreed they're not going to win the league this season so that's you know that's not a particularly contentious point I can't win it now no but as David's saying you get into the new year and if they're in a similar situation where it's a case of they're thinking bloody hell we're not even going to get Champions League football it is unthinkable for Liverpool not to get Champions League football. And look, I don't think it's as bad as it's at Manchester United. I think they're very, very different.

13:41Uri Geller: Yeah, but it's different because Liverpool, as Dave has already said, they got credit in the bank this lot because he won the league. Exactly. Amarim's been historically poor last season. But let's me forget,

13:51Luke Moore: Claudio Ranieri got sacked the following season. Oh, I don't think... Yeah, there's no doubt. And Leicester, I should say. He's been sacked at a few places. Leicester. So just to finish my point, is that every season is now almost sort of taken in isolation with a little bit of credit here and there. But I mean, the thought of Liverpool not playing Champions League football next season would be so damaging for that club.

14:11Marcus Speller: With respect to both of you, it's obvious that he's going to be in trouble. I mean, it's obvious. There's no way, if they continue the way they're going, right, they've lost eight of their last 11 games, Liverpool. If they're going the way they're going, there's no way on earth Arna Slott will be in his job at the end of January. There's no way. It won't be possible. The only straws you can grasp at for them may be that... I actually think Dave is right to say there's a lot going on. I've resisted mentioning at all Diogo Jota because I think it's a bit tawdry. I don't know any of them personally.

14:44Marcus Speller: It's a tragedy what happened. None of us can presume to know how that's affected anyone. I don't think it advances the debate on this show, particularly talking about it.

14:53Luke Moore: I think because of Andy Robertson mentioning it, I think that's why people... Fine, fine.

14:56Marcus Speller: Yeah, fine. But that's for him to say. That's not for me to say. But the way that they're playing at the moment, the only straw you can grasp, but I was going to say is maybe Salah goes to the African Cup of Nations and they are forced not to pick him because he is making zero contribution he can't really defend the other doesn't want to defend or he can't defend he's not adapted at all to not playing in front of Alexander-Arnold and that may give them a bit of impetus to be a bit more hard working but I mean it's really thin gruel thinking about it

15:25David Cartlidge: I think a lot of people want Chiesa starting I think there's a grown chorus of Liverpool fans who really want Chiesa at the start so it might come about

15:32Uri Geller: with that

15:32David Cartlidge: But that always happens because... But you can change that.

15:34Marcus Speller: Is it going to change... But the reason they want Chiesa to start on David is because he's not playing and he runs really hard and he's really positive and they'll take anyone at the moment. But you want that right now on a Liverpool team.

15:45David Cartlidge: Sure. When you look at that performance, you go, right, okay, Chiesa's one of those things. It's a bit of a change and everything like that. But it might change things. It might lift everybody. It might scrape you through a game.

15:55Luke Moore: Fine, David. I take that point. That group of players they have are good enough to win the odd game here and there because of the quality they possess. You know, McAllister suddenly gets his head up and pings one in the corner and Alexander Isaac suddenly remembers that he is on his day, certainly on last season, one of the best forwards in the world. This stuff can happen, but I just feel that, again, we see this when something gets broken like this. It's incredibly difficult in the modern era for that to turn around. And yeah, you can put in Chiesi, you can put in one or two, and little sparks, and I understand that can lead to something.

16:27Luke Moore: I just think this is such a crazy situation at Liverpool right now. Oh yeah, it is. It's wild. I think there's so many little factors. I think a lot of people, myself included, you almost sort of try and go, right, that's the reason there. Or there's two or three reasons. It's almost like, as they say in aviation, the Swiss cheese effect. There's so many bits and pieces going on that I just wonder if the current manager, because the buck will stop with the manager. Slot himself said, I should look at myself first and then my team. I think if this doesn't change and I can't see it changing, I just wonder how long Slott's got left.

17:02Marcus Speller: You also have to factor in the idea that, yes, he won the Premier League last season, which is a massive deal, certainly at Liverpool, because they have not won anywhere near as many Premier League titles as they feel they should have. So he deserves credit for that. But as a manager, he hasn't got that much experience working at the very, very top level. So people will automatically put a crown on his head. He's a Premier League winning manager, and therefore he's definitely got the minerals and the experience to deal with a crisis of this magnitude at one of the biggest clubs in the world. There's actually nothing to suggest that.

17:33Marcus Speller: He's managed at Feyenoord for a few seasons. He's won one league title with Feyenoord. He's got to a UEFA conference league final. The Dutch league is totally different. The intensity and the level of player and the level of scrutiny at Premier League level is much, much higher. Now, I'm not saying he can't deal with it. I said a few weeks ago, this is the first real big crisis he would have had as a manager at this level and how he deals with it will tell us a lot about him. If he can't deal with it, if he can't rescue it, possibly even because it's not for any fault of his own even because it's circumstances then he'll lose his job it's as simple as that and we shouldn't assume that because he won the Premier League last season that he's up there with you know your Ancelotti your Guardiola well it happened to Ancelotti

18:16Luke Moore: in the Premier League fine you know admittedly at Chelsea we're used to that but still but you understand the point I do get the point you're saying we're kind of assuming

18:23Uri Geller: that he's now part of the furniture well I think that I'm not sure that's the case

18:25Luke Moore: yeah I think that you know we were always trying to work out how much of last season was it Klopp's team or was it Slott's team? And I think maybe we're beginning to think...

18:36David Cartlidge: I don't think it works like that, though. Well, no, I don't think it does as well. I just think he made minor tweaks last year. I think it wasn't a considerable far-removed, you know, new shape, new style or anything from Klopp. It was very much a continuation. You've still got to get the players to buy into it, though.

18:49Marcus Speller: Of course. Absolutely, of course you have. The chat about that I thought was odd, David, because I just feel like a lot of people were saying, making out almost, like he just wanders in and the players go, okay, yeah, cool. We'll carry on doing the same thing then, will we? Well, don't get me wrong.

19:01David Cartlidge: Slott did work to improve upon that and make it better. He did that, but largely, that was still Klopp's team and Klopp's setup

19:10Luke Moore: with these minor tweaks.

19:11David Cartlidge: Because the refresh happened

19:12Luke Moore: in the Slott's last season.

19:13David Cartlidge: Exactly. Now, we go to the summer. They spend all the money that they have. This is very much Slott's team and Slott's setup. So that means the book stops with him. So we can focus on Verts. You can focus on Nisak and all this. At the end of the day, it's Slott who's setting up that team now. And it stops with him. Yeah, totally.

19:33Uri Geller: We didn't talk about Forrest.

19:34Luke Moore: Well, I was going to say, I was going to turn our attention to them. Sean Dyche said after the game, everything isn't solved with regard to what he's trying to do at Forrest. But it's a good strong marker. We changed the tactical style massively. We're not passing out. Forget about that. We went long because they were going to press the life out of us. And look, again, I thought in the first 15, 20 minutes of that game, I thought, you know, Liverpool, this is when we're going to see them get a win. Forest weathered that storm and then came out, they get the goal, lovely second, and when the third went in, it looked easy peasy for them.

20:05Marcus Speller: It did, and I think you've got to give them credit because I think when they were on their last little mini run, Liverpool have losing three games in a row, I think it was, and Villa came to Anfield and Liverpool actually beat them, fairly straightforward, a bit them 2-0. I really fancied for them to get something there because Villa were really improving at the time. So it does go to show you it's not just a case of turning up and knocking them over. You have to really work hard at it. and I also think there's nothing to suggest even in Forrest's improved state under Deich that they would have had what it took to really do that to Liverpool at Anfield so they deserve a huge amount of credit for doing it they've got good players they just had to go back to getting the basics right they lost their way massively under Posta Coglia I mean if it's not just going to be a kind of weird pub quiz question in years to come and people do actually scrutinise it that would be one of the oddest periods in the Premier League club and obviously the Nuno thing is a complete self-immolation

20:53Luke Moore: I think Andrew would love the attacking talent that Liverpool have got as his disposal, hasn't he?

20:56Uri Geller: Yeah, right. But yeah, play most of the centre-back. But the thing is, most of the kind of building blocks

21:06Marcus Speller: for Forrester are kind of there.

21:08Uri Geller: And it's part of the reason why Dyche would have been biting people's hands off to take that job. Not just because he's got an affiliation with Forrester, as he's talking about, but because he knows they're massively underperforming. If you just bring them up to a level, they're going to finish mid-table, probably. And he'll be seen as a great saviour of theirs for doing that.

21:24Marcus Speller: So they have to go there and do it, but you cannot play like Liverpool played after that first half an hour with no intensity, no desire. I'm not saying desire, that's harsh, but not snapping into tackles, getting your passes crisp and underperforming at such a level and not expect to be punishing the Premier League. And Forrest deserve a huge amount of credit for punishing them, but they were there for the take-in. Yeah, I mean,

21:46Luke Moore: I was saying again before the game with Sean Dyche in charge, I don't expect a huge amount from Forrest this season. I think he's there to steady the ship and make sure that there's no relegation scrap. It's the best score to players that Dice has ever had.

21:58David Cartlidge: Yes, 100%.

21:59Luke Moore: Yeah, I wonder how much he'll get out of that attacking talent. And then after the game, you kind of go, well, fair play. I mean, I'm still, I don't know in terms of longer term, but the here and now, I think it's working at a sort of predictable level with Dice at Forest.

22:16David Cartlidge: It is. We'll get a good view into his limitations as a coach here because we'll see how much you can extract from a much more talented group players than he's ever worked with, like you've said. And if he can extract every single bit of them and a bit more, then okay, people will be like, all right, look, Daesh is actually, you know, he's a good coach. We've kind of, you know, we've underestimated him a bit. But then the other flip side is, you know, if they finish, what, bottom half of the table, they avoid relegation. People will be saying, well, you know what I mean? He saved us. What's next?

22:43David Cartlidge: Yeah, yeah, he could have got a lot more from that. And there will be, I still think, despite this, there'll be a lot of Forrest fans with an eye on the summer and like, right, okay, we stay open. and we've got this nice group of players, who can we get in maybe to push us on?

22:55Uri Geller: Especially if I lose a couple of players. 100%. There's a chance I could lose a couple.

22:58Luke Moore: Also as well, the Europa League campaign, which has been going okay, I think that if that ends up being a bit disappointing, it's a great chance for us to do something. That's the natural thing.

23:08David Cartlidge: You say, oh, we'll need a manager who's a bit more European savvy. So that's the natural thing when you fail in Europe.

23:12Luke Moore: Whether they're in European competition or not. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, indeed. But with a defender like Murillo at his disposal, Sean D 'Arche will be loving that.

23:19Marcus Speller: We just found our way back around to slagging them off again, haven't we? Not in the forest there. Probably lose their manager at some point. Well, no, but I mean, you know, should be doing better anyway. Sean Dyche is probably a bit of a cunt. Hey, that's my question. Right, okay, fair enough.

23:36Luke Moore: Now, let's move on from that kind of stuff. So, yeah, you mentioned Andy Robertson there, obviously back down to earth after leading Scotland to World Cup qualification. Well, Andrew on the Football Rumble Discord pointed out that that man, Uri Geller, is back in our hearts and minds. He said he harnessed the mystical powers of a spoon once owned by 14th century Scottish king Robert the Bruce. He said, I wore the Scotland shirt during the match, which I've had for a few years now, and held Robert the Bruce's spoon during the match. Don't dial out of this, David. Yeah, that's why you're here, David.

24:07Luke Moore: You agreed to come in here. Exactly, that's why you're here. I really concentrated and did my little rituals touching the shirt.

24:13Uri Geller: He's changed his tune.

24:14Luke Moore: He was against Scotland in 96. Well, he was in 96, and he said he started getting negative letters from Scotland so he thought I'm going to have to redress this. So if you remember He absolutely sabotaged

24:22Uri Geller: Gary McAllister.

24:22Luke Moore: He did but if you remember when they beat Serbia in the penalty shootout to qualify for the Euros he was involved there watching it and he was like He was involved there.

24:31David Cartlidge: I live here for you after. Like he did put a 9 out of 10 performance from defence and midfield. David doesn't work with me every week.

24:39Luke Moore: Luke just let that go.

24:40Uri Geller: What an amazing job he's got by the way because all he seems to do with Yuri Geller is something good happens and he just goes I did that. That was me that.

24:46Luke Moore: you didn't do anything didn't I no exactly well look he says he did who are we to deny the man he does we can't

24:55David Cartlidge: we can't deny him that's the thing all of us yeah I'll deny all this shit if I want

25:00Uri Geller: unbelievable man honestly

25:02Luke Moore: well anyway I believe it's Scotland don't forget it I own an island in Scotland yeah he actually owns an island

25:08Uri Geller: so when I was

25:09Luke Moore: in the Firth of 4th

25:10Uri Geller: do you remember we went to go we did a live show in Glasgow yeah we went to it

25:12Luke Moore: as a pilgrimage

25:13Uri Geller: yeah we did it on Lamb Island went in

25:15Luke Moore: and wear the green tee within Brassel was already there really.

25:19Uri Geller: No, but I went and stayed in North Berwick for a night and you could see that island from North Berwick. I knew the island because I looked it up on Google Maps. I didn't know it was owned by Yuri though.

25:29Luke Moore: Oh, yeah.

25:29Uri Geller: How has Yuri got the money to be owning that still? He can't get any work for love nor money. Was he in Michael Jackson's will? He must have been. Yeah. He must have been. He was close for Jacko, wasn't he? He was. Yeah. That's why you like him, isn't it? I know. Come on now. Come on.

25:42Luke Moore: Come on.

25:44Uri Geller: But so I'd love the explanation as to why he's because he's now going on to say that he's going to help Scotland win the World Cup. So good luck with that.

25:51Luke Moore: That will work out really well. If they do win the World Cup then you've got to He's got to get a Julier extra medal made up. Maybe.

25:59David Cartlidge: Yeah. Alright I'll come back on the podcast and say I will issue an actual apology if Scotland win the World Cup. I promise.

26:07Uri Geller: There's a big boxing fight they have this TV show the build up called The Gloves Are Off where you'll sit in the middle here David there, Yuri there chairs round the other way

26:16Luke Moore: you're just watching

26:17Uri Geller: yeah talking about you can apologise to him frankly for underresting that in the fact that Scotland won the World Cup in the United States

26:24Luke Moore: I've got a spoon for you Yuri could you bend that it also was reported of course that Scotland celebrations last week caused minor tremors in the earth yeah good stuff in the Glasgow area so it's all going off

26:36Uri Geller: the earth moved oh dear

26:38Luke Moore: right coming up after this Eber Echiezi is magnificent in the North London Derby

26:53Uri Geller: You can walk up there, you know. It's a vertigo-inducing climb. It's glass beneath your feet. And yes, you can touch the big golden cock.

27:08Luke Moore: Welcome back to the football round, everybody. That was CBS talking about David. No, about the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

27:16Uri Geller: I just did not expect that at the end. Wow.

27:19Luke Moore: Thanks to Friend of the Ramble Tej 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.

27:28Uri Geller: Get that on regular rotation. That's brilliant. I'll never get bored of hearing that. Yeah, that's incredible.

27:33Luke Moore: Arsenal 4, Tottenham Hotspur 1. After Liverpool and Man City both lost, David, it was over to Arsenal in the North London derby. fair to say they put it to bed with aplomb indeed

27:45David Cartlidge: Spurs put the red carpet off of them yeah it did very well put you weren't happy with Thomas Frank's tactics on this absolutely pathetic if I'm a Spurs fan this morning or last night I'm incensed by what I saw from my team in the derby and I'd be seriously asking is this the man who can take us forward because all the elements there were of a manager who is used to coaching at a certain level without a certain extent of pressure.

28:14Luke Moore: Which is why in a way, this is the kind of thing that we think is Brentford side love to go and give a bloody nose to some of the big boys.

28:20David Cartlidge: But they stood off them the entire game. There was no ambition there. There was no desire to win that game. They were hoping to draw it. They were hoping to win the set-piece battle. And that was pretty much it. Rubbish. Absolutely terrible.

28:35Luke Moore: Well, a damning assessment but a fair one though, Luke.

28:37Marcus Speller: I agree. I felt like Jeff Goldblum on Independence Day when the big spaceship was coming over and I went to see Spurs play Chelsea and I was saying, guys, you have to believe me.

28:47Luke Moore: Yep.

28:48Marcus Speller: This is really, really, really shit.

28:50Luke Moore: Did you get your laptop out and you were pointing at it? Thomas Frank, this is how you should be setting up. And you've got 25 minutes before kickoff to do it.

28:55Uri Geller: Yeah, I was saying we need to flee the country. We need to get out of here before we have to witness another Spurs performance like that. Because there's no coming back for it emotionally.

29:03Luke Moore: Bloody hell.

29:04Marcus Speller: And yeah, I think David's spot on. I think it was unforgivable really. I mean I suppose the caveat I was going to play devil's advocate to David's point I suppose the caveat would be that they struggle badly with all the players they've got missing they have players who are relatively quite good at winning the ball back and they just can't do anything with it afterwards and I think when you play against a team with a bit between their teeth who'll probably go on and win the Premier League fairly easily this season who are desperate to impress because they're playing a local rival at home you cannot you cannot play like that you cannot play with no intensity and with such a almost like accepting of your fate yeah

29:47Luke Moore: that they did I think that's the point you come in with that attitude then you are going to lose but what did you think because he said post-match Frank it was a bad performance and completely opposite to what the intention was before we came here but that's just what was the intention though

30:01David Cartlidge: but that's just rubbish he plays that way they went long they were looking for knockdowns to get the second ball. The striker wasn't winning anything anyway, so they didn't win anything in midfield, and Arsenal were allowed to pile on the pressure straight away. The setup was very clear, and they've done it before. It just didn't happen. Arsenal just telegraphed it quite easily. Missing three key players as well, three starters. Odegaard, Giocares, and Gabriel. All missing. They could have taken another three players out of that team who staffed them, and they still would have won.

30:28Marcus Speller: I definitely come away from it thinking that Arsenal didn't have to really try. They didn't have to get out of second or third gear. and speaking of the forward thing for Spurs as well they've got the cutting edge of a fucking Satsuma

30:41Uri Geller: like they I know they miss Solanke great goal from a Charles that's the thing isn't it but you know when you play Sunday league and you get a smash I know exactly what you're going to say the skillful player on your team just starts to shoot from kickoff it was just like that I mean it happened to go in it was a great goal good for him you know well done yeah pleased for him yeah exactly yeah

30:58Luke Moore: but they don't I was really pleased for a Charleston scoring

31:01Marcus Speller: they've got no presence up front You never feel like they're going to, their strikers, any of their strikers are going to put a fucking performance in. Like Colin Mouane's found it really tough. I know he's had an injury as well and came on, but he was completely non-existent against Chelsea as well.

31:16Luke Moore: I mean, so you're right. We were right to talk about how bad Spurs were, but Arsenal were superb. And, you know, how much of this is Spurs bad, but Arsenal just not letting them have a kick because straight from the off, they were at the races. every player in that team showed why you just said Luke that they'll probably win the Premier League fairly easily they could have done more

31:36Uri Geller: they could have done more yeah but

31:37Luke Moore: I mean they've been with a Derby 4 but what I'm saying

31:40Uri Geller: is they had loads more in the tank but they got Bayern Munich in a few days that's what I'm saying that's what's so great for them

31:45David Cartlidge: that's what makes even more impressive basically they played at this level and they could have clearly done more

31:49Luke Moore: but it's such a statement win and performance because of the two you know they had a chance to do it and in previous seasons even though Arsenal have been good look they finished second regularly and people sometimes use that as a stick to beat them with. I get that. But it is still, within itself, impressive to be the second best team in the country. And I know you don't get a medal for that, blah, blah, blah, blah. What I'm saying is there's consistency there. But this is not the consistency they want because they want to get over the line. And this season, that steely determination that Arteta has been trying to get into this side, you are seeing it this season, I think.

32:23Luke Moore: There was a couple of times where maybe they haven't hugely convinced, like when they played Man United on the first day or they went away to Fulham but they won the game and this the game opened up for them to batter them and they did and when Eber Echeze's playing like that it's just a joy

32:39David Cartlidge: he's a fantastic player he's a bit of a unicorn in the Arsenal squad as well because I think he's quite different in terms of what he brings his skill set to the squad almost a ruggedness yeah of course of course and he's the sort of player he'd probably put in an Arsene Wenger Arsenal squad but maybe not in a Mikel Arteta squad and I think he's very dangerous for that reason because you think you are playing well against Arsenal or you're just holding them off and they have got him to just produce something out of nothing now and they've got an interesting Arteta's got an interesting question to face when Odegaard comes back or what he does there

33:13Marcus Speller: I think it's a great sign and just chiefly because Arteta has always seemed to favour kind of systemic players like good little boys who do exactly what he says and Eze gives you a real X factor I had a little Royce smile to myself because the nature of how he signed for Arsenal, I know quite a lot of Spurs fans. And obviously he was linked with Spurs as we heard just off the break and people thought he might be going there then Arsenal came in and he always wanted to go to Arsenal. And I've had quite a few Spurs fans in my orbit saying, well, you know, you're trying to write it off. He's a good player, but he's not a great player.

33:44Marcus Speller: You know, I'm not sure he's worth that money or the rest of it. And well, they found out yesterday that he is.

33:48Luke Moore: First player to score a hat-trick of course in the North London Derby since Alan Sutherland in 1978, which was a surprise that it's been that long. Because there's so many good games. We think of Kane and Henry and some of the great football players.

33:56David Cartlidge: Even Aubameyang or somebody like that. He just thought, oh shoot, he put a hat-trick against some players. But incredible.

34:01Luke Moore: I mean, the first goal's a lovely one through a crowd of players and in it goes. And as you say, he's maybe shooting where Arsenal haven't done in the past. You need players like that.

34:11David Cartlidge: Yeah, you need players.

34:12Luke Moore: It's almost taking it by the scruff of the neck and going, right, well, I'll have a go here. The second one was particularly enjoyable and I just thought, it's just lovely is the word I often use when describing Eze because the way it comes in, the touch isn't brilliant but then just open the button and just sort of wafts it in the corner it's very aesthetic the very aesthetically pleasing goal and the way he trots off to celebrate I mean he's taken to it like a duck to water

34:31David Cartlidge: and there were no set piece goals as well so I mean we'll get so this is the thing with people level at Arsenal as well they only score off set pieces and everything like that there's quite a few prominent pundits who have said that as well so this was a good I think response to that yeah yeah yeah because what you're saying

34:45Marcus Speller: is when you play up against a team at home who aren't at the races and are absolutely diabolical you can score some goals from open play absolutely

34:52Luke Moore: Yeah, I mean, but they were, you can. And had Eze, I mean, this is, you know, had he not have done so well, you know, Trossard might have been man of the match. He was fantastic as well.

35:02Marcus Speller: He's been great and he deserves credit because he's found that he's been in a difficult position. Never really known if he's going to play. Never really known if he's going to long-term in the plans. Not really held down a permanent position. And when he, and I think it goes under said how difficult it would be to be a player in, of attacking player who is always expected to have an impact even though you're not playing consistently whenever they brought in yeah yeah and he's done look going back to what Dave was saying about Frank and Spurs it will be Frank and Spurs I didn't actually mean to say that but it will be the next week or so is interesting because obviously PSG away in the Champions League they had a good performance against PSG at the start of the season as we know they had a nice holiday type performance against Copenhagen last time out PSG obviously a completely different proposition I don't think it will register that much if they lose against PSG with the fan base because it's PSG right fine totally agree unless it's a complete tank yeah yeah but Fulham at home after that now Spurs fans are ready to go Spurs fans are basically exactly like Arsenal fans were towards the end of Wenger you go there and they are just expecting something terrible to happen and as soon as it does they lose their shit Fulham had a good result the weekend as you've alluded to already Marcus and the best example of Silva's Fulham is that bloody nose thing.

36:20Marcus Speller: They prepare all week for a big game. They've not been quite like that this season, but traditionally under Silva they have. Spurs have been diabolical at home against anyone, really. They've been in a false position in the league for a while. They're now down in mid-table, which probably seems about right. If they go down behind early against Fulham, it could get quite bad for Spurs.

36:42David Cartlidge: I think it's that sensitive there at the moment, even if it's nil-nil at half-time. The fans will just be like, right, it's happening again. and you'll feel how tense it will be in that stadium

36:51Marcus Speller: and that's the thing because when they sorry to keep harking back to it but when they were playing Chelsea at the start of November it honestly felt that they could play for about a month and never even get a chance let alone score

37:02Luke Moore: it was honestly so so so bad well Fulham are struggling to score goals I mean they only scored one against them so maybe nil-nil's on the cards maybe or a late Fulham winner I'll take it

37:11Marcus Speller: but a massive step towards the title for Arsenal even though it's running in November and I'll tell you why because it just it just essentially gilds their confidence even more. You know, you play against a Spurs side who have been better away from home and you think, okay, this is a Derby game. You know, it's not, it doesn't seem that long ago to me that when Man City were bad and United were all conquering, it felt fairly regularly Man City would give them a bit of a bloody nose and make it tough for them. In Derby games, you can do that. For Arsenal to be so comprehensive will just give them further confidence to keep on moving forward.

37:44Marcus Speller: At the moment, it looks very, very difficult to make an argument for any team to be able to stop them.

37:49Luke Moore: No, and with Bayern Munich as well. You get a good win there or a good performance and so on. They'll start to feel invincible.

37:55Uri Geller: I thought Gabriel-Bier mission would be huge, but it didn't register. Yeah, but I mean,

37:59Luke Moore: it didn't register because of the tactics that the opposition deployed. Yeah, I was going to say because of the opponent.

38:03David Cartlidge: So they'll face a Bayern who will be more light. That's when you'll get a proper gauge of how good that defence actually is with Algen. It's the acid test, isn't it?

38:10Luke Moore: I mean, I think Luis Diaz is not playing, but they've got enough to be fair. I've got Ari. Yeah, exactly.

38:17Marcus Speller: Arsenal the last few years I wouldn't really care about the Bayern Munich game I mean you do want to test yourself though

38:22David Cartlidge: Bayern are one of the best teams in Europe this season you do want to go at that they're two of the favourites

38:26Luke Moore: they're two of the favourites

38:27Uri Geller: but Arsenal want to win the Premier League yeah that's that yeah yeah indeed

38:32Luke Moore: and that is they are clear favourites now but I'm saying you know you then start to test yourself against the best in Europe you win that the confidence will be sky high we've seen the confidence though among the the fans improve because Arsenal's Tifo game is getting better. It was pretty bad. It was bad. Was it against PSG in the semi-final where they kind of...

38:52David Cartlidge: Was it just the red flag with the cannon?

38:54Marcus Speller: It was the cannon, yeah. We don't have Microsoft Paint.

38:57Luke Moore: And I appreciate that you might want to take a warm-up at this and ease yourself into the Tifo game, but a Champions League semi-final might not be the best testing ground. Yeah, just don't do one. But before the game, they had a huge image of Sol Campbell and they had... Which was lovely, lovely stuff, really. Just Sol Campbell? Just a Sol Campbell team?

39:12David Cartlidge: It was the biggest one at the time. Yeah, I was going to say

39:16Luke Moore: sold that it was you know the Arsenal with some of their best players over the years and current ones but Big Sol front and centre was a lovely one yeah

39:24David Cartlidge: it was a nice touch very petty but respectful

39:26Uri Geller: you've got to do it for the Barber that's what I mean

39:28David Cartlidge: yeah yeah

39:28Uri Geller: because Sol Campbell was out doing his thing wasn't he he was on was he on Talk Sport at the BBC this week

39:33David Cartlidge: was he

39:34Uri Geller: saying that he was unquestionably much faster than Mickey Van De Ven just like

39:38Luke Moore: so you don't need to just to say it was very quick Sol Campbell was a very very very good defender yeah very quick I enjoyed his career

39:46Uri Geller: and that's it. And you've particularly enjoyed his post career haven't you as well? You've been really enjoying what he's been up to since he's retired. At times. Yeah, because I remember you really badgering me about

39:54Luke Moore: What are you going to try and get off me? I'm just saying you were

39:56Uri Geller: very passionate about his Mayor of London campaign. Oh yeah!

40:00Luke Moore: Oh yeah, I'd have been up for it.

40:02Uri Geller: Why not?

40:02Luke Moore: Yeah, he'd have united North London at least.

40:05Uri Geller: Oh so are you going to do a fan park this summer?

40:09Luke Moore: Because my friend Luke's asking. Now before we move on from all that did you see that Bakaya Saka revealed his favourite breakfast growing up.

40:17Uri Geller: Yeah.

40:18Luke Moore: He said, so he mentioned hot cross buns. We're all involved. Yeah. Love a hot cross bun. I mean,

40:23Uri Geller: you can only really get them at a very specific time of the year. Which is interesting. Breakfast growing up. Where's he getting hot cross buns from in like August?

40:28Luke Moore: They're stockpiling them.

40:29Uri Geller: It must be.

40:30Luke Moore: So a hot cross bun, I always think of, you can have it with just butter or a bit of jam.

40:34Marcus Speller: Yeah, absolutely.

40:35Luke Moore: Well, he said, you cut the hot cross bun, you cut up the sausage, you put it in the hot cross bun, then ketchup, then close the hot cross bun. I love the fact that, you know, he's put that detail in. unreal credit to my dad credit to my mum love it footballers just talk in a certain way don't they I love it

40:50Uri Geller: at the start of this I was thinking for me the sausage and the raisins are a problem yeah massively by the end of it I was thinking yeah but you close it hold up let him cook I wouldn't mind trying it no don't let him cook that's the point honestly but ultimately

41:06Marcus Speller: one thing I would like to agree with Bakaya about is credit to his dad and credit to his mum

41:11Luke Moore: yeah absolutely

41:11Marcus Speller: he seems like a lovely fella they've done a wonderful job they have

41:13Luke Moore: credit to Arsenal alright coming up after this we've got a new contender for Thomas Tuchel's plane

41:30Luke Moore: gentlemen Newcastle United 2 Manchester City 1 big win for Newcastle United who have not been brilliant in the Premier League this season so far it looked like it might be a frustrating afternoon evening for them when Harvey Barnes missed that sitter but he made amends Luke he made amends

41:45Uri Geller: is this the guy you're saying there's another space for him on Thomas Tuchel's plane no okay right someone else is it he might be on Stevie Clark's plane I was about to say yeah because he's making kissy eyes at Scotland isn't he he fancies a bit of that

41:55Luke Moore: well they're making kissy eyes at him and since they've qualified he's going okay yeah I'd be annoyed

42:00Uri Geller: about that if I was in the Scotland squad

42:01Luke Moore: you got yourself a new suit you got a new job yeah I see what you're doing

42:04Uri Geller: been through the emotional rigour to get us qualified no Harvey Harvey wants to get involved does he Harvey Barnes oh right you know

42:13Luke Moore: where's he from that's what I'd be saying he's from this island and that's all that matters it's not all that matters not according to it would be a free for all

42:19Uri Geller: wouldn't it it would be a free for all otherwise we'd have anarchy it's a free for all great we'd have Shae Adams up front thanks very much is that right

42:29Luke Moore: Gaulty oh dear

42:31Uri Geller: was this

42:32Marcus Speller: because obviously Man City took this defeat very well didn't they they were absolutely they were very sporting about it after the game

42:37Luke Moore: hang on fine I tell you what you're saying there but Newcastle some of their players like, well, Joel Linton. I mean, they weren't exactly walking off the pitch.

42:46Uri Geller: That doesn't sound like him.

42:47Luke Moore: To be fair, Donnarumma was trying to walk away. I love that. The ruckus at the end of the game you're talking about, right? Joel Linton, for some reason, wanted a piece of Donnarumma. I never understand this. When you've won a game of football, just, you know, you can give it the kind of, you know, the old sort of lobster, you know, motion, talk in the air, fine, whatever. Celebrate with your own fans, but he couldn't resist it. But in among all the... Go after Foden.

43:08Uri Geller: He's tiny. Come on. Go after Foden.

43:10Luke Moore: In fact, Cavie and Cher did during the match. but in among all that ruckus Jacob Murphy walking round with Erling Haaland's shirt on back to front so the nines on his chest just looking bemused the whole time brilliant it was so so good

43:23Uri Geller: was it just the case that with Newcastle they got Lewis Hall and Tina Liveramento back that was big

43:28David Cartlidge: that was top of my list

43:30Uri Geller: of nines

43:30David Cartlidge: and by the way

43:33Luke Moore: nine of them are the contender that we spoke about what? who is this mystery man?

43:40Uri Geller: He's basically turning this show into an England player that he fancies revealed for.

43:45Luke Moore: That player...

43:46Uri Geller: He's going to unbox an England player at the end.

43:48Luke Moore: He is a former Newcastle United man. He'll give you a little peek. But yeah, Lewis Hall and Tino Liveramento. People have touted them maybe for the World Cup in the summer. But besides that though, it was big to have them back in the Newcastle United side. Gives them so much down the flanks, David. You could see that in the game. But the game itself, I mean, in the first half, I didn't think anybody wanted to score. I mean Harland had a chance he fluffed that strangely obviously the Barnes one all that aside Phil Farrin how was that not given as a penalty with the Fabian shade did you think it was yeah I thought it was a penalty

44:20Marcus Speller: how was that not given I don't know the refereeing has been we don't talk about it much on this show because I think we think you get a bit bored I was going to say it is referee's crazy I just wanted to say

44:30Luke Moore: Man City fans we hear you and see you that was a penalty all day long ridiculous I mean there was a long VAR check after Barnes' second goal Man City weren't happy about that and perhaps some of the reasons why it all sort of balled over after the game that and also the way the Newcastle United midfield three kind of go about their business during the 90 minutes

44:49David Cartlidge: that's what they have to do though it's great to see I'm glad they do that I want to see more of that

44:53Luke Moore: even as a Sunderland fan you've got the way Howe sets them up you've got to respect it of course

44:58David Cartlidge: I couldn't give a shit about that I'll put that aside all the time I think Newcastle's a good team to watch when they're like this they're really really good to watch and I enjoy watching them do you know what I mean give me them three over than what we saw from Spurs yeah yeah I thought you were

45:09Luke Moore: going to say Man City David I think you'd take you Luke and I in the centre of the picture over what Spurs had on the but I but this game it was it was a full-blooded affair but Newcastle didn't need to win Luke because they've not been convincing in the Premier League this season

45:25Marcus Speller: yeah I think Tino Liverman has has amazing credit because he had what seemed like quite a difficult injury yeah and for him to come back and play against Man City and play the full 90 as well was incredible and that shows you know how fit he is because he's had injuries before as well he had a long time injury before as well but he's

45:41David Cartlidge: he's a bit bail-like isn't he in terms of his physical structure and what have you I think they're fantastic I'm a big big fan of him

45:47Marcus Speller: and I thought they did really well to keep Haaland quiet as well I mean they were great I mean they've done their best work in the Champions League this season as we keep saying they've not been brilliant for Harvey Barnes to come in there's so many positives to take for Harvey Barnes to come in because Gordon isn't available and perform like that and not only that but get that miss out of his system early on because that was a bad one and to essentially take the game away from Man City was amazing. And it shows you what Newcastle can be when they're at their best, right?

46:14Luke Moore: I mean, it's extraordinary to think, you know, that despite that, when they're still in 14th, just a point above Fulham, same as Everton, I know Everton's played tonight. Which shows you again that position in the league because I don't think many people would have them down winning the Champions League this season. Although I think that they've probably, as much as one does in these things, maybe slightly prioritised those matches early on in the season. but you want to be in the Champions League every season if you're Newcastle United so at some point their league form is going to have to improve and this is what they did last season as well

46:43David Cartlidge: and I think it's going to pick up I think if you look at a few teams in the Premier League who can have a good Christmas period I think Newcastle's one of them I could see them going unbeaten for putting a run together basically and just flying up that table as other teams slip up

46:56Marcus Speller: do you know what I think though the way we cover football is completely different now because even when we first started doing the Ramble we wouldn't even be talking about that at this stage of the game at the stage of the season like I remember like they'd only put the relegation line on the Premier League table and the whatever it was the European places like towards the second half of the season. It's in there all the time now. And Graeme Souness famously said, yeah, we don't look at the table till Christmas, right? We don't care about that. We just got to focus on winning games. And Newcastle, you can say they're down in 14th, but you can also say they're six points off fourth.

47:26Marcus Speller: And there's so many games to play over Christmas. It will shake out one way or another. I'm not saying they're automatically going to be brilliant because I don't think that. Maybe they will, The table will shake out around January time, as it usually does, and then we'll see what's what, with the exception of Wolves, who will stay down there. So I wouldn't worry too much about that, is what I'm saying. This is a good hallmark win for Newcastle, and something I think they need to prove to themselves after the start they've had.

47:53Luke Moore: Would you worry about Manchester City's title credentials this season?

47:57Uri Geller: Kind of.

47:57Marcus Speller: I was really surprised to see that it's the worst start to the season for five seasons or something, which probably says more about how good they've been overall rather than anything else. Look, I don't think they're going to have enough in there to be consistent enough to haul Arsenal in but I do think they'll still be... I personally still think they'll be best of the rest. I think they've just got this... Their floor is much higher than a lot of other teams' floor.

48:23David Cartlidge: Do you think they'll pivot to looking at the Champions League though? That's going to be their bigger focus, isn't it? That's possible, yeah. I could see them happily, I don't know, losing a couple in the Premier League just being as long as we qualify for Champions League through there as long as we higher up as possible of course but I think they might just go all in on the Champions League get Rodri back work out the system to be a bit more because I thought here we saw how lacking in physicality City were they really got dragged and pulled about it was bully ball against a team

48:51Marcus Speller: who were good at that

48:52David Cartlidge: exactly and I say that in a very endearing way about bully ball and they'll look at that and they'll be a little bit worried because there's some physical teams in the Champions League who will come up against physical midfields

49:03Marcus Speller: City have got a bit about them in that area. If you look at the players they brought off the bench in this game, none of them are physical specimens. Oscar Bob isn't, Tiani Rinders isn't, Omar Mamouchi isn't, Savino isn't. To deal with the physical elements of the Premier League, that might be a real area of weakness for them, maybe.

49:23Luke Moore: Maybe, maybe. Well, good win for Newcastle. Soon enough, up the Premier League, they will go. now I want to finish talking about Bournemouth 2 West Ham United 2 Callum Wilson got a double yeah he's up to 92 Premier League goals not this season overall that would be outrageous he has written in his journal that he's going to go to the World Cup next summer come on

49:47Uri Geller: when are the tickets on sale

49:48Luke Moore: talk to me I heard there's a lot

49:51David Cartlidge: of tickets available at the moment

49:53Luke Moore: I'm waiting for him to go down with the dynamic Brian Wilson

49:56Uri Geller: is one of the few people on earth you could actually afford to go to the World Cup this was a massive game of two halves what about that second goal well yeah brilliant

50:04Marcus Speller: but this was an incredible game yeah I mean it was for Bournemouth to be quite so bad in the first half and then to really turn up in the second half does speak to how adept Irola is at changing things during a game I think he's one of the best coaches in the Premier League even though they've been on a bit of a shit run and for him to I mean they should basically they should have won the game they were so overwhelming

50:25Uri Geller: in the second half even though they started the second half 2-0 down they had 28 shots

50:30Luke Moore: even with 20 minutes to go I know that Tavernier scores that penalty I'm thinking there's only going to be one winner here whereas Alphonse Areola and Goal had other ideas he was busy he made some good saves

50:40Uri Geller: speaking of weird refereeing decisions by the way I mean it's really hard to think about so if you come from a position I'm talking about the Max Kilman penalty where he basically slaps the ball away from Evan Nilsson's feet to stop him scoring right and their penalty is given so the refereeing team have acknowledged the infringement even if you come from a point of view where you're trying to be charitable to referees it's really hard to understand what they're doing do you think

51:07Luke Moore: I mean he was holding himself up and he was trying to take his hand away

51:10Uri Geller: you end up just feeling like that woman who defends Trump in the White House

51:13Luke Moore: well I think you'll find what happened was the exact opposite

51:16Uri Geller: let's move on

51:17Luke Moore: once again he was being ironic yeah

51:21Uri Geller: it was bizarre

51:22Marcus Speller: just absolutely bizarre but yeah Callum Wilson you know I know some West Ham fans are very positive about him, you know, being the striker they've needed for so long. The asterisk over him is that whether he can stay fit or not. When he plays and he plays well, he's really good. I mean, he's got an eye for that.

51:39Luke Moore: Even the first goal, which is, of course, goalkeeping error, really. The fact is, he takes it down nicely with his chest. He gets a good solid shot away. It's a slippy surface. Of course, the goalkeeper's going to be disappointed. That's what Max Killman said. You know, but the second goal was beautiful, striker play, David.

51:56David Cartlidge: Oh, yeah. He's got a lovely shot technique. He's a very good striker. The sad thing is, like Luke's just said, his fitness has gone against him. He'd probably be far more highly regarded.

52:09Marcus Speller: He's 33 now, right? He's missed a fair amount of football. Newcastle, he couldn't really get going, could he? Because he kept being out.

52:16Luke Moore: Well, I mean, firstly, he was playing under Steve Bruce. Yeah. So that was a bit of a... Although he still scored goals under Steve Bruce. Yeah, he did, he did. And that's probably why he went to the World Cup in Qatar. I've got my timeline right there. Forgive me if I haven't. But yeah, when Isak was there, he was never going to get a look in. I mean, I do think it's a long shot because Danny Welbeck has been spoken about as potential backup to Kane and Welbeck's got a delightful goal on the weekend as well.

52:42David Cartlidge: There's one more seat left on the play and going to the head. Welbeck or Wilson, who are you taking?

52:46Luke Moore: Yeah, I think I would go Welbeck.

52:47David Cartlidge: Right, okay.

52:48Marcus Speller: Wilson, I just looked it up, Wilson had 15 separate injuries in his time at Newcastle. Yeah, that's going to hurt you. I'll be taking Welbeck.

52:54David Cartlidge: Love to see Welbeck. David, I know if you heard it,

52:56Marcus Speller: but I was fighting really hard for Welbeck a couple of weeks ago because I felt like the discussion around it was hugely disrespectful.

53:03David Cartlidge: Yeah, it always has been around Danny Welbeck and I don't understand.

53:06Uri Geller: Yeah, whereas on merit, he just keeps scoring.

53:09Luke Moore: He keeps scoring. It's good to know that we've got another bit of competition for that second striker spot though. Ollie Watkins has got to pull his socks out. There's only so many times he can say, hey Thomas, but watch this, what I did against the Dutch at the Euros.

53:21Uri Geller: When it really counts, Thomas. Which coincidentally, you won't be able to find out until it really counts. I'm the guy he's the guy I'm the guy but we very rarely

53:29Marcus Speller: talk about a draw on the Ramble on Monday and it's been good to use it as a vehicle to talk about Danny Welbeck again

53:36Uri Geller: and Thomas Tuchel so it's served its purpose there hasn't it indeed

53:40Luke Moore: what a way to end the show thanks for listening to the Football Ramble part of the Acast Creator Network Pete Luke and Jim will be here tomorrow to react to Manchester United and Everton's match tonight so get your ears around that lot tomorrow well yeah

53:54Marcus Speller: do listen to it because we're doing it absolutely It would be annoying if no one listened to it.

53:57Luke Moore: It would be very annoying indeed. Someone on the Discord also spotted Pete in O 'Neill's in Leicester on Saturday night. So you'll be getting to the bottom of that too.

54:05Uri Geller: Yeah, I mean...

54:06Luke Moore: I had no idea. I mean, he just... People often think that we exaggerate it with Pete. If anything, we play it down.

54:13Marcus Speller: Yeah, I asked him... I saw him on Friday.

54:16Luke Moore: Yeah.

54:16Marcus Speller: And we were working together, three of us. Yeah.

54:18Luke Moore: And I said, what are you up to this weekend? Oh, nothing much. Yeah, yeah. It's always the same. He'll go abroad and you don't know about it.

54:25Uri Geller: Oh, that does happen. It does, it does, yeah. He went to fucking Latvia about three weeks ago.

54:28Luke Moore: That was the one.

54:29Uri Geller: Yeah.

54:29Luke Moore: Yeah.

54:30Uri Geller: Of course, we should know. We've known him for a long time. I don't know. I'll quiz him about it tomorrow.

54:34Luke Moore: Does his partner even know? Probably not. No. Yuri Geller will know. Yeah. He goes with him. Yeah. He goes with him. They fly a spoon over there. Right. Remember, if you want to become a friend of the Ramble and join the Discord, then sign up on Patreon or on YouTube. The links are in the show notes. You've got no excuses.

54:49Uri Geller: So is this like some kind of peak dancing, but instead of Epstein Island, it's Yuri Geller's Island? seriously

54:54Luke Moore: I had a dream that I met Cristiano Ronaldo the other night always above board and I said to him what was it like meeting the President of the United States and he went he was creepy did he?

55:02Uri Geller: that's what he said in my dream he scored a great overhead kick

55:04Luke Moore: what a beauty yeah didn't he? answering Scott McTominay straight away it felt like everyone

55:08Marcus Speller: was setting it up for him though just let me do this one yeah

55:10Luke Moore: the goalkeeper oh fun oh fun okay David loved to have you back on the board sorry about the Epstein stuff

55:16Marcus Speller: at the end but great to have you back it's alright we won't do the YouTube image of you with a face next to David Epstein Jeffrey Epstein see you later everybody

55:25David Cartlidge: I brought a list of names to talk about as well the football ramble

55:39Luke Moore: is a stack production and part of the Acast Creator Network