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3:40Luke Moore: I'm no schoolboy, but I know what I like, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble! England beat Croatia again, and Poch is a man, United man. It's Friday, 13th of November. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Luke Moore. I'm Pete Donaldson. And I'm Jim Campbell.

4:04Luke Moore: Hello, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble. It's Friday the 13th, I didn't realise. Do you know what that means, Jim? It's my mum's birthday. Happy birthday. Happy birthday. Mrs Campbell. I assume that's what you meant, right?

4:17Jim Campbell: Of course I did.

4:18Luke Moore: Mummy Campbell. Did she get the card?

4:19Jim Campbell: She did. Good. I got there some soup. We get that free. You get it free. Never paid for soup in my life. For the local community kitchen. Yeah, absolutely. Times are tough. They are indeed. Happy birthday Mrs. Campbell. Yeah, exactly. What a woman. This awful show, because I'm going to make it very dirty, is in tribute to Mrs. Campbell. Yeah, okay. Nice. Can't have anything nice, can we? No. So what were you going to say, Marcus?

4:43Luke Moore: Well Jim, I think we can. Because firstly, it's Friday. secondly the international break is here England have already got three points we're right in the middle of it aren't we indeed we are and thirdly we've been nominated for best podcast at this year's FSA awards we mentioned this the other day I need to update their list every year we get nominated yeah yeah yeah we only won it once I know that's true you know but hey you fucked the trophy you did the way you say it it was a WhatsApp group you did it it was a WhatsApp group image for like two years it was different times what would you like with this I was going to say, you humped it.

5:16Humped it, I think, was better. As I said before... Playful, innit? Yeah, it's more playful.

5:20Luke Moore: My bits were behind the cloth of my suit, and the trophy does not have an insertion point. It doesn't. It was a dry hump. You were performing at a Babes in the Woods, Jim Davidson... Pantomime. Pantomime, at the time. It was just a bit of fun. What a reference, what a reference. A playful bit of British fun. I'd like to formally withdraw our eligibility for this award Until the FSA... Emphasis on the word withdraw. Until FSA's put an insertion point in the award, in the trophy. Only then will I recognise it. Well, you know, I matched Emi Martinez. Can we go one further? Yes. FSA awards. Yeah, that'd be nice.

5:56Luke Moore: Yeah. That would be nice. Well, if you want to see me have a go at that again, then... I think we all do. That is a very compelling case for him to vote for us, that, isn't it? If you'd like to see a good, honest Christian man simulate full penetrative sex with a trophy on stage in front of his peers, Having campaigned for an insertion point. A trofussey, if you will. I can't stress enough how very, very... What would be the word? I don't want to... It's a fine audience. Very, very progressive audience. To see a man humming a trophy. I did think... You've been led a spread by a goalkeeper, haven't you?

6:33An Argentinian man.

6:34Luke Moore: Darbyshire was there. She was. She was my writer. When you humped it, you said that the people weren't really into it. Well, I don't know. I don't know I think you would know if they were into it though Luke I chose not to know but if we all want to finally know then this weekend is your last chance to vote bring a drill yes votes close on Monday morning so if you want to support us your good friends at the Football Ramble here it's your last chance so stop the show now and click the link in the show notes and cast your vote to vote for us for the best podcast we deserve it the most I think we do we try the hardest We do more shows than anyone else.

7:13We're here all the time. And it should be about that. Yeah. It's the biggest volume. Have the Guardian got a little pop it? No. Did the Guardian pump the trophy? No, they didn't. They've never done that. There we are.

7:23Luke Moore: Barry Glame-Denning did smash one one year. Yeah. Not in that way. He dropped it. Right. England 2, Croatia 1. It happened at Wembley last night. It was the Harry Kane evening. I wasn't there. I thought you wouldn't have missed the Harry Kane Ballon d 'Or presentation. Needs must. Needs must. It would have been illegal for me to chance it and leave my two boys asleep. probably back in time before and then your alibi would have been shot to bits if anything happened because you'd have been seen there fucking the ballon d 'or on telly if I was given spotted on telly your kids dorsed it with tixie licks love it given half a chance Peter Harry Kane made his 126th appearance for England he becomes England's most capped player overtaking the great Peter Schilt who was there round of applause for Harry I mean that's round of applause for taking something away from the objectionable Peter Schilt but a wonderful goalkeeper Schilt was he was for a bit yeah for a long time come on 1990 was a tournament too far and he's a bellend so I'm pleased that Harry Kane's got the why is today not the day for it it could be the day for it is there anything you disagree with that I said there no not at all I think Kane should have to go around Peter Schultz's house and basically apologise whenever somebody takes someone's record they should have to go around their house and you know I love you I'm sorry sweet chin music right in the face into the coffee table either apologise or rub it in it depends on the character of the person But a fabulous goalkeeper Peter Shilton was in his heyday, which was a long time.

8:44You wouldn't remember his heyday, mate. Yeah. Eh? You wouldn't remember his heyday, would you? You're pretending that you've seen hair. I've read the books. I've read the books. What parts have you read, sir?

8:51Luke Moore: I've seen the footage. You've seen the footage? But Harry Kane is England's record appearance maker. And rightly so.

8:58Jim Campbell: Having overtaken a very tedious man. Yeah, and rightly so, because he's quite simply played those games.

9:04Luke Moore: He has played those games. He's scored 92 more goals for England than Peter Shilton scored as well. So is the increase in standard over the years. It does, yeah. He was presented with a commemorative shirt by Prince William before the game, the future king. He's always getting involved. He's always getting involved, isn't he? Yeah, exactly, yeah. Any comments about Prince William? Well, he is. Isn't he the president of the FA? Yeah. And he is actually genuinely a football fan. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, fine. Yeah. Yeah, fine. Good, we've got away with that. He obviously listens to the Villa podcast, doesn't he?

9:31Imagine he does. He might know who we are. He's a bigger Aston Villa fan than David Cameron.

9:37Luke Moore: Yeah. Yeah. If you listen to him, William. I mean, Aston Villa. That was magnificent. Anyway, it was great. But yes, so it was all about Harry Kane pre-match, and then the game unfolded. And after the 7-0 in Croatia, Peter, and all that pageantry beforehand, it was never going to be a bomb burn at this one. Do you reckon? Well, evidently. Because of the pageantry. Because you've read the books. I've seen the footage. Yeah. I mean, I agreed. I can't remember who said it on the podcast yesterday before. This could have been a match where Croatia really turned the script, because it was so embarrassing for them.

10:10Well, that's another reason for it. It was a completely different match, wasn't it?

10:13Luke Moore: Yeah, they couldn't have turned up and just gone, right, how are we going to approach this? Probably a bit different to what we did before. Did you guys think that, this is a bit of a mischievous question, but I think it's worth asking. Did you think it was a bit too Harry Kane heavy, a bit too kind of, this is Harry Kane's night, you know? No, I didn't. And the reason for that is because of... Because the bound door and the 126 are the same night. They're just perfect. Yeah, for sure. Like, it's so incredible. and also as well it is a kind of a bit of a dead rubber. The reason England obviously want to win this game because it's always going to win a football match but also to try and have a chance of topping the group against Spain even though that is quite unlikely.

10:52Luke Moore: We'll get to that in a bit. But I think that was it. It was very much just a formality, Jim, for me and therefore with Kane doing all that. I mean Kane did his best actually to kind of go thank you, thank you, great, great, great run and let's get on with it. You know, he's not that type of guy.

11:03Jim Campbell: Yeah. He sort of played everywhere as well, didn't he? in the sense that it was a kind of Harry Kane international testimonial. But you're right, the circumstances of it were great. England only needed a point out of the Croatia and Spain games to automatically qualify for the quarterfinals. So that makes sense. It's at Wembley, you know, as you mentioned, the Ballon d 'Or was recently. I think, you know, you should celebrate players when they hit milestones as important as this. The game itself, you know, I mean, Sam Matafez and Lee Dixon spent most of the game talking about how Harry Kane's brilliant and Dan Byrne's really tall.

11:34Jim Campbell: it was that sort of occasion Danbo was tearing it up in the box at times he was causing real mischief

11:42Luke Moore: he's an absolute weapon on corners isn't he big shout out for Gerard Kwanzaa trying to steal Harry Kane's thunder as well was he trying to head it back to Kane come on Harry get yourself a clearance Harry Kane will put this in the fucking net I agree though I don't know how I would have felt about it without the country team but the country team made it sound like a testimonial it was maddening they did and Dicko always likes to whenever he can moaning about VAR, even though it's not necessarily relevant. At one point, there was talk that in the Italy-France game, I believe, there had been a goal disallowed by VAR, and Dixon just went, oh, colour me shocked or whatever.

12:18Luke Moore: It's like, well, what do you mean by that? He's got to be careful he doesn't go into Loro territory. Yeah, well, he already is. But the way he said it, it was almost like he was trying to suggest to the football-watching public that VAR are not only banning every goal, but doing it for the sake of it.

12:33Jim Campbell: Yeah, yeah, trying to take the fun out of it. Yeah, exactly. Whereas VAR helped England. With the best one in the world, you're not even watching the game. You don't know what's happened there. It could be a perfectly legitimate VAR, which I'm sure it was, I don't know. But it was partly because there was nothing for him to get his teeth into. And I think Dekko is a bit like that if it's not a properly big game.

12:53Luke Moore: No, true enough. Dan Byrne did start the game. Vish and I thought he might go with Branthwaite, but then I suppose a little bit more experience maybe with Kwanzaa there at the back. but the two fullbacks did alright I thought Trent came in and obviously Lewis Hall I think Lewis Hall there's proper competition now between him and when O 'Reilly comes back of course but what did you think I mean it was I would say slightly makeshift defence I suppose you could say

13:19Jim Campbell: yeah I'd be surprised if that line-up ever starts a tournament game unless you know there's one an injury crisis and two like Jarrell Kwanza really steps up but that is kind of what these games are about in terms of Tuchel figuring out who he can rely on these moments. I thought they did okay. He loves Kwanzaa, doesn't he? Yeah, he does. And Kwanzaa is very versatile as well. Kwanzaa is the utility man at the back. To get sent off in a World Cup knockout game and still have the manager's trust, he's got to really see something there, right? But also, yeah, I mean, that mistake aside, I thought the defence were pretty much okay.

13:52I thought actually Croatia, as Pete suggested,

13:56Jim Campbell: they've got a lot more to prove than they would normally have in this fixture, which seems to happen every two or three months anyway, after what happened in Croatia last time. And they were obviously much, much better than that. There were points in the second half where they were kind of having a go at England a bit more than I expected. I'm really impressed with Martin Baccherino. I have been every time I've seen him. He's obviously scored against England in the World Cup and he's pulling up trees of coma.

14:16Luke Moore: The 7-0 scoreline, it was a complete outlier. That's what happens when schoolchildren watch the Croatian national team. They just can't do it. They're such men. Probably a formative experience for a lot of those young kids. Maybe, maybe. Bit of a backfire, that. But it was funny because Tuchel said, or they played with the back five, you know, we took a little bit of a while to get used to it and I thought, yeah, Bilic was just a bit like, right, we kept back five. That was the first thing he said after the 7-0. He was like, right, we are starting. Still inexplicably in a job. Yeah. But I mean, look, yeah, Croatia did all right.

14:46Luke Moore: They gave England some problems but England came through it and I tell you what, Peter, it is very handy to have that Harry Kane penalty voucher, isn't it? It is. He is irrepressible. Yes. Well, until he's not actually thinking about it. He has missed a couple recently, hasn't he? Well, I mean, he's missed one against Spain, of course. He missed his most recent penalty for Bayern Munich as well. Yes, but he put that one away. Did you think it was a penalty, Peter? Yes, I did. Okay. Sorry again. Yeah, thanks. Because of the excellent VAR that I stand by. Yeah, I mean, it's just mad defending when you do something like that in this day and age.

15:20Luke Moore: There was also... It seems like in every game. Yeah, there was also one on Bern a bit before that as well. But I did think to myself, like, the ball comes in, I was like, like, you shouldn't be having to... They can't help themselves, can they? No. The defenders can't seem to help themselves. I suppose if you've done that for years and years and years, it's almost like muscle memory for a lot of defenders. I think it's also an instinct when you think, shit, they've got ahead of me, they've got the leap on me, I need to try and stop them and I might get away with it and it's better than the alternative, which is they're going to score.

15:45They don't seem to look where they are on the pitch as well. You always need to get caught by it. I wonder if when you get a generation of football players that grow up with VAR always being there at the top level, whether it'll stop because they won't have grown up with it.

15:58Luke Moore: Yeah, exactly. they'll be VAR native well look at the way defenders defend with their hands behind their back yeah that never used to happen no exactly

16:05Jim Campbell: I think there's also an element of football as being sort of competitive people and I think sometimes if you're in a situation where you see Dan Byrne it's like someone seeing a like a kid seeing a tree going I've got to climb that yeah they should have done what those two lads did with the second wall gap exactly chopped it right down for banter yeah and everyone universally agreed it was hilarious because they were just bored yeah it wasn't hilarious Jim it wasn't it was terrible yeah

16:32Luke Moore: I want to stand in the way of that comment yeah fair enough it's absolutely terrible but yeah I want to stand in the Sycamore Gap the thing with England at the moment though is to broaden the conversation out is that it was mentioned on the TV on the broadcast last night as well England's front six is pretty amazing yeah whoever they pick really I mean I know we had Rodgers off the right yesterday who gets a goal scrappy goal but it's a goal it's actually quite a good improvised finish yeah indeed But obviously that might be, on another day, that might be a different player, might be Saka or whatever.

17:02But the front six is so good that you start to worry about the lack of settled nature of the back four. Well, the back four... Because you talk about Hall or O 'Reilly, but O 'Reilly isn't getting in the team for City very often. Fine, but he's... As soon as we lose an injury or two, the drop-off is quite big.

17:23Luke Moore: It is, and I do agree with that. but actually I might suggest that you know the front line England have if Kane has an injury it's like whoa okay that's quite a big thing I would also say the same thing with Gordon I think Gordon is a better player than Rashford yeah for sure I think there's any doubt about that it's funny how quickly that changes because a year ago maybe a bit longer than that but about a year ago you and I Marcus were having conversations about if Gordon's going to start for England or not yeah well we were all I mean we were in favour of him two years ago we were but it was a conversation and I think it was quite a controversial conversation two years ago for sure because a lot of people were talking about I mean sure S-U-R-E not S-H-A-W I know because of Rashford or whatever other options and I know Rashford's not in the current squad and Rashford's dropped off now well he's injured for the current squad but also he's not at Gordon's level now he's back at Man United you can't blame him

18:18Jim Campbell: I also think that Rodgers has put himself in that conversation

18:21Luke Moore: but it's the dynamic of the team then changes because if you're wanting wingers, which clearly Tuchel has liked, even though, you know, Rodgers is there, the fact is Rodgers is starting on the right, it shows you actually that when you say, well, there's a bit of strength and depth, there is. But actually, you know, think about the World Cup. I mean, people weren't sold on Nani Madiweke. He's not in the squad, is he? So England have a lot of those sort of, you know, like an inside 10 types of players. You know, there's lots of, I know Cole Palmer's not been called up. He's a quality player. Phil Foden, not called that.

18:54Luke Moore: They're trying to bring in Gamow for as well. Fine. Josh King, Morgan Gibbs-White. You know, there's a lot of those types of players. But in terms of wingers with pace and whatnot, I mean, Rio and Gamow is the obvious one coming through and obviously got on the pitch last night. So I know what you're saying about the defenders and I agree with you. But really, I know people might think, you know, Stones is not a starter, but he's clearly an experienced and decent defender, even though he's quite injury prone. But Stones, Gay, despite current form, or Konza, if they start in that defence with one of the other defenders, it does calm your nerves a little bit.

19:24Well, there's nine defenders in the current England squad, and there's question marks for different reasons over a lot of them.

19:30Jim Campbell: Yeah. It's as simple as that. I mean, there's question marks over Trent. There's question marks over Kwanzaa. There's question marks over Ben White. There's question marks probably just through an experience of Bramfweight.

19:42Luke Moore: Which is why I want Bramfweight to get some time. People would still have questions about Jed Spence as well, I think. I think the performances he put in the World Cup were eye-catching, but I thought a little bit overrated.

19:54Jim Campbell: Rhys James can't stay fit. Yeah, he's obviously not in the squad at the moment. James Hill for Bournemouth's in there. He's in there, yeah. But he's obviously there for experience. Thanks, Hartsman. Yeah, so all I'm saying is it's not quite the embarrassment of Richard, is it? And I think if England were to go into a serious situation with that back four they played last night, you'd be nervous about it. Yeah, definitely, yeah. And on the gone side of things, he does rely on having a bit of space in front of him. He does rely on pace, pace, pace all the time. and he's not having the best time at Barcelona in the last few weeks.

20:22He had a very, very good start. Very eye-catching, to borrow Luke's term. But he's starting to sort of follow a handsy flick a little bit. So he might find that England is his freedom and he may play better in an England shirt or his form might drop off, which has happened before in his thing. So he may need someone to deputise if that happens. And he's their only type of player.

20:44Luke Moore: As I say, Ingemoe would be the only other one who's that sort of similar type of winger on the left. but I wonder with that Hansi Flick thing Pete like I mean you're referencing you're basically referencing Flick saying he about Gordon's value to the team in a game they lost the game they beat at Madrid right that's the game part of that has got to be the fact that he's just got to keep him motivated I guess so yeah but I think there's a bit of criticism coming in the press as well but what I find interesting about the point you make and Mark is interested in you on this as well is that there are different types of wide forwards right whenever I think of Gordon, I totally think of what you're saying.

21:20Get him galloping into space and getting the team up the pitch and frightening people by taking them on. With Saka, I always think almost the opposite. I think Saka's really good in tight spaces. I want Saka smothered in tight spaces where he can kind of manipulate his way around it. Even though they both play effectively the same position but on opposite side of the pitch. And one thing that struck me actually last night, going back to the positives, is just the sheer amount of players that England have got that can get you up the pitch. If you think of the main problem to say the least in them not getting over the line in the World Cup is because they're absolutely camped in their own penalty area and not looking like they had any kind of outlet which when you look at the players they've got last night it's insane because you've got Kane, Bellingham, Rodgers, Gordon, Rice, Anderson, Alexander-Arnold and Hall basically nine of the outfield players eight of the outfield players are really good at getting you up the pitch.

22:14Luke Moore: Well I mean most of them were at the World Cup so it was more of a mentality It's mad though. Isn't that mad? Yeah, of course it was. Yeah, I totally agree. As I said before, with Alexander Ronald, I actually think he could play a crucial role as an impact sub. I don't know why. I completely agree. I don't know why, based on what I saw again last night, I don't know why he's being played as a right back from the start of a game. I just don't. To borrow Roy Keane's phrase, but we have said this for years, and I've definitely said it years ago. You can run the tape if we had it. He does not see danger.

22:45No. He doesn't see it. It's not in his makeup. And for a lot of top, a lot of good defenders, it's automatic. It's their first, their first thing is danger. The game's in front of them for the most part and it's about danger and he does not see danger.

22:58Luke Moore: Which is why he picked Kwanzaa for that Spain game at Wembley and not Trent. You know, I understand him, but people might have said, well, I think Kwanzaa does see danger. He's just not always able to do anything about it. Yeah. Well, I saw it. Yeah.

23:12Jim Campbell: He's like a crap security guard

23:13Luke Moore: at the supermarket. I saw him and he ran out. He's staring, he ran out of the shop, I saw it all. You didn't do anything though, did you? Yeah, I think, I mean, I wonder if there's a real chance for Ben White, in due course, if there are a lack of options... He got booed again last night. Oh, I just don't get it. I'm just a bit like, okay, you've had, you've had, you've booed him once, which is something I wouldn't do.

23:36Jim Campbell: I mean, even the interview that he gave, like, fair play to him, you know, he didn't name any names or kind of, you know, throw any mud at anyone, which is, you know, big of him given what's happened to him. But I think some people just aren't going to change their minds on that sort of stuff either. Some people enjoy negativity, and he's just going to be a victim. Tear up a poppy. I mean, he sort of does, doesn't he? Anyway, so, yeah. If you're going to be a heel anyway, you should be able to. You should go full James McLean. Yeah, just eating poppies as he comes out. Eating poppies. Is that super respectful?

24:04I don't know. I don't know, actually. I don't know where the line is, to be honest. No one does.

24:08Luke Moore: Well, England are playing Spain on Sunday at 7.45. It's the big one. it's the final group game of this Nations League this part of the Nations League campaign I should say now England need to beat Spain by two or more goals or by the odd goal if they score four I'll take an odd goal yep can you give me that again so basically it's how the rules work if England were to win the game it would go on to head-to-head not goal difference so it goes on head-to-head between the two teams and so therefore you're basically in a sort of a two-legged aggregate type of affair right so Spain if it was if England were to beat Spain then Spain at that 3-2 win at Wembley England would have to sort of better that better that right if you see what I mean so it goes to aggregate so two goals or a 4-3 or a 12-11 that would be fine Marcus you are

24:53Jim Campbell: big papa England here hello would you have preferred it in terms of the test that this would pose England for us to go into this game needing something a bit more than that are you content with it being essentially a sort of glorified friendly before you answer can I just weigh in with a Bill Shankly quote football is a simple game made complicated by people who should know better.

25:16Luke Moore: I never met the man, but I feel like I have. But nevertheless, answer the question. Yeah, sorry, what was the question? Would I rather this, like, what England could get a point and go...

25:24Jim Campbell: Would you rather there was a bit of jeopardy here and that England needed to actually get a result on the pitch? Oh, yeah. In terms of the test that it gives us? Yeah, no, I think it's a great... Because this is going to feel like a friendly, isn't it?

25:32Luke Moore: No, I don't think it will. Right. Because this is a big game, and I think you saw that at Wembley, when Spain, I mean, the problem was Spain were handed a goal advantage. Yeah. But the way Spain applied themselves, you know, like, they don't want to lose that. You know, Spain are, 43 consecutive games they've been unbeaten, which is a world record. They've just won the World Cup. They're going to be playing at home. Are they going to be, ah, you know, we don't mind losing to the English actually in, I think it's in Madrid, the game. No, I think Spain will be at it. It's at Atlético Stadium, isn't it?

26:03Luke Moore: Oh, there you go. Yeah. I don't, you know, it's not a World Cup quarterfinal or something. Because they haven't got a proper home stadium, have they, Spain? No, they go around. They're not passionate about international football.

26:11Jim Campbell: They never sing their anthem. No, exactly. They don't sing their anthem. They've got no home stadium. It's actually a little bit of a disgrace. They won the World Cup. They obviously don't value it.

26:19Luke Moore: I'd rather this game be at the Nou Camp. That'll test you. But of course, it wouldn't be there for obvious reasons. But Spain beat Czech Republic 2-0 last night. They did it without Lamin-Yemal and Rodri. Who apparently is going to be fit for the England game. Yeah, so he didn't travel Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. But Thomas Tuchel said of the Spain match, everything will be different on Sunday, the scenario and the setup. But I'm very positive that we will get what we want. I'm playing Gerald Kwanzaa up front. See him heading it. He's brilliant. He's winning penalties. He's like, down the other end.

26:51Luke Moore: What an assist. At one point, I did have the issue with, at some point, Gerald Kwanzaa made a pretty good tackle in the penalty area. And you've got to give him credit where it's due. And Dicko, again, says, that's made up for the error earlier. I was like, no, it hasn't. He's got to do that anyway. He has to be doing that. He doesn't do that. It's worse. He's not jumping up and going, right, now we're even, everyone. No, you're supposed to make a tackle. You weren't supposed to do that. Yeah. Well, yeah, Spain. Any sort of rogue shouts? Do you think the side that he picked will... I mean, Konza...

27:25Luke Moore: Is Konza going to be fit again?

27:26Jim Campbell: We're hoping Konza... There's some talk that Konza will be available for that, yeah. So you'd imagine he'd slop straight back in. With Konza and the right back. Do you think that would be the call? Konza and Konza. Well, Konza can also play right back, but presumably he's going to play Ben White at right back or Jed Spence. Is Jed Spence fit?

27:41Luke Moore: Well, I mean, he's in the squad, but he wasn't on the bench last night. No. So, I don't know, maybe he's just, you know what he's like, he's thinking, this is all too nice, he's a shout at somebody. At the risk of us sounding like we don't know what we're talking about, being quite speculative, let me wrestle it back to familiar territory. Trent Alexander-Arnold cannot play right back with Spain away. I don't think anyone would like to see that. I think Lewis Hall is bang on for left back. I don't think that's a controversial shout at all. Because there aren't any other left backs in the team.

28:04Luke Moore: Also, I thought he played well last night. But are there any other left backs in the squad? There's got to be something somewhere. There's not. There's not. Pete's fucking left bollock with a smiley face draw on it is the next best option. Well, Pete knows that. I can't look at Stuart Pearce. That counts in Newcastle and England. Pete knows that big Dan Byrne can play left back. Oh, that's true. There we go. I don't get my flowers for that. You used to laugh at me when I say Dan. I didn't laugh. I'd like to see Dan Byrne on Lemmy and Jamal.

28:29Jim Campbell: that'd be enjoyable it wouldn't be it'd be like that famous sporting photo of the jockey standing next to the big basketball player

28:37Luke Moore: yeah or Myles Lewis Kelly of course yeah although I think he's a midfielder now isn't he he's a midfielder now

28:42Jim Campbell: although he has played a few times at left back this season so I suppose that is a possibility as well yeah we've got some left backs some kind of plaster so just get some kind of plaster stick it on the position yeah I mean if Thomas Tuchel's having conversations with his coach and staff going damn Berger kind of do it. Miles De Skelly's done it here and there. He hates fullbacks. You're playing Spain. You're playing fucking Spain. We would have to put our back line pretty much on the goal line for Dan Byrne to play that.

29:09Luke Moore: Oh yeah, he can't leave any space. If it's one of those games where the ball can't touch the floor, Byrne's a captain. May I remind everybody when Gareth Southgate's England went to Spain needing a result in the Nations League, they won 3-2. It was an incredible game and they did very much play deep

29:25Jim Campbell: and played the ball over the press and had a field day. And that unbeaten record is long, right? They've got to come to an end at some point, all of them. So if I was Spain, I'd be quaking in my boots. Did you see this stuff that's been going on with Lamin-Yemal with Spain where Luis de la Fuente has had to deny that he's given Yamal special treatment because he's not playing him when he's injured?

29:46Luke Moore: Nice. I think that's something naughty going on there. A revolutionary idea, that. Is it the reverse Cole Parber and Thomas De La Fuente? Yeah, I'm not being funny but over here in England, Luis, We run our young players into the ground, thanks very much. I'm very proud of it. And sooner or later they end up in the jungle doing Armour Celebrity. And that's how we do things, right? Or they become hated like Michael Logan. It won't. Indeed, indeed. Well, win or lose, we'll be live... We're on the booze! Well, win or lose, we'll be live on YouTube on Monday morning to share our thoughts on the Spain versus England game.

30:18Luke Moore: Subscribe to the Football Ramble on YouTube now, so you do not miss it. because as I always say win or lose we're on the YouTubes there we go me, you and Vish on Monday so if you're watching this or listening to this and you don't like these two slugs don't worry about it Monday will be the three best ones we're going to have a lie in yeah together

30:37Jim Campbell: you know there's a Scottish word for that which is herkledurkle is it really? it's for staying in bed when you've woken up so maybe we'll do that especially if you're feeling a bit wabbits Jim love the Scottish word

30:48Luke Moore: is that a bit ill? just a little bit A little bit under the weather. A little bit under the weather. A little bit, you know. My favourite is a Stramash. Stramash. Yeah, we've used that a few times on this show, haven't we? Pete, you won't be able to lie in on Monday morning because your daughter will be getting you up about five in the morning, won't you? Half three this morning. There we go. Great stuff. Do some shouting. Makes me feel much better than hearing that. Makes you feel better. There's the little lip curl in here. It's about how early I got up. I always ask you straight away. It's the first thing I say.

31:13It's the best part of his day.

31:15Luke Moore: All right, coming up after this, it's officially sacking season.

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35:00Have you got a fresh box of lemons in the office? Of course. Every few days. Now, you know, from the beginning it was difficult because every day I need to change the lemon because the energy wasn't good. And now they can, a few days more, three, four days, and they stay fresh.

35:18Luke Moore: What about the football ramble, everybody? I forgot about the lemons. So did I.

35:21Jim Campbell: Utterly bonkers. Is Jim Ratcliffe going to, you know, pay for that? That feels like something he'll immediately cut. We're going, why are we speaking so much money on lemons?

35:33Luke Moore: I mean, yeah, Pochettino had a bowl of lemons for good energy? Something like that.

35:38Jim Campbell: Or wasn't it too, like, sucking bad energy?

35:40Luke Moore: Oh, sorry, yes.

35:42Jim Campbell: He would replace them. I'm doing him dirty, yes. You're not up on your woo-woo. That makes perfect sense. That makes perfect sense, yeah.

35:49Luke Moore: Okay, is he going to be twisting those melons, man, or lemons, man, at Manchester United? He's got enough of them to work with. Well, indeed he does. So, yeah, the news was announced about 20 minutes after Vish and I stopped recording yesterday that Michael Carrick was sacked and Pochettino has officially been given a deal as Manchester United manager. Carrick, apparently yesterday, arrived at Carrington just before 8am and left at 10.30am. And as I said, he should have done the old, you know, walk before you get your red card. Clear out your desk before they... Can you clear out your... Oh, you have?

36:22Luke Moore: There is a certain... Saw some prongs into the curtains. Yeah. Now you're talking. Certain amount of kind of indignity about being a football manager at this level when a club like United behave in the way they do. Oh, you're still here. Yeah, exactly. Did you not get the... watching you and say,

36:38Jim Campbell: oh, he's gone. The thing about the walk of life like it is that someone so high profile is kind of subject to such a sort of public

36:47Luke Moore: kind of undermining and indignity. There's an inevitability about it in that if the results aren't going well, people always go, oh, the manager, the manager, and the board are not going to come out and give that vote of confidence if they're not that confident, or we have seen it before. But I think, you know, years ago, people would look at the players, wouldn't they? and say, well, he's not fit to wear the shirt and all this kind of stuff? Or is it all kind of, not always, but for the most part, falls on the manager? And I think Carrick, I think the way he's been treated is piss poor. Especially as he's a club.

37:18Luke Moore: I don't think anybody should be treated like that, but especially as a club legend. But the way that United conduct themselves generally, a kind of side effect of that seems to be, almost by accident, they massively disrespect legendary figures. It's ridiculous. Because they go through that cycle, that rinse and repeat cycle, and whether it's a Carrick or a Solskjaer, I mean, Solskjaer, whatever you think of him, he's written in the history of that club for the things he's did in 99. And he clearly loves the club and everything he's said ever since is just how grateful he is to be there. Yet, because of just simply by the way they conduct themselves, they just shit all over people's legacy.

37:56Like, Carrick's the same. Carrick's obviously a dignified, good quiet person who's clearly been an amazingly important player for them over the years and has a lot of respect look at the way the fans treated him and because the nature of everything they do is so public because they can't help themselves at being so incompetent or saying such in someone like Wilcox's case or so outspokenly offensive in Ratcliffe's case they can't help but just fucking shit all over people and Carrick will be within his rights to be like well I don't want to be anywhere near this club anymore thanks for him they also

38:30Jim Campbell: they're really sort of capricious in their decision making, right? They don't really stick to anything, do they? So Carrick got a stay of execution a little while ago, which was made very public. He then got three games. One of those was that amazing comeback win over Roma, which obviously you can say, all right, well, they were 2-0 down to start with, but they still fought it back. Then they've got the Villa game, which is, again, you know, they were really poor defensively at times, but they fought back from two goals down twice in that game. Within that short three-game period, there's definite signs of improvement there, But what's the point of giving it to him at all, if when there are some positives in there, it counts for nothing?

39:07Jim Campbell: Was he meant to win every game 5-0? But they probably sort of worked out at the start of the season. They didn't buy a new defence, which they desperately needed. They didn't invest in the players they needed to invest. And they probably thought, well, Carrick's payout cheaper than that. You know what I mean? It's probably a straight up business decision. Also, they could have got pushed here in the summer. Yeah. It's a repeat of what they did with Ten Hag. When you factor in managers and sporting directors and all the kind of non-playing staff stuff, they're on over a hundred million quid spent on that stuff since Ferguson.

39:35Jim Campbell: I know that was a long time ago now, but it just illustrates the dysfunction.

39:38Luke Moore: Well, as Vish said yesterday, that's almost an Anthony. Yeah. But it's interesting because like obviously, Wilcox... It's almost a debt payment. Yeah. Wilcox and Co, they seem to have been massively ignored in this whole situation, and Radcliffe as well. It seems to be all about the Glazers wanting to bring in a name rather than someone like Eddie Howell isn't quite... But it's not the Glazers making that decision now, is it? The reporting suggests that they want Pochettino. So the young Glazers, because their relationship with the bloke who funded the US men's national team wages for Pochettino, apparently they're quite good friends and apparently that's how that was broken.

40:17It just all seems to be like the US side of things is just kind of coming away. But what's also been reported is that the Glazers are now on manoeuvres trying to get the club sold. there was a football finance guy yesterday the day before talking about that he they're basically trying to kind of engineer a way of getting it sold they're trying to do it a different way because last time I tried to do it they got Ratcliffe who then invested X amount of money took a stake took the football operations and it's got even worse they're trying to do it a totally different way I don't know what the time frame is on that kind of stuff but I think the

40:46Luke Moore: who have they got lined up exactly the candidates will be Putin will be terribly terribly compromising in some way and there'll just be such a small amount of them because of the money involved. And also, I mean, the Pochettino thing as well. I mean, you said yesterday, I think, that you think he's the best of the candidates that have been talked about. I mean, him and Eddie Howe, I sort of would think. I think he's a bit doy. I think he's a bit, not physically, but just doy. Peter, Peter. He's been in America. Of course he will be. I get why Marcus is saying that, but I kind of partly agree with you as well, Pete.

41:16Lost a bit of fate. I don't know if there's an awful lot to credit him in recent years. Yeah, well, that's why.

41:21Jim Campbell: 2026 Pochettino is not the guy that left Spurs.

41:23Luke Moore: No, indeed. And that was what I was saying to Vish yesterday. I said, that's often the reference point and we kind of forget the Chelsea stuff. The Chelsea situation is a little bit more similar to Manchester United. I think they are different, but Chelsea has been a bit of a madhouse as well. Not like Manchester United, though, I hasten to add, but still. But I think with Pochettino, Vish and I were speculating, was this a rest period going into international football or will it be too much and then trying to get back into the fight you know, has he kind of, has that left him, as you say? The candidates were Eddie Howe, who I think would have probably been the best one for the job, but Howe clearly, though they've not gone for him and perhaps he didn't want it.

42:05Luke Moore: I know he turned down... He still did his research into the ownership. There you go. And then there was Conte, which would have been great for the ramble, and I'll leave that there. He was talking about sniffing around Emery. Well, yeah, but... They were never going to get... After Carragher's Commons, that was never... But therefore, I think that Pochettino, I think with him, if he does have that fight and he can get that intensity back, of all the names that have been banded around, I think he was probably the best of them. I don't think if you've got anything about you, you don't take the US men's national team job, in my opinion.

42:37No, but I think...

42:38Luke Moore: The only thing... Host nation, I think the only thing I was saying... It's because of the World Cup. Right. And the host nation as well. And there was pressure in that too, so... Can I... And if you can get Trump helping him out with the suspensions and all, there'll be a way. They'll need it. Glazer will talk to him about that. Can I be perhaps a little bit mischievous and say that, well, I did it last time and you guys can't flap out it away. Have another go. Reword it. You're very timid. I wonder whether Pochettino in the round as a manager is actually a little bit overrated anyway. I would agree with that.

43:13I think I would even include perhaps even the Spurs stuff in that. Let me tell you why. I think there's an element to him where he definitely got Spurs performing to a level commensurate with the size of club they are you know the finishes he achieved in the league but there's a couple of things I would chuck in there one is that he had Peek Son and Kane right two really really good players who made a difference let me finish and you come back

43:41Jim Campbell: I'm just saying it's not Peek Kane yeah Peek Kane is now that's what you're definitely saying it's like Tearble Mountain He's been peak of rage. On behalf of the listeners, I had to say that. Tantric. Okay, okay. He was... Maybe the word peak is not right. But he's very good. And there's also an element where they... When it really opens up for them in 2016, they can't get it done. When it really opens up for them in 2018, Champions League, they don't get it done. Didn't they also get to the League Cup final? and lose to Chelsea quite easily in the final as well, early on his career. I think that was where he just took over as well, didn't get it done.

44:24And then when you factor in Chelsea, okay, fine, Chelsea is Chelsea. It's not that.

44:28Luke Moore: The Champions League as well. They were beaten by Klopp's Liverpool in the final. Yeah, fine. But I mean, the point being, that he gets an amazing amount of credit and he dines out on the fact that he did a good job at Southampton, which he did. He stepped up to Spurs. part of the reason he's really highly rated as Spurs manager is because a lot of the stuff that's come along after has been shit. That's got to be a factor. Is he the best Spurs performing manager in your lifetime? Because the answer to that question is yes. Without a doubt. Without a doubt. Let me just remind you of something you just said.

45:06Luke Moore: He got Spurs to a Champions League final. Come on. Listen, Posta Colony won the Europa League with him. Yeah, and? So would you rather get to a Champions League final or win the Europa League? I'd rather face Ruben Amarim's Manchester United and a European final than Jurgen Klopp's. It is relevant! They're two different competitions. Champions League's a much better competition. Yeah, but I mean, look at the league finishes. I think getting Spurs to a Champions League final is a bigger achievement than what... Fair enough. You know, but anyway, look, I think post... But the fact is, whether you or I are right or wrong, as I said yesterday, there's a fair few years now between that and the present day.

45:40Luke Moore: Exactly. Do you have any sympathy for what I'm saying? Come on, Jim. Defence players. Arsenal fans Jim Campbell oh I see now

45:45Jim Campbell: yeah sure I do have some sympathy with what you're saying but I would I would think that the way that Man United are looking at this if they're looking at it sensibly right is that they're not necessarily expecting him to come in and start getting them to Champions League finals and whatnot if they are realistic what they want from Pochettino in 2026 is for him to progress them in some way and leave them in a better place for whoever comes along next right because I don't think they're bringing Pochettino in as the guy who's going to start you know winning league titles and Champions Leagues. I think it's kind of really interesting as a stylistic fit as well.

46:19Jim Campbell: So if he can implement the style that he had at Spurs, let's take that as his blueprint, as his dream style, that fits right in at Man United. That fits right in with what they want. In theory, if he can get them playing like that, great. But it's a high defensive line with Maguire and Martini. Exactly. It's a big buy-in, right? And it's aggressive fullbacks. and I'm not sure they technically even have fullbacks. I'm not sure people even meet that criteria anymore.

46:45Luke Moore: I'm fine out of here. It's a high line, it's aggressive pressing, it's aggressive fullbacks.

46:49Jim Campbell: And you're right to bring up the quality of Kane and Son as well. They don't really have players that you think are going to kind of act as analogues of that. They've obviously got big players who can perform well, I suppose. But I just don't really know how these two things are going to combine. I suppose that having the status that he has, which is undoubtedly higher than Carrick, even as someone who was a club legend there, is possibly going to be important. Because, as I was saying about Carrick, Man United managers at the moment, if the infighting and the cliques that we hear about are indeed real, part of the challenge is selling the reality of the club to the players, right?

47:27Jim Campbell: It's like you're here in 2026 Man United. The badge on your chest is massive. You are a very high status player because you play for a big club. but right now you are in the relegation zone and you've got to play your way out of that to enjoy the spoils of the badge on your chest. That's a really good point. Also, to be absolutely clear, I don't think Postino can succeed at United anyway, not because I don't think he's that good.

47:50Luke Moore: Do you think nobody can? No, and I've still maintained that for years. If he fails, which he will, it's because, well, the asterisk above that would be if they get a new ownership and it starts becoming a more coherent operation. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we assume that's not going to happen in the foreseeable future. The postdo cannot achieve there because no one can. So it won't be his fault when he doesn't achieve. Are they going to be billionaire bottle jobs? Because that's what is his Chelsea side, of course. Well, that's the thing. To finish the point, he's not going to achieve there because he can't and because no one can.

48:21That won't be his fault. But I also don't think he can squeeze the absolute maximum out of what he's got anyway, because I don't think he's very good at managing up. I think he's a bit overrated. He's done nothing really of any note at all since, I mean I guess so he wins the league with PSG in what 2022 fine knocked out by Real Madrid in the Champions League that season group stage something like that it was a pretty it was a pretty kind of it was par

48:44Luke Moore: it wasn't even par it wasn't even par PSG so Chelsea he's done nothing the point is you're trying you're getting to a stage now where you're like okay well US men's national team you kind of have to write that off because they are a mid-level nation even though the fact they were hosts Chelsea you have to write that off because it's Chelsea. PSG you have to write that off because it's PSG. You're kind of going back a long way. You're going back about eight or nine years before he's actually done anything. No, you are. You're going back to the Spurs days. Sorry, Pete, it's fine. It's a reputation underpinned and enforced by quite a lot of absence to the English football public.

49:24Is he going to beat Ruben Amarim's 420 days? Legalize it. Yeah, 420. 420, baby. That's a lovely speech. That's a really nice question. Do you think, all things being equal, Pochettino lasts longer than Amarim? Yes or no? Why do I have to answer yes or no? I'm going to say... Probably. I'm going to say yes. I think he will. I just think...

49:46Luke Moore: Yeah, I think he probably will. I love this, though. It's being reported that he's already decided his first two targets for January. Alex Freeman and Florian Balogun. Come on! Yes! The band will be brought back for Pochettino. That would be fantastic.

50:01Jim Campbell: They're not even breaking up to get back together. Well, that's true, Jim.

50:04Luke Moore: How about this? The US men's national team, now that Pochettino's is going, are targeting Pep Guardiola. Makes sense. Get him for free. Yeah, I mean, he's managed for free out there anyway, hasn't he? On his sabbatical. He won't be around though, like he promised for all those Manchester City fans though. He said, I'll always be here for you. I'm not sure if he... I'm not sure if it's... How am I going to word this without offending a load of people and some of my family? he it's beneath him it's not a big enough job for him no yeah but it's a more difficult job than he's ever had and it also had a holiday of being a really big job because of the World Cup and now it's gone yeah now it's gone alright coming up after this shame for PSR this episode is sponsored by ZocDoc have you been putting off a doctor's appointment or need a dentist and you don't know where to start, we've definitely been there and that's why we use ZocDoc.

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53:05Luke Moore: Welcome back, everybody. Chris O 'Pallas of SAC PSR. Again, just sort of minutes or hours after we'd finished recording yesterday. You'd be annoyed if you had him as the first manager fired this season because obviously Carrick went like an hour before him. Yeah. Also, I'd be annoyed because I literally didn't know who he was. It's very unlikely for me to name him as the one I thought would go. I also wonder how many people are listening and watching this who don't speak English as a first language and I get really confused with Piaçage and PSR. It sounds almost exactly the same. It can become very confusing.

53:37So they sack Piaçage, they cannot sack PSR because that's not...

53:43Luke Moore: I think those listening as English as a second language if they've come this far are well aware that we're not talking about Crystal Palace have sacked PSR. Aromatic herb. So after five months and 16 games in charge, Palace are bottom of the league and they've sacked PSR. He's obviously lasted longer than Frank De Boer. We have to mention him at this time. But the news was announced two hours after Carrick sacking. So he wasn't the first to go. But we did expect this. The second international break is often when triggers are pulled, Jim Campbell. Yeah, relegation zone for Palace. It's not looking good.

54:15Luke Moore: The decision to sack him was made on Sunday evening. days before Thursday's Ramble show. But for some reason, they decided to announce it a couple of hours after we'd finished recording.

54:24Jim Campbell: Yeah, I think they were finalising certain things, weren't they? And there's also rumours that he'll go back to Lons. What, his train ticket? Well, there's rumours that he'll go back to Lons. And if he does that, they won't have to pay as much compensation.

54:34Luke Moore: Oh, yeah. Do you know what? He was manager of the year in Liga and he won them a trophy.

54:38Jim Campbell: Like, get yourself back there. Yeah, I mean, they've had a mental time as well. They put Dino Topmuller in charge, who was formerly in charge of Eintracht Frankfurt. Oh, yeah, yeah. An absolute basket case. He was sacked after six games. In the first one, he won a trophy. The second one was a Champions League game, which they won. Then they drew the next game, two defeats, and that was enough. But we've seen enough of how mad this is, even though we've won a trophy. Since then, they lost 9-1 to Como. Yeah, I mean, there was that. Absolutely. But, I mean, there's talk that Thomas Frank's incoming, right?

55:09And that feels not without risk, though, right?

55:12Jim Campbell: Because his success at Brentford was based on very sort of long-term, stable environment. Coming into Palace in a situation like this where it wasn't what anybody planned, you're fighting fire straight away. It's very interesting to see who Frank is in this environment. Palace have a much better squad than where they are in the league. Yeah, I think that's fair.

55:31Luke Moore: I mean, yeah, yeah, they do. I take your point about Brentford, and Palace at the moment aren't as stable, and, you know, there's concerns about the money that they are looking to spend on, is it the main stand, I think, that they're doing something on the stadium. Some of the investors are a bit like that. They did that in the 90s. I remember. Ground sharing with Wimbledon. Yeah. Yeah, so there are, much has been made about that, you know, obviously, and so on and so forth. With Frank coming in, though, I look at that, if I was a Palace fan, I'd be like, yeah, get that. Do it. Totally, totally get that.

56:06Luke Moore: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go on then. Do it. because despite what happened at Spurs, you know, that kind of level of club you'd think is Frank's level in the Premier League. And so it would ease my fears. I think it's a great shame that Roy Hodgson is now unavailable, presumably, because he's made himself unavailable. He was in the stand last night. He was, yeah. He was in England. But all jokes aside, yeah, to me, Frank's the number one choice. Luke, would you agree? Yeah, I think it makes sense. I do wonder about Frank, whether he is able to flourish outside of that environment you guys are talking about.

56:40I think the way it works when you cover football and managers is like almost you just, people just get pigeonholed as quote good managers or bad managers or whatever. And I do think the reality is that you are either well suited to a club or you're not. Same with players, you could argue. Yeah, I think so. There's a bit of that with players as well. And I wonder if Frank's able to kind of recapture that. But I totally agree that Palace is a similar kind of size club and similar profile and he'll be out of the spotlight and the Spurs thing obviously never really quite worked for him. I don't think he ever quite got in the mentality of the mindset of what you needed in that moment to be a Spurs manager.

57:15Luke Moore: Not the first, won't be the last. No, exactly. And so maybe I'm being a bit harsh on him there. But it does show you with those profiler clubs, the Palace, the Brentford, the Brighton, the Bournemouth, you know, if you get that appointment wrong, it goes wrong pretty quick. And one thing that Sarge couldn't get to grips with, I don't think, well, it's just, I don't think it, it's just absolutely true. He just couldn't get to grips with keeping them solid and not conceding goals. It felt like if they were going to win a game, they had to score a lot of goals because they could not stop conceding.

57:44Matteta's red against, was it Spurs? Yeah, that was mindless. That was mindless.

57:49Luke Moore: But he finished second in Ligue 1. He goes from that to Palace. Very different style of football. It's about environments, absolutely. I totally agree. I think Frank will be a good appointment. I think Frank will be absolutely desperate to recapture his reputation, and rightly so, because he's done brilliantly. And he became almost like a figure of fun at Spurs. and it's fine to be to fail at something but you never want to be that kind of crossover into that kind of clownish thing which is what happens because you can do that you can do that because he had the Arsenal Cup and he was talking about Brighton makes great coffee yeah and Spurs yeah and Spurs were going to lose games I promise you that it's all this stupid shit he kind of let himself down I think and I think he could probably rekindle that with Palace yeah I think it's a big job for him Eddie Howe apparently was approached but turned the job down which was ambitious from Palace but but you know what also with Sarge Marcus as well it's a bit about timing isn't it because he's come off the back of he's come in off the back of Palace enjoying the two or three most successful years in their history and it's a high standard if he came in at Palace when they're on the bones of their arse I mean maybe he wouldn't take a job in that situation it's a totally different situation but even that but even again banging on about it this season in the Premier League if he comes in and you've got one or two whipping boys in say like you know you have a situation where it's like that poor Southampton side and that poor Sheffield United side and then the Wolves as well you know what I mean you know it's a different thing this season everyone's acutely aware and Palace with their financials the situation as it is, like a lot of times, they can't afford to go down and they're thinking, bloody hell, right, okay we've got to do this, it didn't surprise me I thought they might have done it slightly sooner but here we are and I think if it is to be Thomas Frank that would be a good decision but we have to wait for that that will probably be announced about an hour's time from now if we may, back to the Nations League everybody, because there's Nations League all weekend and into next week.

59:34What are you calling this international break, by the way? Because we had the great one of October. A bloody good time. Is it the great one of November? No, it's not great.

59:40Jim Campbell: It's too short to be great, right? Yeah. It's a November nibble. It's a November nibble. November nibble, nice.

59:48Luke Moore: Exactly. Thank you, Peter. Scotland face North Macedonia tonight. Andy Robertson will win his 102nd cap and move level with Sir Kenny Dalgleish as Scotland's most capped player. Isn't that funny? with Kane doing that and then Andy Robertson tonight. What an incredible player he's been, Robertson. Well, he has, yeah. I mean, he should overtake Dalglish on Monday in Switzerland to break that record, which has stood for 40 years. The record's breaking all over the gaff, we assume, in Britain. What's surprising about the Scotland thing is that I always feel like going back to Kane and Dalglish's time and maybe a little bit before that as well, didn't play anywhere near as many international games.

1:00:27Yeah. So it feels like those records will be broken a lot quicker than they actually have been, if you know what I mean, which then puts into focus how much of a legend Dalglish is, you know.

1:00:37Luke Moore: Totally, yeah. Well, I mean, again, 102 caps, you know, there's a fair few England players that have got over 100 caps now. A lot of them in the modern era as well, so, yeah, no, it does say. Norway versus Wales tomorrow, sorry, it's Saturday 5pm. Nice one at tea time, Peter. And half Welsh Peter as well, so you'll be pulling for the lads. Half of me will be eating tea and half of me will be watching that. And a tea cake to finish. I tell you, I have a tea cake every single Saturday. Not a Welsh cake, but I have a tea cake every single Saturday. This goes on top of the Friday battered sausage.

1:01:09Yeah, battered sausage, sleep, dancing class with a daughter, and then we have a little tea cake.

1:01:16Jim Campbell: Nice. And this morning it was a spicy tuna sushi taco for breakfast. Yeah, Luke had a problem with me eating tuna in the office. It wasn't hot tuna. 8.30 in the morning. It was spicy tuna.

1:01:27Luke Moore: I think just in general Spicy on the nostrils Let me tell you that Yeah Well I didn't know about the tea cake I know about the By the way I know about the Friday Evening battered sausage Because you usually Send a photo Which you didn't do last Friday So you need to remedy that this week Did I have Just look at the previous one Yeah I can do Yeah Previous to him Yeah Whenever we would go When we were on tour And travelling around by train Luke would often bring out Some Welsh tea cakes Wouldn't you I love a tea cake No it's dead Welsh cakes They're called Welsh cakes Oh sorry They're really good Silly me Marcus Spence do very good ones Actually, a friend of mine was in a Welsh cake cafe, like a specifically themed Welsh cake cafe.

1:02:02You said Welsh cake hall or something.

1:02:04Jim Campbell: I was just in and baked into one. Baked. These guys were pushing boundaries. They were doing Welsh cake churros in there. He sent me a picture of the menu. All sorts going on. Deep fried and covered in sugar and...

1:02:14Luke Moore: Chocolate sauce, I guess. Chocolate sauce, yeah. Next time we go on tour, bring a load of them. Nice. Italy beat France. 3-1 last night. Yes, that is. Xenadine Zidane's France, no less. they came back from 1-0 down after Donnarumma handed Michael Alise an opening goal I mean Alise had a little bit to do to be fair it was a terrible pass though wasn't it out of all the people he could have passed him he was quite forensic the way he cut through his own defence to pass it didn't Mariska say he was going to be looking at the keeper situation after the international break he's like we're just looking at it in the international break should we start James Trafford we sold him they should sign James Trafford for massive money yeah yeah yeah and then Donnarumma's form goes up finally yeah fourth time round he feels like he should but to get a game for him and then he's not bothered.

1:02:55It was funny with Donnarumma

1:02:56Luke Moore: because he was so indomitable. Certainly we felt that in this country due to things that happened. I honestly think, you know, this is a wicked whisper. I've got no basis for this. I actually think that Man City are struggling badly with this whole thing now. I think the way Donnarumma's been playing, it's inexplicable. There's been serious errors individually throughout the team. They've lost, what, three Premier League games in the row now? The gaze form we mentioned it. It's dropped off a cliff. I wonder whether we're seeing in real time the kind of unravelling of this whole thing who's honest and who isn't yeah I'm also wondering you're going to tell a lot about the fabric of those players aren't we but Cherokee's not bothered by the way no he loves it it thrives in chaos Cherokee I came here and knew what I was getting into I fucking loving it cheers

1:03:38Jim Campbell: why aren't you lot enjoying this what's going on Cherokee's the bloke at Glastonbury covered in mud yeah yeah yeah it's Sammy I don't know where did you get it from I wonder as well if buying into a new manager's methods is made harder with all this background noise as well. I just, I think it's unimaginable that it's not affecting them and you know what it's like with Man City, they've, sorry, you know what it's like in the Premier League, you've got to be on it in the Premier League. It's a really, really tough league, obviously. The one thing that is going to test that theory about whether Man City are falling apart is the fact that next Saturday they're at home to Fulham.

1:04:11So,

1:04:12Luke Moore: here we go. If they can breeze through that, just the tonic, they might be thinking. Well, I'm thinking that. Yeah, just the elderflower tonic that Fulham will bring. Oh, dear. Yeah. Also, what I mentioned in Italy, the Esposito brothers were playing up front. Just two of them because there was three brothers. And Seb was on the wing. Pio was up top. Seb missed a penalty. So Pio said, oh, go on then, I'll take the next one. Scored it. Got himself a couple. Sounds like a limerick. It did. The good thing I like about the Esposito brothers playing up front for Italy, it's a little known fact, actually, is that one of them can only tell the truth and the other one can only lie.

1:04:49Luke Moore: And one of them can miss penalties and the other one will win. Yeah, exactly. You've got to pick it around. One of them always misses penalties, one of them always scores. There we are, you see. Right, everybody, we've come to the end of the show. Just enough time for me to say... I mean, I can take all the time I want. We could podcast, you know. But I'm going to do it fairly quickly, that my biddy aunt will be happening this afternoon. It's me versus that guy, Luke Aaron Moore. Who won last time? Almost certainly you. No, we played me, you and Vish played last time. Vish won. Vish was terrible, you won.

1:05:17Oh, yeah, yeah.

1:05:17Luke Moore: My Biddy Ant record has been poor. Very poor this season. But I've got a chance to beat the big man. You've always got a chance. That will be available to listen to later today. So make sure you subscribe to the Football Ramble in your podcast app so that you do not miss it. Before we go, can I just chuck something in there that I think is really interesting that I forgot to mention in the Mayanite chat? I think listeners will like it. What are you doing? I think listeners will like it. Little Friday treat. I think you guys will like it as well. 27-year-old Matthias De Ligt. has now continued to preserve his record of having a different manager in every single season of his professional life.

1:05:55Oh, wow. So he has gone through Peter Bosch, Marcel Kelzer, Eric Ten Hag, Maurizio Sarri, Pirlo Allegri, Nargazman Tuchel, Ten Hag, Amirim, Carrick, and now Pochettino. Every single season he's had a different manager.

1:06:09Jim Campbell: So either this will be a disaster or he will move. He needs to retire for Man Utd to ever find peace. Bloody hell. Is that mad?

1:06:16Luke Moore: he loves it doesn't he 27 dearie me well what a way to finish thanks for listening to the Football Ramble part of the Echoes Creator Network of course remember to join us live on YouTube at 9.30 on Monday morning we'll be talking about Spain versus England Spain 0 England 3 there we are thank you very much thank you Jim Campbell thank you thank you Mick Dalton thank you Harry Kane see you from either beyond

1:06:46The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.

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