Mailbag: Which club “won” the transfer window?

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3:33Pete Donaldson: Hello, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble Mailbag. The transfer window, Aston Villa and banter clubs are the orders of the day. It's Thursday, 3rd of September. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Pete Donaldson. And I'm the Dushin of Hunter-Raja.

3:57Pete Donaldson: Hello, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble Mailbag. It's been a while, of course, since we've had a mailbag, and it's good to have the old bag back. Do message us on X, Blue Sky, or Instagram at FootballRamble. Comment on YouTube or email at show at footballramble.com. And, of course, friends of the Ramble, you're our favourites, because you get priority. Patreon.com forward slash FootballRamble. or sign up on YouTube now. Don't forget, we're going live on YouTube tomorrow morning at 9.30 for the preview show. Just search Football Ramble to subscribe and turn your notifications on so you do not miss it.

4:33Pete Donaldson: Gentlemen, on to the mailbag. And another dip in the bag. This from Bonner, or Boner on Instagram.

4:42Marcus Speller: Pat Boner.

4:43Pete Donaldson: Which club do you think won the transfer window? Ooh. Ooh.

4:48Marcus Speller: Can I go first?

4:50Pete Donaldson: Yeah, because you want to get the best answer. Yeah, I'll tell you, yeah. This is very Adam Cleary influenced.

4:59Marcus Speller: Newcastle United. But might it be Newcastle? If we think about the fact that they've been able to sell against their will, but sell well.

5:11Marcus Speller: They've, I'm basically just going to read what Adam Cleary said on Twitter, but he made the point on... So it's Adam's answer, not yours. Basically, yeah, but he's convinced me without meaning to. You know, he made the point that Newcastle had moved on six of their top ten earners from last season, replaced seven players with an average age of 30, with eight players with an average age of 21. Combined with changing the manager, it's about as big a demographic shift as you will ever see in one window. And I realise a lot of that focuses on the balance sheet, but that's just the reality of existing in the Premier League now and trying to get better.

5:42Marcus Speller: but the way they've started particularly I suppose Dedic right back and Nico Gonzalez being a good addition it feels like all in if you look at I suppose what's happening to Villa and what has well just ultimately what's happened to Newcastle of all the ways it could have happened they seem to be in the best position because I don't think anyone expected them to be as certainly I didn't expect them to be as healthy as they are with the window shut as it is now. Certainly a couple of weeks ago when nobody had really come through the door three weeks ago. It was a completely different situation.

6:18Pete Donaldson: Gonzalez made a difference, obviously. He's shown it already. I mean, how much of the first two games of the season... Just more sample sizes. And it's your right to use that because the window shuts after they happen so you're perfectly within your right to say that. But how much of the first two games of the season have influenced your answer as well as Mr. Cleary? It has, yeah.

6:38Marcus Speller: That's the point I've made in there as well. Oh, yeah, that as well. But it feels like, you know, naturally with teams like Newcastle, and as I mentioned, Aston Miller, the progress, because of regulations now, you can't build on your progress. You do have to take a step back to try and take a couple of steps forward, which isn't really viable unless you're in the Champions League, and even then there's like a lot of difficulty there. Very few clubs can do that. Yeah, and balancing the books and stuff like that. But for what they've done, I don't hate it. I mean, my other thought was maybe, for similar reasons actually in terms of losses, maybe Brighton.

7:18Pete Donaldson: Oh, okay.

7:19Marcus Speller: But yeah, I think I'm pretty comfortable with Newcastle.

7:23Pete Donaldson: Peter, you're sat there with a Puma Newcastle United shirt on. What do you think of that answer? Well, you kind of hope with Newcastle that those signings were brought in for Jaishler's, you know, under his direction effectively. because Howe obviously admitted that he was going to be leaving a few weeks before. So hopefully they were the players that he wants to work with rather than Matthias wants to work with rather than Eddie Howe is going to be working with. So it's a small sample size. They do look a hell of a lot better and they do look a hell of a lot more penetrative and they just look faster and more up for it.

7:55But maybe that's just a new manager kind of, you know, new manager comes in and players want to play for their place.

7:59Pete Donaldson: Well, if the window's shut before the season started, which is what some people think should be the case. I think it should be. I don't see any reason why it does. I just wonder if Newcastle would have been mentioned there. Because again, those first couple of games in the Premier League have influenced the answer. Which is fair. Which is fair. But conversely, I think the reason why no one's talking about Spurs with the signs they've made is because they've just been so turgid on the pitch. But, you know, Mahmoud, Saviour, Tenali, Fernandes, Robertson, Van Hecker, Sanisi. It's been a big window.

8:31Solid understudy in Martin Dubravka, in my opinion. I think that's really, really good business. I mean, they've overpaid for a lot of them, but that's just the Premier League and just a bit of a silly season this year. But because Spurs have been so put on the pitch for the first two matches, well, three matches of the season, I think no one's really talking about them. But I'd definitely go for Spurs on that one.

8:56Pete Donaldson: Yeah, I mean, Spurs have had a very eye-catching window for all those reasons you said. I mean, I even think getting in, And Tosin Adara Baio is a decent signing. You know, they've strengthened on paper. Yeah. There's no doubt about that. And they've just got to fit them in somehow. Well, they've got to make it work. You know, they've seen areas where they're lacking. I mean, the centre midfield was very stark last season. And so they have done that. But again, as you've already mentioned, Peter, the start they've made, everyone's going, actually, has it been a good win? I mean, people were saying last summer, when Thomas Frank was in charge, that Spurs, some suggested that they, as we say now, won the window.

9:34Pete Donaldson: You know, they had a very good transfer window as well when they signed quite a lot of players and it didn't really work. So I think people still are a bit wary of what happened before. Yeah, I mean, if you're not... But I still think that it's a fair answer, though, to the question.

9:47Marcus Speller: Yeah, especially after what happened last season. If you're still not going to sign an exorcist, then what can you do? Cursory mention for Brentford, maybe a bit more than cursory, considering the likes of Mabudu Sangare, who people in the know in European football when he signed were like that's an incredible coup there can I give my answer before you do the curse of other fish no Jaden Anthony Callum Wilson as well it's quite nice Callum Wilson's lovely isn't it

10:12Pete Donaldson: come on no job come live in West London

10:15Marcus Speller: for a bit enjoy it what's your answer Marcus Chelsea yeah 420 million euros euros spent alright come on 430 million He's in the car again. He's kilometres, miles an hour, euros. Remember where you're recording this show? 120 million euros spent and they've generated 430 million from sales. And they look better for it.

10:38Pete Donaldson: And that's why Chelsea are my answer. You're talking about, you know, Newcastle United selling well. My goodness. Yeah, but like Newcastle didn't really have the resources, you know, pound for pound, like man for man. No, I'm saying... Chelsea have got a lot of footballers to sell. No, indeed. But no, I wasn't saying, oh, Newcastle have been rubbish in light of Chelsea. I'm saying on that theme of selling well. Chelsea have brought in a player in Morgan Rodgers for£117 million. And others, you know, fairly high-ish fees, although he's quite far and away the highest one. And they've made a profit, all things considered.

11:13Pete Donaldson: Yes, there's been a lot of movement at Chelsea. If you look at the players who have gone out, the list is unbelievably long. You have to scroll, scroll, scroll to get to the bottom of that. It's ridiculous.

11:24Marcus Speller: 50 million for Liam DeLapp, reported 65 for Nicholas Jackson. Yeah. I mean, that's fantastic stuff.

11:30Pete Donaldson: And obviously the Enzo stuff, yeah. Bearing in mind, Mark Cucurrea, who's a Euros and World Cup winner, who's a player they would have probably liked to have kept, he went for 1.8 million more than Liam DeLapp.

11:43Marcus Speller: Yeah. Andres Santos was an idiot, but oh yeah. Tariq George went for 24 million. 24 million for Tariq, you know, Trevor Chalabar,

11:51Pete Donaldson: you know, just over 30 million. I think Chalabar was a good player. off he went to the beautiful surroundings of of Kamo they held out with Enzo Fernandes and got their 125 million they've managed to Mikhail Mudrik is not hanging around was he hanging around, was he allowed to, I don't know but anyway yes that's right what on earth are you going on about so I think anyway that's the outgoings which they've done well with but the incomings Rodgers is a brilliant signing and the way that he's already adapted to it. Arsenal were in for him. And I'm actually surprised Arsenal didn't make a little bit more for him.

12:30Pete Donaldson: But obviously maybe because they've got Eza as well and one or two others.

12:33Marcus Speller: Well, we can come on to that with another question. We will. That is an interesting point, actually. Arsenal's approach to Rodgers.

12:42Pete Donaldson: You're right to halt me in my tracks there. So Morgan Rodgers, yeah. I think Maxence Lacroix is decent. The way that he is a leader at the back.

12:50Marcus Speller: That's a very smart one. that's basically the better version of the Henderson signing.

12:55Pete Donaldson: Jordan Henderson.

12:56Marcus Speller: Yeah. It's like someone who is going to play, who immediately gives you that solidity at the back and a leader.

13:03Pete Donaldson: Exactly, yeah.

13:05Marcus Speller: And he's playing and he's got two functional arms.

13:08Pete Donaldson: Indeed, that is always helpful as well. I think Giovanni Quendez was good. I think we've yet to really see him, Marco Palestra, but in Xabi Alonso's system you would expect him to work very well there and also as well the other area was the goalkeeper and Xabi Alonso gave him a chance and immediately Robert Sanchez is gone and Emi Martinez who realistically 7.5 million as well I know Martinez is sort of I suppose you'd have to say in the twilight of his career now but you would expect

13:43Marcus Speller: it's a lovely move for him

13:44Pete Donaldson: it's a fantastic move for Martinez because, you know, we're going to talk about Villa in a bit, but obviously they've got a new goalkeeper there. But for Martinez to come in and just immediately improve that position, I don't know whether Martinez... I wonder if he'll be starting games or even at the club next season because I think will Alonso want maybe a slightly different type of profile of goalkeeper after a year with Chelsea, presuming he's still there. Let's hope it... Let's think it goes well or there. Next summer, that may well be a position where they want a keeper who's, you know, talk about distribution and so on, is a little bit better than, say, Martinez.

14:20Pete Donaldson: Not that I think Martinez is lax in that, but you wouldn't think that's where he excels. And so, yeah. But the fact is, they acted quickly with Martinez, and boom, they've got him in, and they've improved there. So I think all in all, I think they've had a really good window. I think the manager is a part of the window as well, in a sense. And right now, people are talking about Chelsea as a side, who could challenge for the title. I'm not sure that many Chelsea fans would truly think that because, again, they've seen what's been going on at their club in recent years. And, you know, the ownership, despite making these transfers and making those sales, it's been a madhouse, as we all know.

14:58Pete Donaldson: But I think Chelsea have a good window. And even Danny Welbeck's there. There we go. To top it all off. Yes, exactly, yeah. So that answers your question.

15:08Marcus Speller: I've got an email from Paul. He asks, given how strong Chelsea and Manchester City's front lines have looked have Arsenal messed up by not signing a striker this summer

15:18Pete Donaldson: yes interesting by the way we didn't just to take the conversation to a slightly different tangent there we didn't mention Man City in summer transfer windows I think the fact is they got Fernandes and Bouadian as well and Njai I suppose I think they've had a pretty good run I suppose the losing Rodri though would offset that, but I suppose people say that's kind of inevitable, so maybe a little honourable mention for them in terms of Arsenal again with the striker situation you're having to buy potential or Victor Ossiman in that position, really aren't you, and I think

16:05Pete Donaldson: with the options I mean, think about what they did last season with the options that they have. They got to a Champions League final. Yes, their route was as kind as it realistically can be in the Champions League. You do have to say that, I suppose. And they obviously won the Premier League. Who did they go in for? Their big acquisition was obviously Bruno Gimenez. Yeah. That was an area where they really wanted to...

16:28Marcus Speller: They reinforced the midfield with a starter and they reinforced their back line with someone who could be a starter. He is going to need someone to pass to, though. Well, there is that... They've lost a bit of pace, haven't they? There is that. I don't think Martinelli's brilliant. I feel like they were due for an upgrade on him.

16:45Pete Donaldson: Do you feel, I mean, so I think Solis is going to be really good.

16:48Marcus Speller: I don't know.

16:49Pete Donaldson: I think he's going to go well, but the fact is, yeah, we don't know. He's not finished.

16:54Marcus Speller: He got hooked against Villa at half time.

16:55Pete Donaldson: Yeah, that doesn't bode well. So, yeah.

16:59Marcus Speller: I think the idea that they would have signed another striker is, I suppose, as you mentioned, a bit fanciful, but I suppose it was just someone else who can play out wide left, who was better than Martinelli, who could actually start games. The Vinicius Junior thing is interesting because, you know, people have reported recently that some of the club thought it was fanciful when they were going for it anyway. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Perhaps they were too interested.

17:21Pete Donaldson: And how much energy they put into that. Well, it sounds like quite a lot.

17:24Marcus Speller: Do you think? Yeah, well, I mean, everyone's reported that it's been quite a lot of energy and that it perhaps distracted them a bit because there was talk pre-World Cup as well of Morgan Rodgers and Sam Dean, who covers Arsenal for The Telegraph, pointed out that Arsenal valued Rodgers at 80 million. As it dragged on, the price went up, and that's when Chelsea came in. But Rodgers was very keen on going to Arsenal. Really liked the fit. It would work for him. Probably similar, actually, to how it's working currently at Chelsea, where he is out left, but he's coming inside. The Martinelli sale, maybe if it had come sooner, that would have given them more room to manoeuvre and actually take a bit more time.

18:03Marcus Speller: And he wouldn't have wanted to go. No, but again, I don't...

18:07Pete Donaldson: But that could have dragged it on, though. So there's a lot of moving parts in there.

18:10Marcus Speller: But also, I don't think they got the money from Al-Hilal. They got the exact bid from Al-Hilal that they were courting anyway. I do think... I don't know. Alvarez, it sounds like he didn't want to come to Arsenal, which is fine. Well, he only wanted to go to Barcelona. Yeah, that sorts itself out. But Alvarez is the profile of player that I think that would have... I don't necessarily think they'll win the league. I think I might have put them down. I can't remember. But I'm not as confident as you are in winning the league. But I would have been if they got Alvarez. Yeah, definitely. Because Alvarez is a bit of a problem solver in that he can go out wide and he's an exceptional finisher.

18:47Marcus Speller: I don't think Arsenal need the striker to score all the goals. Because I think Havertz is brilliant at doing that apart from the goal scoring. So if you cover it off elsewhere as they did last season, then they're golden.

18:56Pete Donaldson: Well, I mean, yeah. I mean, obviously, you know, this is obviously why Paul is asking the question. because, you know, as you say, a lot of energy goes into Vinicius Jr. It doesn't happen. And then you would imagine a lot's gone into Julian Alvarez because they needed to convince him. And they obviously didn't convince him of whatever happened there. And with Vinicius Jr., I didn't think he was going to go there. Alvarez as well. It's like, again, do you want to spend a hundred and something million pounds on a guy who has made it very clear that this wasn't his number one choice? You know, I think that's...

19:30Pete Donaldson: I mean, on the right... I mean, on the right side of attack, obviously, Bakayi Saka's there, and he's going to start, but there's a lot of football to be played for Arsenal, and if they truly want to be firing on all fronts, then, you know, they need to bolster that squad. But that side, it's Madiweke and Daman.

19:48Marcus Speller: Well, Madiweke, yeah.

19:49Pete Donaldson: Well, okay, so Daman's still got to come through, although Daman can play in the midfield three as well, as he has done, so I suppose, yeah, maybe I'm forgetting Max Daman a little bit there. But, yeah, I mean...

19:59Marcus Speller: And also, this question is asked because of how well Chelsea and Man City have started in attack. And I suppose that's the thing. What's going to win the Premier League? Is it going to be the goals you score or the goals you concede?

20:12Pete Donaldson: Yeah, the question is, have Arsenal improved their attack from last season? No. Right. Have other teams? Yes. Have Arsenal, you know, will they have more of a challenge than what they had last season as well? Time will tell, of course. So, yeah. It's funny actually because I still think they will win the league, but maybe I'm not as confident as I was a number of weeks ago.

20:36Marcus Speller: There is also the option in January to bring someone in and Keenan Yildiz, Juventus is someone who can do that job on the left. So that could be an option, but then that might end up with Arsenal having to pay a January premium that they have successfully avoided for a few windows. I think, well, I mean previous windows anyway. I think specifically with Mikaela Mudrik and Vlajevic before him. They were both in for those players and then didn't go for them. Maybe they'll just have to pull the cord on the elders. Maybe they will.

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24:11We've got a question from Dico Fantastico on YouTube. It's very enjoyable. Is the Aston Villa rebuild being misrepresented in the media? It's being framed as if it's out of their hands and they're guaranteed to struggle a season, even talk of Emery leaving. But within the club, the overall feeling seems to be one of excitement and rejuvenation. Why is there such a one-sided view being presented? Southern media biased, Peter. Probably a little bit of that. With your part of that. If we join it, loving it. Loving the London waiting payments. If we're completely honest with ourselves, it would probably be that.

24:46But I think with... Yeah, but I mean, when you're not an Arsenal or Chelsea, there's just not enough, there's not as much money to be made for talking about Aston Villa, so people don't invest their time into learning and having to think about things. But then I think, they're still in Clarence and Boulin. I'm confused like our ex-Prime Minister.

25:08Pete Donaldson: They've got a royal, the future king supports them. They do. Tom Hanks? No, I was talking about Prince William. But Tom Hanks also supports them, yeah. I think there's always a bit of a worry when really talented players leave. A bit of fear of the unknown. And I think that's absolutely fine for us to think that way. But you look at like back to like big squad rebuilds of the past. Like Villa had one under Sherwood. Brought a lot of players in. Idriss Agui was inexplicably playing for a pass in Villa, which is mad. I'm just saying, it was not successful. They couldn't gel. Even though he had some very talented young players.

25:39So you think they're bollocks? They just couldn't gel. They're in trouble. No, I'm not saying that because I think Emery's too good to set up a side like that.

25:46Pete Donaldson: He's an upgrade from Sherwood. But I'm just trying to defend, if I may, the media's take on things, including our own. Come on. There were squad builds in the... Remember when like Spurs got all that bail money and they spent like seven... They spent on seven players. One of which admittedly was eventually a good Ericsson. Yeah. But the rest of them were just utter dog shit. When you said they got that bail money for a minute, I had to go, oh, he means carefully. A bail bond. A bail bond, if you will.

26:10Marcus Speller: Ericsson, Lamella, Soldado, Paulinho, Nasser Chadli, Etienne Capoue and Vlad Chiriches. It took a long time for that three of those to work.

26:20Pete Donaldson: That's what you used to be able to get for that money back in the day. I know! Yeah. Freddo's used to be massive. Oh, yeah.

26:26Marcus Speller: Do you remember the size of Eric Lamella's back in the day? No. But like, QPR had a big rebuild, Southampton, Spring to Mine, Todd Borley when he took over Chelsea, they spent loads of money and that didn't work for them immediately. So it's... So you think... I think we've got every right to sort of go, feels a little bit baby bathwater, you know, throwing everybody out and having to rebuild and not even forest it together again.

26:52Pete Donaldson: Yes, okay. I'll fall in when they came up. Okay. Now it gets me emotional as well. I think, yeah, Rogers is not a huge surprise that he went. And he went, obviously, sort of fairly early. Because he's come down to London

27:06Marcus Speller: because he knows where the media are. Exactly. And we'll protect him.

27:09Pete Donaldson: He's a much better player now. Have you noticed? Oh, yeah.

27:12Marcus Speller: I've seen a level to him that I've never seen before. And he's got progressively better because he was at Middlesbrough, he was further north.

27:20Pete Donaldson: Yes, exactly. He came down, did alright. Did alright. He has sweeter than him here, isn't he? Sweeter. Looked quite healthy. I don't actually believe what you're saying there, Peter. Or do I? So there's Rodgers... I think, you know, so T. Elliman's going, I think people will be like, yeah, big player for them. I think when Konza went it was kind of like oh this is obviously then there was the Ollie Watkins chat it felt a bit like oh people are just trying to get out of there which I don't think is the case and I think that's maybe where there's a little bit of disparity here because Rogers goes for huge money I think do you know what you could even say that's good business from Villa because he's going to go at some point get the biggest, you've got a huge whopping fee there, so great.

28:10Pete Donaldson: Tielemans, a little bit of a shame, but, you know, again, he's not old, but he's, you know, he's not young. Luca Dean, I think, going to PSG for 8.5 million, it's kind of like, you do know that club's got a lot more money, but fine, he's, okay, he's off. They've got a good fee for Watkins, got, you know, I think a decent fee for Konza. I think some people are thinking, is it a mass exodus? Is it a case of people going, nah, bollocks of this, we're done, I've got to get out of here. And Emery scratches it going, oh, bollocks, I've lost everybody. If it's being presented like that, it's obviously not the case.

28:45Pete Donaldson: But as Pete said, you know, it's a little bit understandable because they were the high-profile players going. I think with Emery, you have to remember that the majority of clubs that he's managed at, that he's kind of probably used to this a bit more. And that kind of upheaval of players and selling players and so on, it's not a huge surprise. you saw them play when they played in the Super Cup final you know they gave a good account of themselves and they've got some players that have come in there as I keep going I really want to see what Mago's got he's so young but my goodness there's a brilliant player there I think what Villa have done in the transfer window is getting Ibrahim and Bayern a very exciting young player that's good business and Harwood Bellis as well they just needed you know how Bellis will do back in the Premier League you'd think he would have a better time this time round of it my goodness But also, I think Nicholas Jackson's a good signing as well.

29:36Pete Donaldson: So I think they have patched, I say patched it up, that's maybe me going into the southern media narrative there. But they've turned it around. It was very unfortunate for them against Brighton that one of their big signings in Joao Gober's had the merriest of all mares in that game. And obviously the manner of the loss against Brighton.

29:53Marcus Speller: And also Brighton are a good team when they do that too.

29:56Pete Donaldson: I'd be amazed if that happens to Villa again this season. The manner of that performance.

30:01Marcus Speller: Quite a low bar, but yeah. Yeah, sure.

30:05Pete Donaldson: What do you think, Vish?

30:06Marcus Speller: In terms of the question, if it's being misrepresented, I mean, it might be. I mean, I definitely have the view of it that they're in trouble. That's certainly how I looked at it.

30:18Pete Donaldson: In what way, though? Are you talking about...

30:20Marcus Speller: Just the difficulty of a rebuild and stuff like that. And then you take a step back and you realise that it's just the nature of it. They have actually signed quite well, I think. I mean, I appreciate... You know, he is, we've not really seen him at his like absolute best in Nicholas Jackson. And there's a, obviously there's a reason he's at Aston Villa. Having gone to Chelsea, been alone at Bayern Munich. But there was, it looked quite promising against Arsenal. I think the issues against Arsenal in terms of not being able to get through them, not having a shot on target even, was a bit of getting to know everyone.

30:57Marcus Speller: A lot of people fitting into a new system. a new system that clearly works because I thought they got a decent amount of joy against Arsenal without necessarily being able to, you know, pull the trigger on moments in the final third or on the break that would have got them an opportunity to shoot on goal. So not even necessarily score a goal. But that all looked quite promising. And if you think about it, also with the Arsenal game, the system looks like it still works. the important parts of the system are still there in terms of McGinn, Kamara, Cash and Ninhmatton out wide as well, offering them that width.

31:32Marcus Speller: So there is stuff to work with. There are players that are going to come in and have to get used to it. But I suppose what it is, is maybe something that we mentioned on Wednesday's show, but it's the idea of not being able to build on top of where you are. Villa finish in a lower position. It's like, oh, you know, they haven't really cracked on. whereas everyone else around them has improved and also they've been hamstrung by some financial to and fro that they need to adhere to.

32:03Pete Donaldson: Also as well, back in the Champions League, you're thinking, okay, go and build, go and sign bigger players, position of strength and all the rest of it. Didn't work for Newcastle. And again, I think that is, you think the temptation might be to think, oh, well, they are now similar size to say like Arsenal or something. or unfortunately you know you've still got that sort of big four big six whatever it is because look at the players Spurs have signed that's the way the league tales don't give you that but even Manchester United you know when they were pinching players off Newcastle United you know it's kind of like well I grew up supporting Man United so you know Villa will still have to work hard to get big players to go there it's your global brand get some more memes in let's say I show speed visiting Villa maybe that's it maybe that's what they need and more of Prince William there exactly you see it all makes it would all make a lot of sense gentlemen this is from Eggs and Bacon on Discord how do you square having a player you really hate or dislike in your team we put this out there on all our socials and what not we had a few replies Gamzee Boy on YouTube said Jesse Lingard at West Ham didn't like Jesse Lingard he turned up at the club he supports and presumably Gamzee Boy I don't know whether he was won over or not Lingard was striking up the band wasn't he sounds like yeah still blommer on X Willem Gallas at Arsenal Gallas obviously had previously been at what Spurs and Chelsea I know he was at Chelsea

33:26Marcus Speller: before Arsenal and then went oh yeah of course sorry yeah

33:29Pete Donaldson: yeah yeah and Joe on YouTube Marilyn Fellaini to Manchester United

33:32Marcus Speller: that's the interesting one I remember hating that at the time but did you hate it

33:36Pete Donaldson: because you felt it was not good enough or did you hate Fellaini

33:40Marcus Speller: yeah more that he wasn't good enough and then United tanked and ended up relying on his goals but what about a player

33:45Pete Donaldson: say if I'm trying to think Enzo Fernandes Yeah, well, he went to the other Manchester club. Yeah. You have to get on board with it, don't you?

33:53Marcus Speller: No, of course, yeah. But then I was thinking, what is the level of dislike here? Is it not rating someone or genuinely hating them?

34:02Pete Donaldson: I think if you don't rate them, that's a different thing because you can still wish them well. Yes, yeah. And if they come good, you can go, I'm glad you proved me wrong. Whereas if it's someone you dislike.

34:14Marcus Speller: I think it would have really, you know, I'm not a match-going Manchester United fan. I live in London. I think it would have really tested me if Manchester United, say, had signed John Terry. Just because of, well, everything about John Terry. But that would have tested me.

34:31Pete Donaldson: Do you think you just sort of have to, with that, get your head down and just go, okay, fine, I'm not going to... But you're questioning the club more than any kind of managerial decision there, aren't you? But not necessarily.

34:43Marcus Speller: No, purely my own feelings towards John Terry. Yeah, because you wouldn't question them. No, no, no, as in they've made a bad decision.

34:51Pete Donaldson: No, but you can't even say that with the example of John Terry. If Man United signed John Terry and he's pomp, it's a great signing. Yeah, yeah. It's an unbelievable signing. John Terry's one of the finest defenders in the Premier League. But you fall out of love with the club a little bit, don't you? Yeah, and that's the point. That is the point. Almost a bit like with, you know, with ownership. New ownership at particular clubs, Peter. Yeah, you know, you know. It's a similar kind of emotional feeling.

35:13Marcus Speller: What would yours be? Would it be Tim Cahill? No, I guess I'd have to sort of choose something from my side. It'd be like Stephen Carr or Bellas or something. You know what I mean? Like, he's a real shit, but he's our shit. Was Stephen Carr a shit? Yeah, Stephen Carr a shit. Was he? Okay. Yeah, and he almost completely lost all of his skill, like, as soon as he sort of joined us. Very strange situation, Stephen Carr. But if you hit him, the opposition hit him twice as much, didn't they? but it does get worse and it's like you know real you know real you know legal problems and stuff

35:44Pete Donaldson: well this is it so I think you kind of have to sidestep that a little bit but if it's a player who you think I don't know it's like Marco Correa or something as you say well he's now our guy I think you can get on board with that I think if it's a player who you think no I really dislike who the fabric and fibre of this chap and I wouldn't want to meet him I wouldn't you know blah blah blah blah but he's wearing my team colours I think that's a much trickier one and that's one where I think as I say you just have to get your head down if he scores you kind of go well you know it's a goal for my team you have to be pragmatic about it I would suspect it's not really happened to me thanks Mason yes I mean that is a good example Emery we had Emery in the midfield that was later he became a bit was it I think it might be later yeah yeah okay it's hard to remember all of them all Vish what have you got in your hand.

36:38Pete Donaldson: Last question.

36:39Marcus Speller: Last question comes from Jack on X. Jack, Jack. With Chelsea looking a bit better on the pitch, who is the new banter club? I think it's all to play for. Is it? I think it's all to play for, but I'm just worried that my pick for the top of the tree at the semi-league might be a possible falling back into that clown college club sphere, Manchester United. How did you pick that? Yeah. That's strange. I was going to say that Manchester United are an outside shout. I do think the squad is better, but the challenge is playing more than 20 games.

37:17Pete Donaldson: I forgot about that, as discussed. I'm a little bit worried about that. But it's easier for a bigger club to be a banter club, because if there's a bit of disarray, and you think, oh my goodness, they should be... It's Manchester United.

37:30Marcus Speller: But no one considered like... Wolves were never a banter club. Southampton?

37:34Pete Donaldson: Yeah. But that was because they were so bad when they were in the Premier League. That time. They're still a banter club now because of all the spying. Forest has got the capacity, certainly because... Still, yeah. Because of the chairman, innit? I tell you what, there's a lot of people...

37:46Marcus Speller: Usual suspects, aren't there? Spurs.

37:47Pete Donaldson: Yeah, but what about... So what about... There's a... See, I don't think even if they're quite bad, like people tipping Fulham to have a very bad season, because of a bit of disarray, banter club, I've not... I don't know what they have to do. They'll have to get the Michael Jackson statue back.

38:00Marcus Speller: Yeah, that's not banter, is it? That's horseplay. Is it? That's West London horseplay. What about Liverpool if it goes wrong? Yeah. The idea that like they have a formation where they have four left wingers and you know, Gakpo accidentally tramples on Barcola.

38:22Pete Donaldson: I think it has to be where, I think the ideal kind of pure bandit club is when it's a big club who's spent a lot of money and they're just throwing it all at the wall and none of it's sticking. And they get new manager and it's just like ah how can we solve this I mean could well be Spurs again could it yeah I mean they've I mean they're current would you say they're the current

38:44Marcus Speller: they're clubhouse favourites I don't know or clubhouse leaders yeah

38:49Pete Donaldson: I don't know

38:50Marcus Speller: people aren't taking bets on Spurs being the baddest club put it that way

38:54Pete Donaldson: well there you go Jack I think that answers the question thank you for listening to the Football Ramble part of the Acast Creator Network it's been an absolute pleasure to have you back in the mailbag now remember to join us live on YouTube at 9.30 tomorrow morning. Don't say fuck our bugger. Well, we might. Can we swear? What's the deal with that? What is it? Of course you can. I think the only thing liable laws still apply. The only thing YouTube has a problem with is sex. Kissing. So if you can be less sexy, please. Yeah, so when we do, so normally during the ad break, you know, we get a bit rambunctious.

39:30Marcus Speller: Oh yeah, how do we do the ad breaks? How do we do the ad breaks?

39:33Pete Donaldson: How do we do the ad breaks, guys? Yeah, we just have to... the peck on the cheek, it'll have to be.

39:37Marcus Speller: What about the bit in the show, you know what sometimes when we stop it, and we're like, is that liable? Will they sue us? Yeah.

39:43Pete Donaldson: We've just got to stay it clear and then we all kiss. But apparently it is like that. What do we do then? Who's gonna take in my Deliveroo? Did I stop the show to get my Deliveroo? My turkey I buy every day.

39:56Marcus Speller: We could have to go back to the Amazon piss jugs that we had. We are. Yeah.

40:01Pete Donaldson: Great time that was. No C words. Right. You can't say... Cunt. Cunt. Right. Make you feel like a big man did that. Yeah, it did, yeah. I'll say what I want, mate. I'll leave it out. Oh, dear. All right, then. 40 years old. Thanks, Pete. Thanks, Vish. Nice one. See you tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, 9.30, bright and early, and live. Looking forward to it. Cunt.

40:36Marcus Speller: What am I doing with my life? The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.

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