Mailbag: Who's getting sacked this international break?

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3:22Hello everybody Welcome to the Football Ramble Mailbag Managers under pressure Everton and Byrds are the orders of the day It's Tuesday 22nd September I'm Marcus Speller I'm Jim Campbell And I'm Vinicius and Hunter Raja

3:46Whoa everybody it's Tuesday a terrific Tuesday here at the Football Ramble no doubt you're very welcome thanks for coming this is the Football Ramble mailbag where you ask us questions and we attempt to answer them let's hope the attempts are good today you can message us on xbluesky yeah still doing it or Instagram at footballramble someone has to don't they they had a go you know what it was a worthwhile cause because the Musketeer you know dirtied up Twitter or X, then somebody had to do something. It's a shame it didn't work out. But there we are. You can comment on YouTube. We're battling on.

4:25Comment on YouTube or email us at footballramble.com if you dare. Of course, friends of the Ramble get priority. Patreon.com forward slash football ramble or sign up on YouTube to become a friend of the Ramble where you will never, never struggle in life again. Right. Let's start. The irony of stumbling through that sentence.

4:46Marcus Speller: Right. You're struggling now. Pay us money and you'll be fine. Rob has emailed. Oh, Robbie baby. This is obviously a longer international break than we've had in the past. Much has been made about that, Rob. There's been a lot of disrespectful comments, but anyway, we press on. Which managers in the Premier League are most under pressure of getting the chop? And are there any managers who you thought might have been in trouble whose performances have helped themselves? So I think it might sound mad, or certainly the idea might sound mad, that any Premier League manager is under pressure at the moment.

5:22But three weeks is ages in chairman years, isn't it?

5:26Marcus Speller: Yeah. And also, I remember talking to a mate of mine who worked at Norwich City for quite a few years, where they had a big turnover. and he said one of the things that he noticed players were doing, particularly when they were like in the bad books of a manager, is because they had to constantly come into training and they'd get more face time. Or suddenly they'd be seen a bit more. They realized that they would just make the manager more angry. So they'd try and find ways of avoiding them by coming in like different entrances to make sure that the manager didn't see them as much so they didn't rile them up even more.

6:02Marcus Speller: Oh God. And I like the idea that a manager would have to do that with a chairman. and be like, oh, God, he's definitely going to find me. If he sees too much of me, he's going to find me. So it might work remotely today. Yeah, I'll get a cabin today. Oh, yeah, I'm just going away to watch another club who aren't also playing shit. The stats on this are interesting because you've obviously got a longer international break, as I said, this time around into October. And there's another one, believe it or not, a month later in November. Give the people what they want. Give the people what you want.

6:34Exactly. in the Premier League in the last 10 years, there has only been two managerial departures in the October international break, whereas there's been six in the November one. So make what you will of that. But it suggests to me, statistically, that November is the crucial one. Yeah. Or is more crucial, should I say. So who do you think is under most pressure, Vish, going into this international break. We, you know, looking at the table, I mean, I suppose the teams really, you may want to suggest somebody else, but I would imagine that the four managers that people will be looking at are Michael Carrick, Roberto De Zerbe, Alvaro Albaloa, and another one.

7:26Piers Sarge. Piers Sarge may be... Throw Oliver Glasner in there? Just because it's nothing to do with him, is it? It's Maranac.

7:32Marcus Speller: Yeah, yeah, always a safe bet, whoever happens to be Forest manager. So Sarge, I mean, yeah. The fact that Sarge has been talked about in other reports suggests that, yeah, we might as well talk about him here, I think. So, yeah, I think they're the four, I would say. From where I'm sitting, I think Arbeloa has eased a bit of pressure on himself. That point at Anfield, winning against West Ham in the League Cup goes a little way. But I think, again, against Manchester United, I was at the match. and two very fortuitous goals, particularly the Fulham one. It was funny, actually, because you come away from the game, obviously Fulham fans were thinking, ah, we never bloody beat this lot of Craven Cottage.

8:13It's been so long. And they always get a jam and go, and they always get one in the last minute. And you're thinking, ah, what a lucky goal. It's like, yeah, remember the goal that we scored. Sure. Although Fulham made some good chances, though. So there are green shoots there for Arbeloa, right? I think there are. So I'll talk about Arbeloa first, if I may. I think with Arbeloa, enormous pressure. everyone was thinking before a ball that even kicked Fulham could struggle I mean Jeff Stelling was one who said I think Fulham are going to get relegated people were predicting that and I understand why after Marco Silva it was always going to be a big job for whoever took over there because again there's no God given right a club like Fulham will be in the Premier League in that mid table or pushing on for Europe kind of place so our below are coming in the Spanish experiment some young Spanish players come with him and what have you and the first three games you could see what he was trying to do but it was just mad.

9:05It's like you're attacking with like seven players and you're defending with three and it's just, that's why Fulham will create chances and they'll score a few goals and that's why at the back they are leaky and the Palace game was so bad from a Fulham point of view. That is a game, you've got to win that. You cannot lose that game against a side who, sort of struggling a little bit, got a new manager themselves. To lose that with some of the defending, it was like, what is going on here? But Arbelova made a few changes for the game against Liverpool at Anfield. Keeping Iwobi in the side. You know, Iwobi's such a crucial player for Fulham.

9:38Letting him off the leash a little bit, playing him on the left wing, having Berger and Charles in the centre for a little bit more still. I think Charles has done pretty well since he's been in there. Again, the wonderfully named Affen Gruber at the back. He's unlucky, wasn't he? Very unlucky, yeah. But he's more mobile than Anderson, even though I think Anderson's still a handy centre-half to have. So I think he's seen what's going on and again, from a Fulham point of view, these are not seismic changes from a neutral's point of view. From a Fulham point of view, you see, ah, okay, you've addressed that.

10:05And against Anfield, even though there was no intensity from Liverpool, you saw the improvement in the performance. And against Manchester United, again, not a good Manchester United side. We are going to talk about that in just a moment, but better from Fulham. And the atmosphere and the feeling in the ground from where I was sat was, ah, we feel like we're back or we've got our Fulham back. a nice one-all draw with Manchester United it felt like, oh okay I think a number of people's fears of relegation and all that bollocks will have just eased a little bit so I think Arbeloa in those two points that he's got, yes they've not got a win, I get that but I think as you said Jim, there's some green shoots there and also, when Fulham do attack and they press, I think again you've got to develop that with one or two new players I'm not talking I'm not saying they're going to start playing like you know bloody brighton but i think i think he's used the pressure yeah and i think if you take a longer view of it which obviously chairman should do i'm sure in some cases they do in some cases they don't but um in his first five games in charge in the league he's got draws of man united and liverpool right it's not too bad obviously they need to get that win and they know they need to be a bit more coherent um but i think he was a big part of getting players like Palacios and Garcia in.

11:24I think if you make a knee-jerk decision on him quickly, you risk alienating players who have the potential to be the catalysts for the positive change that you want, right? Garcia wasn't a fair penny for a game for a... Yeah, and it's a big get to get him from Real Madrid when he looked eye-catching for Madrid at times and would have had other suitors. Well, there you go. Absolutely. So I think... Proved it. Another thing to look at as well, and this would go for Pierre Sarge as well, is that you kind of hark back to Andoni Iriola's start at Bournemouth, where it was similar. And it was a bit rocky.

11:57A lot of people have been saying that. And that's what you kind of cling to when you've lost your first three games. Totally, yeah. And it's a similar situation, isn't it? Where you're trying to, though the kind of transfer model isn't exactly the same, you are trying to replicate that type of overachievement, really. Yeah. And I think with, on Palace, just briefly, I think, Sarge, the loss against Ipswich, bearing on they were down to 10 men for most of it, again you're going to be annoyed that you've lost to an unfancied side at home but I thought again there was enough in that performance there was there was a little bit of something there they've just gone away to Leeds United who you saw what they did to Chelsea you know Leeds playing very very well didn't really give them a sniff so I think Palace five games in four points I think Sarge is all right I think the two you are looking at is a Deserby and Carrick but actually with De Zerbe, I don't see them sacking him anytime soon unless he just keeps saying this team is...

12:52Well, maybe that is... So maybe I should bring that into consideration. I think Carrick is the one who's under the most pressure. Yeah, I mean, De Zerbe will be very expensive to sack, right? Which is a big factor. Yeah, and again, if De Zerbe sacked, it feels like, oh no, this is definitely a club. This is not... Whoever you bring in, it's just the same, the same, the same.

13:10Marcus Speller: The think of it line of sacked after two weeks looks like we fucked up. Yes. So therefore, I think, to answer that question, who is under the most pressure, I think, is Carrick. Yeah, also the thing with Carrick's contract is it's only two years, so it's easier to break. I would say that Man City United, particularly with Ineos and Jim Ratcliffe, are clearly very conscious. I was going to say image, but obviously that's not the case, given some of the stuff he's saying. but they're clearly very conscious of money, which is why they only put Carrick on a two-year deal. Don't really know any, I personally don't know any of the clauses within it, but I wonder if part of that was to, you know, if there is a reduced compensation clause after a certain point.

14:02Marcus Speller: So in which case, I wouldn't be surprised if they wait a certain number of months before doing it, even if they think they should do it now, if that makes sense. But yeah, in terms of pressure, because of the nature of the beast with Manchester United, I suppose the media machine around it, the way it's always talked about. It was a little bit strange. I kind of get why. But Manchester United-Fulham was the last game in the Premier League weekend. All the podcasts from broadcasters, specifically Sky, obviously, were talking about how bad Manchester United were in a weekend where Brighton beat Arsenal.

14:40Marcus Speller: And that's just the nature of probably where Manchester United's game fell, but also that Manchester United woe garners so much interest. And because of that, you wonder if they might be forced into having a conversation about it, because it will be incessant for, you know, between now until the end of the weekend. England play on Saturday, so... And even with all due respect, even when England do play in the Nations League, it doesn't necessarily take over all the coverage. There's still so much interest in the Premier League throughout. So, I don't necessarily think they... I don't necessarily think there'll be a sacking.

15:15No, I don't. I don't think Carrick's under huge pressure.

15:18Marcus Speller: No, no, no, but from any of the people we talked about, I do think there will be conversations with potential replacements. Yeah, that seems like it. I mean, you kind of have to do that, really. Yeah, sure, sure. Because Carrick, there's still... You know, it's sort of the Onigana Soul show. You come in and everyone is feeling so shit about what's been going on. You don't have to do that much to build a little bit of confidence, actually play... One game every eight days, you're actually playing Kobi Maynou. Right. So, you know, and there goes Karak. We all knew that it's this season. This is the time when he's going to really earn his money.

15:50They've not had a disastrous start. It's just been a bit underwhelming. I think the Derby game, the fact that they lose that game. Karak himself said in the post-match, you know, we shouldn't have lost that game. And, you know, in sort of within Kale's theory, no, they shouldn't have done because that goal should not have stood. But the fact is they couldn't break Manchester City down and they didn't win the match. if they'd have lost against Fulham, the chat around Carrick would have intensified. There's no doubt about that. So I think he's the one, really. But again, I wouldn't see them sacking Carrick, even if this type of performance and results carries on.

16:25I think he'd have at least another few months. Oh, absolutely. Because again, we've compared Spurs and Man United and feeling a number of times over the last few years. And obviously, when they played in that Europa League final as well. They are feeling like unmanageable clubs. It feels like, well, whoever comes in, it's the same old, same old. That doesn't mean to say you keep a manager who's not performing well. He's such a head-scratcher. What the bloody hell... Do you try and tempt Guardiola out? There's no way he's going to... Do you know what I mean? What do you do here? Is Ancelotti ready to be brought in?

16:59I'm saying that's where it could go. And I think, again, it's similar energy what you said about with De Zerbi, although Carrack's been at Manchester United longer. if you sack him again sometimes it really looks bad on you and the chaos that then ensues and we want instant results who knows maybe in six months time there will be something there it's a tough tough job at Manchester United you get the Frankenstein's monster situation with a squad as well which is something that is a big problem when you change managers halfway through the season I mean the links or sort of the bookies favorites for this uh for the next Man United manager as silly as that is at the moment would be Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann who are so different so yeah I just think they've been through this cycle so so many times the kind of everybody's sort of I think from Man United persuasion worried that this is a slightly sort of truncated version of the Solskjaer situation as you suggested where it started well and then fell apart quite badly but it is early days just because you can project that pattern onto it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to go that way.

18:01But the manner that they've been playing in suggests to me that... Well, Gary, that was quite wrong at the moment. He needs more out of the players. Definitely. But it's weird, isn't it? Because they look much better last season. I appreciate the 40 games thing is a factor. But I find it strange that... Certainly, I'm not sure I subscribe to the idea that Carrick is like completely and totally and utterly out of his depth, which some people are starting to say, because they put good performances in last season by keeping it simple. Maybe that's the level though. Maybe that's the ceiling.

18:33Marcus Speller: I think, I appreciate we're drifting a little bit with the point I'm about to make, but last season under Ruben Amorim, tactically United were all over the place. They were also the fittest I've ever seen them. Interesting. Genuinely. Fulham ran a lot more than Man United did on Sunday. United have looked particularly sluggish. But basically when Carrick picked up, He corrected a few things tactically, but he also had a group of players who were very, very fit. They nailed preseason. Interesting. If you look back at the first league game of the season last year, and I mentioned to you a few mates about this, I'd never seen some of them in that ship.

19:11Marcus Speller: Bruno looked so light. Luke Shaw looked so light. And now they just look quite flat-footed at the moment, which when you're without the ball and when you're trying to press, as the game is now, you're going to be left in the lurch. and as they were actually you made the point about how much more Fulham ran against them but I think that's also part of it Rob gave us it was a two pronged question of course the other part of it was are there any managers you thought might have been in trouble but their performances have helped them out Moise can I throw Moise in there do you thought Moise might be under pressure Everton are never going to sack Moise under pressure from himself because you know he was complaining about the squad size rightly Moise was putting pressure on the club a little bit You know, we've seen him do that.

19:56Marcus Speller: Has Moyes eased the pressure on the club by winning? How does that work? You're bloody lucky I'm winning. Yeah. But I reckon he's probably still harbors that. Yeah. But I think he reflects well on him, what they've done so far. Yeah, I mean, nine points. Not lost, they're unbeaten, yeah. The only one that I could take, I don't think there's... Ipswich have won two games, but I don't think Aaron Neal would be under much pressure. I mean, Ipswich was a disaster. Again, with Lampard, I don't think, again, they're going to sack him. I mean you could say that eases the pressure the only one I could think is maybe Yeisler at Newcastle United yeah but they've had enough positives within the start they've had for that to be a mad situation too oh you mean ahead of time you wondered if that was the case well ahead exactly yeah are there any managers you thought might be in trouble whose performances have helped themselves I think that you can have all of the games so far this season because there's not that many I just think he was new to the league following Eddie Howe who was such a mainstay at Newcastle United and such a big figure for them I wondered how he would get on having sold a lot of players but despite getting hammered by Leeds United I don't think he's under any pressure at all so I would say I'm not talking about the last game or two but he was the only one I didn't expect him to be under huge pressure I think it is quite early I think the next international break in November a statistic show will be more of a bigger sample size and that's where if it doesn't improve for one or two teams Fulham come back because on paper a less tougher run after that international break, you know, then Arbolov could be under real pressure.

21:29But yeah, I don't think anybody fits the bill for that, really, for me.

21:33Marcus Speller: Can I throw someone in there? Go on. Xabi Alonso? Well, actually, do you know what? Xabi Amorim, as some people are calling him. No, I think... Bearing in mind Chelsea's track record, I don't think it's... Yeah, they're getting a bit more serious now, aren't they? They seem to be being a bit less silly. I mean, I guess, you know, time will tell on that one, but that... Imagine. Could you imagine? Stranger things have happened at Chelsea, I suppose, but... This early on, a sacking. I think because he's still got that potential tag, I think... I don't think they would sack him. I think it would have to be particularly...

22:10But then you're going, maybe the pressure's ramped up because... Yeah, I think it is.

22:16Marcus Speller: I think also if you're now exclusively owned by private investment... they want their return maybe they want their returns stay tuned for more Xabi Alonso chat for the next international break maybe

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24:31Gaz has been in touch on Instagram. Possibly Gaz Coombs, probably not. After 5 '7", Jay De Silva scored on Saturday, I want to know who are your favourite Premier League short kings, past or present? I'd like to ask what constitutes a short king. What's the cut off? Well, I'll tell you something. What's the shelf?

24:51Marcus Speller: I don't know this life you lead. Tell me about it. Yeah, I know. Different species. As a friend of mine was very surprised to hear that Kobi Mainu is six foot one. So that's too tall to be a... Yeah, very much so. I reckon 5 '8 and a half is the cutoff. I think if you're 5 '9, you're not short. But a short king is really like 5 '8, 5 '7, I think, and lower. I googled some of these heights after requests to measure the players in person were rebuffed quite rudely in some cases. But Emi Buendia is 5 '8. We mentioned on the show yesterday that he looked similar in height to Jules, which is mad. There must have been some sort of perspective going on, but I think as a current player, I think he's...

25:42He's up there. He's all down there. Paul Scholesvish. Nah. Giorgi Kinkladzi? 5 '7". Well, the original... He feels like he would be a lot taller if he weren't hunched over the ball dribbling. Do you know what I mean? He's probably 6 '2". Him and Janinho... Paulista. Paulista were almost like the... I mean, Giorgi Kinkladzi would have played in the Premier League before. Or the Premiership, as it might have been called back then. but they feel like they're sort of the originals almost. Paulista, when Giannino came in, oh, it was so exciting. Yeah. When he joined the league, like it was...

26:16Marcus Speller: With Ravinelli and Everson. And they got relegated. Yeah. Ravinelli went, obviously he's not sure, but he won the Champions League with Juve and went, where next? Middlesbrough. Yeah. It's just unthinkable now, isn't it? Like it's, for younger listeners, it's quite hard to get across how mad that was. I don't... Even in the context of where Juventus and Middlesbrough are now. It felt unthinkable then, but it's not now because again it shows you then and more so now the spending power of the Premier League. But I think Giannino Paulista definitely such an enjoyable player. I'm not remembering this correctly, but it felt like when he arrived, he landed in the morning, made his debut.

26:54Yes, yeah. Because there was talk about him being jet-lagged. I remember that because he didn't play the whole game.

26:59Marcus Speller: From Italy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But he got a lovely assist. Would it have been Jan Agafjortov, maybe, who scored the goal? He got a lovely assist and it was like, oh, look at this guy. You know, so, so, Janinho Pallister, I think, would be definitely one for me. Um, and Gonacante. Nice. It's very short King Arias. Nice. Is he? I always loved Santi Cazorla. Yeah. And another... Because he also looked like a gnome. Yeah. And a bit of a, kind of like a squirrel or a chipmunk. Yeah. Very woodland energy from Santi Cazorla. I think the 5 '7 crew includes Alexis Sanchez, which is surprising. Wow, okay.

27:33One of my favourite players of the Premier League era. And Steve Malbrank, Tony Blair's favourite footballer. Yes, we definitely will have him. Steve. Absolutely, yeah. I'm surprised you dismiss Paul Scholes so readily. Is he that short? 5 '7, isn't he? Is he really?

27:50Marcus Speller: Yeah, I suppose, yeah. But I feel like... He didn't do enough. No, but I feel like a short king would be... Yeah, he'd had the cake. He'd had the cake. He's like, oh, I can't be bothered with all this. Michael Owen. Yeah, I think gradually we'll give it to him. You have to say in his early days, Michael Owen. So frighteningly good. And I know he's very keen to promote that. And I have, because we know what he's like, I have a degree of sympathy. If you were that good, especially at that age, and people are either forgetting or don't know about it, and there's plenty of footage of you, you would be a bit like, Oi, come on, Marcus.

28:32Isn't it funnier that he's right? It's way funnier that he's right. Yeah. He was... Aaron Lennon? Yeah, nice one. Yeah. I think... And a few, right? Well, not Bradley. Sean White-Phillips, yeah. Can we leave the parameters of the Premier League? If you must. Sorry, Gaz. I know you wanted to keep this Premier League. Well, maybe he's Gaz Prom, so he will be...

28:52Marcus Speller: I've got one immediately, now that you've broadened it. One of my favourite ones is Lorenzo Insigne. because he was 5 '4 and at certain depths players have like the roadrunner effect. Yes. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, 100%. Oh, look at his little legs. Yeah. George Campos. Oh, lovely. Lovely. Lovely. Lovely, lovely. Goal scoring goalkeeper that designed his own kit. Absolute hero. I always loved Ludovic Julli. Yes. Played for Barcelona. That's a nice one, yeah. I think Monaco and a few others. Yeah. I'd say so. There's a lot to juice from. There are. Javi, Messi. Matteo Valbuena who if he was taller would Karim Benzema have conspired to blackmail him over a sex tape that was somehow stolen from his phone who knows great point yeah we don't have time to answer that now but if you do get your you know where to find us now that you mentioned that there is a great perspective photo when France played Belgium of Valbuena running away from Fellaini and company I think seek it out it's fucking hilarious I've got a question by the way from Joel on Blue Sky it does work It does.

29:55Marcus Speller: It does, yeah. There's rightly been a lot of love for Brighton, Leeds and Hull so far this season. But do Everton and David Moyes deserve more credit? And what do you think they can achieve this season? I suppose we've given them a little bit of credit, haven't we? We have, yeah. And with Tiano Barry now scoring goals. Yes. That was a lovely finish at the weekend, wasn't it? Flicked off of his chest with real intent as well. You're giving him that? I'm giving him that. Yeah, I think they were generous there. Well, I think he scored with his boob. Yeah, well, he did do that. And then he missed a header, didn't he, that he should have put away?

30:27Well, as the self-proclaimed chair of the non-existent strikers' union, I am going to give him credit for that as well. What can Everton achieve? Well, I think, I don't have any relegation chat at Everton. I think they're too strong for that, and Moyes is too good an operator. Again, it's in the context of this league this season. and with much upheaval and all the sort of other stuff going on other teams, Everton, I want to put them in the same pack as the season unfolds as Brighton and Brentford in that aim high. Because they missed out on Europe just last season. In fact, I think he was pig sick more that they didn't get European football last season.

31:14So I think the season will probably be a continuation of last season. I think relegation will be a stronger battle this time round. I think it'll be between Manchester City and Arsenal for the league title. I think Liverpool have got work to do. I think, you know, Spurs are Spurs. I don't think Newcastle United. Well, Newcastle United, they will be in the hunt for European places possibly as well. But I think, again, that pack that we talk about, Bournemouth are in there as well. Some of the sides that are in Europe this season who are not usually in there, Sunderland, another one. I think it's that sort of mid - upper mid pack of teams where I think Everton could get in.

31:55I know Moyes was damning, you know, with his assessment on their lack of transfer activity. And I get that. And that is what will do it for them. You know, if Barry gets an injury, who's going to be up front? And Barry's not... Barry's their only specialist striker. Of course. So I think that, you know, circumstances will dictate as it always does for teams with smaller squads. But I think if they can get Grealish back in their plan, I think if Brennan Johnson could have had a few goals. I mean, that turn he had on the weekend where Luke would say, yeah, but he fluffed the shot. He did do that.

32:29Marcus Speller: He should have scored. He did all the hard work, didn't he? It was a bit frustrating. You're not the person to make that assessment of his game though, right? So that's a big job for Moyes, isn't it? To try and get that kind of little extra bit on top. But I think defensively that they'll be pretty solid, as you could imagine, under Moyes. Again, after five games, it's them and Leeds United, incredibly, have got the best defensive records. and they're yet to be beaten. So they're going to be, it's all the cliched stuff with Moyes. They're going to be tough to beat. They're going to eke out some wins.

32:57And I think, again, I think with Everton, depending on what they might do in January, although it seems unlikely. Yeah, it seems unlikely. If they can get a bit of luck on the injury front and so on, then I think they'll definitely be looking up more than they're looking down.

33:13Marcus Speller: Not from their position now, though, surely. Their seventh. I'm talking generally. Right, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Champions League, baby. If you look at the squad, despite the numbers being a little bit light, I think the floor is high. There are some really good players in there. I love Gerard Branthwaite. If they can keep him fit, that's really important. I think James Garner basically covers the ground of two players. So that's really helpful if you've got a situation where you have quite a light squad. But that is the concern, isn't it? So they've got six defenders for four positions.

33:47and that puts a lot of pressure on if you get injuries in there. I think Ainsley Maitland-Niles was a really canny signing but again, he's their only kind of natural right back. So they've got that problem in a couple of places and they've got players, Tyler Dibbling in particular, where I feel like they need to get more out of him. He's been a bit of a weird one because I think everybody expected a bit more. So Moyes has got a job on his hands kind of making use of him there. They're really unlucky with that Balogun situation on deadline day, where they've just been left with just Barry, who's doing a pretty good shift at the moment and is perhaps enjoying having all that responsibility.

34:26But yeah, I mean, January is going to be bigger for them than perhaps any other team, really. Yeah, I mean, the fact is they didn't get Balogun and they were in for him. You would surely think in January they'll look at something.

34:37Marcus Speller: Yeah, that's a good point, because obviously they do have that money. Yeah, but I take the point you're making, though. But yeah, I think, you know, Joel, there's a lot of love for Brian, obviously. Leeds because they've just carried it on and again they've had eye-catching performances that signed well yeah where they hammered Newcastle in particular but also what they did with Chelsea and Hull my goodness everyone thought they'll be the whipping boys whereas it took Newcastle United to finally show everybody they can be beaten in the Premier League and even then they played well didn't they they were putting pressure on Newcastle late so Everton are not going to play some of the eye-catching football that say Brighton play this season I don't think that's not what we've come to expect from Moyes I don't think it's terrible but you know, there was a reason why West Ham thought, you know, I think we've parted ways here, you know, hit the ceiling exactly.

35:22So that's maybe one of the reasons why people have not given them a lot of love, so to speak. But yeah, I think they'll do okay. Gentlemen, we've got a question here from Johnny on YouTube. If every football club had to open a restaurant, which club would have the worst food and what would be on the menu? Well, I say which club would have the best food. Of course, it would be Fulham.

35:44Marcus Speller: Why would it be Fulham? Because of all your chefs? It's just... Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's where the money goes. Yeah, that was announced on X, wasn't it? Yeah. We've made a new signing. Oh, who's this? The old such and such has come from this restaurant, and he's come from the Pizza Hut in Copenhagen, and he's going to be here doing his stuff, whatever. To be fair, the Pizza Hut in Copenhagen is probably amazing. Yeah. Obviously, the answer is just Man City United, isn't it? Yeah. The expensive trash. It'd be a cross between Salt Bae's and a set restaurant than a provincial town vape shop. I think it would be more like a wimpy.

36:17Like it's in such a state of disrepair, but how is it still going?

36:20Marcus Speller: Yeah. Just still here. You always have that, bloody hell, still a wimpy's here. Yeah, we've got to have chocolate fondue for dessert. Where is it? Oh, it's crashed through the roof. Like the fat, you know, it'd be like a nod to the Old Trafford waterfall. The waterfall, yeah. That would be a lovely waterfall. You wouldn't get it all chocolatey, would you, Jim? A lot of old chocolate dripping from the ceiling. Yeah. I think Nottingham Forests would be interesting. There'd be a booth in the back. Maranakis! That wants good food. Well, exactly. And he wants a lot of it. But the booth in the back is sort of dimly lit.

36:49You can't reserve a spot there. It's slightly set back further. And there's always scary looking men just sat there. Just be careful. There's something going on. Just be careful, okay? Because we know what's happened to the Holmesdale fanatics at Crystal Palace. They've disbanded, sadly, for a number of reasons. We're just talking about a restaurant. Some suggested they may well have been a catalyst for that disbanding as well. So just mind how you go with Maranakis. Yeah.

37:11Marcus Speller: Yeah, there's like, there might be something taped on the inside of the system in the men's room. We don't know. It might just be holding the system together. Yeah. So you think Manchester United just be... Yeah, I mean, I feel like it would be Manchester United, wouldn't it? Yeah. Because of how far it done fall. Yeah. Yeah. I like the spruce up the different owners not letting certain people in. Yeah, fair enough. Yeah, the head chef would change a lot. Yeah, yeah. Be a really inconsistent menu. Yeah, loads of pictures in the menu though, you know it's good. But if Sir Jim's in charge of the menu, it'll be good old-fashioned British food.

37:47It'll be pictures of the class of 92 absolutely everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.

37:53Marcus Speller: I was at Old Trafford because the cricket ground that England were playing in Sri Lanka, it's on the same road, Emirates to Old Trafford, and there are so many kind of 92 adverts, because obviously their university is part of the 92 conglomerate or something like that, Obviously, hotel football is just down there. Yeah, very, very odd. Very odd. Very odd indeed. Jim, you've got the last question. I do. It's from Tree Climbed on Instagram. Lovely achievement. And I'm glad you've marked it. Would you rather be pecked by a seagull or a magpie? Now, if I may jump in on this straight away, magpies are very shy.

38:30So they'd have to be really, really angry to go for you, which does bring its own problems. but I think seagulls are just always ready for a ruck. Yeah, I'd go magpie.

38:42Marcus Speller: Yeah, I'd say magpie as well. How do you know they're so shy? There are some that live in a tree next to my home and even look in their direction and off they go. They're very, very shy animals. Maybe you're the problem then. Maybe I am the problem. I reserve the right to be a problem. Vish, if you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best. And that goes with magpies as well. But at your worst, Jim, you're opening the curtains and you're bearing all, aren't you? And the magpie's like, oh, for crying out loud. It's my flat, mate. I willy-cup to where I want. I understand that, but there is a responsibility when others can see very clearly into your window.

39:19Well, that's on them.

39:21Marcus Speller: If a magpie was pecking you, yeah, like, they'd be... You'd have to go some way to rile them, but magpies love shiny things, don't they? So maybe it's a compliment. It's a myth. It's a myth. Bowerbirds. None of them talk to you. How would you know it's a myth? I was going to say, here he is. Doesn't mean I can't listen to them. And that's why. Touche. Eavesdropping Jim. Eavesdropping Jim. Well, I think we've all chosen magpie there, tree climbed. Yeah. Why don't you climb a tree and chat to these magpies? I mean, I can't get up that tree. It's too big. It's not a good idea for me to try and do that.

39:56You'd fall out. Exactly. Exactly. Maybe tree climbs can do it. I mean, if anyone is in a position to do this, it's him, obviously, isn't it? Sorry, I blocked you there. What were you going to say about the shiny things?

40:07Marcus Speller: No, I just thought maybe you'd take it as a compliment, really, but I don't know. But then you said it was a myth, so... Yes. I mean, so I think they've got an unfair reputation there, but I have on two occasions seen a seagull take a wallet from a person thinking it's food, once in Brighton, once on the Isle of Man. So they are actually... They're thieves as well. They're genuine twats, aren't they? They are. You are getting into dangerous territory here. You're getting into fake tabloids. What was that? I saw it with my own eyes. Jim, what is that publication that does the fake headlines of the tabloids?

40:42Sunday Sport. Yeah. This is Sunday Sport territory. I saw it happen. What was the one? Seagull pecked me on the penis and took my ice cream. It's that kind of thing. No, what was it? Come on. Sex with pasty boiled my bellum. Well, that's one of those. That's another one. But to give you a flavour, everybody. It would do that, wouldn't it? There was a seagull one as well. I can't remember the seagull one. What was... Oh, there was another one. Stole a wallet. It was something like, 10 years ago I won the lottery, now I suck off dogs for Quavers. That's right.

41:15Marcus Speller: What a gig. What a gig right in those. Is it this one? You seem to be auditioning with his stealing a wallet. I saw it fucking happen. Bollocks, did you? I saw it happen. I've seen it happen twice. How far did it get with a wallet? It flew a bit down the road and realized it wasn't food and it dropped it. They're bastards, man. Did it draw out a tenner? You and your ivory tower, it's too high for the seagulls. Oh, class warfare. I found it, um, fries in our seagull perv walks free. I think we can all guess what the story is. How did you Google that? Safely in this place of work? This is a work laptop as well.

41:55Right, I think we should end the show there. thank you for listening to the football ramble part of the acos creator network um yeah thank you everybody we'll see you tomorrow for more scintillating football chat thank you vish cheers thank you jim bye and thank you the sunday sport

42:19the football ramble is a stack production and part of the acos creator network

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