North London Together

0:00The five-foot assassin with the roughneck business, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble. Chelsea fought back and my goodness, so did Spurs. It's Monday, second affair by Marcus Speller. I'm Luke Moore. And I'm the Dishanah Hunter-Raja.

0:24Hello everybody. It's Monday. Ah, deary me. I tell you what, what a weekend it was. what a weekend it was in the Premier League it's gone so fast we hardly knew it some of us were left disappointed others were jubilant fish once again totally fine weekend yeah what you're worried about let's move on we'll talk about them in a bit big Portsmouth win this world by the way was there I didn't check for the first time in a long time so your team won my team won yeah England didn't play they're always playing yeah always winning now before we get on to that delicious Premier League content A reminder that you can now purchase any of our brand new Football Ramble merch by heading over to footballramblestore.com.

1:06We've got new T-shirt designs, outerwear, tote bags and so much more. We know that you lot have been asking about our Admiral football shirts, which are sold out. Can you believe? In fact, I can believe it, Luke, because they're marvellous. It's a great piece of kit. It is indeed. So don't worry, there will be more news coming on that soon enough. So don't worry. Yeah, I've seen the emails. They're already making plans to get some more. Yeah. Watch this space. It's incredible that they've sold out. I mean, if anything, we modelled them too well. We did. That's the mistake we made. Yeah. Putting them on us and people going, fucking hell, if they can make them look good, what can I do for me?

1:45Well, and we're weeks away from Fashion Week, aren't we? We are. Yeah. Yeah? How did you know that? Because I was once in Milan during Fashion Week. Yeah. That's what you meant as Latan. Brushed past Latan. He touched me, yeah. Yeah, he touched Marcus. Marcus didn't touch him Appropriately I asked for it Appropriately Oh was it in those files Is that what Is that how we found out It's in those files Not funny It's not a laughing matter It isn't a laughing matter Why is he looking down the barrel Yeah Vish It's a laughing matter If you pretend it's me Vish is We went to Laugh to this When Vish was at the ashes He's dragged us back down Yeah he has We're treating that With the gravity It deserves Vish Oh dear I'm sorry Yeah that's okay All the time around Australians Do it down the camera please If you don't mind I'm very sorry Apology accepted Yeah What a world eh So yeah We will restock the shirts Yeah we will We will And Mark is going to Model the next load He's just going to wear the shirt And a pair of socks That's it Yeah Risky business Exactly Lovely stuff Do I not get underwear You did in risky business No you don't get underwear You don't really see it though It's not what the people want Is it So for now Get yourself A Luke Nation t-shirt Or a My Biddy Aunt sweatshirt or Football Ramble logo top at footballramblestore.com Strangely enough the Luke Nation ones haven't sold out yet Are they not?

3:07Whoever could have seen that coming? Glory Hunters I know I know Actually we're doing this thing Vichy France ones now Yeah You know when when you know a team's player leaves mid-season and you can go to the club shop and swap shirts for like a blank one Yeah We do have Vichy Nation is that I think? Vichy France What we could do is we get a load of your faces, just put them all over my body and just change it from Luke to Vish Nation. Yeah, so you can come into the Vought Ramble store and swap them. Now then, we start at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs 2, Manchester City 2. A tale of two halves, Luke Moore.

3:42It was, and I think we should let our listeners know, and our viewers know, that we actually debated which match to start with today, because there's quite a lot of stories doing the rounds, and then last minute, we thought, it's this one, isn't it? It's this story, and it's chiefly because Man City have slipped up again. Man City can be got at even by a team that... So do you know at the start of the First World War, right? Just bear with me here. I'm glad that's here. Right. He was Second World War. Yeah. Come on. Yeah. First World War. Grandad's here. The British Expeditionary Force didn't have the might or the experience to deal with the German forces and they were completely...

4:20I mean, they were outnumbered quite a bit. They were. They were completely outnumbered and completely outfought and what... what followed was the retreat at Mons, right? So there's a famous, massive retreat from Mons. And this Man City visit to Spurs was what would have happened had the British just gone, actually, now fuck this, we're going to take him on. And then did all right. That's what it was like because Spurs were the absolute walking wound. They had no fit players left. They're all over the place. and Man City race into a 2-0 lead and we've got certain people on our WhatsApp group I'm not going to mention names because they might be here right now they can speak for themselves saying this has got 6-0 written all over it what scores it need to be for Thomas Frank to lose his job today and then from nowhere in the second half thanks to a well overdue really good performance from Xavi Simmonds and one of the great Premier League goals from Dominic Solanke they get back into the game and they give Man City a bloody nose and Arsenal fans everywhere will be delighted.

5:27The final thing I would say is that no more evidence is needed that when Manchester City lose control of a football match, which they can do quite regularly, they find it impossible to get it back. It's not just they lose control, which they do, it's that when they lose control, they don't seem to be able to find it again. And this was evidenced in a game away from home at one of the worst home teams in the Premier League who had no fit players left, including a centre-back who hadn't started the game, I think, for over a year. Raul Polina was in the back line, wasn't he? Yeah, he was. He was playing right centre-back to start with, yeah.

5:59And then I think they had two more injuries in the game itself. Yeah. So, all in all, a terrible, terrible day at the office for Manchester City. Yeah. And then it's a bittersweet thing for Spurs fans who all want Thomas Frank to lose his job, knowing that because they showed a bit of fight and they did something there, he's probably going to stay on the job a bit longer. Yeah. Well, the person sat to my right who did say, you know, what scoreline does it need to get to for Frank to do his job. Oh, but he's got the quizzes. You know, then did message, not long after that, what scoreline does it need to get to for Pep to get the sack?

6:28I thought it was quite enjoyable. But Luke and Vish, it was a day, really, where North London stood together. They did. Yes, yeah. And I know they fight against it, but we've always known deep down that Arsenal and Spurs fans are basically the same. Well, in the spirit of the Great War that Luke was talking about and other wars and battles that have come since then, Scotland and England often is a bit of banter we're on the same team now but when push comes to shove yeah it's like we'll take on the French you know it's like the Olympics no the French are with us these days I know it's like the Olympics or tennis when we're Great Britain it's like finally Davis Cup yes this was the Premier League's Davis Cup it felt like it he went there I tried to talk about the Great War he's talking about the Davis Cup I actually went straight for the Olympics it's like you know when one of the one of the one of the posh people win something on a horse.

7:20That's for everyone. That is, yeah. That's for Scotland as well. As people say, for a lot of people, dressage is the only way out the getter. Yeah. So you really feel that, you really relate to it, don't you? We've all seen the Lloyds advert. We have. Get on that horse. Exactly. Get on that horse, you get yourself a medal and you're labelled a hero. But Spurs, though, I mean, ultimately, obviously two points dropped for Manchester City, but at half-time, Vish, it seemed so unlikely Spurs were going to get something out of the game. I mean, during the first half, Gary Neville called it a charity match and kept comparing it to a soccer raid.

7:52Yeah, I mean, genuinely, when I sent that message that this had 6-0 written all over it, that was when it was 1-0, and I think maybe 20 minutes, 15 minutes into the game. And you were within your rights. Cherky was like tearing him to pieces. Yeah, and when he had that, when Cherky goes down with that injury and it looks like they're going to take him off, I reckon he probably could have gone off, because it seemed like quite, regardless of whether it was an impact blow, it seemed fairly serious. But even he was like, no, even on one knee. I want to do this. I'm never going to get another opportunity like this.

8:25Give me some candy floss. Exactly, yeah. People moaning there's no Mavericks left in the Premier League. Oh, I'll have this. And then City just seemed to stop playing because they couldn't be asked and then still scored a second goal before halftime. I mean, that second goal as well. It was just so easy. So, so easy. To the point that Semenya, when he did his celebration and he sort of fell over after he did the backflip. He couldn't even be asked to land after a backflip. there was a bit of a I don't know whether it was the Spurs fan I don't know but it seemed like I thought it was the Spurs fans well I thought it was and then he sort of smiled and went shh like that as if to say yeah fine but come on lads is that all you've got to celebrate today that was yeah exactly that was the stage you got to with Spurs in that first half where they were celebrating someone who'd scored against them not quite landing the backflip yeah they were getting 8.9 from the judges I'd love to know how many Spurs fans left at half time I mean probably not that but it would have been a few and again within their rights they were so dead and buried.

9:18So to come back, it's, I know Spurs fans don't want Frank there or the majority of them, I assume, but you have to say, as Luke was saying, you know, they showed character, they showed a lot to come back in that second half. It felt a bit like, because they switched it to forward the back at one point, which I think might have made them a bit more robust, but it's a perfect combination of I think Spurs just hitting rock bottom and going, look, let's just, yeah. Well, let's just have a swing. Yeah, let's just have a swing. Yeah, like a puncher's chance. And Man City losing control. For the players they've got and for the experience they've got and for the players they've brought in, it is almost unfathomable how little control they showed.

9:59I thought there's one or two performances maybe that were a bit subpar. I thought Kusanov had a difficult afternoon, actually. But what I would say, though, is that for me, and you guys pipe up if you disagree, the first goal Spurs score is a foul. In any other area of the field, that's a foul. It's a tackle from behind. If you have to kick through someone's leg to kick the ball, that is a foul. And I don't know why VAR's not looking at that. It looked at the offside. It would have looked at it. It didn't. It looked at the offside markers. That wasn't even mentioned. The foul wasn't even mentioned.

10:32It's a blatant foul. I mean, the thing is that one might argue that he, and hear me out here before you do, because you've said your thoughts. Does he get the ball first? No. Does he, you know, is there a connection? the fact of the matter is the strongest argument for this, and it may have been Pep who said it, if that's the opposite, if that's a defender... It's a penalty. It's a penalty all day long. Because it would be classed as a tackle from behind. My conspiracy theory... I thought it should have been chalked off. The take is that they got so... The VAR guys, they got so up on the offside, they didn't even bother checking.

11:15I think that I don't trust them at all to be able to check more than one thing at a time I think they they definitely checked it first they checked the offside they didn't know that was it no no they checked the the kick through first they would they would have to check that's even worse they would have to check how could you not see that they checked they checked it first and generally when the goal first went in I thought Solanke had kicked Mark Gay's foot into the ball to dink it which is quite cool basically like a double in snooker a plant you mean a plant yeah yeah Yeah, exactly. Not whatever.

11:45So if he'd hit it off the advertising hoarding and then into the goal, that's a double. Yes. Right, okay. Yeah. I've just worked with him. Yeah, okay. The ball would have gone out of play. But yeah. He's having a go. Do you watch any snooker? Sometimes. When's Big Break on again? That's the last time I watch snooker. Great show. Yeah. I mean, Salaghi's second goal was obviously a trick shot that John Virgo would have been happy with. He would have, yeah. But staying with the first goal, just for a little bit, a moment longer, Pep very unhappy, and you can understand that. Rodri said it was a clear foul and was despairing at VAR.

12:18And that goal obviously does shift things and change the complexion of the game, as goals tend to do. But I think, though, that maybe VAR is... Maybe those working the replays... What did the pundits say on Match of the Day when they were talking about it? Well, I can see why it would have been given, but I'm glad it wasn't. And there's this thing now... Who said that? Danny Murphy was definitely one of them. Danny Murphy I like Danny he's nice but that's bullshit fine but I think that there's a general feeling of oh come on this is getting too ridiculous some things have got to go and I wonder if and I think you see it once in a while with decisions overturned by VAR or even not overturned is that you know I don't think the goal should have stood but I'm glad it was because of the entertainment value and all that kind of stuff because I've not no skin in the game let's get fucking can-can dancers out there well indeed Luke so I think they do it in Bayern yeah I know I wonder if on the odd occasion all that outside noise is just having an effect because it would be incredibly difficult for that not to have an effect.

13:20You'd have to be really made of steel. I think you've got to be out of your mind to be at the experience level where you're running VAR in the Premier League and not see that as a fan. So that's why Luke I'm thinking Forget the outside noise. But that's why the conclusion I'm sort of It's like a fucking pilot going oh you know I didn't mean to do the loop-the-loop but there's a lot of outside noise and I was a bit bored up here doing circles over Hayfro so I just thought there's a lot of noise I'll just do a loop-the-loop A pilot just sticks a fucking fly on the plane. How's he talking if everyone's dead?

13:46Yeah, he probably jumped out. Right, okay. As far as I'm aware, there is... Stop justifying the stupidity. I'm not justifying it. I'm trying to understand how that decision was made. And the only thing that I can think of is as you see every now and then, you see one where it's like, oh my goodness, like Phil Foden at Newcastle when he's absolutely totaled after getting his shot away. Oh, well, I don't think people really want to see that so much. That should have been a penalty as well. Fulham got a penalty for that, didn't they? Yeah, well, that was a penalty. Yeah, but he gets the shot away and he gets taken out and they gave him, which is good.

14:18And the reason why he couldn't then slot in where the ball landed was because he was rolling around because Harry Maguire kicked his seat up in the air. So what I'm saying is a challenge after the shot's been taken, which you don't see given often enough, I don't think. I'm just backing up your point. And so I think that Pep is obviously very unhappy. There's been a few decisions that Man City have not got, which I think they should have done. I don't think there's an agenda, by the way, before anybody starts saying all that bollocks. But that's the only thing I can think. But anyway, Vish, did you have something else to say on the first goal?

14:46Well, no. He pushed off Kuzinov too easily? Yeah, I mean, that was not everything leading up to kicking through Marguerite. He was brilliant. It was. It was Burke and Pest. I thought Kuzinov had a difficult afternoon, as I said. Yeah, he did. Although, randomly in patches, when he was, you know, running towards his own goal, he was quite, he's surprisingly fast. But yeah, he was, I mean, it's purely because of Solanke that he had such a tough time. obviously the second goal is just incredible and for all the fluke of it is the presence of mind to be like it's slightly behind me why not but he meant it though Harry Wilson Harry Wilson did a brilliant goal against Brentford if you remember in injury time where he kind of flicks it but Wilson himself said I've just kind of helped it on really well it's this goal from Solanke he meant to do that it's further evidence of the solidarity between North London clubs because it's an Olivier Giroud tribute.

15:41Yeah. Not only are we going to stop Man City winning the title, we're going to do it in a tribute fashion to Olivier Giroud. Peter Drury called him Scorpion Solanke. Yeah, I didn't like that. Did you see after the... I can't remember what it was related to, but after that goal, they were celebrating over at the Emirates as well. There's loads of people there in the rain celebrating. All as one. I mean, that goal, that's Pushkas stuff. Yeah. Well, did you see Jan Vertonghen's tweet? What did he say? It's lovely. so he must have been on the ground yesterday he must have been quite close to starting he turned up with his boots he had his boots on Frank's like this go Pelinha there and Vertonghen there can we get him in yeah yeah yeah Verney was right footed he said that he's seen three Pushcast winners now because he was on the field for Song Hyun Min's goal against Burnley he was on the field for he was there for Lamella's goal against Arsenal during Covid the Rabona and saw Harrison Reid's equaliser against Liverpool this year.

16:37So did he? I don't know, did he? Well, and he was there yesterday to watch Solanke. Right, right, right, okay. It's about a bit like making yourself the main character from someone else's moment. Trust me, I know how to do that. It was a bit like that. For, you know, as impressive as Solanke was and as spirited as Spurs' comeback was, City had no shots on target in the second half. Yeah. The third league game in a row where that's happened, one of those was against Wolves I can't the job was done then by that point though wasn't it have a shot on goal then from anywhere they didn't have a single shot on goal in that game and Wolves had one and that victory that victory against Wolves is their only win in the last six Premier League games yeah and like you touched on it there about how they let the game they just let the game get away from them it's so lazy yeah and it speaks to a lack of ruthlessness that previous iterations of Man City just wouldn't stand for I don't know if it's down to the fact that there's no De Bruyne there to shout at them or no one on the field to shout at them This was happening a bit last season Yeah, but they had a team that was there for the taking They know that Spurs are a bit of a bogey team for Man City even if some of those players on the field haven't actually experienced it There was no kind of cut or thrust to anything they tried to do I don't know if it's a conditioning issue that they're not able to keep up that intensity It has to be coming from the manager I don't know that that's the case because if you look at the stats this season, if you went on first half results alone, Man City are top of the league.

18:08If you look at the performances in the second half, Man City are eighth. Yeah. I would chuck another factor in the mix if we've got time to do so very quickly. It's different to what both of you are saying. I think the answer in this is that Guardiola's approach now seems to be signing players who he thinks will just get the job done for them. The plugging gaps. rather than the system. He's always been such a systemic coach. If you look at some of the last few signings, you know, Shirky's a great example. You could go all the way back to Grealish as a good example as well. But that was, but what he would, listen, let me make the point.

18:49You go back to Grealish, he slots Grealish in. As you said, I think on Friday, he gets a season to get used to it. He becomes a systemic player and they win the treble. But they had a system though. There's no chance at all, based on what we've seen, that Guardiola is going to get Cherky or Semenyo to become systemic. Or even Donnarumma. Yeah, he's going to let them do what they do, oh, that'll sort it. And it won't sort it. And they are so far short of it. I know they're only six points off the top in practice, but on the eye test, they seem so far short of it. It's crazy. I'd also extend it to Gaye as well, by the way.

19:25Signing Mark Gaye, it wasn't that long ago, Guardiola would probably find some academy player who'd be really good and play him in there. And before you know it, he's playing for England. I mean, that doesn't seem to happen anymore. And the reason for that is we're in the twilight of Pep's career at Man City. Everybody knows that. Several Premier League managers are reportedly convinced that Pep will leave Man City in the summer, according to the times. And look, I don't want to go on, you know, start playing the same tune that I have been doing for about a year or more. But I think with Guardiola, the reason why, and I want to clarify my comment there, when Vish was talking and I went, it's the manager.

20:00Again, we're talking about, you know, football royalty, without a doubt, with Pep Guardiano, obviously. And I always want to make that point that I'm not going to ace. We finally found him to be a fraud. It's not that. Although there is evidence to suggest. No, I... He was gutted after the game. The interview after the game, he was gutted. He was, yeah. And another piece of evidence was, when I was at Craven Cottage, when Fulham were 5-1 down against Manchester City in the second half, there was still a slight belief of, there's maybe something still in the game for us. I feel I'm probably very unlucky not to get a point.

20:30I mean, where else are you 5-1 down to a superior side where you think that? But going back to the manager, I look at Pep, and I've said a lot of stuff on this before. I think he looks fatigued. He has done for a while. There was a little bit of a – he looked a little bit fresher a few months ago. Suddenly there was a little bit of buoyancy, if you like, about him. But he – I think with these signings, plugging these gaps, it's the here and now. I think he's desperate to go out like Ferguson did winning a Premier League title. And I totally get that. I think to leave, if he'd have left last summer on a bit of a damp squib of a season for their own standards, not defending the title, coming nowhere near defending the title, even losing the FA Cup final as well, to go after having such an incredible period, to leave on that note would have been a bit of a shame for him.

21:23This season, he's thinking, I tell you what, we're in the Premier League title race now. but the plug-in of the gaps as you said it was very unlike Pep but there is no system anymore like there was he had a cheat code before for years he wants to get the title won by hook or by crook and get out of there before those charges boy yeah well I mean perhaps maybe that's a a factor I don't know but but I think he's going to be like Jesse Pinkman he had the Breaking Bad just smashing through the fence and driving off yeah that's a spoiler it's been years since Breaking Bad came out it has been a few years everyone's had their chance Indeed.

21:58Anyway. You wouldn't put it past Pep coming up with some sort of formula as well. Anyway, I'll leave that there. But with Guardiola, I think that beyond this summer, what does he do? Where does he go? I think he's on not borrowed time because clearly he'll have that job as long as he wants it. But I don't see him. I don't see them improving more than this. and I think that he is relying on the quality and individual brilliance of Semenya and Cherki and that's not a bad trick to have. Or Harland. Yeah, Harland. Yeah, you got him, you name him. And I think that's what we're seeing now. But to wrap up though, we should end the conversation by giving credit to Spurs because they have been terrible.

22:43They've taken a lot of stick from us and from others around and rightly so, I think. But to be able to pull themselves back, no matter how vulnerable City are, they're still a good team and they've been one of the best Premier League teams and just the sheer amount of absences Spurs had, they're plugging, speaking of plugging gaps, they're plugging gaps all over the place trying to put a team out. They think they could only put three players on the bench or something. I mean, as you said, Dragosin hasn't played for how long? Exactly. And for them to get something out of the game, it wasn't a win, of course, but to get something out of the game to come back from 2-0, they deserve a huge amount of credit for that because they could have rolled over and they could have embarrassed themselves and they didn't.

23:16So they deserve a bit of credit for that. And there was chat, wasn't there on Friday with us and others that, that there might only be five points above the relegation zone come the end of the weekend. They've still got a really tough month. They do, but they're nine points and that is much better reading. I don't think they're going to be relegated. I don't think anybody really thinks they're going to be relegated. But to start to kind of at least take a step in the right direction to start almost like trying to kill that conversation off. They've done it. And it was great to see Conor Gallagher doing Conor Gallagher things as well, particularly for the assist where he wins the ball.

23:44He's down there, boom, puts the ball in. He does what he does best. It's what you expect from him, basically. And it's good that he's doing it already. are you watching Thomas Tuchel you'd imagine he's got a Sky Sports he's probably watching the Premier League yeah imagine that I didn't see that one imagine he's watching the Sunday tea time Premier League that is the minimum we should expect let's be fair oh there's Bundesliga one as well yeah did you watch the game I'll probably just catch the highlights guys can you help me with the squad this month Winter Olympics yeah I'm really into it feel well into the ski jumping yeah have you been watching the tellies no no I've not been watching the tellies you know I feel about tennis fish.

24:20Yeah, no, I'd not find you. Don't bring it up on this show, thanks very much. We already have. Coming up after this, as you are, Pedro was running scared from Adama Traore.

24:39Were you? Why are we trying to blame everybody else? It's disgusting. They want to find me good. They want to ban me good. Do it. Have a look at yourselves. every single goddamn one of you. It's absolutely disgusting. And whether I get another game or not, I don't really care anymore. Welcome back to the Football Ramble, everybody. Thanks to Friend of the Ramble, the Chunky Gruffalo, for sending us that clip. You can become a friend of the Ramble too. Search patreon.com forward slash football ramble or click that join button on YouTube to get involved. The Chunky Gruffalo? Yeah. I think Ian Holloway sounds a bit like a Chunky Gruffalo there.

25:15Ian Holloway, yeah. So in case you didn't hear that before now, Swindon Town, the team that Holloway is currently managing, it's always good to know where he is. He's been at Swindon for a while. He has, he has. And it's always things like this that let us know where he is at anyone's house. Exactly, yeah. Exactly. This is where we hear about him. Yeah, well, Swindon Town were fined£1 ,000 for fielding Captain Ollie Clark in an EFL trophy match, which they won against Luton in mid-January. And they fielded him because they believed that his seven-game ban that he was subject to at the time did not apply to that competition.

25:50He received that initial ban from the FA for committing, and I quote, highly violating an intentional foul play on two opponents' private body parts in Swindon's Carabao Cup defeat by Cardiff City in August. So seven game ban. I'd love to know what the FA officially determined makes a body part private. I think we know. Yeah, but what's the cut off? The bum? Is the bum private? I think the bum should be private. I think it goes knob all the way around to the bum. Yeah. And anything in between. Including, yeah. What about bum hole though? Yeah, obviously. What in between? But is a bum cheek private?

26:26No, yeah, I think so. You can't have that. It's indecent exposure if you see that. Okay, nipples. Are they private body parts? No. Very sensitive. No, because players take the tops off. Basically, if we see an arse during a football match, that's noteworthy. Yeah. If we think he's noteworthy, he's private. I would argue but you're missing the cut off he's got a noteworthy knob because the nipples are okay to see but if someone tweaks your nipple that's very very sensitive I would put it in the same bracket so that makes it a private body part no because pulling armpit hair which is the old Vinnie Jones and all that kind of stuff I think it's in the same bracket we're getting we're getting we are getting lest we forget what Ian Holloway was I want to fill the blanks in for the listeners fine but that's a sideshow with this whole Ian Holloway business I'm asking the questions they one answered well what happened is on Friday the day before their game against Barrow the next day at 5pm on the Friday, having trained all week and planned their team and all the rest of it, Ian Holloway was told that his captain had been given a one-match suspension for that game.

27:26And he was furious. I mean, this is all of a Glasner stuff. The day before a game, one of my crucial players is taken away from me. So Swindon could also face further sanctions for using a substitute who had not been named on the team sheet as well. And Holloway was just going mad, as you heard. I mean, that clip, I would say that was probably about a quarter yeah my favourite bit of it was when he was talking about his female colleague who remains unnamed who made a mistake on the portal yes she's made a mistake on the portal I don't blame her for that and he said you know just press the wrong button on the computer and they're about to take over the world yeah I know he does say that yeah we claim computers are going to take over honestly if you haven't heard that you're not all right please seek it out but I do have some sympathy for him because the Friday 5pm thing is poor form it is poor That's pretty poor behaviour that.

28:12But that's also... That's the portal though. Last email before you clock off for the weekend. I don't really want to see the reply. Send it 5pm. That's what it is. Close the laptop off the pub. Let's let a BBC journalist after the game deal with us. But I suppose the counterpoint would be that he knew that there was a chance that was going to happen so he should have made plans. No, I think it came out of the blue because they thought... It was the original mistake, wasn't it? But the original mistake came from the woman in the portal. but they didn't know about it they thought it was they thought that he was okay to be fielded in that competition so they did it and then suddenly bang I think we can all agree that it was disgusting yeah it's so funny he thought disgusting he thought it was okay he didn't know it applied for that competition having applied in the league the competition does literally have EFL in the title might be worth double checking Ian's got big highfalutin ideas that he's in some European competition by the way yeah don't worry listen mate you're back for the Champions League you'll be back for the Champions League don't worry about that Swindon Town won the game and they're currently sixth in the league too you can tell they're only a few points yeah well oh he loves it doesn't he I love the purist of Ian Holloway he's going to get the book thrown at him for that probably well then he'll chuck it back at them yeah he will yeah yeah excellent right let's go back to the Premier League where people like to behave themselves Chelsea 3 West Ham 2 two sets of fans who love to behave themselves yeah there's something in it right that again Chelsea 2-0 down at half time brilliant first half from West Ham and Chelsea were booed off at half time and we were messaging weren't we that's just what fans do now well this is it this is the thing Robert Sanchez having to calm fans down it's like lads it's half time it's West Ham yeah lads it's West Ham I understand it's a disappointing half people have completely trivialised the boo now yeah oh I know I reckon when we first started doing this show if we covered a Premier League game when like a load of fans were booing it would be noteworthy it happens all the time now I was at the Man United game at the Emirates and they lost their first home game of the season boo booing yeah people boo all the time at Fulham when Tom Kearney gave the ball away for the first time in about three and a half seasons it was tutting we stood up and applauded yeah is that right I said what a run I'm just arguing the football to boo exchange rate's never been lower yeah there's a do you think everyone's a boo boy now oh big time yeah should we get white hankies in the Premier League we should you should yeah but do you know what I like about that is you've got to go some to do it because anyone can boo but that's when it happens in Spain specifically Real Madrid isn't it doesn't change the atmosphere yeah but it's always the same but the directors immediately pan to it don't they yeah they love it they're like shit this is a big deal they're doing the hankies because you can visually it's something for everybody yeah I know yeah are you a boo man or a hanky man yeah I think I like the boo is too easy I like the I think hankies are unhygienic well clean one only yeah Yeah, but I think a boo is too easy.

31:07I'm of the generation that remembers that every single male member of my family who was the generation above me or higher had a hanky in their pocket at all times. And it is, looking back on it now, that is absolutely disgraceful. Foul. Yeah, it's disgusting. But I like the nonchalance of a hanky. I like the idea that you're there, you're watching the game. Come on, lads. Yeah, you're not happy with what you've seen. And like some kind of Roman emperor, you're just casually kind of waving your hand away. So this is not good enough. It's very Real Madrid. it is yeah it is but they didn't bother booing no they didn't because what they should have had to do is they should have had to cheer to the equal or higher decibel amount when they won to make up for it before they were allowed to leave but I'm quite a fan of footballers having a reply to football spectators right because you know they have to take a lot and when they give it a little bit back I'm thinking Adabai I quite like when it's kind of alright fine there's thousands of you I'm just going to have a little moment here that was an extreme example.

32:04I thought you were talking about a right of reply when you know like Mark Gay for example has seen talking to Palace fans recently. Whatever way you want to do it. But your example has had to buy yours. Yeah you're not going to knee slide on that. You just want to have a conversation. You're not going to knee slide on that artificial turf are you Gay? Especially after you've lost. But what the Chelsea players should have done after the game gone round and they should have booed the fans at the end of the game. They should have. 100 % That's what they should have done. But anyway Rosini probably wouldn't have liked that.

32:30Presumably Enzo Fernandes didn't do that, but he's just such a good bloke. He's a brilliant bloke. Well, Rosinia probably would have done because he's definitely someone who believes that everything can be sold in the marketplace of ideas. He does. He does. Probably wait for his turn on Jake Humphrey's podcast to really clap back at the fans. Yeah. Do it for the proper channels, Vish, like Stephen Bartlett or Jake Humphrey. Do you reckon old Stevie Bartlett's a Chelsea fan now? Oh, probably, yeah. If he is already, I don't care, listeners. Whoever wants to buy Huel. Yeah, but anyway, back to the game.

32:57West Ham after their uptick in performances recently it looked like more of the same really didn't it 2-0 up at half time that first half I mean from West Ham's point it's very disappointing that they didn't win the game although my goodness they had a chance didn't they? That's an understatement They had a chance, sold to Debo my goodness but as disappointed as they will be Vish West Ham's just shut up but like performance wise and so on you can see that they are an improved side. 100 % yeah I mean I was speaking to a Forrest fan who's a mate of mine a couple of weeks ago when they started on this run and he was talking about how the best of Nuno is just really simplifying things.

33:40Who are our best players? How do we get them the ball? Seems to be the name of the game in the Premier League these days. Yeah, in essence. But I suppose it's narrowed the focus now a bit more that they have to win games. So it's all about getting the ball to creative and attacking players. And it's Somerville. it's Bowen it's Fernandes like Castellanos and Pablo have come in and done really well I think Jim gave them their flowers at the start of the week Castellanos and Pablo sounds like the new Kanye West don't give him yay I don't think they want to be associated with him even Chelsea wouldn't want him even in the Chelsea game they wouldn't want him but the I mean with presumably the exception of Anzo Fernandes and Wesley Fofana two of the worst blokes in football even they wouldn't want to be associated with Kanye West Wesley for fun is the worst bloke in football.

34:28One of. Why do you think that? Have you not seen his driving offences? No. My goodness me. You guys have seen that. Oh, he has had a few. Yeah, but what are we talking like? 31 in a 30? Bad. Oh, really? We're talking like tearing down the grass verge of like a motorway. Yeah. Causing a huge amount of endangerment to everyone around him. I think he was very lucky. You have to check it. But he's very lucky to avoid jail. It's like the third or fourth time he's done it. Blimey. Dreadful, dreadful behaviour. Just going to delete the praise I had for him for setting up that first one. It was a great ball in.

34:56It was a lovely ball in. Enzo Fernandez, you know about. He also scored the winner. So you can separate the art from the artist sometimes. That's true, yeah. It's always been my argument. But yeah, West Ham were brilliant. I think a lot of that relied upon how bad Garnaccio was. There's a clip during the rounds where he misplaces the ball three times. He makes three misplaced passes in the space of about 10 seconds. And it was actually quite sad to watch. but essentially he goes off at half time they make those triple substitutions Vofana and Kukurea make an impact but for me Jao Pedro he's on one of those streets isn't he?

35:38but like he's like a perfect hybrid striker isn't he? he's a great finisher he's a nine and a half yeah a bit maybe not in that voice you can't even do a card for nine and a half and play your cards right it's nine or ten Bruce Forsyth come from there that wasn't Brucey that was just generic nonsense yeah you were doing that you know that beardy meme with the guy drinking an IPA that you love sharing yeah that's nice that's nice that's Mark's favourite meme I like it as well my only meme he said to Andy Brasso they're called Sporting Club de Portugal yeah that's why Andy left around the WhatsApp that meme that's the voice isn't it that person it's my Cruyff turn but the the winning goal any other striker and maybe like Jao Pedro out of form would have thought to hit it because the opening's there.

36:26It's reasonable to have a shot on target and he has a presence of mind to square it inside for Fernandes who's just got a clearer shot on goal. I wouldn't bank that that's going to continue though because he's had his soul taken by Adama Traore. He's going to be like a shell-shocked veteran from now on. Can I speak on behalf of... Do you know what? I'd say the nation. And I include Man United fans, Spurs fans, Arsenal fans. I think despite 4-0 win at Leeds, injury time win against Fulham, I think everyone's moment of the weekend was when Adalbadori flung Cucurhead to the floor yeah for me it's just how he just casually throws like he just casually throws Cucurhead down oh it's like also he's always Cucurhead yeah he gets manhandled so often I mean it is like the little tag team managers sort of entered the ring and someone oh shut up yeah it is a bit of that Harvey Whippleman he's been Harvey Whippleman fine I couldn't think of a modern reference but you know what you're reminding me of you know in the Street Fighter movie yeah oh blimey where M.

37:23Bison the bad guy destroys Chun-Li's family in her village and he says to her that was the worst day of your life but for me it was just Tuesday. Yeah. That's what Adamo Schroes said to Cucurella. Yeah. You're nothing to me you're a little ant. But do you not think Get you out the way because I'm after that guy. But Cucurella I think is still complicit. He's thinking He's probably still lying there. No I think he's like I need an excuse to go down. Well that's as good as any. I heard an amazing rumour and I can't really substantiate this or reveal my source but I heard an amazing rumour that Jao Pedro tried to also have a little nibble in the tunnel after the game of Dama Troiore.

37:57And other people around him would go, come on, mate. Yeah. Come on. That moment where Troiore, where he pushes him and Troiore turns round and suddenly becomes an Avenger. Yeah. And goes, what? Pedro's face is amazing. But like, I mean, Pedro's face was as if he'd seen a photo of himself in the Epstein files. Yeah. Oh, no. Yeah. Oh, what am I done? Oh, no. But there was a Hulk Hogan element about it where he like you know Hogan's a point of people and they slap him and he just wouldn't move yeah he's been pinned for two and then he gets up and he does that head shaky thing and he's like oh no and then the commentator goes Hogan's impervious to pain yeah and then Tadibo thought I'll get her on the act oh I've gone too far I heard Nuno in the back going that's why we signed him that's why we signed him I was thinking as well from the first half like Tadibo was like surely on his way out of East London and the fact that he's been playing was like, oh, he's kind of turned it around.

38:54He gets sent off for doing that. He misses a sitter and gets sent off. He had a bad day, didn't he? Before we move on, do you want the detail on the Wesley Fofana thing? I think you'll be interested. Go on. In May, he was banned for driving for two years because he was found guilty of eight counts of dangerous driving. Blimey. In November, he received... You shouldn't laugh, really. The video is horrific. No one's laughing. In November, he received a further 18-month community order including 300 hours of community service. At that point, he had accrued 47 points on his license. Fucking hell. 47.

39:27So his driving is 12, right? Yeah, his driving is still 12, isn't it? He got pounded with 47 points for how bad his driving was. Eight separate counts of dangerous driving. There are some probably teams that would bite their hand off of that points, Stanley. You're doing that on purpose. Eight separate counts. Yeah. Come on. Nearly four times above the 12 point threshold. Yeah. absolutely astonishing astonishing so look this game was full of incident yep and Chelsea turned it around and West Ham I think old producer George who's with us today is a West Ham fan he just sent quite a lot of defeated messages in the WhatsApp group didn't he poor old George but it was nice for Enzo Fernandes to score the winner on his 150th appearance for Chelsea and third anniversary of his transfer to the club it wasn't no but what I will say it wasn't nice the detail was correct but it wasn't nice Yeah, that's actually correct.

40:20Thank you. Don't question the professionalism of the host. I was about to say. I want to take some time to talk about Liam Rossini here because we have rightly laughed at his kind of like high performance diary of CEO, management speak. It is quite cringe. We also talked about the fact that behind closed doors, it's very different. And the fact that he was able to rouse them in the way they did. you know I wasn't at the game but people there were saying that the three subs he made at half time were warming up for the duration of half time the fact that he has somehow managed to bind together a team that for all intents and purposes are basically put together to make money for the club and you know come in for a few years and get sold off the fact that you know even Enzo Fernandez is someone who's being talked about as right this is the right time to sell him now because he's a certain, he'll accrue a certain fee.

41:20The fact that he's got them all playing together, while not really being a name, I know he played 141 Premier League appearances, but there's no reason for them to necessarily know who he is or be deferential towards him. He had a very respectful playing career, but I take the point. But the fact that he's got them coming together and you see little clips here and there of I think even Gio Pedro in midweek, clearly like enamoured with him as a personality and what he's done so far I think like huge credit to him a lot of the stuff is cringe but it's not for us it's for them and it seems to be working yeah and look I remember doing it I'm sure everybody does I genuinely wish him well because a young English manager getting such an opportunity we've seen you know not many of them get that kind of opportunity a young black English manager as well I don't know people might cringe at that but that stuff does matter as well yeah yeah no absolutely alright Right, coming up after this, Newcastle's Anfield curse continues and heartbreak for Fulham.

42:15Yay.

42:26Liverpool 4, Newcastle United 1. Easy peasy for the Reds. Liverpool's first Premier League win of 2026. They've drawn their last four, of course. And up they march into sixths. well they went up a bit higher and they went down again they did yeah they're in sixths now three points above Brentford but just two off well one off Champions League positions because it is very very very likely that England are going to get that fifth Champions League spot Luke what did you reckon of Liverpool here I mean Gordon you know obviously scored Newcastle took the lead but then you've got to say Liverpool responded very well they did and I think it showed you really clearly that Liverpool are a much better side when they move the ball fast.

43:09And I think a lot of the frustrations come from the fact that they don't move it fast enough and it becomes a bit predictable and a bit tentative. And so when they're able to kind of... I would say Newcastle probably allowed them to do that and that kind of played Liverpool's hands a bit. But you've also got the burgeoning situation where two of the players in the shape of Ekotike and Verts are now playing really well. And not only playing really well separately, they're playing really well together. and there's a kind of uncomfortable truth about one of those things which is just that you can put to one side the fact that Verts is going to be a long-term replacement for Salah probably even though they're slightly different players.

43:50They're obviously both hugely creative players. Or be the linchpin of the team. Yeah, quite. That's the point of that and that's fine. I think we all understand that. The Eketiko thing is really interesting because I think if you're honest with yourself as a football fan that you watch a lot of football he's just much better than Izak. He's a much better player than Izak. So what I mean is he does what Izak does and he does a lot more besides as well. And he's stronger and much more physically robust. The two goals he scored, I would say particularly the second one, is a goal of absolutely immense quality that I don't think actually, if you watch it once and you go, oh, it's the second goal to put Liverpool ahead in the 4-1 win, whatever, it's a striker scoring a goal.

44:33It doesn't give it enough credit because the credit, it was a very Fernando Torres type goal. where he sucks a defender in slightly, then turns on the afterburners with a great couple of yards of speed. And then he shoots much quicker than the keeper thinks he's going to shoot. And it's a really ingenious toe-poke finish, which flies into the bottom corner. I know I'm just effectively describing a goal there. No, but ingenuity would be the word I would go with. But it is a goal of tremendous quality. Now, anyone can watch the Solanke go and go, wow, fucking look at that. That goal, watch it again if you've not seen it or have not seen it enough.

45:06It's a brilliant goal. it takes the game away from Newcastle effectively as well breaks their heart and then Verts obviously is able to kind of Canate does what he does later on I was pleased for Canate because he's had a really difficult time and that's a great goal for him so all in all the summary for me is if Liverpool could just find a way of trusting themselves being confident and move the ball quickly I still think they can beat anyone I genuinely still think they can beat anyone well they've shown that but they just don't seem to put it together often enough Yeah, well, indeed. I mean, that's it.

45:38But I think what would have been pleasing for Anfield was four goals against a decent opponent and played some nice stuff. Because the style of the side at the moment has been under a lot of scrutiny. Okay, fine. It's been... And it will end up being a pretty poor title defensive-ish. But we were speaking on the mailbag, certainly I was, about how Liverpool fans are getting a bit annoyed about how pedestrian they've been recently. And I think that... I know Jamie Carrick said if they don't get into Champions League football that could do for slot and so on but I think the style if you are playing pedestrian football especially if you're Liverpool with that amount of talent and those players that we know what they can do that's going to get you into a bit of a bit of trouble with the board but that performance is definitely a step in the right direction Yeah I think I made this point about Manchester United a couple of weeks ago and it's actually more applicable to Liverpool but when you have that much when you spend that much money and you have that much attacking talent you cannot be boring No because it's just it's a blight on everything not necessarily even you know the manager per se but about what you are as a club and how functional you are that you know you seem to be dulling these attacking players I think the lovely thing is regardless of who you support I'd like to think even if you are you know a bitter rival of Liverpool's which you are yeah to a point yeah very bitter I mean my dad does support Liverpool but there's a bit in you that will be glad to see that after that struggle at the start of the season, that Virts is just purring at the moment.

47:10Oh yeah, I know what you mean, look as a neutral, you know, you obviously found a bit, you find enjoyment in the bigger clubs not firing and so on, don't get me wrong, and you as a Man United know all about that. Yeah, yeah. But there is something, not against Fulham, but there is something, you know, when a big club sort of click, it's kind of like, well that's the way it should be. Yeah, and especially for players like Virts, where you're just glad to have them in the league, certainly I am, I like watching those players week in, week out. and just his finish spoke of just immense class. It was basically like a reverse through ball into the bottom corner.

47:44Yeah, it's quality. Do you think that's what he thought? He thought, I'm a bit, with regards to finishing and scoring goals, I've not been doing so well like that. But the through balls and all, do you know what? I'll combine the two. So you know when like every night and again, De Bruyne would like bend one in from 25 yards. He's like, I've got plenty of bend on the cross. I'll just, you know, apply that to the shot. You kind of move him out wide and that's the cross to someone else at the back post. there is something to be said for that for like passing the ball in the net and stuff like that and you don't need to listen to us about that I'll tell you something now if Arsenal had the decency just to be a bit shitter we'd have a brilliant finish to the Premier League season because there's like from second through to sixth inclusive there's eight points between them there's a lot of football to be played eight points sounds like a lot but separating like five teams it's not and there's a lot of football there especially in the Premier League and none of them can be trusted City, Villa, United, Chelsea, Liverpool none of them can be trusted I think what might probably happen and is Arsenal going to kind of walk away with it and kind of, even if they stumble over the line, they'll do so fairly easily.

48:37But you're right to say that, Vish. I think you could say the same thing about Arsenal as well. It's like, Arsenal have been boring. When Arsenal have been at their worst in that little wobble, they've been so slow. Like I said to you before, it's the horseshoe of doom. Like watching an average basketball team passing it around the fucking three points. But people seem to think this season, I don't want to stick with what we're talking about here, but just for a moment, people seem to think, oh well this Premier League season is not the quality is not there it's a bit boring because the top two or three or whatever I'm like no that's good every time Arsenal and Man City turn up as Spurs showed you've got a chance to get something yeah okay on average obviously Arsenal are winning far more games than they're not but I don't think it goes I think this season has been brilliant so far I think there's twists and turns to come Newcastle themselves though I think we all thought they were going to do a little bit better in the league they found themselves in 10th position Yes, okay, they're seven points off a Champions League spot and at this stage of the season, there's plenty of time to recover that.

49:36But Eddie Howe himself said, we show flashes of being the team we want to be, but as we've proved all season, in his words, not mine, all the words to that effect, we're not that team yet. I mean, I know they haven't won at Anfield since 1994. There's a lot of teams who haven't won at Anfield for a long time as well. What do you think of Newcastle at the moment, Vish? Because with Howe, obviously, they got that trophy win last season, they're back in the Champions League and so on. There is still a lot of the season to play and they've got a lot to play for. but they've not really convinced so far and we're now, well, just into February but in terms of playing, that's taken them up to the end of January.

50:10Yeah, I mean, I think of the many things that are wrong with Newcastle this season, I think a fair chunk of it stems back from having a really bad summer window. My brother made... Is it all East Axford? Is that what you're saying? The other way. I said my brother made the point. He's a Newcastle fan My brother who's a Newcastle fan Sorry yeah I'm going to use exactly his language here Every cunt who rejected us this summer Scored this weekend And there is something to be said for that Esak never scored though No it's true Yeah And thus Newcastle United had the last one He very much enjoyed He gave a little head rub didn't he Yeah He gave a little head rub when he came off to the bedroom Ekateke is someone who they were linked to as well You know James Trafford never scored.

51:01That is a good point as well. Go back with that now. Tell us what you said. Hold on one sec. James Trafford never scored, you mug. Yeah, exactly. Did someone want to check that James Trafford didn't score? I haven't checked. But there is something to be said for that. A level of stasis that's always going to come from having to get your players to, you know, perform to a decent level, going again, having lost Isaac as well. we've got a really interesting question on the mailbag coming up um and i i think he qualifies for for one of those um answers certainly but i i think the the malaise and certainly like the discontent among newcastle fans seems to be more directed at how because they see him as you know too rigid in his in a system that did work that needs tweaking here and there and i think there appetite to tweak but I couldn't tell you where I think you know as soon as they lose Gimarej they lose such an important general midfield I think the stats show that they've lost every game that he hasn't played in this season where's Danson get Danson on the phone yeah it slows it down or is that Paqueta he's got a weird thing about Paqueta to be fair the West Ham I've looked better with Paqueta he hates Paqueta he hates Bruno he hates Van Dijk David Rea David Rea hates David Rea yeah and he's Love Sunderland though, weirdly.

52:25Yeah. But yeah, I don't really know where Howe has to tweak it, but I also think, to be fair to him, he hasn't been able to strengthen the team. To be honest, I found the team selection weird. I thought it looked to me like he was just trying desperately to shoehorn Barnes and Gordon into the same team. I know Gordon scored and he loves it against Liverpool because the fans give him so much shit. Yeah, maybe the goal he scored justifies it, but they lost 4-1 and his numbers are diabolical. call Gordon, particularly in the Premier League. Barnes hit the post as well. Yeah. Doesn't count. To me, once again, it's not Roberto Baggio's check with your brother, it's not a goal.

53:02It's not Roberto Baggio's magical kicks. Maybe he's trying to double it in. No, maybe he was trying to double it in, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's a callback to an already shit joke earlier. But for me, it wasn't a shit joke, I generally thought that was what it was called. You play Volta Marder in that game. Yeah. Because you're putting Canate and Van Dijk under pressure. One of the few things you do know is that even at Anfield, had a really tough time away at Bournemouth because he said it was too windy. You've got a fucking 10-foot striker there. Get him up front and put them under pressure. Try and get behind the full-backs who've been struggling.

53:35One, because Kerkis hasn't fully settled, although I know he's been better and he got an assist at the weekend, but he hasn't been brilliant. So Boszlo's not a natural right-back. So get your flying wingers beyond those full-backs and get Volta Marder in there causing havoc. Give Volta Marder something that he doesn't quite like. So he's very windy. To me, it's a different game, Marcus, because then Volta Marder also likes to drop deep and he can help out in the middle where you're talking about Bruno being missing. I just thought it was a weird selection. And I think that for me, the criticism of Howe isn't just what Vischer said, but it's also the fact that if they're being honest with themselves, a lot of Newcastle fans think we should be a super club now and Eddie Howe isn't a super club manager and he's a kind of stepping stone to us being where we want to be.

54:18And now we're a Champions League club, we should be getting a big name in and Eddie Howe ain't that no matter how many times Tindall does his teeth. You know, it's not glamorous and they want it to be glamorous. Life's full of little regrets, isn't it? Man United three, Fulham two. Come on then. Yeah. Moving you on straight away. I think this is your turn. Is it? Really. What can I say? Someone's written the running order. That hasn't already been said for the last two weeks. Someone's written the running order will need to keep this brief. I wonder who that was. I appreciate you trying to fill there with Newcastle.

54:46Michael Carrick's Manchester United. They've got their third win in a row. Well done. So Gieser getting these clippers warmed up as he makes sure they're on charge there's two whole matches to go for that yeah that equals Ruben Amarim's longest winning run as Manchester United manager he don't care look at him he looks a million dollars now he's out from under that fucking yoke he don't give a shit yeah a great injustice in this game Spurs and West Ham next for Man Utd it's going to be five in a row I'm telling you it's going to happen no West Ham will spoil it last minute equaliser by a Dama trial bundles them over him and Martinez was it he's throws Cougarere into the ball that's what happened yeah no Man United were they good value for this win yeah I'd say so although I mean this is the big thing going into the summer as soon as Casemiro came off Fulham came right back into the game and bossed midfield I'm pleased for Casemiro that PH Casemiro as well by the way but I'm pleased for yeah he does for Casemiro that he's getting the plaudits now I understand that his legs look like they'd gone before I mean, he was, you know, at a very funny time at Manchester United under the last, the dying embers of Eric Ten Haag.

56:00The thing is because Jim Ratcliffe wouldn't let him eat, so he didn't have any strength. Yeah, quite possibly. Yeah, he's rationing the players. Will this work? So Casimir, you know, he's been a phenomenal midfielder, wonderful career. And it would have been a shame had he have left Manchester United as a kind of player who everyone thought, oh, well, his best days were clearly behind him. now to get man of the match he scores a lovely goal lovely assist no look pass to Mateus Cunha who finished superbly that's what you pay the big bucks for I am genuinely pleased for him because he's a fine fine player brilliant player and to finish strongly as he seems to be doing I think is he rose well for his header although should that free kick have been given can't remember yes but I didn't realise Jorge Cuenca quite clearly makes a very good tackle oh sure yeah but he got hold of his shirt hasn't he And the referee has given a penalty, which is quite frankly a disgraceful decision.

56:53But he had a little pull on the shirt, didn't he? Yeah, he had a little pull on the shirt. But I didn't realise that was in... That's what it says in the rule book. Yeah. It just says under fouls and misconduct, 14.1. Have a little pull on the shirt. Yeah. It's all right. Well, actually, I was reading your whole rule book and it said have a little tug. It's okay. I don't write it down in the rule book. I go on vibes. Yeah. It was a foul, Marcus. That might be evidence. Well, anyway, Manion Art had gifted a goal, as they often are I love that Marco Silva only ever gets properly pissed off when he's at a big club as well yeah he fumes on the sideline of Craven Cottage but just the general he's not on TV the general ambience calms him down I thought I thought Raul Jimenez's penalty was a disgrace by the way why?

57:35it just what is he doing? what tucking it in the top yeah but there's like four stutters in the rudder you know what I think of that it's poor I don't think that should even be allowed well no neither do I but the rules are the rules the finish is the finish but I mean was so obviously you know Kevin scores that goal lovely goal I couldn't work out whether it takes a little nick of a deflection I thought it might have done but I saw it again a la Beckham Wales at the same stadium yo yeah good reference but anyway either way you know obviously I got stitched up again by TalkSport I was on TalkSport goals they released a video of me going mental when they score every comment after what is his face like two minutes later yeah what was your face like two minutes later I was celebrating as well to love football so up yours up yours celebrate even harder exactly yeah staring down the barrel.

58:18Is it just you and Jamie O 'Hara that does numbers for Talk Sport online? It might well be not the case. You've got to say, though. But which one's stupid, or Chris Camara? Shesko, though. It's him. Seriously, it's Jamie O 'Hara, stupid. Yeah, not even I could argue the opposite. Shesko. Yeah. Beautiful finish. I have to give him a mensonge. Well, it starts with Bruno Fernandes. As soon as Bruno Fernandes turned Calvin Batschuk, and foul him! You have to take him down. This is bad. This is going to end badly. but Szczeska though for a player who not huge not very high on confidence one might suggest understandably so despite scoring a few goals you know he had his critics from Tim Sherwood although answered them immediately but the way he gets the ball you can see defender and goalkeeper think he's going to go the other side and he stuffs it in that top corner I mean I suppose they're just trying to leap into the challenge at that point you're just kind of like just try and do it but it's a beautiful finish under pressure as well the last three goals he scored have been the goals of a good quality confident striker and the two he got against Burnley were excellent the one he scored against Fulham was a brilliant finish I think we're seeing we're seeing green shoots with him well because I mean the mood of the place has obviously been lifted by Michael Carrick and Steve Holland yeah yeah absolutely but they also deserve credit United for because they lost Dorgue who's been their best player the last few months and he's been out and they've still managed to get through that the biggest evidence the most convincing evidence that Benjamin Sesko is starting to find his feet is that Tim Sherwood doesn't rate him.

59:46And that's all you need. That's all you need. That's all you need in your camp. And there you are, immediately a couple of goals against Burnley and another one there. What I would say though with Manchester United, and of course, you know, it's very early days with Carrick and Holland there, but I actually felt Fulham were genuinely a bit unlucky not to get something from the game. And I thought midfield battle, I thought this in the first half actually, midfield battle, I thought Fulham were on top. Now obviously, it doesn't matter what matters to the score, I'm all well aware of that. But Manchester United, you can see that against, the lot of the chat was, okay, City and Arsenal, you kind of know how to set up against those sides.

1:00:18It's a pretty obvious brief. And I do like the fact that Man United has, one or two Man United fans have noticed, they're almost defending like Southgate and Hollands England a bit. You know, they're very happy playing it deep and that's always going to win me over. But with Maguire and Shoran, they know what they're going to do. It is how then do you play against the teams who come to Old Trafford who you should be beating? Of course they won the game, so you give them credit there. But I thought Fulham had a bit too much joy and I think that's something that they're going to have. I would just say all Carrick's really done is essentially not Ben Amorim but yeah put them back to the level they probably should be at with the profile of players they've got sometimes when you look at I'm just looking at the lineups here now you look at the players United have got I mean yeah okay yeah they probably should be winning more games than they lose and so I mean maybe because people would sound around this season they were doing that but I think they've started to revert to the level they're at a little bit more over these last few games for sure he started really well but he's not started really well by doing anything too complicated.

1:01:16No, that's it. I would say, though, that the VAR, the automated offside still that we got of Samuel Chukwe's offside that which led to Jorge Conker's goal was the most inconclusive piece of evidence I have seen. I was looking at that going, look at me, it's offside, it's offside. I was looking at that image going, that's not offside, is it? No? Okay, fine. It's Old Trafford, though, Vish. Man United are back. Yeah, we are. yeah getting the decisions well done anyway thanks for listening to the Football Ramble part of the ACAST Creator Network we're back tomorrow for the mailbag that was a long one well a lot happened a lot happened and Vish campaigned to get Man United in the running order and producer Rory's trying to get us to rap for about 15 minutes but you can't keep three good men down Rory so up yours up yours with a rusty one mate we know what the listeners want up your kilt with a blow lamp there we are everybody thank you Luke Moore thank you thank you Vish thank you and thank you Adama Troy Ora

1:02:21The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.