The Altruistic One

0:00Vish: I got the jitter shakes everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble. Liverpool lost and so did the altruistic one. It's Wednesday 1st of October. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Jim Campbell. And I'm Vodushin Ahantaraja.

0:24Vish: Hello everybody It's a wonderful Wednesday at the Football Ramble And thanks to friend of the Ramble Rob For giving us that intro line Good old Robbo eh Good old Rob Go on Robby Get in Rob If you want to submit an intro line Like old legend Robface over there For a future episode then become a friend of the Ramble. Sign up for just five bucks a month. You'll also get an extended edition of today's Ramble. Head to patreon.com forward slash football ramble to get involved now. Last night, Galatasaray beat Liverpool 1-0 in the Champions League. They did. A clean sheet those Galatasaray dudes got against Liverpool.

1:02Vish: Back-to-back defeats for Arna Slott for only the second time in his tenure. Mo Salah Alexander Isak didn't start the game are the wheels coming off fish

1:14Marcus Speller: yes yes 100 % if they've got anything about them they should part ways with Arna Slott yeah he's had enough time and it's not worked really has it hasn't really worked

1:26Vish: he's had enough time

1:27Marcus Speller: it's interesting the first time they lost back to back games was quite a huge week for them because it's the first game was a second leg against PSG and then the League Cup final. I think I knew then that this was, you know. Brighton was on the wall. Yeah, this was doomed from the off.

1:45Jim Campbell: Do you think he'd pay the money for Glasner now?

1:49Marcus Speller: I'd wait to see what Manchester United did. Right. In fact, if I were Liverpool, I would look at the squad that they have and you look at someone like Kerkhez and Frimpong who didn't have a great game. Wingbacks. Yeah, you see where I'm going with this. There's a man who loves a 3-4-3 who isn't Oliver Glasner.

2:05Jim Campbell: Yeah. Go and get Amorim. Premier League experience. Pay over the odds for Amorim. There you go. It's going to cost a lot to get him out there. Yeah, but it's worth it. It is worth it. Yeah, I agree. It's worth the money. I think we can all get behind that idea.

2:17Vish: But bollocks aside though, it was a poor result for Liverpool.

2:21Marcus Speller: It was. And it was one of those games where I think maybe all this has happened at the right time. If you're going to lose those two games in a row and it's going to be because of a poor performance against an impressive Crystal Palace side. And then in the Champions League against, rather in a match where actually it seemed quite difficult. And as you say, the players that didn't start, you could argue they were being rotated. There's nothing wrong with that. And as it stands now, Liverpool are still two points ahead in the Premier League. And they're not going to struggle to qualify for the latter stages of the Champions League.

3:01Marcus Speller: At the time of recording. Yeah, but it is something to think about. and it definitely felt like Arna Slott was quite worried about it and it's all relative, isn't it? But this is clearly the toughest time that Arna Slott has had at Liverpool.

3:12Jim Campbell: Yeah, definitely. And it's essentially just two defeats in a row. But you say that, Jim, but there's something a bit more than that.

3:19Marcus Speller: Which could become...

3:19Jim Campbell: Three.

3:20Vish: Or eight. Or eight. Or eight. Let's see. Yeah, it could become any number higher than two. Let's not get a haircut until Liverpool lose eight in a row. but I know you say well it's only just two defeats there's more going on here and I think people have been a little bit reluctant to kind of go in because Liverpool have been winning games because you know they're so good in the Premier League last season the squad they have you're reluctant to say anything that would be even glancing at the more kind of sensationalist or interpreted at that because again the results have been good the last season's campaign squad as I say

4:01Jim Campbell: And there are also the caveats of lots of new players bedding in. You have to give everybody a little bit of grace period at this stage of the season, don't you? But I know what you're kind of getting at. It appears to be that some of those criticisms about them maybe not being at their best appear to be founded. And also, I think one of the stranger things about this game was Dominic Sabozlai starting at right back. And I know it's not the first time he's done that. It's quite a well-throdened path this season. But Frimpong starting in midfield as well, which seemed strange to have those two kind of essentially playing in each other's positions.

4:36Jim Campbell: Now, I know Sir Bozlai tucked into midfield a lot, and I know that Frimpong spends a lot of time kind of quite high up the pitch. So actually, maybe it's one of those things where the team sheet at the beginning gives you a bit of a false read on where the players actually operate within the game. But Frimpong had a really difficult game. Well, he was out wide, wasn't he, Frimpong?

4:52Vish: I mean, we know he's a wingback. So it wasn't that dissimilar.

4:55Marcus Speller: He did that a lot for Leverkusen. who's basically a right winger. Yes. It's not an alien position to him. But yeah, I mean, that still stands. I think the fact that Soboslai, the number of times he was done on the inside, the penalty, I mean, like, it could happen to anyone really.

5:10Vish: And also I think it's a bit soft, isn't it? I thought it was a touch soft. I think as the referee gave it, I don't think it's going to be overturned. That's the way we have to describe things nowadays. I thought it was a touch on the soft side, but I don't think it was an outrageous call really and obviously Victor Ossiman that guy scored the goal but Liverpool had their chances in this game

5:35Marcus Speller: yeah without a doubt which is a positive

5:38Vish: because I know people can always go oh they had the chance you're always creating chances yet on another night Liverpool get a result here so again that feeds into what I was just saying a minute ago about where you don't want to go too heavy and you're going to oh well they'll get it right they'll get it right but without a doubt I think we've got enough of a sample size so far this season to think, yeah, there is a shakiness here. It's not quite right. I mean, Jamie Carragher was quite forward in some of his comments saying that Liverpool attack too much. They leave themselves far too open. He put this to slot in an interview.

6:08Vish: He's been quite consistent on that, hasn't he? Yeah, he said it's a bit of a mess. And I mean, I think people were saying this after the Palace game in the Community Shield, that there was something there. And that's where you're crying out loud. It's not even a Premier League game, you know. But as we say, the way it's kind of panning out, there are reasons to be a little bit concerned. See, I think in the Premier League, up until Arsenal beating Newcastle, where people were going, oh, OK, OK, Liverpool's still the best team in the league by far. Now you think, yeah, they are the best team in England.

6:41Vish: And you would imagine that even if Liverpool carried on like this for the rest of the season, it may well still be good enough to win the title. I think Arsenal would be the only side that could catch them, really. But when you translate this into the Champions League, Galatasaray are not a top side it's always a tricky place to go but I think there are question marks here that Slott really does need to look at because if it just kind of drifts like this then I think that the thought of them mounting a challenge in the Champions League they could be a little bit disappointed and come short as they did last season admittedly to PSG

7:14Jim Campbell: I suppose the caveat there as well is that you say Galatasaray aren't sort of a traditionally massive side, which of course they're not. It's the archetypal tricky place to go. Yeah, but this is it, isn't it? A lot of these Champions League away games are really, really tricky and they have to be sort of ground out a little bit. Even if their teams were on paper, you would think the visiting team is the heavy favourite. They prove why they're the favourites by navigating these tricky ties. I think it was just a little bit too much for Liverpool last night, wasn't it? And you're looking at this match thinking, okay, they've gone 1-0 down, they're not playing at their best, They were a little bit sloppy with connections and stuff when it wasn't quite coming off of them.

7:54Jim Campbell: And obviously, you know, Galatasaray were making it sticky as well. A lot of fouls, a lot of stoppages. The game never really got going. But you're thinking, Izak's on the bench, Salah's on the bench, and Mario Lamina is on a yellow card. This feels like this is only going one way. And it was really surprising to me that they didn't turn it around. Because this has been the calling card of them this season, hasn't it? has been kind of late goals and just kind of relentlessly making sure that they get it over the line. But the problem is, and I know this is perhaps not the case because they've conceded the soft penalty here, but they are conceding more goals than you would expect them to.

8:29Jim Campbell: And it means they keep having to go back to the well. And that is a very different sort of psychological approach that you have to adopt. And it's draining. And it can be quickly very draining. And I think that they were just kind of perhaps a bit flummoxed by having to do it again.

8:44Vish: Yeah, but this is the story of the season. they're open, they're not controlling games like you would expect

8:49Marcus Speller: they're not as ruthless as you'd expect they should actually be winning games at least 3-0 or scoring at least 3 goals which then papers over the cracks of any defensive frailties but they don't ever seem to well, they don't seem to have done that fully this season and I mean kind of in the way that there was that period I'm harking back here but there was almost that that Coutinho Sterling era where they'd just be 4-0 up after you know after the first half and you're like wow you've just been blitzed they have the capacity to do that but they don't quite seem to be there are patches of that they're pulling their punches a bit yeah

9:31Vish: there are patches of when they've done that like the first half against Everton you know they're really good yeah for example

9:35Marcus Speller: but they didn't kill the game off did they and it ends up being quite angsty

9:38Vish: and you have to then rely on either last minute goals and again you know a last minute goal is still a goal so don't be stupid here But again, there's a pattern here. There's enough evidence, as I say, to not just say, oh, what happened in that game and then five games ago that happened. You saw it.

9:53Marcus Speller: You almost think of the, you look at the Palace game on the weekend, which I appreciate you guys spoke about on Monday, but the issue seemed to be that they actually scored, they scored late, but they scored too early. I know what you mean. If they scored that in the 90th minute, then Palace are thinking, shit, we've got to defend for these eight minutes of added time. Slot's in a really interesting place. I think one of the best things he did last year was on a macro level, not tinkering, and on a micro level, tinkering, because he didn't change all that much having taken over from Jurgen Klopp.

10:24Marcus Speller: But then his in-game tweaks used to work all the time. Certainly they worked consistently throughout the season. And now it feels like he's kind of getting it wrong from the start, or certainly he's doubting himself from the start. And I suppose this, we're being wise after the event here, but that's our job in this game with those players on the bench, as you mentioned, clearly trying to work out what his pieces actually do at this point. Frimpong, a good example, did play out further forward, out wide for Leverkusen. Obviously didn't work in this particular game. And this, you imagine, will be one of the few games that he ends up playing in that position.

11:04Marcus Speller: The one player I think is fascinating, though, because I still do really like him. Florian Wurtz

11:10Jim Campbell: yeah

11:11Marcus Speller: because there are flashes

11:12Jim Campbell: aren't there there are moments where he will do something really really slick and really purposeful and it will work yeah but you know he's not got a goal or an assist yet obviously that's he's starting to get beaten with that stick and the price tag hasn't quite clicked no although I do wonder maybe it's just because we're a bit older but I kind of I don't really think about price tags so much now even if it is a player that's north of 100 million we're so used to these big fees but then perhaps that's just me being a bit jaded I don't think

11:38Marcus Speller: I can't imagine he's like that because I think now players see big price tags as a bit of a cape yeah they they like the fact that they're associated with those things Florian Wurz has been touted as the up and coming star in European football for some time now that just feels fitting and part of his story yeah um it's definitely a wavelength thing I love the fact that he's quite free form but there was a great example in the game against Galatasaray when Gakpo has a shot that's cleared off the line it comebacks to Verts and he backheels the ball in the box which I'm a massive fan of it was to no one and it leads to the counter attack that brings about the penalty but that to me is someone who is in his own head isn't quite you know I suppose au fait with the players around him and you say that will come but when?

12:34Vish: Well yeah I think it's I mean it is early days for Verts And I think no matter what the price tag is, it can take some time betting into a new team in particular and in a new league.

12:42Marcus Speller: And we have seen loads of players like that. Even, you know, you could go all the way back to someone like Robert Perez, players who come in, play a certain way, and then eventually just adapt to their surroundings. Look at Jack Greenish at Man City.

12:55Vish: I mean, the first season, he was largely a substitute, if I remember. He played a bit and he was 100 million. And it was like, right, well, you need to get up to speed. And then when he got in there, you know, he would obviously be a part of the side that wins the treble. I know he's not there now, but looking at those particular seasons, I think with the price tag, it's like, blimey, okay, you expect this guy to hit the ground running, but he's only 22. And of course, transfer policies are different now. The top transfer fees were for the finished article back in the day. 26 or between 26, 29, even 30 years old.

13:26Vish: The game has changed and moved on, if you like. And now you're buying the potential. You're buying that player who can quite, I say happily, he could definitely play 50 plus games without looking absolutely shagged out completely.

13:40Jim Campbell: And because players as well join academies so young now, I think that a player's peak has shifted a bit younger. Indeed. So you're buying those peak years as well. Yes. And also with the,

13:48Marcus Speller: yeah, and with the resale side of it, there are, they are investments, aren't they?

13:52Vish: But saying this recently, you know, slot does need to sort of figure out what, what's going on up top, make these parts fit. You know, Isaac's into the side now, obviously Ekotike now, he's got an injury, which is about, you know, hopefully not too serious. So he needs to work this out. But Mo Salah's an interesting one. Started on the bench. He's a year older than he was when he started last season. That's how the calendar works. That's how time works. For now. For now, until we can change it. Like a better system. Exactly. If the billionaires can reverse time, then we're in luck. But with Salah, I wonder, last season, you talked about Slott, his little tinkering and so on, but keeping the big picture broadly the same.

14:32Vish: The focus was very much on Salah. you're the guy you're the main man here and my goodness what's going on

14:38Marcus Speller: with your contract but generally that's part of it

14:41Vish: so he was the focus of the front and centre of it all

14:45Marcus Speller: and he loved it yeah of course he did on the field and off the field he was the centre of attention absolutely right and he nailed it really

14:52Vish: indeed right very much not the case now and I wonder if and I'm not saying he's throwing a temper tantrum or anything like that I just wonder if psychologically it's because really since Liverpool won the league, I mean, you remember you mentioned the PSG game in the cup final. Yeah, of course they go on to win the league, credit for that. But the season, this isn't Peter out, but it wasn't as, you know, all in fifth gear, if you like, in those last sort of couple of months.

15:20Jim Campbell: Yeah, but you know, once they'd wrapped it up, there was no reason for it to be right.

15:23Vish: Sure, but going into this season...

15:26Marcus Speller: You think it's bled into this season?

15:28Vish: Well, I just wonder if there is a little bit of that. And with Salah in particular, the focus and attention is not so much on him and I just wonder if there's that sort of psychological impact of okay, maybe I'm not the guy anymore so is he, you know, we've not seen him really do what he can do so far this season

15:47Jim Campbell: You think he feels like he doesn't have to sort of take it around three players and stuff it in the top corner so he's maybe not trying to do that

15:54Marcus Speller: Yeah, I just Do you think he needs to be, do you think the time has come for him to ship out? Do you also think there are some dinner ladies there who are a little too comfortable? Yeah. I'm just saying, you know. I hear what you're saying.

16:10Vish: Yeah, but what's Sir Jim Ratcliffe saying?

16:11Marcus Speller: Yeah. Well, I mean, you think Salah is overrated, overpaid. Right. And he's got a bad attitude. Yeah, you are saying that.

16:19Vish: Yeah. Don't read all of the comments on Instagram. No, but I think with Salah, there's been a little bit of a drop-off, which is fine because if you're dropping off from being the best player in the league, you can still be a very, very good player.

16:31Marcus Speller: But I think your point is right, and I think it might even just come as basic as space on the field. It's like... There's a lot of moving parts up there. You know, like, I've never really had pets, but, you know, people talk about, like...

16:48Vish: So you've never really had them?

16:49Jim Campbell: Have you borrowed them?

16:49Marcus Speller: No, I had a rabbit for a week, and then my brother bit it, and we got rid of it.

16:52Jim Campbell: Right, makes sense. We need to know more about that. We need to run a run cut. Basically, in a long and short. That's for run cut later.

16:59Marcus Speller: but people say when you move house with a cat the cat freaks the fuck out because it's like what the hell's going on

17:05Vish: sometimes it'll just stay at the other house cats are a bit like squatters yeah

17:08Marcus Speller: or Mo Salah

17:10Vish: or whatever they want to be yeah true

17:12Marcus Speller: but is there not a bit of it where it's like there's so many things that have changed around him and it's like people are by this different respect I wonder if he looks at Virts every now and again and it's like what the fuck are you doing here

17:24Vish: is it my bit go over there well I don't know But also if everyone's bombing...

17:29Marcus Speller: I miss me rat!

17:32Jim Campbell: It's not been the same since me rat move.

17:35Marcus Speller: That is an altogether different conversation, isn't it? Because who gets them to play a different way? Someone who's a bit of a ball player from Duke.

17:44Vish: Yeah. Again, we shall see as the weeks and months go by, but right now it doesn't look that they're clicking. and it is a chance on the domestic scene for Arsenal to really do something but also when teams play them now I don't think that fear factor is going to be there so much because Galatasaray had a right good go yes there was only one goal in it of course but it gives other teams confidence and that's what you don't want for Liverpool and that's again going back to Jamie Carragher he's saying they're like basketball games and if you're a top side you want to control games you want to reduce the opposition to as little as possible and teams are getting joy against Liverpool and it will be fascinating to see in the coming weeks to see how teams approach them.

18:28Vish: They've got Chelsea next in the league. Chelsea are a bit of a funny side at the moment but they know that there's a... Because Canati, I mean, he looks very vulnerable.

18:36Jim Campbell: He does. He doesn't look confident at the moment, does he? Which is surprising because he is an absolute sort of... A really towering presence when on top of his game. I've seen Liverpool in the flesh enough times to be very impressed by him in person. Just the stature of the man. He's an absolute giant. but he doesn't look he doesn't look confident

18:56Vish: at all at the moment no and you might argue they're one of their best players maybe even their best player this season has been Alisson he's injured I mean Alisson is you know you get through Liverpool you get the chances as Palace found out I know they won the game but my goodness Alisson was standing up to so much the way he comes out on one-on-ones he's one of the best goals we've ever seen just the way he smothers it you know he used to be impressed by Schmeichel back in the day you know players like Neu and so when you get through and suddenly bang bang the goalkeeper's in your face. Alisson can do it all.

19:23Vish: He can. And how good he is is that, again, when a player runs through, he gives them no time and no angle. So he'll often not even be at full stretch because if he's just,

19:35Jim Campbell: even just a yard. Posseman had a chance yesterday, didn't he? He was by far the favourite despite having a couple of defenders quite close to him. But because of Alisson, he rushes his shot and he just hits it straight at him.

19:45Vish: Yeah, and it's so good. But Alisson gets injured and he's off. Now, obviously, Mamadash really is a very good goalkeeper, hence they signed him. But, you know, there's another little adjustment that's going to happen. We don't know how long Ellison's going to be out for. But that's... I think they'll probably have enough to get past the 10 men of Chelsea at the weekend. I won't know. Yeah. Maybe that's it. Is that what Mareska's going to do? He's going to start with 10 men and then bring an extra one on and think, bloody hell. And then when they look around, it will give them a real boost, maybe.

20:12Vish: I don't know. It wasn't helped, though, that at 3 a.m. the night before the game, Galatasaray fans set fireworks off outside Liverpool's team hotel. was it the fans or was it Mara McCarty yeah maybe you've got to have a decoy bus you've got to have a decoy hotel come on you know what you're doing

20:29Marcus Speller: it's a lovely little throwback that isn't it yeah it's like Weezer and handjobs you know brilliant stuff

20:37Vish: I've learned my lesson and I'm not going to ask any further questions but Ramblin Cup maybe that's what we're going to talk about there so yes if mind how you go I do thoroughly recommend that for anybody that's playing away in Galatasaray you need a whole squad of doubles Marocardi again no no you need a whole squad of doubles decoy bus decoy hotel let them get the fireworks you have a nice night's sleep yeah

21:02Marcus Speller: yeah

21:03Jim Campbell: I mean quite the gig that isn't it being a professional lookalike for Champions League teams on away jaunts

21:10Vish: but it does happen though in adverts they all have doubles I used to play Sunday morning football with Francesco Totti stunt double nice oh that's class

21:18Marcus Speller: Nice. Was he a good footballer?

21:20Jim Campbell: He was, yes. And how did he compare physically to the great man? I mean, he was like for like. The hair, everything. Facially, did he look like him?

21:28Vish: Yeah, he did, yeah. What a blessed life. Yeah. Indeed, yeah.

21:31Marcus Speller: Did he play like him?

21:32Vish: No, he was more of a fullback, but a very, very, especially back in those days, a good ball-playing fullback. That's a shame. Oh, yeah. Coming up after this, Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge.

21:55Jim Campbell: In football, you've worked with and alongside some of the biggest names in the game, some of the biggest coaches you've come up against as well. Who's been your biggest influence in your coaching career? I think myself.

22:10Vish: Welcome back to the Football Ramble, everybody. Lovely to hear. Friend of the Ramble, Kay Murray there. Yes. Formerly of Real Madrid TV, doing bits out in the States. Right, Chelsea 1, Benfica 0. Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge. It ended in a 1-0 defeat. It was a drab game. It was a drab game. I was in attendance, Jim. You were, weren't you? I know. I saw it. You did. I think it was... He blew me a kiss, though. Did he?

22:33Jim Campbell: That's nice. Or the thousands of other people around me. Well, you were there as a Chelsea fan. It's your kiss as well. Exactly. It was a drab game. It wasn't great. But I think the most important thing for Chelsea was for them to win this game, wasn't it? Regardless of how they did it. And they never really looked in any real danger from Benfica, who just got nosebleeds every time they got into the box.

22:55Vish: Oh, they did, yeah. I was sitting there just... To me, when you're not creating anything and you're against a superior opponent who are just kind of snuffing out the attacks, you get within 25 yards, shoot. You have to just... You do, and there was a question. Oh, there were so many times, because in that second half, they were carving Chelsea open fairly easily, which was a concern for Chelsea, of course. And I was just going, would you just put your foot through it? You are not going to win that raffle if you don't buy it. Absolutely. I understand the odds are against you. The trouble with Benfica is they try to walk the ball into the match.

23:30Vish: Indeed, yeah. I mean, I know what you're saying, Jim, when, you know, with Chelsea winning the game, that was important. Well, they've had one of the toughest games that any team could have in this competition, a way to Bayern. Yeah. Okay. And were beaten fairly handedly. in this game without you know Cole Palmer one or two others

23:46Jim Campbell: yeah it's an unusual line up from Chelsea wasn't it I mean unusual in that it it hits home like quite how many players they're missing yeah

23:53Vish: also how many players they've got yeah

23:56Jim Campbell: what a notte I'm very surprised we were all surprised he went there surprised he's starting games but yeah I see big George up front though yeah evil sacker

24:05Vish: as the squad call him which I love that is very good that's great but Garnacho started and he had moments I mean he caused caused the goal yeah caused the goal is the right way

24:14Jim Campbell: of putting it absolute little bastard he feels like he's got a big brother somewhere a long suffering big brother you know what I mean he's a horrible little brother type yes

24:23Vish: who's had to pull him out of certain situations yeah

24:26Marcus Speller: he's had I mean I do like him as a player but his origins is hilarious like idolised Ronaldo did Ronaldo's celebration got told off from his Argentinian teammates for doing it to stop doing it like he's managed to upset both sets of people on the internet.

24:42Vish: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, yeah, so lovely work from him for the own goal. But I mean, that was really it, to be honest with you. I mean, I know that's enough. And of course, as you say, a win's a win's a win and et cetera, et cetera. But for Chelsea, you know, as we were saying with Liverpool, there is a sort of a pattern. There is a bit of a... There are reasons to be concerned about Chelsea, I think.

25:07Marcus Speller: I know this isn't like a pertaining to a football reason but they're joyless aren't they? Without Cole Palmer they're a bit like they have really good players and they're just a bit joyless.

25:16Jim Campbell: But they go through patches like this don't they where they're really boring for a while and then the fans get a little bit antsy not unreasonably because you want to enjoy watching your team play and then they sort of turn it around a bit and they get a bit better but Maresca does seem to have these kind of periods of it all looking a bit flat and it all looking a bit kind of dull and they've had a surprising start to the season I think and it's hard to get a proper read on them because of some of those red cards. You obviously, especially so early at Old Trafford in those conditions, you're really up against it.

25:44Jim Campbell: It's a difficult set of circumstances. Obviously, I think, you know, they were one luck with 40 minutes to go against Brighton when they get the red card, but they've also got a bit of a kind of, they're sort of down to the bare bones a little bit in defence. They certainly were at the time and I know Badr-Shile's back now, but, you know, they struggle to hold on there, but again, it's 40 minutes against a good side. Maybe it's not a proper kind of representation of what they are. But I think we're all expecting Chelsea to be kind of flying, even this early, wasn't it? But that's based on the Club World Cup.

26:13Jim Campbell: I was going to say... That's what it's based on. Which is maybe having taken the toll that everyone thought it would.

26:16Marcus Speller: Yeah, given their season started in June, maybe this isn't a surprise. If you track last season and like, oh, it's about three months into the season that they started falling away. Yeah, that'd be about now.

26:28Vish: Yeah, I mean, maybe. I mean, they've not said that so much. And also as well, it does feel, again, a little bit of a continuation from last season the fans there was a lot of grumbles about Maresca but he wins two trophies and again the Europa Conference League was the easiest prediction anyone's ever made but credit for them for actually going and doing it and then when they faced their toughest opponent in the final they really put it to bed so again credit there

26:53Marcus Speller: and they qualified for the Champions League which was the main objective

26:56Vish: so you've got the European trophy that you were in they won it qualified for the Champions League you know a bit shaky towards the end but they got over the line and then they win the Club World Cup and that The way they took the all-conquering PSG side apart in the final was very impressive. So you think to yourself, well, maybe are they a bit more of a cup side? But going into this season, joyless is definitely a word that you could say because in previous iterations of Chelsea, if the football wasn't brilliant, the results were good and they were competing and you thought this side could go on and win the Premier League or at least have a challenge at the title.

27:32Vish: No one's talking about that now. There was a brief chat of it last season. quickly went away. There's no chat really of winning the Champions League even though at the start of the season we were all sat around going, they'll find a way to get there. They'll find a way to get to the latter stage of this tournament, whatever. And that's the thing about Chelsea. It's Jekyll and Hyde but it's kind of just doing enough. I just wonder with Mareska that this season if it doesn't really change, how long will he be there for? I'm not saying that he's in danger right now but I think that the grumbles and the moans and the groans from the fans last season were put to bed a little bit with those trophy wins, particularly the Club World Cup.

28:07Vish: But if it carries on like this, I just think they're just going to get louder and louder.

28:12Jim Campbell: I think, you know, nobody's backing them to win the league, really. No. But you would think internally that they would want Mariska to be having a good crack at it this season. So I think if he can't quite manage that, maybe he'll be under a little bit of threat. The standards are high there, right? They expect a lot and they will change managers if they think they can get a better one in. So he might be under pressure later in the season. Possibly, possibly, yeah. Again, they've just got to keep their players on the pitch, though, haven't they? Is it three red cards in four games now? I know Jao Pedro's right at the end, so it doesn't affect the game in any way.

28:41Jim Campbell: Because he's been one of their better performers. He's been one of the, quietly, he's been one of the signings of the summer window, for sure. He's hit the ground running.

28:48Vish: And with DeLat being injured, that shocking injury, you think, blimey, they can look a little bit blunt up there, despite the attacking talent they have. But again, I just go back, the lack of experience and maturity in that side, it's a very young squad. and Enzo Fernandes is basically the leader of that team and I know he's very experienced and a World Cup winner and so on but there's still a little bit of that going on at Chelsea and that will remain of course because unless they sign somebody which is, they haven't done and they don't look like they want to do even if the window is still open in terms of signing older players I think that's still a little bit of an issue but look, they won the game, we give them credit for that and they kept a clean sheet but I was a little bit disappointed in old Mourinho's Benfica and Mourinho was right to point out you know, as he said, you know, there are defeats and there are defeats.

29:34Vish: And he's saying that, you know, when he lost 1-0, they were still in the game, et cetera, et cetera. When he took over, you know, from, was it Bruno Large? He said, you know, the reason why the manager sacked is things weren't good. I mean, they lost to FC Kyra, didn't they, in their opening game? It was an embarrassing loss, that is. And hence why old big Bruin went. But Mourinho, I thought, yes, they started to come forward a bit more, but I just thought to myself the difference between losing this game 1-0 or 2-0 you could really throw something at this but they just seem to be it's easier said

30:10Jim Campbell: than done but had they got had they got a goal had they got a late equaliser or whatnot you would have thought yeah I mean this was the pattern of how the game was going Chelsea were vulnerable to this they were trying to do that I think they just lacked that little bit of quality and also I think this is what Jose's fourth match with them he said they've not really had much time on the training ground there's an election going on within the club as well and that's affecting the players. So he said all these very Mourinho-y sort of deflection tactics, but probably with some truth behind them. So, you know, I think it's fair to be disappointed with Jose Mourinho's Ben Finkriff, if that's how you want to feel about it.

30:44Jim Campbell: But it's not him or them at their full, you know, bastard-powered kind of peak yet, is it?

30:52Vish: Well, I mean, he did say that he was becoming more altruistic with age. He did. So the main difference I recognise in myself is the fact that maybe in the beginning I was more self-centred and I changed in a way. I feel like I'm more altruistic.

31:05Marcus Speller: Sorry, his stint in Turkey just didn't happen to me.

31:08Jim Campbell: Yeah, maybe that's what he's trying to get across. Maybe that's what the dig is.

31:14Marcus Speller: Right, oh, I see. Perhaps, who knows.

31:16Vish: Yeah, I mean, he did say that he will also continue to be the biggest one with regards to Chelsea until somebody wins four Premier League titles with the club.

31:25Marcus Speller: You know the worst thing? he's got a point well of course he does

31:30Jim Campbell: yeah

31:30Vish: of course he does he's the greatest manager in their history I don't think you would certainly argue he'd have many Chelsea fans disagree no I mean they're still singing his name hence he blew a kiss at them and rightly I get it totally he said you know in 20 years time or whatever when he's you know taking his grandkids to Stamford Ridge he says I think this relationship will always be there with Chelsea and I get it in a way it's a beautiful thing because you don't get that often

31:51Jim Campbell: in football is this the start of his third spell you know he's a big fan of the old 4D chess Yes, isn't he? Guild in the lily. Yeah, I mean, he's got to break the curse of Bella Gutmann with Benfica, which he won't be doing in the Champions League, let's be honest. So he has to have a terrible season, get them into the Conference League, win that, rebuild his reputation somehow with probably another good run in the Champions League after winning that. And then, will that be three seasons? Yeah, that'll be three seasons. So it'll all fall apart at Benfica. Who knows what will be happening at Chelsea by that time.

32:21Jim Campbell: Maybe it will seem like a good appointment.

32:23Marcus Speller: Rangers will be in the third tier by then as well. Comes in, takes them back up. Yeah.

32:29Vish: Has he still got enough magic dust left, though? Who knows? It's fascinating. Although I did think to myself, after the game and all that, I thought, yeah, it is better he went to Benfica and didn't come back to Britain.

32:40Marcus Speller: Well, I don't know. You know what I thought? Also, it's not magic dust. It's gravel he's got from the floor to throw in someone's eyes. Exactly. That's true.

32:47Jim Campbell: There was one lovely moment in the game. Go on. Which was Pedro Neto falling over with Benfica, fullback Samuel Dahl. and they just sort of fell into a little hug and both had a little laugh where they just suddenly found themselves

33:00Vish: hugging on the floor. That was nice. A very bit of niceness at Stamford Bridge last night because I tell you what, when Enzo Fernandes went over to take a corner, the pelters he got from the Benfica fans. Someone suggested that he thought that they were like being nice so he gave them a little wave at first. I don't know whether that's true or not but he certainly, I thought he was a bit...

33:19Jim Campbell: On the TV it looked like he was very surprised to be getting the pelters he was getting so I think that's probably right.

33:24Vish: well maybe okay because I thought he was going I made you 105 million what are you doing I know I was I was always gonna go

33:30Jim Campbell: guys come on Mourinho went over there to calm it down yes he did right at the end of the game there were two balls on the pitch he's straight on there to kick it off it's just oh it's just box office from him spotlight at every opportunity

33:41Vish: yeah but the stuff that was being thrown at Fernandez I was just a bit like bloody hell

33:46Marcus Speller: oh sorry I wasn't one of those benefico players that stayed for the whole career

33:49Jim Campbell: what were they throwing then

33:50Vish: that makes it sound like they were like throwing knives and like yeah I wouldn't want to see that I wouldn't want to see any of it of course but there was bottles there was children everything did you have a lovely time

34:00Marcus Speller: at Stamford Bridge

34:01Vish: I had a nice time

34:03Marcus Speller: I'm just asking what was it

34:06Vish: it was a little bit flat because of the performance I think because of what happened and I think it has been a little bit flat there for a little while because of the football being played they are hosting Liverpool next

34:18Jim Campbell: which is great actually that is that is proper Barclays that isn't it with the two teams needing to kind of show a bit about them themselves this weekend. Yes. So that's going to be great. Absolutely. Well, it might be shit, but all right, Jim.

34:29Vish: The prospect. Think of the broadcasters, eh? Now, Bodo Glimp 2, Tottenham Hotspur 2. Oh, nearly a famous victory for the Bodo Glimpians. They, I mean, you have to say they buggered it up in the end. They did.

34:44Marcus Speller: They had so many chances. Disregard the penalty that's still in orbit.

34:49Jim Campbell: There's one at 0-0 where Vicario is just absolutely losing his mind that the entire Spurs defence is like,

34:55Vish: it's Bodo Glimt! Yeah, we're not being... We've got a different manager now! We shouldn't be doing this! It was a bit of a throwback, wasn't it? Even though, of course, I'm very aware that Spurs put Bodo Glimt away in the Europa League. So maybe, actually, are Spurs regressing under Thomas Frank?

35:14Marcus Speller: I think they should get rid of him. And if you think of Destiny Udagi, who is an exceptional fullback, but a better wingback, if they need someone to play a 3-4-3 they can there's Ruben Amarim who's just got to grips with the Premier League and they've got rid of Levy

35:29Jim Campbell: so they can probably pay over the odds for Amarim spend the money required

35:32Marcus Speller: we will take Thomas Frank off their hands if they want

35:35Vish: good to have that in the spoken word well yeah Spurs a couple of lovely goals from Bodo Glimpton it looked like back in the day when you didn't know much about opposition in the Champions League and you think, okay, well, they are the champions of their country. We don't really know. Yeah, it's like,

35:56Marcus Speller: you're really good. You should be on TV. Yeah, exactly.

35:58Vish: Yeah, it's kind of like, bloody hell, Spurs are really on the ropes here. They managed to get out of it with a point. And again, credit for that. I mean, Thomas Frank, this is where Frank, we know he's a good solid Premier League operator, but he hasn't managed in the Champions League. And I understand. And again, these away fixtures are tricky wherever they are. Yeah, you're playing a side who are there on merit, who are used to winning and went far in the Europa League semi-final last season

36:22Marcus Speller: and you know just because they play on a power league it's fine yeah exactly

36:26Vish: the surface as well but Frank was quick to sort of say the surface was obviously a consideration but he didn't go on about it which I quite appreciate

36:36Marcus Speller: no but I always think especially because of the advancement in artificial turf that it allows Buda Glimp to be a slick passing team and I think teams are often surprised about how quickly the ball is shifted, which is actually quite nice to see even at this elite level that it's still... A leveler. Yeah, but it's a leveler in a footballing sense. It's not kind of like the ball isn't slowing up. It's not just really terrible on the joints of older players. It is advanced to a point of they are playing a really good high quality standard of football, which really should have done for Spurs. They should have scored at least five goals.

37:19Vish: I know I mean they were brilliant weren't they and they will be gutted because it would have been

37:22Jim Campbell: a very famous victory second draw in a row in the Champions League though so they're in you know they'll obviously be disappointed to not have won that but you know they're showing a fair bit they are showing something I mean they're going to be

37:34Vish: aiming at that playoff round you would think you would think yeah Spurs themselves I mean it's four points from two games bearing in mind what happened last season new manager a few new players I think you take that it's not been too in sparring from Spurs. Let's be Thomas Frank about it.

37:50Jim Campbell: But they're also waiting for Dominic Solanke to come back and they're waiting to get Randall Cullo Mouane up and running as well. So this is by no means their strongest team.

37:58Vish: And I think what Thomas Frank said about having a bit of character and actually getting out of there with a point, yeah, a bit lucky, but they've got a point. And Frank himself is getting used to this competition. You know, again, we think of him in the Premier League as, you know, as I say, a solid operator. But this is new on a lot of fronts. And also as well, you can't win every game we just talked about Liverpool losing away to Galatasaray it's not a panic station you're two games in and a lot can happen in this Champions League most of it happens on the last round of fixtures if last season's anything to go by well so you wait for trying to convince us

38:30Marcus Speller: everything for Spurs is fine isn't it it's just fine and if you're a Tottenham fan you'll take that because it's not always going to be fine and it always has been fine

38:41Vish: very true elsewhere in the Champions League Real Madrid beat Kazakh side Kairat 5-0 nice for them to score five goals rather than concede five goals

38:51Marcus Speller: yeah

38:52Vish: they got hammered by Atletico Madrid 5-2 on the weekend who themselves scored another five goals greedy aren't they I like it yeah

38:59Jim Campbell: against Eintracht Frankfurt that's right actually actually alright yeah yeah

39:05Marcus Speller: they made them look like an absolute mess Atletico to Eintracht Frankfurt yeah Julian Alvarez is on one at the moment

39:14Vish: he's one of the best players in the world and you could argue he has been for a couple of years now

39:16Marcus Speller: which is going to be a lovely little twist when he Ballon doors it up next year yeah

39:21Vish: oh yeah I mean how fuming will Real Madrid be you're not going to come to that one either

39:28Vish: well Real Madrid in one of the press conferences that Javi Alonso was front and center at a Kazakh journalist gifted the Spaniard a talking fish which seemed to repeat Hala Madrid in Kylian Mbappe's voice

39:44Jim Campbell: quite something really. It is. Where's he going to put that? I don't know. It's one of those things where he's like oh where am I going to I presume Jabi Alonso's got quite a big house with a lot of storage in it but I can't help but think I can't throw this away. No. I need to leave it on display sometimes if this journalist comes around maybe.

40:01Vish: If you saw what happened the journalist went to give him something and the guy next to Jabi Alonso the Real Madrid representative took it immediately and just shoved it under the desk. I don't think Jabi Alonso knew what it was I don't think he even saw it I don't think he ever will. So his storage space is safe from that load of nonsense.

40:19Marcus Speller: It was a really enjoyable moment of someone trying to be the main story and then just having to sit down. Yeah, that's enough of that. Sort of, mate.

40:26Vish: It's nice to know there are Gary Cotterills everywhere, isn't there? Yes, there is. Yes, there is. All right, coming up after this, Mikel Arteta speaks out about learning communication from the RAF.

40:47Vish: tonight in the champions league union san gilwa against newcastle united newcastle united searching for their first champions league win of the campaign and off they go to belgium vish to try

41:00Marcus Speller: and get it yeah lovely place good beer good frites um this uh union saint gilwa story is fascinating isn't it

41:09Vish: it is

41:09Marcus Speller: like part of Tony Bloom's portfolio I suppose which is a really naff way of saying it but

41:16Vish: I think it's like oh the romance of football

41:19Marcus Speller: but they're like you know Belgian champions after nine decades like obviously I always think the analytics is a bit of a front for yeah we just got more money to spend haven't we so we get the best players and the best nerds as well

41:31Vish: well this is it you've got the boffins as well as the players I mean you could say that about Bodo Glimt as well I understand that sometimes these stories are more romantic from the outside looking in. Definitely. Like Wrexham. Essentially. Like Wrexham, yeah.

41:43Jim Campbell: They are often, the driving factor is money, isn't it? Sure. And that's not to take away anything from Wrexham or any of these teams, but you're absolutely right.

41:50Vish: You've got to spend it well, though.

41:51Marcus Speller: Well, yeah, I suppose.

41:53Vish: QPR, no, you've got to spend it well. It doesn't always work out.

41:56Marcus Speller: But I suppose that's the point, isn't it? It's how that money is used and it is, you know, on the analytic side.

42:01Jim Campbell: Don't spend it on Svenja and Ericsson and Sol Campbell, like Notts County did. Another one.

42:08Marcus Speller: but yeah and obviously the contrast with I suppose how Newcastle have come into their wealth is fascinating in its own way but you're right fascinating well yeah I mean but it is isn't it I don't mean it in a kind of oh I wonder what the Saudis are going to do here sounds like they got to you yeah I'm doing a stand up set actually next week so I'm just trying to tune it up here

42:29Vish: you need to change your material all those stories about you going out on the piss oh dear

42:34Marcus Speller: you'd have nothing Absolutely not. So much.

42:38Jim Campbell: We had this rabbit.

42:41Marcus Speller: Yeah. What do I have? I cannot do the drinking. Oh, I'm a journalist. Oh, fuck.

42:48Vish: Anybody here like cricket? Is this on? Anybody like cricket?

42:55Marcus Speller: Yeah. They pay well. You've got to love what Newcastle have done. It is incredible, really. But to be serious, they're in quite a weird space at the moment, aren't they? there's an element of um having been knocked down a couple of tears to you know i suppose in when the takeover happens this is probably the period where not just newcastle fans but people from the outside would think with all that money with the way other projects have gone of that ilk they should be not just established but they're you know verging on becoming a bit of a powerhouse now and that is very far from the truth not least because of PSR but obviously like the EZAC situation as well which is perpetuated by PSR where they aren't as as bigger forces certainly I thought they'd be in yeah at this particular time part of being one of those clubs

43:47Jim Campbell: is that you you don't get your players cherry cherry picked from you right and obviously for the reasons you've mentioned that they'll be very disappointed for that to have happened to them but I think you know the PSR situation is always going to mean they would have to wait a bit longer to you know establish themselves right at the top tier I think they know that and I think that everybody is sort of patient with that because you know the situation isn't likely to change there any time so they can just essentially keep throwing whatever they have available at it until they sort of gradually get where they're going and I think you know what they've done really really well this season is set up their defensive platform you know they've got three clean sheets in the league already that's going to be a big, big part of any success they have this season particularly while they're getting Nick Valtemar up to speed they're not really trained with him that much he's already scored twice but going forward

44:36Vish: they need more goals and obviously they spent an awful lot of money on him but they've got Wissler

44:40Jim Campbell: to come back as well they do have Wissler

44:41Vish: to come back but Nick Valtemar I think he's done pretty well so far in Newcastle all things considered not everybody's a fan of the big German Bayern Munich board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge of course a man who played at the very top of the game, had his say on Volta Mata's move to Newcastle United. And he said, I can only congratulate the people in Stuttgart for finding, and let me use quotation marks here, an idiot in Newcastle United who paid that much money. Yeah, those quotation marks aren't quite softening that as much as you might think there, Carl Hines.

45:14Jim Campbell: Eddie Howe said Rummenigge's comments were irrelevant. They are, and it's just a bluster from an old pundit, isn't it? It was a lot of money for him, I will say that. Sure, but I mean, the market dictated that Newcastle had to spend a lot of money on him, given the situation they found themselves in.

45:28Vish: Yeah, I mean, is it fair to say those who were selling him thought, and how much did you just sell Isaac for? Yeah. Yeah. We'd like some more. Yeah. Yeah. Let's add another 15 million to that price tag.

45:39Marcus Speller: Yeah, classy from Ruben Higger. Yeah, I didn't fancy her anyway. And also... I'm not actually that annoyed. There were other German players we can cherry pick from the Bundesliga. Yeah. Yeah. Well done.

45:51Vish: Yeah, well done you. But look, Newcastle United, they lost their opening game in the Champions League to Barcelona. Now that can happen, but it's still disappointing to lose it. Bit of pressure on this game because they need to travel to Marseille. They've got Bayer Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain as well. And bearing in mind, Bayer Leverkusen don't have Eric Ten Hag in charge anymore. So they are a better side for it. They're all walking on air, aren't they? Yeah, that seemed like a given of three points there. So there's pressure on this game.

46:20Jim Campbell: These are the ones they've got to put away. Well, exactly, exactly.

46:23Vish: But again, Union Centre, Gilles Loire, are there on merit. And they have not one, but two Englishmen in their ranks, Jim Campbell. They've got Christian Burgess, who quite wonderfully moved there from Portsmouth.

46:38Jim Campbell: Wow.

46:39Vish: 33 years old. And look at him in the Champions League. Amazing. Bloody love that. That was a great story. And Ross Sykes as well, who went there from Accrington Stanley. Amazing. Yeah, only in 2022 as well. He's 26 years old. and they've pretty much cleaned up as you were mentioning earlier in Belgium like won a lot there Kevin McAllister as well of course yeah so you know they're having a lovely old time and these are the occasions where they'll be glancing over to Jacob Murphy should he start rubbing their hands going look at us look at us so it'll be an interesting game for them Jim your beloved Arsenal are playing Olympiacos tonight at 8pm Mikel Arteta has said excuses have never been a part of my life

47:21Marcus Speller: he should try them they're class they get you out of so many things they work quite well for me actually

47:25Vish: I don't want him to adopt that though thinking about it he's obviously never repeatedly turned up late to jobs before but he did outline his ambition to bring major trophies to Arsenal to add to that FA Cup he's already won don't forget it

47:38Jim Campbell: saying that every week not sure it's helping there's someone saying it every week at the moment William Saliba obviously signed his new contract he talks about that a lot it's like yeah we know

47:47Vish: we know that's all we all want this is the season Jim tis the season you keep saying don't you

47:53Marcus Speller: well that's what yeah they keep saying it because they keep getting asked about it and then we keep saying it in here

47:58Vish: no one's asking me

47:59Jim Campbell: but I'm just damn well saying it I'm sort of worried now if they don't win something this season like the club will just fold yeah it's like is it really going to be that bad I think it could be

48:08Vish: what happens if we don't

48:10Marcus Speller: you know what I thought though I'd love to fold

48:13Vish: Man United yeah it's a Champions League show so we're not mentioning them they didn't earn their spot on this show I might do these more often actually Wednesday shows after the Palace win against Liverpool I thought he's up for grabs now Jim that's all I'm going to say but look Arsenal they've got the Greek side Olympiakos coming to town now Mikel Arteta he's not a man for excuses but he is a military man the reports suggest that he plans to invite a team of RAF pilots to Arsenal to improve the way he communicates with his players. Does this inspire you, Jim? Is this the kind of thing coming out of the Arsenal camp that you want to hear and see?

48:55Jim Campbell: It's quite Tom Cruise, which having recently watched every Mission Impossible movie in about a month, having never seen any of them before, I am now fully on board with. Yeah, I am fully in the cult.

49:08Vish: Because if he ever died in any of them, no, don't go there. But if he was to die in one of those, you would have another one. I don't think he will die. Yeah, spoilers, he doesn't die in any of them. Yeah, so if...

49:18Marcus Speller: He dies in the last one, the last one is terrible. Really?

49:20Jim Campbell: He doesn't die.

49:22Marcus Speller: No, well, in an acting sense he dies. I see, I see. Yeah, it's a dreadful film.

49:27Jim Campbell: I had a lovely time watching it, but we'll get into that later.

49:29Vish: There's no way Cruz is killing himself up in his own film.

49:32Marcus Speller: No, I know, yeah, I don't know. Right! No, what I'm saying is in like, the actual film is terrible. Yeah, that's fine. His performance was awful.

49:39Jim Campbell: Right. Yeah. There's a couple of bits in it, though, that are just astonishing. The play scene at the end. Yeah, and the submarine scene, right? That's what we're there for. That's what we're there for. Anyway. We're having every one of them. If he gets... The plane scene, the submarine scene. If he gets a bit more Tom Cruise, I'm on board with it. Right. If he goes from... He's quite linked in at the moment. That quite often goes to full-on cult leader. I'm still on board. Well, you would be, Jim, because you've drank the...

50:03Vish: The Kool-Aid. The Kool-Aid, yes. Well, Arteta has... Sasahi now at the stadium. Ah, I see. Arteta has talked internally at the club about becoming more efficient in his use of words. And he said, I'm sure they don't use 20 phrases or 20 words if there is one word. They don't say, now the wind is coming this way. Now you have to turn left because boom, dead. So it will be one word.

50:25Marcus Speller: What is he doing?

50:27Jim Campbell: That sounds like someone at an afters.

50:29Marcus Speller: Yeah, 100%. This is 4am chat. That's maybe where he does his best stuff.

50:37Jim Campbell: Yeah, maybe.

50:37Marcus Speller: Light peeking through the curtain. Yeah, definitely.

50:40Jim Campbell: Everyone ignoring it. Because the moment you open those curtains, the horrible reality comes flooding in.

50:45Marcus Speller: Not entirely sure if you're hungry or you really need to use the bathroom. Yeah. And then this man's talking about, yeah, people say turn left, but actually there's a quicker way of saying that. There isn't. That's the quickest way of saying that thing.

50:59Vish: It's two words.

51:00Marcus Speller: Yeah.

51:01Vish: Left, left. Mikel Arteta was asked about the RAF stuff and when they're coming to the club, and he said, you're a bit late. That was two years ago. The plane has already gone. I don't know where it is at the moment always stay one step ahead yeah so what's going on here? are they coming to the club or not? well they've been clearly but are they coming back? is it a flyover? was it a flyover?

51:22Jim Campbell: I don't remember a flyover

51:23Marcus Speller: well then I think this you know what he's done at Arsenal is trending towards winning the title this season I also I'm really curious to see what happens if he doesn't because he's already we're a month into the season and he's already talking like this. Yeah. We've already had the heart and the brain holding hands. He's not talking like this though, is he? That's the thing.

51:46Jim Campbell: The Telegraph have been tricked. Again. And they've reported an old story.

51:50Marcus Speller: No, he is, Jim. He is. I don't know. I think, as Pep is dialing it down

51:57Vish: and for my money on his way out, Arteta's going, yes.

51:59Jim Campbell: One of the take-homes from this article was that he's in a WhatsApp group with coaches from other sports, including Eddie Jones, which is where he got the sort of finishes and starters rugby analogy from recently. even though he himself also talked about that a couple of years ago. And I bet there's a lot of LinkedIn links in that. Just praise emojis. The kind of 100 out of 100 emoji. Yeah, all that bollocks. Just a lot of that stuff. Just stick to the thumbs up like I do. Yeah.

52:23Marcus Speller: You're a bastard for a thumbs up, aren't you? It's simple.

52:25Jim Campbell: People say, oh, it's simple. It's basically disrespectful, isn't it? Yeah, exactly. Because I've given you the slightest amount of attention possible.

52:33Vish: They don't have a V's emoji. They don't, which is annoying. The cowards. They have a middle finger one. That's just crass. give me the V's anyway Manchester City are off to Monaco tonight at 8pm or Monaco as some older people still call it they met in 2017 the last time they drew 6 all on aggregate across the legs across two legs all the legs Radamel Falcao yes

52:56Marcus Speller: absolute gorgeous little chip one of the best finishes

52:59Vish: you'll ever see that one you knew where I was going with that

53:02Marcus Speller: didn't seem to have the angle also a chip at the near post delightful well

53:08Vish: Manchester City, yes. That'd be an interesting game, that. Because, of course, Mr. Eric Dyer is at Monaco. And he's not going to take it lying down.

53:16Marcus Speller: Also, presumably, a lot of their holdings are in Monaco.

53:21Vish: Some of the Shell company. Yes, indeed. Erling Haaland, you'd imagine, will be front and centre for Manchester City this evening. If he's not, you'd be quite annoyed as a Man City fan, I'd imagine.

53:32Jim Campbell: You would be. He said he wants to serve up kebabs at his wedding. Yeah, he was, to be fair to him, asked if he would serve kebabs at his wedding, which is an odd question. But that's why he's talking about kebabs at his wedding. But he was on a show called The A-Team in Norway, which is a bit like a show called The Assembly. I don't know if you've seen it, where it's a crowd of neurodiverse people who ask a notable person questions. And it's really, really interesting. Gary Lineker did one, Danny Dyer did one. Oh, yes. I think it's sort of quite an equivalent of that. Possibly the thing that the assembly is based on, knowing how TV works in the UK.

54:13And it's very, very charming and interesting.

54:17Jim Campbell: He also said that his wife is a big gamer, so they sit on the sofa playing Minecraft together, which is just confusingly adorable.

54:26Marcus Speller: You don't need him to be likeable.

54:27Vish: I know, right? Yeah. Well, yeah. I mean, at his wedding he said, you probably want some of the best food you can eat, so it could easily be kebab. And I agree with that.

54:36Marcus Speller: Yeah, Hollywood. Because I think... 11pm, kebabs come out, you're laughing. Yeah, exactly.

54:41Vish: Totally. I think it's a great idea. He was also asked for his tips on dating. He said, from my experience, you find your girlfriend when you least expect it. If you're always looking for a girlfriend, you'll never find one.

54:50Marcus Speller: I quite like that because he seems to have taken it as seriously as if he was doing a football-focused interview. He's like, how do you score so many goals?

54:57Jim Campbell: I genuinely think for him, he's like, I honestly don't understand why the rest of you find this so hard. it's so easy yeah you just there's a big net you just put it in there yeah

55:08Vish: it's a big enough target not a problem well gentlemen I think we should finish there but of course remember Barcelona hosting PSG tonight so that is you could argue the big one right then everybody thank you very much for listening to the Football Ramble part of the Acast Creator Network Patreon subscribers don't go anywhere keep listening for Ramble Uncut and if you're not a Patreon subscriber make sure you head over to patreon.com forward slash football ramble to sign up now. Oh, another Champions League night beckons, everybody. We're looking forward to it immensely. Thank you, Jimmy. Thank you.

55:39Vish: Thank you, Vishy. Thank you. And thank you, Erling Haaland.

55:50Jim Campbell: The Football Ramble is a Stack production and part of the Acast Creator Network.