The Preview Show: He’d look a right Charlie

0:00I want to show the nation my appreciation everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble Preview Show A Friday night treat and a proper super Sunday It's Friday 6th Affair by Marcus Speller I'm Jim Campbell I'm Pete Donaldson And I'm Vinicius Nhatarajah

0:24It's Friday, up yours everybody, we've made it What in the eye for the man again Get in there What do you think of that now, Thursday? Saturday, we're coming for you. Now, do you fancy treating yourself this weekend? Yeah. Well, Peter, where are you off to? I'm going to... Now, that could have been a number of things. Exactly. I'm going to be smoking. I'm going to be loving. I'm going to be exporting and importing. That's what I'm going to be doing this weekend. I'm having a quiet weekend with the family, actually. Okay. Little do they know. Well, I've got a suggestion for you. Okay. Head over to footballramblestore.com and grab yourself some Football Ramble merch.

1:07You'll be the talk of the town. I will be. You can get a nice Ramble quarter zip to keep you warm. There's still a lot of February to go. Or you can get yourself an official Luke Nation t-shirt because, my goodness, that totalitarian regime needs the support. Okay? The Football Ramble football shirts are already sold out. But don't worry, we'll restock soon. So head to footballramblestore.com or click on the link in the show notes and you can get yourself a little treat for the weekend. Another little treat that's happening this weekend is Manchester United versus Tottenham Hotspur, Saturday 12.30.

1:37Not the first game in this round of Premier League games. It'll be the second game, Jim Campbell. Man United haven't beaten Spurs since October 2022 and that was the night Cristiano Ronaldo was an unused sub and left the stadium early. That feels a long time ago, doesn't it? It is a long time ago, but I cannot believe that it's been that long since they've beaten them. It shows you kind of quite how silly recent times have been, but, you know, they're looking for the fourth win in a row. The barbers will be kind of getting their shears ready for that fella's hair. Is this sharpening time, or is this kind of like making sure you've got enough lighter fuel for the ear hair kind of vibes?

2:18I guess you're stocking everything. You've got the Turkish barber. Yeah, I mean, you're going to set him on fire. I mean, there's a lot of work to be done, so you want to go for the cheapest place, surely, don't you? I saw a video of him. He said he lives in Spain now. He had to move. He's so famous. Everyone's like ruffling his hair as he walks down. For tax reasons. I see. That's what he's done. I see, yeah. What does he have after that? Well, this is it, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah, you can move back. Do you want the humidity in your hair? In the curls? I quite like that look. I've never had a problem with it because my hair's not wired that way.

2:53But, yeah, I always think it looks quite cool. What, big hair? Yeah. Like Slash from Guns N' Roses Yeah sort of That was the first reference that came to your head Well give me another one This guy from Manchester United Right Well of course Spurs are unbeaten in 8 matches Against Manchester United So Vish your boys they need to pull their socks up Yeah I like Jim referring to that period You know when Spurs Well Manchester United last beat Spurs As a silly period because this does feel like the silly derby, doesn't it? Yeah, well, it did, but I think that's something that feels different about this one because actually the situation Man United find themselves in where obviously they're doing so well under Carrick, I know it's only a small sample size, but the momentum feels very much like it's there.

3:43The fact they've only got this weird 40-game season, so everybody is fresh, and they're up in fourth, they've got a really, really good opportunity here to just, you know, essentially establish themselves in those Champions League places. And I don't know, I feel like they've got a really good chance to win this one. They feel more likely to win this one than Spurs do, despite the last performance Spurs had in that second half. This is the real signal of that Sheshko winner against Fulham. Fulham scored that. Surely they were going to go on and win 3-2, and the silly, silly season would have been back.

4:14It would have been back in full swing. But old Bruno and Benjamin had other ideas. But it's right, though, to say that Manchester United, up in fourth a whole point above Chelsea in fifth it's there for the taking Arsenal are going to win the league you heard it here first Manchester City will probably finish second Villa will probably finish third fourth spot I mean Liverpool Chelsea and then you're into Brentford Sunderland Fulham and Everton Manchester United are as far away from Man City as Man City are from Arsenal there you go you never know it could be total tilt that's it there's a little bit of hope Do not clip that.

4:53Is that the first bit of hope we've heard from you? So you are officially saying Manchester United are back. I think Manchester United, if they continue on this unsustainable run. Right. Yeah, if they keep winning games, then yeah, you've got to say. If they continue on this unsustainable run, they would be, you know, it would be kind of similar to the Leicester season where they'll finish second without ever having actually been a runner-up. I mean, yeah. I don't think they will finish second, by the way. but it's just something to say isn't it yeah i mean of the tip of the top six teams um the current top six man united got to play chelsea away and villa and liverpool at home that's not a bad run i mean obviously there's going to be other tricky fixtures in the other games and we all know man united have it in them to make any fixture tricky but they look different under carrick and i know again it's very very early days but this is a massive opportunity and there's an interesting race i think happening between man united chelsea and liverpool um for you know essentially who is likely to make up that top four.

5:50I mean, it's a sign of the times, isn't it? Chelsea, Liverpool, Man United. Yeah, I mean, either of them, they're in the race for fourth. Yeah, I suppose also with Spurs on the, I suppose they're on a little bit of a run now, but... They've not been great against Spurs in the last eight matches. They've not won a single one. Indeed, Peter. Yeah, yeah. But in terms of Spurs and what they could accomplish at Old Trafford, they've got the third best away record in the league. So even before this like mini period of, let's call it correction for the sake of it, Thomas Frank and Spurs have had a method away from home.

6:26Obviously it's been talked about a lot this season about how bad they are at their own stadium. But yeah, I mean, there is something to be said for this, not least because this will be another similar test to Fulham. And you made the point last week when we were talking about the game that Fulham got a lot of joy in midfield. Well, this is it. I mean, I do, to take you up on your previous point, you're sort of demanding that we respect Thomas Frank Spurs in 14th, haven't won in their last six in the league. So, okay, let's... Yeah, but they've won, so they've won two out of their last four games, haven't they?

6:59I appreciate those two have been in the Champions League. Yeah, the Champions League's easy pickings. That's a good point, actually, yeah. Sorry about that. It's quite sad to see, really, isn't it? The Champions League. Yeah. The 14th best team in England are cleaning up in that. But obviously the Man City game as well, where Man City weren't great, but Spurs fought back from 2-0 down. I mean, there is a lot there. This will be one of the more interesting battles between these two, because I don't necessarily... I couldn't tell you how it's going to play out beyond that I think the Manchester United will win.

7:29All nonsense aside, I take your point about Spurs and Manchester United. I do think, though, that after that Fulham game, it showed you that there's still quite a lot of work to be done with Manchester United. And I think that this run of simpler games will show that because in a sort of a weird way, everyone's saying, well, okay, the big games, you know how to set up and hit them on the break and they're very well adept at doing that. When it is like, right, you've got to take the game to the opponent. Honestly, there were so many gaps in that midfield battle. Although Spurs have been particularly bad at those sort of transitions, really, haven't they?

8:00Yeah. So unless they can kind of do something about that, then perhaps it would just be a comfortable win for Man United. Although I suppose Conor Gallagher being a Labrador in the middle there, might be something that confuses it all. He showed a bit of it, didn't he? He did, yeah. He did. Peter, who do you fancy for this one? Come on. I do fancy Spurs to continue their run against Manchester United. I think this is the thing that will, you know, you'll have to, can you re-dull scissors? How do you re-dull scissors? Scratch them on the pavement. Scratch them on the pavement. Use them to open another packet of scissors.

8:39Yeah. Yes, exactly. this run has to come to an end at some point and like you say Spurs' aware record is just too good and actually Dominic Solanke can't stop scoring but neither can Benjamin Szczesko this is true four goals in his last four games it's been pointed out to me that apparently there was a Star Trek character called Benjamin Szczesko yeah I don't know if that's Szczesko is that right? and you've kept this hidden all this time Peter I'm not a massive Trekkie or Trecker who put that in the running order who did it? I didn't put it in there I didn't put that in there he was like the guy I think I've seen a couple of episodes with him in and he went to, he did like a sort of quantum leap.

9:16He had a bit of a quantum leap kind of story where he kept regressing back into the past. And he was like a, he became like a 1950s sort of sci-fi writer. Okay. Well, if he's regressing into the past, it's exactly what Manchester United was. Well, I think his father was like an alien that went through a wormhole and it allowed him to sort of like change, like move forwards and backwards in time into different versions of himself. So maybe Benjamin Sesko is a different version of himself. He actually does look like someone who's sort of being stretched through a wormhole, doesn't he? Yeah. So maybe he's partway through that process.

9:52Quite a long man, isn't he? He's very long. Always wincing. We know he's got a good shot on him and he's proving it. And it's almost as if you just need someone to encourage him a bit more. And that's clearly what Michael Carrick and Steve Holland, don't forget, former England Steve Holland man, 12 minutes 37 So no credit for Steve Holland Jim Is this like when Southampton used to Kick the ball out for a throw I've asked him a question 12 minutes No No credit for Steve Holland I've not seen anything he's done Therefore it can't have had an impact Name four other assistant managers in the Premier League Why should I?

10:30Why? Why should I? I'm just wondering Is Gabriel Heinz her assistant manager I don't think that's the exact type of thing. Yeah, we all know that one. No, I just think... It is to meet you more than halfway. There is no way Michael Carrick has set up England, set up Man United to defend like England. Manchester, England. I don't know, that's the point I'm making. And it's the point that some Man United fans have made. Man United are defending like... Do they go to a different school? No, but all my model girlfriends do. Man United are defending like peak... That is something that has been very noticeable.

11:11Right on the edge of the bar. Jameena back four. Back four's an improvement. Harry Maguire's involved. And Luke Shaw, don't forget him. What the... Oh, God. What? I mean, are they involved or not, Jim? I'm a denier of the facts at the other end of the table, then. Given one of the conflicts that was brought up ahead of the show, do you mind if I give an Argentinian some credit here as well? Because... Can I say That's naughty Who brought that conflict up But it's not for the reasons you would think Yeah It was about It was about a game wasn't it A game show yeah But Martinez from that deeper position Has been Just a welcome antidote To the kind of passing across the back line That was littered United's start to the season and I think a lot of that is for having that space and a bit more time which you get when you set back a bit I know there's a lot said about the merits of your back line being further forward but I think Mancini have benefited from being a little bit deeper I think he's a really good player Alessandro Martinez when he first came back from injury I forget what the game was but he started in midfield didn't he and he made a really tangible positive difference in there he's a really versatile player I wonder if that's something that Carrick might look at in the future as well because he's an option there.

12:32And I think unless kind of Manuel Garte can kind of reinvent himself a bit under Carrick, I think Martinez probably looks a better option in there for that type of role, right? Yeah, I mean, I think that they're obviously sniffing around people like, you know, Anderson at Forest, Wharton at Palace as well. But they'll likely bring someone in. But yeah, it's not a bad one for between now and the end of the season. The other thing to say about, you know, Spurs are, I mean, they look like they're playing better. And also Manchester United, for the Fulham game as well, seeded possession. I know Spurs aren't great in possession, but it's going to be a weird game of teams being like, no, you have it.

13:10Yeah, it promises to be excellent. I'm hoping it's going to be like three all or something like that. Is it time for Casemiro to put another man of the match performance in, Vish? Yeah, unless he's knackered. He's old, isn't he? Yeah, but he's not got long left, has he? So he's using all the juice. Yeah, maybe. All the Man United juice he's got left. In the Premier League gym, we should stipulate. Michael Carrick apparently is allowing Man United players to have a day off after games which is of course a change of tact from Eric Ten Hag and Ruben Amorim who had the players come in for recovery day after matches you'll recover on my watch gentlemen I mean one would suggest that Carrick's got that space because both Eric Ten Hag and Ruben had to contend with European fixtures as well so it's kind of like well yeah enjoy it because we don't have as many fixtures as everybody else but Ruben didn't have you need fewer days well Amorim didn't have European football this season, apparently.

13:59He was doing it. Yeah, well. That'd just be a habit from last season. A habit from last season. A holdover. Was that a back three as well? I just, every time I look at the little tactics board, it's got a back three. So I thought, yeah, it might not. There's also, he'll also have the problem, well, he'll have to decide whether he keeps that up when all those midweek friendlies come into play. Oh, yeah, they're still going to do them. Taking Pete up on his suggestion, which was quite incredible. Well, I don't know. But yes, I think you're right, Jim. This could be a lovely old fixture, Man United versus Spurs.

14:28We're hoping for goals, damn it all. Right, coming up after this, Liam Rosinha doubles Dune.

14:45You just mentioned the low block. When they hardly allow you to enter the box, what's the solution? Kill someone? What about the football ramble everybody? That is a solution to be fair Oh dear My giddy aunt He's a strange man isn't he And weirdly we'll miss him when he's gone He loves it doesn't he Old Pep You're right he's very strange Yeah I mean it would get the game called off There's a practical solution That no one else would have thought of Is that null and void territory? Yeah Is that an automatic 3-0 defeat? I guess how close you do it to kick off, I suppose, isn't it? In the game. As long as it's in your technical area and they can have a little sort of chalk outline.

15:32That's how it works. It's like you are completely immune from anything in your technical area. Knives out at Anfield, lovely. Also, instead of the chalk outline, it'd be the ref's spray, wouldn't it? Yeah. I just got to do it every five minutes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. If you're not there within, what, 10 seconds and the investigation's off. Liverpool hosts Pep Guardiola's Manchester City on Sunday at 4.30. A lot of people moaning about it. It's not really a Super Sunday fixer. That one is. No one can moan about that. That is the very definition of a Super Sunday. That's a headliner, that is. Two very charitable teams at the back as well.

16:04Yeah. Loving that. That feels like a high roller. Well, indeed, Peter, we were talking about goals, particularly at Man United versus Spurs. Surely, teams, they're not going to go all defensive and boring for this one. Arnazlott said that being entertaining is the most important thing. Yeah, he did, didn't he? You're absolutely right. Earlier in the week, he believed style of play and entertaining is worth more than winning trophies in the long term at Liverpool. And I happen to, like Mo Schaller, smashing the ball against defenders' legs, trying to knuck-muck them. It's funny if he does it 50 times.

16:36Really? Yeah. Have you been on the Grolsch? I like your new character. It's Arnaz Slaught. Arnaz Slaught could have phased into Christopher Walken. That would have been nice. An impression I can't do. And I can't do Arnaz Slaught either. And Moe Scheller hit the ball up his ass. Wow. He's basically been to see Ross Noble for Stuart Lee. And he thinks like doing the same thing over and over again, it'll eventually be entertaining. The mundane becomes the exciting. I didn't think Ross Noble was getting a drive-by on today's show. Yeah, that's his vibe, isn't it? It's kind of a compliment, isn't it?

17:13I suppose, yeah. I'm a little playing with the old lady. And Stuart Lee as well. You're not clever. Do you not like comedy? I'm a kid, isn't it? No. Oh, are you? Yeah, I can imagine that. Get on your little fucking substack. Find out where you're gigging. Oh, he's not doing any stand-up. He's doing some poetry. Brilliant. You and Jarvis Cock are in the front row. Better in the past, wasn't it? Where's my washboard? Good shit, that. Anyway, Liverpool, they are hosting Manchester City. It's a big one. Liverpool, of course, are in that race for fourth spot. Man City is still in the race for the title.

17:47I'm reliably informed. I'm not letting it go I love it by the way I think you think we're all taking the piss out of you when you're doing that I'm really enjoying it of course you are because you should start celebrating now me Arsenal chum well how do you see this one going Jimmy well I hope it's an emphatic win for Liverpool yes but what scoreline if I can choose let's have 6-0 brilliant right now for Liverpool what is emphatic That's a good question. I think emphatic has to be by three clear goals, right? Can you have an emphatic 2-0 win? I suppose a performance can be really, really dominant.

18:28But yeah, so I think this is a potentially very, very interesting game, isn't it? Because obviously they had that loss to Bournemouth. But, you know, the response against Newcastle was great. And we're starting to see that Florian Witts and Hugo Eketike are really performing, not just as individuals, but as a duo as well. They've got six goals between them in all comps, and they've assisted each other three times in that, and that's the highest kind of duo of any Premier League players in that. And they've started to really, really click, and I think Beers has got six goals in ten appearances.

19:01So he's quietly essentially become the player we thought he would, and everyone's taken the piss out of him so much up to now that they're just sort of ignoring it. But he looks fantastic now. And City are a funny one, aren't they? even in the Newcastle game. They gave up a lot of chances and if Newcastle had been a bit more clinical, that scoreline would have been a bit closer. So it does seem to me that Liverpool feel like favourites in this one. Yeah, on the mention of that game when Liverpool beat Newcastle, was it 4-1 in the end? Yeah, because the first half was Gordon scores first and then Liverpool just kind of, it felt, not last season, but it felt like, hang on, we're the big boys here, which is nonsense.

19:42I'm not having any of this now. And they went about their business and scored some goals. You mentioned, obviously, first, you know, playing very well and so on. And it felt like, oh, right, are they quietly back at the races here? Do you know what I mean? Or certainly they're improved. It was a performance that maybe went slightly under the radar with one or two people, perhaps myself included, because it just, you saw Liverpool very comfortably being a patchy side, but albeit a decent side. Honestly, Marcus, I think they're abject at this moment in time. Newcastle. I think they're absolutely terrible.

20:11So you think it was, it's a combination of two? I think it was a team they should have been beating and quite honestly at that. Well, but to be fair to them, they did. So I take your points. I take your points there. You know, and I did wonder, okay, well, where does that leave Liverpool now? Because again, they hadn't won a game for a little while before that, of course. And then to kind of nonchalantly go through, okay, against the team, as Pete rightly says, they should be beating. And with Verts coming up, I mean, I thought, well, okay, what's going on here? Because they'd been labelled, or they were starting to get labelled very pedestrian and very poor by some of their own supporters, which is why he's talking about the style and saying that's very important.

20:48He's kind of trying to respond. But I thought they were decent in that second half against Newcastle. They made the most of a couple of pretty poor defensive mistakes, I think. But like Newcastle, sure, didn't that Man City match. You've got to take your chances. And when you've got players like Eketiki playing like that. Well, indeed, and my memory is slightly incorrect there because, of course, Eketiki scored in the first half, didn't he? And he got those two quick-fire goals proving what he's got and I think they have probably benefited with Isak not being in the team I know it's for reasons why we wouldn't wish upon any footballer of course being injured but he will be coming up against Uncle Mark at the weekend who is probably going to get a really interesting reception at Anfield he'll either be completely ignored or there'll be some boos I'd imagine it's hard to call that one isn't it that'd be a weird one wouldn't it but Liverpool of course they've got Jeremy Jacquet so maybe they won't be too it's actually pronounced Jeremy Jacquet of course it is by Luddites Jim but Mark Gay obviously I think that will be forgotten because Jacques A is in there and interestingly obviously they paid 60 million pounds for a very young defender from Rennes one of those that's a very modern transfer an enormous amount of money for someone who let's be honest a lot of people in this country won't have heard of doesn't mean to say of course he's got bags of potential doesn't mean to say he's not a good player now but you go flip her neck to the point that former France international Christophe Dugary labelled Liverpool suckers for spending that amount of money.

22:14Lovely to hear his name. Yeah, I thought so. It's nice to know that we're not the only country that has like surprising ex-pros just chipping off here and there. It's a little bit... You're not seeing Emmanuel Petit. I'm assuming he does it in France as well, is he? It's a bit rummating at talking about... Yeah, Walter Marder. Yeah, absolutely. Ah! Eee! But this is the... How much? Yeah, but this is the resentment, I think, due to the finances and the financial power that the Premier League has. Yeah. As I say, I don't know if they still do, probably do. I think it was in Germany, perhaps other parts of Europe, where they would refer to it as stupid English money.

22:47You'd be like, you want to pay 60 million for this teenager? Yes, he's a good player, but yeah, go on then, you have him. So I think that's obviously going to happen. The Premier League is almost like the de facto Super League in terms of money. Yeah, it's not on Jeremy Jacket. JJ. Yeah, it's not on Double J to pick his... JJ72, the indie band from the noughties. It's not on them What Pete said Certainly not To You know Dictate their own transfer But which indie band Would you blame it on Kaiser Chiefs No No I feel like they haven't been When was the last time They were relevant The Kaiser Chiefs No I don't mean that I don't mean that That sounded dismissive I mean in terms of like Are they still active Didn't the lead singer Slipknot really surprisingly Say that their debut album Was his favourite album That's an astonishing That is Very surprising Very surprising He's wearing a mask though Doesn't he He can say anything Yeah Did Christoph Dugary call him a sucker for such a comment?

23:41I don't know. But it is, though. Again, I do wonder when this Premier League bubble will burst. Didn't Crystal Palace spend more than La Liga this January? No, but this is what I mean. That's not a bad shout, is it? It is insane. Again, Liverpool have the money. And if you have the money and you desperately need a defender, and this guy's being tipped for great things, then I understand how it works. It's not, you know, I'm not calling Liverpool suckers, for example. no I'll leave that to Mr. Dugary this is just the market isn't it but that is it not unusual this type of transfer now it's a stranger one especially when Man City who let's be honest have played it very well with Mark Gay for 20 million I understand the very different circumstances I get that and his wages are enormous as well of course they are indeed that's why a lot of teams can't buy these players because the wages are just too big well but you I mean you even have that that dynamic in the Premier League I mean you know people have criticised Newcastle United.

24:37No, but that's what I mean. Newcastle can't spend more than like 150k on a weekly output. But we saw that in the summer with Manchester United when Newcastle were in for... Yeah, people would rather go to Manchester United or Liverpool. Perhaps they say for oh, but my dad was a Man United fan and all that sort of stuff. It might well have been. But they're also going to pay 50 to 100 grand a week more. Yeah. And that's why they go there. And so, you know, won't someone think of the other teams in the Premier League? It was always my old man's dream for me to earn 200 grand a week. The other thing to say about the Diggory quote is that the game has changed so much anyway that even the kind of, not necessarily the small print, but the admin side of this transfer is unique, would be completely alien to Diggory.

25:20The fact that A, it's that much money, and B, he's only joining them in the summer. They've just got it sorted now in case they'd have to pay more in a few months' time. That is not completely, but nowadays largely down to the Premier League, the way they do transfer dealings. Yeah, yeah, but what I'm saying is he's probably woken up, seen it and been like, that's crazy. He's like, well, it happens, mate. Just sit down. Okay. How dare you? How dare you? Yeah, you know what? How dare you, Christoph? Yeah. Who do you think you are? Yeah. Former Birmingham City player. Yeah. World Cup winner, to be fair.

25:52To be very fair. Yeah. I think we've been fair enough. Well, anyway, Liverpool versus Man City, an intriguing one for all the reasons that you said. I have a feeling that this could be, I think both managers aware that they're leaking goals and this will be a tight affair I hope not no I think it's going to go the other way well I hope so that seems to be where the smart thing would be but I just have that little feeling of took me through this other way yeah go on convince me convince me so it's at Anfield obviously and the motivation for Liverpool at this point is not just Champions League but also style yeah style doing things with a level of panache and also they're the only team in the last eight years to stop Man City winning the league and they have a chance to play their part in making that three out of nine seasons now and that I think is a good enough motivation to actually flex a bit more than they normally would and not necessarily approach this in a kind of right in a you know a chess match kind of way but actually like they're there to be got out we've seen it Spurs got at them last week let's just do them and just before they head out and tap the sign on their way out Slott will shout do it for Arsenal yeah but basically but it won't it won't be to do it for Arsenal I understand the point it would be to get another one over City yeah and to make their own point and it's very interesting that Slott made those comments about style ahead of this game actually isn't it yes perhaps it's just coincidence perhaps it was just it's responding to what the fact I think it's been that has been bubbling up and it's become at such a level I think he feels like he has to say something and I suppose after the Newcastle performance he can go there you go we've still got this in us you can expect to expect this don't worry I should shut you up for the rest of the season I know it's like a tiny sample size and one of the games was against Carabao but what is it like 10 goals in their last two games so the forward players are going to be feeling themselves a bit and as I say with Man City they will give up chances they will they absolutely will before we move on from Man City and Mark Gay we've seen the EFL will not change its rules to allow Mark Gay to play for Man City in the Carabao Cup final you can't change it mid-season can you no you can't I mean I think the rules are a bit crap I agree actually I think if they did change it I mean yeah they can't just go yeah alright because a club asked them to change it halfway through the season to benefit them and to be fair I don't know what world Carabao think they're in but like nobody is buying players to win the Carabao Cup I don't oh you didn't say that last season did you I don't think Man City are lobbying Carabao to change the rules.

28:29Although I wouldn't mind if actually they gave, if they just let Carabao set the parameters of the game. at us about charges. If they wrote the letter to Carabao, Carabao would be duty bound to go, yeah, yeah, it's fine, play them. Or, in Man City fashion, should they play gay and then say, well, actually, we know what we did, but the rules are rubbish. Yeah. We're going to take you on the rules. Add it to the file, mate. Add it to the file. Don't worry about it. Also, I think the EFL should let gay play in the carabal cup just so we can get in hollaway's reaction now you're talking now you are talking it's wrong okay now it's disgusting elsewhere in the talk maybe they could play gay for the rest of the campaign by kissing each other very good peter also don't say that no i have to it's pizza thank you we got away with it pep quite all who would say i ha ha one over on the authorities once again smooch smooch smooch smooch smooch smooch it's Pete's Friday as well I'm duty bound to say elsewhere in the title race Arsenal host Sunderland at 3pm on Saturday Jim Campbell will the nerves be jingle jangling jingle jangle jewellerying yeah wow you have lost your train of thought sunshine I went too far there I don't know how I've done that went too far there Sunderland yes without Granit Xhaka though yeah Granit Xhaka's not playing big big loss for them so you can't boo him again

29:58Oh, that would be so good. You traitor! Yeah, he might be in the stands anyway. That would be funny. Was a West Ham fan not having a go at him in the stands? Yeah, they were. Yeah, well Jim, come on. That was actually our George. It was our George. Yes, I mean actually the West Ham performance was very interesting without him, because they look very different without him, don't they? He sort of sets the tone, sets the tempo. He's a real, real leader. I imagine that will be the intention. Yeah, you say that like no one will have thought of that. I imagine that's what they'll set out to do. It'll be very difficult, though.

30:32They were brilliant at the Stadium of Light earlier on in the season. Two-all draw. Dan Ballard was fantastic. So it's an interesting one, that. Make sure you don't start doing your warm-up in their half. Well, I won't be allowed on the pitch. That's been made very clear to me. Artel loves an encroached, doesn't he? He's always out of his technical game. That's true. Where do you do your warm-up, Jim? Three matches? Is it in the box? I haven't done a warm-up for any reason for about a month. So I'll get back to you. Okay, I thought you were looking a little bit stiff. Well, Liam Rosinia has doubled down on his unhappiness about Arsenal staff entering the Chelsea half ahead of their Carabao Cup game on Tuesday.

31:12He was talking about respect. He said, I didn't think that respect was shown to my team. He wasn't doing it for a bit of show and a bit of, I don't know, Is that why he waited till the cameras were there? Did it right down the camera. Where's the red light? There it is. So I think Arsenal, we've got to be careful, Jim, because they are showing disrespect to teams and we don't like to see that. Do you think that this kind of, the new, I know you don't get new manager bouncers in the Premier League anymore, but I feel that... Man United seem to. Well, I feel like Liam Rossini seem to have a squad of players who kind of wanted to play for their places a little bit and I feel like that's starting to go on the way a little bit do you think so I think he's done alright their delivery I know they were close to taking extra time and stuff but some of their ball deliveries was absolutely horrific but that particular tactic in that particular match second leg and so there's a lot of context there three wins on the bounce in the Premier League I think he's won every game other than those two games against Arsenal so you've got given credit for that Napoli was poor at the start but they won the game Scott McTominay's Napoli you're talking about Sorry Nathan Jones' Charlton Athletic Which is a big task Yeah Just What are you saying Just how are you going to Concentrate in the dugout With him next year What do you mean With Nathan Jones next year That's a big challenge Just play your mindfulness tips Really hard I bet he's blastered them Out at the moment Just to keep This kind of new manager bounce Well no just to the players Go get your mindfulness tips Well let's hope Let's hope for Paul Merson's sake That Chelsea are a bit more Attacking on the weekend because he was particularly unhappy.

32:51I think he kind of led the charge, really, didn't he, with a lot of that disgust. But they've got Wolves away on Saturday, 3 p.m., so a chance for them, of course. Now, on Wednesday, we did discuss the fact, or Jim actually brought it to my attention, that Paul Merson was or is indeed a Chelsea fan. I didn't know that. Yeah, when I heard that, I had to double take. Well, to the point of I think Jim's actually lying. But Merson was recently discussing his playing career and spoke about one of the most difficult players he ever played against, a midfielder called Charlie Oatway. And this brought to light that Oatway's full name is actually Anthony, Philip, David, Terry, Frank, Donald, Stanley, Jerry, Gordon, Stephen, James, Oatway.

33:28The explanation for this, genuinely, that's the truth. I'm not taking the piss there. The explanation is that his parents, QPR fans, decided to give their son the names of the 1972-73 promotion-winning QPR team. Charlie's not even in there. if that's your name how long do you think it takes you to learn it and do you sort of put it so far out of your mind that like if you were to say to him what's your full name go would he get it right every time or would you just be like they've given me a stupid name I'm not going to use that I think nowadays you would get it right he's had enough time yeah my daughter's out giving Donaldson a short shrift at the most moment in time cannot get it what's she saying instead she's saying champion which is her second name to be fair champion is a good name That's why it's the surname.

34:13It's good. That's why it's the surname. I remember being very aware when I could finally spell my name. Right, yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember being old enough to be like, oh, I've got it now. Nice, nice. And by the way, the reason for, I should have said, the reason for him being called Charlie Oakway, and obviously Charlie's not actually in there, as you mentioned, it's when his parents told his aunt the proposed name, she said he'd look a right Charlie in that name. So inadvertently, the aunt... Oh, that's good. We should jot that down as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Innoverently, the aunt gave him another name.

34:44Brilliant. That's lovely. That's amazing. Yeah, you see. Are you a no-middle-named man like me, Vish? Yeah. Yeah. I think my name and surname are long enough. I wondered if I had a middle name and they just broke off and joined the other two. I mean, we know that Pete's middle name should be Diggory. Diggory, yeah. But it is Diggory, isn't it? Well, we're trying to lobby for that. Trying to lobby for the government. Pete's full name is Pete, Peter Diggory Donaldson Donaldson. it's Pete tough on the causes of Pete Donaldson there you are Vish we're going to go for a quick break and in that time in that time I want you to think of a middle name for yourself that you'd like ok see you in a moment

35:31welcome back to the football ramble I'm joined with Jim Edward Campbell Pete Diggory Donaldson me Marcus Christopher Speller and Petitian Basil Ahantarajan Basil Nice There's a former Domestic cricketer Who Is called Basil Akram Right I like that I really like that Nice combination Well done You did well there Coming up with that In a matter of seconds Now we've got a Friday night treat Leeds versus Nottingham Forest It's 16th Versus 17th Both sides Have 26 points Pete Donovan It is a huge one Down Towards the bottom Of the Premier League table it's Farker versus Deitch Deitchy it's a lot of hair versus no hair it's hair versus no hair yeah at match which is important which normally comes out on top well I think in this case it's going to be Leeds because they they know how to ruffle a few feathers at home and hair you reckon that's interesting yeah I think so so you're going for the hair yeah I'm going for the hair Vish seems surprised at that yeah I think this is I think we're being spoiled on Friday night with this game I think so I feel like it feels cruel to watch for it to be under lights and given what's at stake but I mean I will be watching it and I will be enjoying it when you say they should do it privately to save everyone's budget it feels like dirty laundry being aired doesn't it is that what the 3pm kickoffs are for yeah just do it on a weekend do you feel that maybe a lot of people sporters of both sides don't know about this fixture they'll wake up on Saturday going can't wait for the match secret fixture what are you getting at here I don't know I love that yesterday Yesterday.

37:07What was up there? A bit like Six Nations kicking off last night, apparently. Oh, yeah. Who gives a shit? It was rugby. Good luck to them. Yeah. But the, just, there's something about this game and I think it's the fact that they're not in the relegation zone. They're just outside it. And it's the, it's that awkwardness of like, you know, you'd see it in like a, maybe in a zombie film where everyone's running away and it's basically, you know, every man and woman for themselves. Yeah. They're kind of like stepping over each other to get to safety. They're fighting on a bridge. Yeah. And they get tossed off.

37:41Well, different kind of show. Yeah, I was going to say, Peter. But there's something about this that feels like you just feel bad for the team that end up losing. Well, we were saying this last week, although very much in the case of, you know, West Ham away to Chelsea. We were saying, you know, after the weekend, it's possible. Well, this is much more possible that West Ham could claw a bit of ground back. Yeah, yeah. Because they are away to Burnley and West Ham are a better side than Burnley as the league table shows they're a place above them I've placed an importantly five points which tells the story better than that but Leeds and Forrest are playing each other so one of those sides will not be getting three points so you know you do the maths and it's a big weekend down there it really is I can't remember that time Leeds didn't score in a match they seemed to sort of get at least once it's either Leeds win the last game well alright I can't remember that far I was in Barcelona I'm on holiday.

38:35But before that, it's been pretty regular eating for them that they've managed to score in a match. So I think they'll be all right. In December and January, Leeds were excellent. And obviously, we've spoken a lot about Daniel Farker making that formation change. And it seems to have really reset them into a different team. But Forrest themselves are unbeaten in four. They've won two games in there. So actually, both teams' form going into this is pretty good. and again, to me, that adds fuel to the barn fire that I think is going to happen. This feels like it's going to be a really good end-to-end game with goals in it.

39:09And we have that feeling all the time and it doesn't materialise, but I'm ready to get hurt again. Well, yeah, I think you are going to have to get hurt again. I mean, saying that there's going to be a lot of goals in a Nottingham Forest game this season. Yeah, fair. Fair. Yeah, I'm not sure. Will we see the new man, Lorenzo Luca, play on loan from Napoli? perhaps maybe he'll feature I don't know have you seen gentlemen that a Leeds United fan it's quite a sad story to begin with at least a Leeds fan recently lost an eye due to cancer but he got his eye replaced with a prosthetic eye that instead of a pupil has the old Leeds United badge on it yeah it looks amazing he kind of on one hand looks terrifying but I like the fact that there's something like quite sad and obviously quite like horrible that's happened to him.

39:58He's kind of like, do you know what? I'm going to bloody well own it. I'm going to own this, yeah. What I find problematic is that they've still gone and put the eye vins on the white of the eye. Is that like a common thing with glass eyes? I'm not familiar with them. Maybe they come and then you can just put the pupil that you want on top, but I just think that the... We know it's not an eye because you've put a Leeds logo in it. Could be a contact lens. I guess it could be, yeah. Can you get sort of... Oh, I guess you could. Can you... The fella in It was Joe Pesci In Moonwalker He had Didn't he have like Little art Little face Little face Little face Little face Little face Yeah I was surprised at that I think he might be right there Yeah I think he did have Contact lenses A guy at my school He wore fake Coloured contacts Oh did he Right Okay nice Growing up We were like He was a good looking guy He had amazing green eyes And turns out they were contacts Was he looks maxing He was Pretty much Pretty early looks max I think he was aura farming Actually Yeah Did he think Horrifying.

40:57Have you seen those guys that have their eyes tattooed and stuff? Yeah. And they always come out and their eyes are as pink as fuck and they're going, I can't believe how beautiful I look. It's like, you look horrific, man. Yeah. Linford Christie had Puma contact lenses once. Oh. Yeah. Do you remember that? I say once, you could have had them a load of times. I don't remember that. Yeah, with the Puma logo. Yeah. I don't know if it said Puma or it had the... I think it was just the... Was it the Puma itself? It had the big cat on it. Yeah He did didn't he Yeah yeah yeah With the Yeah with the Puma dog On the On the Puma dog They look crazy Mr.

41:34Puma The Puma mascot Are you Do you wear contact lenses Ever Pete I've Occasionally wear them I'm wondering if I could Just have anything on them Well you could have This feels like a missed opportunity Well a little Little sort of sponsorship You could be branded I could be Have a Bottoman's Logo Oh yeah That'd be cool That'd put the Puma Among the pigeons Wouldn't it Would you not Why don't you have little gyms on yours? Yeah, I mean, look at that. This is what I'm... Oh, you're just peering out like in a fisheye lens. Yes. This is my true personality. That's very Wes Anderson. Yeah. I like that.

42:06Or a little person, a little unidentified person on one, and the other one made up like a speech bubble that says, help, I am trapped in gym. There you go. That'd be nice. That'd be very nice. Or when you get little Premier League titles. You'd think that, like, Linford Christie would put, like, the word run faster in backwards. Well, he can't see it. To motivate himself in the mirror. Exactly. Because otherwise he'd forget what he was doing. Where am I going again? Where am I going again? Do I need to go this quickly? You'd think he would do that, wouldn't you? Now, on Sunday at 2pm, Brighton versus Crystal Palace.

42:41It's the strange derby. Do not text you to ephedrine. It goes, as a rule, it goes into the Super Sunday pot, doesn't it? It does. Could Jorgen Strand Strand Larson make his Crystal Palace debut. I think he'll have to, won't he? He's the only one with knees, isn't he? Yeah, well, Mateta, of course, is injured, and so is Eddie Nketiah. I do fancy this Larson move. I really do. But I wish it had come at a better time for Crystal Palace, to be honest. I think his sort of link-up play is a little bit better than Mateta, and he's got that lovely sort of Ben Teke-ness about him. I'm glad you're being...

43:12I just want it to work for Strand Larson. I'm glad you're being positive, because there was a little bit of a downbeat vibe about it the other day. It's a lot of money though, isn't it? A player who scored one goal this week. I think everything you said the other day was perfectly reasonable and actually quite measured. One goal, as you said, hasn't been playing for the worst team in the league, will naturally be a bit rusty. I think that's all totally justified. They are basically bank on the fact that they've signed 24, 25. And I don't think that's unreasonable because there's been very little of 25, 26 for him.

43:50so I agree with Pete I like the Benteke comparison in terms of someone who like actually works quite hard and is I think his approach play is better than people give him credit for but it's just not like when Wolves are doing well he's the least flashiest of all the flash bits that they have he's also a useful X factor in a game like this because neither team's in great form so a derby's actually ideal for both depending on whether you win it or not because it can be something that can give you a real sort of adrenaline shot Brighton have only won one of their last five matches against Crystal Palace.

44:23But Palace haven't won a game since the 11th of December. That is damning, isn't it? They have to turn that around at some point. They just have. I mean, they do because they can't rely on simply being nine points above West Ham. Most teams can. Well, as I said that... Can you rely on that? It's not a dreadful card to play. No, I think with... Leeds and Forrest are three points behind them. Okay. Leeds and Forrest will get more than, you know, 30-odd points or whatever you would think this season. West Ham, you know, we shall see. But West Ham have improved the last few games. I know it was a disappointing loss ultimately to Chelsea, but especially in that first half, they showed a bit more something.

45:09Palace, they are sliders in free fall. They are in, yeah. Would you go as far as to say free fall, Jim? I think so. I mean they've not won a game since the 11th of December as you say and when you look at how well they started the season and all the positivity around them we were all enjoying them being in a quite high position in the table I do think that's a reasonable word to use to be honest and I think that's probably why they went in for Stran Larsson because we've got to just try and do something and clearly a few clubs thought that you know he's a striker that is you know an oven ready Premier League striker Newcastle Newcastle in the summer they were but there's no number 9s out there there's very few it's a premium yeah proper number nine so I understand why yes the price is a little bit inflated it's the Premier League it's this point of the season if Wolves weren't doomed for relegation they wouldn't be selling them I wouldn't have thought that's why they didn't sell them to Newcastle at the start of the season because that would have been a stark admission of yeah we're going down you can't do that in bloody you know not after losing the players they'd already lost exactly it's a championship war chest well it is with the parachute payments they'll be quids in they'll be able to sign a load of mercenaries for enormous fees and wages whether that will work or not but yeah I think he probably will start the game he might just chuck him straight in there he's going to have to isn't he yeah they don't seem to have anybody else my goodness now James Milner could equal Gareth Barry's record for the most number of Premier League appearances if he plays against Crystal Palace Barry is on 653 Premier League appearances no prizes for guessing what James Milner's on that is astonishing though isn't it the longevity that man's had still knocking around it's amazing especially because he came through so young I mean obviously you have to come through young to rack up this amount of performances but you know it's astonishing that he's still able to play when there's that much football in his legs he's got he's an absolute genetic power I do get the sense that they're sort of King Kazoo-ing it a little bit it's a bit of a side show and it's a bit of a like look where he ended up and look where he you know Brighton are just bringing him on for five minutes one minute nine minutes seven minutes One minute is a joke.

47:13Ten minutes. Those are his last four appearances. He's had three minutes against Liverpool, two minutes against Fulham at the start of the season. So essentially... It feels like they are trying to game it. So Brighton are, for some reason, just essentially trying to take Gareth Barry's record away. Yeah. There's no gaining it for them. What has Gareth Barry done to Brighton to create this? Who knows, gentlemen? Who knows? We can't speculate on that now. What we can say, though, is that this afternoon, it's Jack's Encyclopedia. it's me versus Jim versus Vish Vish unified the belts after winning Jack's Encyclopedia last week but the Jack's Encyclopedia title will be on offer this afternoon Vish is putting the belt on the line and all that will be available to listen to later today so make sure to subscribe to the Football Ramble in your podcast app so that you do not miss it it's going to be a big one thanks very much for listening to the Football Ramble part of the Acast Creator Network lovely to have you with us do join us for Jack's Encyclopedia later until then thanks Jim thank you thanks Vish thank you thanks Petey Goodbye, everyone.

48:11Enjoy your weekend. And thank you, James Builder.