The Preview Show: Seven lumps of baklava

0:00Jim Campbell: I tell myself, it's not about comparing. But then I start wondering, what can they lift? Are they adding more weight to their barbell than I am? And suddenly, I'm not training. Then I realize, my journey is not theirs. I've earned every step. So I smile. My smile is the shape resilience takes to keep me moving. To put more smiles out into the world, Colgate has supported female athletes for over 50 years with the Colgate Women's Games, the nation's longest-running indoor track and field series for girls and women. Colgate your smile is your strength Hi this is Ben Green from the Athletic FC the podcast you're about to listen to is brought to you by Hotels.com as a Hotels.com member you save up to 20 % on hundreds of thousands of hotels and earn rewards on every single stay which means the trips you're taking now help pay for the ones you're already dreaming about and unlike some other places there are no blackout dates so when you want to travel your rewards are ready to go so the next time you're planning a work trip or a getaway make sure to book it at Hotels.com and start earning rewards.

0:59Hotels.com, it's all in the name.

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3:28This is a new way to run IT. We guarantee you'll automate 50 % of all tickets and we'll prove it to you in a free four-week pilot. Go to serval.com slash ACAST. That's S-E-R-V-A-L dot com slash ACAST.

4:16Pete Donaldson: The Football Ramble Preview Show It's Water Friday. It's a beautiful day in the kingdom. The England squad is out and about, and it's the last weekend of the Premier League. But, Jim, Arsenal are still champions. Exactly. Can't take it away from them. No, not yet. No. Going to have to wrestle that away

4:31Jim Campbell: over a series of 38 games next season.

4:33Marcus Speller: Are you still celebrating? Yeah.

4:36Pete Donaldson: I'm not champions now. Come on. Surely you should just let Aston Villa have their time now.

4:40Jim Campbell: They won their league. Or Palace next week. Actually, Aston Villa might be responsible for Spurs staying up, So let's hold fire on them. Oh. And the knives are out already.

4:51Marcus Speller: They'll have the Europa League taken off them. Yeah.

4:54Jim Campbell: No, they've earned that fair and square. Congratulations. That was amazing. That's the Villa. Not Spurs. Not Spurs. Okay.

5:02Pete Donaldson: Vish, good to have you here. Cheers. All right. You said that like there was a doubt or something. It was here yesterday. You won. Yeah. How rude. Okay. Well, I just want to know what Vish thinks of this. It's less than a month until the start of the World Cup.

5:16Marcus Speller: Yeah. What do you feel about that, calendar boy? What in the eye for... We all knew it was coming. And we were all excited about it. Afraid you might double book something.

5:30Pete Donaldson: Well, of course, it means... Well, I've seen the squad fucking... No, you haven't. It's not official at the time of recording, but it will have been for people listening to this, but not true. Download the app and see it in real time.

5:40Marcus Speller: Right. Embarrassing. Yeah, you got done with the FA app, don't you? What?

5:44Pete Donaldson: Gentlemen, what it actually means, if you can all shut up, right? Honestly, don't come to our World Cup parties. It is officially time to start catching World Cup fever. All right? I know Ivan Tony's got it. If you're not excited yet, don't worry. I have, and we have, the perfect thing for you. You can watch every single one of England's World Cup group games with us. We're throwing three massive World Cup parties at 40 Foot Brewery in North London. Tickets are available right now. The first one, I believe, is sold out, though. So the second two are selling fast. That's Ghana and Panama. We beat Panama last time at the World Cup 6-1.

6:21Pete Donaldson: Jesse Lingard scored. Okay, we can't promise he will score again. We can't promise six goals. But I'm promising you a victory right now. Yeah, take that to the bank. Because you have got World Cup fever. And actually the only way you can get World Cup fever is by being bitten by Marcus. You're a super spreader of World Cup fever. I'm not going to bite you. Kiss you. Give you a friendly lick. Friendly lick. Okay, fine. So hit the link in the show notes and grab your ticket before it's too late. Use the link to get a lick. And there's a kiss from Peter. I've now got World Cup fever. On the hand.

6:55Pete Donaldson: My damn. What is going on today, by the way? I don't know. There's a lot of physical contact. I fear it's coming down this end of the table. Don't want to be here now, do you?

7:04Marcus Speller: Well, I had genuinely a really good view of him kissing your hand. Yeah, yeah. It's thrown me a little bit.

7:09Pete Donaldson: Regal. Do you know what? I'm going to give you an early bit of credit here, Peter. we put our we're going to talk about England squad in another show I'm not going to be on the show so I'm going to try and litter this show with my opinions on the England squad England spoilers but we did put out our England squads on social media and there was one player I bottled and I thought I can't put him in and it was Ivan Tony but you put him in I just think he offers something a bit more cany Spurs could do with him Spurs could do with him there was talk of him going there in January he didn't go and now look at them they're in a relegation battle as I said as I said on the WhatsApp, semi-final, last 10 minutes, big Dan Byrne, big Ivan Toney, big Harry Kane, up there for a corner.

7:50Love it.

7:50Pete Donaldson: Okay. Little Jordan Pickford. But what about Spurs? Right. What about Spurs? Yeah. They're in trouble, Marcus. The Optus supercomputer makes West Ham heavy favourites to go down at 85.5%. Now, you are a man of the computer. Not the supercomputer, though. How much? I've got a Radian 4090 in my PC. Is that Amiga, Rajasen? I assume it's like Intel inside. It's a competitive... It's an Intel Celeron. Can you play Pong on it? It's a very competitively priced graphics card. Does it do email? That's about as super as I get. In the computer pyramid, you've got, you know... I'm chatting in ship. How many...

8:29Pete Donaldson: I'm chatting in ship, yeah. Right, okay. I like that. Well, West Ham, yeah, therefore, I've only got a 14.5 % chance of survival. That's how percentages work. it's all to play for in the last day of course though that Spurs since they failed to beat or get a point Chelsea they host Everton though and they will guarantee their survival with a win a draw I mean we might as well say that as well because of the goal difference it would be unthinkable for that amount of swingage but Spurs let's be honest here Jim Campbell North London forever and all that but my goodness, there is a chance that you don't have the derby next season.

9:11Jim Campbell: There is a chance of that, yeah. I mean, I think the positive for Spurs here is that Everton's form is sort of quietly, quite bad. They're 18th in the form table and the form table does not lie. They're getting a bit of a habit of like concealing really late on. Yeah, it's very much the chance of the third coming of David Moyes for West Ham here, isn't it? The ferryman. this is big big ferryman behaviour to influence teams that aren't even involved in the games he's playing so yeah I mean Spurs are obviously the favourites here because West Ham also have to do a job and West Ham also look very kind of bereft of confidence at the moment and I think that draw against City was quite impressive from Everton we obviously know now that Man City are milk toasted bottle jobs and etc etc but it's still very impressive so So there is something there.

10:03Jim Campbell: And I think that what will be the most fascinating thing about both of these games, actually, that Spurs-Everton and West Ham leaders will come on to is the atmosphere of both of them. Because obviously the teams who are in trouble are both at home. They are both in situations where their home crowds can be quite anxious, very, very understandably. So the first goal in either venue is going to have a massive psychological impact on both of those games. It's obviously going to spread around the crowd at the other game. So I guess it's about how those energies are channeled. Because sometimes we've seen, particularly with Spurs this season at home, if they go a goal behind, it becomes very, very fatalistic and very, very angry, very vocal.

10:44Jim Campbell: I think in a game like this, when the stakes are this high, surely you can't be like that. Surely you just throw everything you have behind the team out of instinct more than anything. And that will probably apply to West Ham too. So this is mad. I expect it will be sort of topsy-turvy as well in terms of... These last day kind of relegation fights often go that way, don't they, where it's like, you know, it swings quite dramatically a lot. Yes, you're right. Can I interest anyone in Jack Grealish and John Pickford leaving a strip club at 4am in the week? So that's their preparations for it. Sorry, mate, is this a prediction or some news?

11:17No, it's actually a cart in a long lens. I assume John Pickford had to leave because he couldn't sit on his own hands.

11:25Marcus Speller: Every time he was a pro, he's like, away, come on, switch on!

11:29Pete Donaldson: Kicking his water bottle. across the club. Did Pickford go in the club to get Jack Grealish out of the club? Maybe, yeah, a little rescue mission.

11:37Marcus Speller: Send the sensible one to get Jack Grealish out.

11:40Pete Donaldson: You peek into the strip club, everyone's raving as soon as he went in there. With the possible relegation, do you think that a sharp, sharp shock of relegation serves Spurs more than it does West Ham? No. Would it not be helpful to Spurs and Spurs fans in general? No, I don't. Just sort of peer into the abyss? I don't think I've heard one. They'll kick up 100 points in the championship. I don't think, Peter, that it serves Spurs at all if they get relegated. I think it's an absolute disaster. Ask not what you can do for relegation, ask what relegation can do to you. Yeah, no, as someone famously didn't say.

12:15Pete Donaldson: I think, though, with your point, I think you do hear a few West Ham fans say, I stress only a few, I don't think anybody relishes relegation, for crying out loud, but there is a little bit of an attitude of, it's so incompetent at the board, it's a load of bollocks, you know, actually go down and almost like have that reset, if you see what I mean. But a lot of these fans have experience of having gone down and then coming back up. Tottenham Hotspur have not been relegated from the top flights since 1977. They've never been relegated since the Premier League began.

12:46Jim Campbell: Yeah.

12:47Pete Donaldson: I think it's... Unknown territory. Totally. I would fancy them to come straight back up. There is no guarantee of that. But I think in just... I think the sheer weight of embarrassment of it for Tottenham Hotspur.

13:00Jim Campbell: Every game would be an event. Yeah. Like an event of mockery.

13:04Pete Donaldson: Totally. I think it would be really, really bad.

13:06Marcus Speller: Even the badges would look funny, wouldn't they? Yeah. The NFL badges.

13:10Pete Donaldson: Oh, I thought you meant the cock. It might go a bit droopy. Yeah, they deflate the basketball. Yeah. Exactly. I just, I think with Spurs, maybe there is one or two, or there are one or two Spurs fans out there who this idea of going down and reset and teach the board a lesson or whatever it may be. I'm not supposed to be anybody. I've not seen that. So forgive me if there is a noise about that. I think, though, that that is just sheer acceptance of a situation when fans say that because I don't think anybody really... I think it's very rare for anybody to truly think that relegation can be a good thing.

13:46Jim Campbell: No. I think Spurs are going to get this done. I think Spurs will be fine. I agree. Have you been looking at your supercomputer again?

13:54Pete Donaldson: but the fact Everton I mean what really goes in Spurs' favour is the fact that Everton have really botched this at the end of the season in terms of European places yeah they were almost there weren't they they've just fallen off they're three points off eighth and that will be a European position and Moyes that is explaining best as well indeed but in the last six games three draws is what they picked up and their away form

14:18Jim Campbell: was very very good wasn't it

14:20Pete Donaldson: and that kind of

14:20Jim Campbell: wobbled a bit

14:21Pete Donaldson: but every team above them have picked up a win or two here and there in their last six games, obviously to a point, then you get a lot more wins. So they really have done that. And so they've got, I mean, again, you're not going to get a nine goal swing between them and Chelsea and a goal swing with Brentford and a load of other results going your way. Everton are not going to get European football. It would be a miracle if they do. So that does go in Spurs' favour. And just a point, really, is what they need. It would be fascinating, Jim, if we have a situation where West Ham go 1-0 up and Spurs go 1-0 down, do the nerves filter through?

14:58Pete Donaldson: That's where the crowd really, they need to roar them over the line. But one man we know who's not going to be in attendance, which is Christian Romero, the club captain. I mean, is he injured? We know he's injured. He's injured, yeah. Because he's up the season.

15:11Marcus Speller: Is he going to be watching at home in England? Oh, I wouldn't advise him. No. He's doing the right thing. He's seen how bad it is. He doesn't need to, you know, he can save himself this last final embarrassment, even if it goes well. Yeah. It's astonishing, isn't it?

15:24Pete Donaldson: I mean, he's jetted off to Argentina in case anybody hasn't seen this. His boyhood club, Belgrano, or Belgrano, should I say, are in a massive championship decide against River Plate.

15:34Marcus Speller: So it is a big game, Vish. It is a big game. He's not going for a jolly up. He's probably going to keep his season ticket points up as well for the next season. But does it not just speak of the fact that regardless of whether Spurs go down or not, obviously going down is worse than staying up. but in staying up they don't just get a do-over next season a lot of their issues are going to exacerbate over the summer all the same players who will leave if they get relegated will want to get out of there one way or another before the start of next season the fact they have a manager in charge who will take who will see them through at least the start of next season is the only thing that they've done broadly well over the last three months instead of future in terms of future proofing themselves um the fact that their club captain someone who you know at the certainly at the start of ang postacoglu's reign was seen as someone who's being groomed for essentially club captaincy because of all the traits he had on the field but also his personality off it um as part of the leadership group that ang initially put in place the fact that it's gotten to a stage where something so historically bad could happen and his first thought essentially is, well, I won't be here, so he's not going to be by a problem.

16:52Marcus Speller: He's a stunning about turn.

16:54Jim Campbell: I think it's hugely disrespectful to the Tottenham fans for him to do that, regardless of him being injured or the pull of going to see Belgrano, because obviously that's a massive thing for him personally. But they have really, really suffered this season and he really takes a decent amount of blame for that and to not even show up for them, even if he intends to leave I don't think that sends a very good signal to any club that might be interested in signing him either I don't know why he's allowed to do it I don't know why

17:23Marcus Speller: it sounds like he hasn't really told anyone he was spotted in Tim Vickery's spot so Tim Vickery revealed it on TalkSport as if it was like understandable wasn't it yeah that's no critique of him because he was laughing at the absurdity of it but the TalkSport presenter was like so shocked I thought he was about to swear because it was just I think the way it was presented was not you know also just like how ludicrous it was but with a hint of well it is Christian Romero yes almost like of all the people we should expect this from it is Christian Romero I mean it's ridiculous

18:03Pete Donaldson: because whether he's been brilliant or bad or whatever this season he's contracted to Spurs any squad players they should all be there anyway he's in the long He's in the long squad for Argentina, though, for the World Cup. Is he? Maybe he's just trying to cement his place there. I mean, that's basically what he wants to be. Gentlemen, if I may stay with Spurs-y things for a moment. Harry Kane obviously won the top scorer award in the Bundesliga this season. I would have said golden boot, but he doesn't win a golden boot. He wins the Cannon Trophy. Much has been made about this because obviously it looks like something that an Arsenal fan would have on their desk.

18:42Pete Donaldson: A posh Arsenal fan would have on their desk. Just an Arsenal fan. Okay, fine. Yeah, as you say, Jimmy, it looks like the Arsenal cannon. It is the cannon trophy. It's quite an outlier. I don't know any other country that does this. It tends to be a boot or the golden shoe, something like that. Does anyone have a gun? Golden gun. The man with the golden gun. What do they have in the Greek league?

19:02Jim Campbell: Who knows? Yeah, that's a good point, actually. I don't know.

19:05Pete Donaldson: It's not as funny when he's winning things, though, is it? But if it's shaped like an Arsenal badge, then isn't that quite amusing?

19:12Marcus Speller: I mean, the quote is just so unnecessary. It is what it is. I can't change the trophy, so I have to take it. I respect it. But how far do you want to go with this? Are you playing red? Yeah. Is that what you're going to do? Yeah. Well, he's sort of like saying... You've got an Arsenal? Oh, no. What do you do now? But the way he said, you know, I can't change the trophy, so I have to take it. It's like, it sounds like he's tried to. Do you know what I mean? Submitted drawings. Yeah. For what he'd like as an award. Yeah, we've not seen what it looks like now.

19:41Jim Campbell: Maybe it's a bit melted. It's like, oh, they're going to have to make a new one of these. It's like I was sort of like beaming with his big fucking empty-headed smile and just the cannon. It is quite funny, isn't it? It is quite funny. And on the running order, it did say, of course it looks like a cannon. And I was like, of course. I don't remember it looking like a cannon. Andy Brassel wrote this.

20:00Pete Donaldson: Did he really? Andy Brassel wrote this. Oh, get him in here. Get him in his baklava in here. Or baklava, should I say. I had lots of baklava in Greece, Marcus. Did you? All-inclusive. We're doing some lovely baklava. I was averaging seven lumps a day. Okay. How many? Seven lumps. Did you bring any lumps back for me? I didn't know. I didn't know. Once again. Some of the best baklava I've eaten.

20:20Marcus Speller: I think lumps does it a disservice because it suggests all the pieces are different shapes. Different shapes. They're very uniform, aren't they? They're very precise, yeah. Once again. Don't do that again. Once again, you disappoint me. I just miss us recording in Finsbury Park. Oh, yeah. How much alumi? Sorry, very quickly. How much alumi? a normal amount to be honest a lot of like raw beef I was going to ask him sorry Marcus we're just moving on from that

20:41Jim Campbell: a normal amount but a lot of raw beef yeah a lot of raw beef yeah fine

20:45Pete Donaldson: I got long worms did you did you eat any chips when you were there didn't eat any chips didn't eat any chips alright fair enough right West Ham versus Leeds United is the other game of course West Ham have to beat Leeds to give themselves a chance Jared Bowen recently said in an interview that relegation worries were starting to creep in last season by glancing at the table. That's bad preparation for this season.

21:09Jim Campbell: Not a great interview to put out just before this game. No. He sort of like just, there was a lot of emotion spilling out when he was talking about this type of feeling and, you know, some of the seasons they've had previously also actually when you look at where they finished not actually being that good. It's like, Jared, no. The opposite. You've got to talk yourself up here. And also, this is a big opportunity. Now, a lot of people on the internet pretend that London is really divided. It's obviously not. in terms of football, this is a huge chance for it to really, really unite. Chelsea did their bit the other day.

21:41Jim Campbell: Now West Ham have to do their bit as best they can. This is massive. This is massive. We've all got a pull together on this. You wouldn't be in Argentina watching a match. You'd be there. Absolutely not. And think of Jason Cundey. Jason Cundey is close to a knighthood at this point. He really is.

21:59Marcus Speller: For services against Jamie O 'Hara.

22:06I'd give him everything for that

22:08Marcus Speller: You know like we said about Spurs and Romero Your point about the bone in this interview Is absolutely spot on I think we can also say the same thing about the West Ham stadium In that If Spurs and West Ham got to choose where they played This final game Both would choose away from home I was going to disagree with you a bit On Your call to action For Spurs fans to get behind the team I think both fan bases are past that now I wouldn't be surprised on you know whether it was in East London or North London if there is that whiff of fuck the other team you know West Ham or Spurs have scored and they haven't and it just totally punctures whatever enthusiasm they have even if it turns out to be a phantom goal because they're all just fearing the worst I just wonder if that would be

22:54Jim Campbell: different on the final day

22:56Pete Donaldson: I do as well Vish I totally get what you're saying but I think there is one final push here and I think that Spurs fans know that. And I just wonder with West Ham, with that loss at Stamford Bridge for Spurs, they've been given some kind of a lifeline. It's still unlikely the supercomputer doesn't lie, as we know. It guesses. Exactly. It makes a calculated guess, like we all do. But his brother on the supercomputer, too, can only tell lies.

23:22Marcus Speller: The supercomputer is actually like the little paperclip from... Is that what it is? You're getting relegated. Do you need some help?

23:32Pete Donaldson: Yeah, I think I think Jim's right I think certainly at the start there will be an enormous roar as the teams come out and the fans will be there but you know, pun intended you can burst those West Ham United bubbles and the Spurs one as well pretty quickly it can go the other way

23:51Marcus Speller: One thing I would say is West Ham's attacking players are in better form than Spurs attacking players I think Leeds because of where they are and certainly how they've been performing recently are going to give West Ham a game and they're going to give them an open game. And that's exactly what West Ham will need.

24:05Jim Campbell: Yeah, I think one of the worst things for West Ham is actually, are there any teams in the Premier League enjoying being in the Premier League as much as Leeds right now? Since they've kind of, you know, secured their safety, they're just loving it. And they're a very physical team. They're really enjoying life. And also, this is a rematch of that amazing FA Cup game when Leeds were 2-0 up and West Ham got two goals in added time. So actually, there's been a really entertaining ding-dong between these two at London Stadium already this season. So this could be kind of a dramatic one, really. I think a really important thing is that Jared Bowen needs a moment.

24:43Jim Campbell: His form has dipped. He's not scored, I think, since March. He needs a rest. And he's hit the woodwork probably 78 times since then. So just a little bit further inside. Do you know what, though?

24:54Pete Donaldson: It could really be an awful week for that man. It could have been a brilliant one. But, you know, again, at the time of recording, we are recording this before the squad has been officially announced all the reports are saying that he's not in the squad give him relegation as well what an absolute I mean I'm not being funny if Thomas Tuchel can't find a place for the third most prolific assist maker in the Premier League in the squad I don't know what this squad is and I'm sure you guys will come on and talk about it well it's leaking player by player isn't it at the moment it's very weird behind Bruno and Cherky he's the third most prolific well yeah I mean again according to some West Ham fans who watch him a lot more than me he's not been in brilliant form.

25:31Pete Donaldson: No, he's not. He's tired. I think he's tired. I think his head's been turned to possibly go somewhere else. Well, I mean, he'll definitely have suitors if they go down him. But yeah, as I say, it could be a really horrible week for that man in particular. But Jim, you mentioned the word dramatic. It could be full of drama on the last day. The only way it isn't is if Spurs, you know, take care of business. But that seems unlikely with what we've seen from them. this season. Anyway, we talked a little teensy bit about the England squad there, and if you're wondering where our reaction to Thomas Tuchel's England squad is, do not fret.

26:08Pete Donaldson: Head over to our YouTube channel now if you can't wait for our reaction, because it's right there waiting for you. Otherwise, it will be dropping in your podcast feed at 4pm today. Righty-ho, coming up after this, the race for Europe.

26:57We'll be right back. This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. This is Felix Salmon from Slate Money, and I'm here to tell you about Apple Card. Even as a seasoned traveler, things can still get stressful, which is why I use Apple Card on my international trips. And with 2 % daily cash back on every purchase with Apple Pay, I'm actually earning daily cash as I travel. Instead of coming home feeling like I've drained my bank account, I come back with cash back I can put toward my next trip. Apply in the wallet app on iPhone. Subject to credit approval, Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank, USA, Salt Lake City branch, terms and more at apple.co slash applecardbenefits.

27:59at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. I'm Jake Stouck, co-founder and CEO of Serval. We built Serval to automate the IT work that slows companies down. Onboarding, password resets, access to applications, my laptop stopped working. While employees wait for help, their real work is put on hold. IT desperately wants to automate this work, and that's why they need Serval. You just tell Serval what you want to automate in plain English, and it's built. No drag and drop workflows, no expensive consultants.

28:34Employees get unblocked, and IT teams go from drowning in tickets to building what actually matters. With Serval, IT becomes the AI engine powering the entire company. This is a new way to run IT. We guarantee you'll automate 50 % of all tickets, and we'll prove it to you in a free four-week pilot. Go to serval.com slash ACAST. That's S-E-R-V-A-L dot com slash ACAST.

29:12Jim Campbell: But Tottenham is the history of the Tottenham.

29:15Pete Donaldson: Welcome back to the Football Rumble, everybody. Mr. Chiellini there. Right, here we go. The race for Europe. Strap yourselves in. should Liverpool beat Brentford at Anfield and Villa lose at Manchester City Villa will finish in 5th place meaning the team that finishes 6th will also qualify for the Champions League right now that's Bournemouth bloody Bournemouth eh do you remember when they nearly well they didn't nearly qualify for the Champions League but was it it was last season when there was a period of the season maybe about halfway through and people were like bloody hell they could actually do it and there was a lot of chat about their little stadium and they're like haven't the first 4-0's got to be something about that or what they're going to and they were going to have to make a few adjustments and so on well I'll tell you what they should start doing those adjustments now because they are on for it well they're away aren't they so they can yes you can start this weekend

30:05Marcus Speller: I remember when when they were in that good run last season when as you say people were talking to them talking about them going into Europe and I remember thinking look if they are going to finally get over the line with this they need to get rid of their whole defence a couple of strikers. Semenyo, bit too flashy, get rid of him and then you'll be on to something. Yes, exactly. I think it'd be a great story. I think it'd be a real good measure. Well, I suppose a good test of their like backroom plans and I suppose their general administration, because obviously Andoni Iroel is going, they'll be like, obviously they'll keep hold of Kruppi because it feel like teams would want him to have another, at least half season in the Premier League.

30:53Pete Donaldson: Do you think Arsenal would wait that long?

30:55Marcus Speller: I wonder if...

30:57Jim Campbell: He's a very Arsenal player. The Premier League is so like hot on just getting players. Yeah, true.

31:03Marcus Speller: I just wondered if for the sake of robustness, just like give him another couple of months. Imagine Mad City in Arsenal.

31:11Pete Donaldson: Let's just wait off for another year. He's not quite done.

31:14Jim Campbell: Give him a bit longer.

31:16Marcus Speller: Should we take it out now? That was a bit doughy, but I'll still eat it. But yeah, like it's, I mean, as we've seen with, you know, Villa, Forest and even Palace next week, like new teams in Europe is always fun. Yeah. Especially if they're English teams. Yeah, probably. Yeah. Especially because they, whatever tournament they enter, they'll have so much more money than everyone else. Absolutely. Buy some of their players, bin some of their players, just smash them to bits.

31:45Pete Donaldson: Indeed, yeah. The pound is strong. We all know that. Of course, if Villa finish fifth and the sixth spot's opened up, then I should say that there's an extra Champions League spot, but one fewer place in the Europa League for English teams. Right, the trade-off. Which will be really good for non-English teams in the Europa League next season. I mean, again, you talked about it very eloquently, you boys yesterday on the pod with Villa beating Freiburg. But in particular, the Europa Conference League. But the Europa League now, again, because of the financial disparities, doesn't take away the romance of Villa winning it.

32:25Pete Donaldson: It was brilliant. I was so delighted for them. Again, you talked about that yesterday. And I will be delighted for Crystal Palace, assuming that they win their Europa Conference League final against Rava Arcano. But like, Palace, Rava Arcano, again, the financial disparities between those two sides. I'm not going to take anything away from Palace they won their first trophy in their history very recently, it'll be their first European trophy should they do it and those competitions are there right now in 8th spot which will be a Europa Conference League spot by my calculations again forgive me if that's wrong but I'm pretty sure it is it's Chelsea for the sake of that competition can somebody like it's the easiest prediction anyone's ever made thinking in, you know, with cup competitions, you always think, well, there's a little bit of jeopardy, a bad refereeing decision or a world-class goal or a bad performance or something.

33:18Pete Donaldson: Like, it was so easy to predict they were going to win that tournament. And again, whoever's managing them next season, they would win the Europa Conference League, surely. So I hope for that competition's sake that someone else gets it. But anyway, there are other permutations and so on. But Liverpool playing Brentford at home is still an important one. I mean, it's unlikely Liverpool are going to fall out of the Champions League places. There's a six-goal deficit between them and Bournemouth, and that would take Bournemouth beating Forest quite handsomely and Liverpool losing to Brentford, of course.

33:49Jim Campbell: I mean, that's not impossible, because a lot's been made of Bournemouth actually not playing that many games this season, because they went out of both cups quite early, which is obviously a factor, and you can see how much fitter they were than Man City the other day, and it's been the case. It was the same when they came to the Emirates. And obviously, Forest have played a lot more games because they've been playing Crystal Palace's Europa League games. True, true. So that could be a factor on the last day. But I think at Anfield, you're right, it's extremely unlikely, despite that, that they're going to fall out of those Champions League places.

34:19Jim Campbell: But this will be a real afternoon of introspection. This is going to be another very, very interesting day in a psychological sense. Do you mean specifically at Anfield? Specifically at Anfield, yeah. Because I think, you know, I was among the many, many people who thought Liverpool were likely to have an incredible season. The players they added to a squad that was already very good, that were already champions, looked like it was going to be something really special. Didn't work out like that at all. Obviously, there's some factors there, such as the very tragic death of Diogo Jota, which we've spoken about all season as a factor.

34:49Jim Campbell: And I don't think you can necessarily overstate the impact of grief, especially when it's as shocking as that. And I do think it's been a factor.

34:57Marcus Speller: Andy Robinson in the week has spoken really well about that, about how players didn't care about the football after that. But even when they were preparing for the season, S &C coaches and yeah like all the other backroom staff in terms of what they needed to get from the players they were very like softly, softly they were like do it all at your own pace kind of thing which obviously had an effect Completely

35:19Jim Campbell: but where we are now still feels really surprising there's lots of rumours flying around about Arna Slott and you know that will be the case while Andoni Areola is kind of knocking about expected to take a big job but Most Alas comments haven't helped Most Alas comments I haven't helped Arna Slott again have not helped on a slot there slot as just said in a press conference his pre-match press conference today Salah and I have the same interests football just to see what that is him leaving fighting

35:49Pete Donaldson: fighting one another he's going to get a great send off after the game because I'm not playing him I mean that's such

35:56Marcus Speller: a huge thing isn't it kind of forces

35:59Pete Donaldson: your hand a little bit

35:59Marcus Speller: it's so loaded because on one hand he'd be within his rights to do it but it would be torpedoing his own career slots career that is

36:07Jim Campbell: a risk though isn't it that might not be the case

36:09Marcus Speller: yeah but it's in like if he does if he chooses not to play then like you still have all those players in that squad who love Mo Salah who you're suddenly going to be taking against as well and it makes your job so difficult

36:21Pete Donaldson: I think he'll start next season and then take him off and he gets his hook him after a minute no but do you remember

36:28Marcus Speller: the Terry thing 2016 take Salah off after 11 minutes

36:33Pete Donaldson: it could be the case I mean it does help that they have that goal difference cushion should they lose and Bournemouth win because it's effectively a seven-goal swing because they've, you know, depending on... It's not going to happen. I think it's rather fanciful. But yeah, I mean, it's interesting that that post that Salah made on social media has been liked an awful lot of times. By Liverpool players. Yeah, by Liverpool players. So Slott's got to tread very carefully here. But again, you know, I tap into the exasperation exasperation of many people, our very own Luke Moore included, how the idea that slot will continue into next season.

37:09Pete Donaldson: I don't think we've seen that much, this kind of thing, for a Liverpool manager over the years. I don't think they have sack managers. Every club does, and it sometimes doesn't work out, but they really are not sold on him. I mean, it's a far cry. It's very West Streeting, doesn't it? Maybe. But I think, again, obviously they didn't fancy Alonso. Iriola will soon be at large. perhaps he's going to get I mean the bookies say he's the favourite to take the job but I I do think it is surely if they do stick with slot surely we're looking at an Eric Ten Hag situation where they keep him and they kind of go what did we do that for and they sack him in end of September early October or something I just don't see him picking it up it might mirror that

37:56Marcus Speller: a bit more as well in terms of if they do agree to keep him on presumably it comes with an extension just as a proper show of faith.

38:04Jim Campbell: Yeah, maybe. I mean, the contrast between last season and this season is so, so dramatic. I can't really remember an equivalent in the modern Premier League.

38:12Pete Donaldson: I mean, Mourinho's Chelsea in the second period, Ranieri's Leicester. But I mean, these are very different though. Well, certainly with the case of Leicester, yeah. And what we know about Mourinho. Yeah, it's an extraordinary one. And I mean, if Liverpool don't win that game, my goodness, it'll be a damp squib of an afternoon at Anfield. could well be the final straw for slot because I'd be amazed.

38:36Jim Campbell: I'd be surprised if it was based on this game, any decision that we made.

38:40Pete Donaldson: Hence I said final straw though. If there were more options out there managerial-wise, I think that would have been a much more difficult decision to make.

38:49Marcus Speller: I think there are plenty though, aren't they? Thomas Frank's knocking about. Yeah, Thomas Tuchel will be knocking about as well coming in July. The other thing about this Just Jim Triggered this thought In my mind Brendan Rodgers Well no but like Do you remember the end of Klopp's last game at Anfield He got them all to sing Slott's name

39:12Pete Donaldson: Yeah So if Slott Two years on If Slott gets them to sing Andoni Arreola's name Are you saying Is that a piece of evidence That would be so good I didn't ask them to sing it

39:23Marcus Speller: But fine yeah

39:25Pete Donaldson: Play him off keyboard cat We'll find out But how far Arna Slott would be willing to push self-deprecating humour if he starts singing André Iona's name at the end of the game?

39:39Jim Campbell: All's forgiven, Arna. Do you guys think it's impossible that Slott can get them back to where they were prior to this season?

39:46Pete Donaldson: It's not impossible because it will be... You'll have Isaac back and I think he will start firing at some point. Yeah, you'll have another transfer window. Liverpool will always be an attractive place to go. And Mo Salah won't be there. and clearly him and Slott have not seen eye to eye this season for whatever it is. Next season in the Premier League, we'll talk about this in the next part of the show when we talk about Arsenal and Man City, but next season, I mean, title-wise, it should be open. It should be. But anyway, let's hold that thought because there's still other teams to talk about in terms of European places.

40:21Pete Donaldson: We talked about Bournemouth there, if they could do it, away to Nottingham Forest. Sunderland versus Chelsea. both still in the mix Chelsea very much so of course but Sunderland have managed to with a couple of draws and a win in the last few games managed to kind of claw their way back into the runnings where I thought they were probably going to be out of it and of course they play each other they play each other at Stadium of Light it's been an amazing season for Sunderland I know they've dropped off a little bit but my goodness they're over the 50 point mark and still could get a European spot Pete Donaldson it'd be nice if the North East is represented in Europe next season one in the oven in your cast yeah because I'll lose all the time next season they haven't got the squad for it oh is that right but yeah it's a real shame for them before remember this season to be fair I go to Demi responded I can't complain

41:05Marcus Speller: this season started with people in the comments arguing that you're a closet Sunderland fan yeah can't win and it ends you wishing nothing but defeat upon them next season good you never know where I am now I think that it's a real shame that they they hadn't cemented their place just the way that they were sort of turning up performances first half of the season and yeah with a few more fortifications in the summer they could do it again

41:32Jim Campbell: but Marcus is right though isn't he this ends with Chelsea winning the conference league this season it's written it's unstoppable I know

41:41Pete Donaldson: it's just it also it also scuppers

41:46Marcus Speller: the Sunderland finishing above Newcastle yeah essentially depending what Fulham we're up to

41:52Pete Donaldson: yeah I know don't worry about Fulham sadly sadly yeah oh big wolves I just wanted once in my life to be one of those people looking at the phone going oh they're losing oh they're losing no nonsense absolute nonsense I'm sure your manager will be in the hot seat next season to take them to a manager yeah I was about to say a manager I think that yeah the Benfica hot seat will be flaming once Jose Mourinho has torched it on his way out

42:16Marcus Speller: Ruben Amerim Fulham manager

42:18Pete Donaldson: oh worst things have happened worst things have happened at Fulham in terms of the manager. Who would, go on then. It doesn't matter what I think. Who would you fancy for Fulham manager next? Presuming Silva goes. I mean, again, today he's being linked with Benfica very heavily, but nothing has been made official. I think he may well go. I think he's desperate for some kind of European football. He obviously wants a big Premier League job and it seems that those doors have been shut now. So who would you think? If indeed Silva does leave. As in, who would I want to see that? Well, you've got carte blanche to answer this question.

42:54Scott Parker.

42:55Marcus Speller: Tonda Eckhart.

42:58Jim Campbell: Get him in the prem. Yes.

43:01Pete Donaldson: Would you take Ange?

43:03Jim Campbell: It'd be fun. Lovely bit of Ange.

43:05Pete Donaldson: You know what? I think I would have done until the third time I saw Jason Cundy in his mask. There's no way. There's no way we're taking Ange. Bring back brother Brandy. I'd love that for you. That's so interesting. I would love that for you. That would be lovely for a bit. I'd take Andoni Uriola, though. That's good of you. What about the Tom Kearney player-manager? Oh, now you're talking. Now you're talking. Thomas Frank? Player-manager. He wouldn't have to move house. Do you know what? It would be odd, and I don't think the Fulham fans understandably would go for it. But you'd grab that with both hands, wouldn't you?

43:40Pete Donaldson: Yeah, maybe a little pinky. Oh, no, the Fulham fans would protest. Yeah, talk to Frank. Talk to Frank. No, no, hang on, Fish. You come down to the cottage, mate, and you say that.

43:49Marcus Speller: you come down to the cottage yeah come cottaging with me Marcus

43:55Pete Donaldson: if you really feel that strongly come for a lovely long weekend and let's see what you think about it then

43:59Jim Campbell: come say that to me on the veranda

44:03Pete Donaldson: what would happen is if you would come down to the cottage I would be right behind you on all fours and some of them would push you over and we'd do you but one manager we know who's going to be in West London next season is Jabi Alonso and he said in an interview

44:16Marcus Speller: what the fuck is he doing by the way I didn't get my chance What a maniac.

44:19Pete Donaldson: You're a Londoner. You know how great it is to live here. That's obviously what he thinks. I moved from West London. Sorry, go on. Against your wishes, let's be honest. But in an interview on Spanish TV, he dismissed the idea that he would be worried about the move to Chelsea rather than actually West London. He said, no, I was always open to it. And well, it's a beautiful project. Chelsea is a nice project. It's a very good option. Such romantic words. He's really looking at Liverpool in the eye when he's saying that. It's Krusty the Clown. It moved me to a new house. That's what I'm doing, really.

44:49Pete Donaldson: That's all we've got. Yeah. It's stunning stuff from old Javi Alonso. And if anybody wants to know more about the mind of Javi Alonso, do look back at his historical tweets on Twitter. Oh, yeah, they go down there. Nothing bad. He's not been voting for the wrong party or anything. It's just hilarious. Some of the stuff. He's sort of using it like a little diary. Kind of. A little bit of David Brent in there. Not as in he's got Brentisms. he's literally tweeting pictures of David and some other things great film references and TV references as well more of that Jabby

45:22Marcus Speller: do you remember like in the early days of Twitter it might have been a completely like hackneyed account anyway but it was the one of the guy who set his dad up with an account his dad thought it was a Google search yeah that's it all ravens the same

45:38Jim Campbell: was one that stood out to me so maybe that's what

45:41Marcus Speller: Alonso's using it as head balls head balls head balls everybody what is a bomb squad

45:48Pete Donaldson: Oh dear

45:49Marcus Speller: Is Raheem Sterling still here?

45:51Pete Donaldson: He's not done very well at final time No Anyway, coming up after this we bid farewell to a Premier League legend

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48:05Pete Donaldson: Welcome back to the Football Ramble, everybody. Crystal Palace hosts Champions Arsenal. Arsenal will lift the Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park. Presumably that one in the trading ground was a replica. But they're going to do it. Presumably they'll be given a guard of honour, Jim.

48:20Jim Campbell: I would think so. A guard of honour. A guard of honour. Lovely stuff. Taking care of business before the season's done. Also, it's one of those things as well. This game will be unusually good-natured. I'm sure Palace won't love having to give anyone a guard of honour, but they also have a European final coming up. And Eber Etchiezer is going to lift the trophy at Selhurst Park because he seems to get everything he wants in life and he should as well. He deserves it, yeah. Because he's just the best.

48:44Marcus Speller: He hasn't made the squad.

48:47Pete Donaldson: Well, now I'm not tuning in. Are you joking? No, he is joking for crying out loud. Again, we've not heard anything. Right. We're going to talk about the squad later. Yeah, yeah. All right.

48:59Marcus Speller: But do you remember when Man City first won the Premier League and there's a clip at the end during the pitch invasion where Digital Cissé then playing for QPR is celebrating with Samé Nasri. Are we going to get that with Eddie Nketiah? Oh, maybe. Yeah, maybe. Because it's quite like, you know, as much as it pains me, I've like loved all the content around Arsenal. But particularly the love for like, in a kind of like jokey way, but like the banter era of like former Arsenal players about like people who were invited to the parade and that kind of stuff. But there was a real affection for Nketiu and there was a real willing for it to work out and I'd argue it hasn't even really worked out at Palace.

49:43Marcus Speller: But the idea that he will be there when it's lifted is quite sweet. Are you saying like Emile Smith-Rowe might be there as well?

49:49Pete Donaldson: Maybe, yeah, why not? He might too. I'll tell you what, surely Ian Wright's got to be there. Absolutely, absolutely.

49:54Jim Campbell: I think there's a kind of cyclical feeling to this as the first match of the 22-23 season, which was a season where Arsenal first made a credible title bid was at Selhurst Park and that's the game in which Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus and William Saliba made their debuts. These like really, really transformative players and that feels like a sort of separate era from the beginning of Arteta's reign at Arsenal so it feels fitting that it ends here as well.

50:22Marcus Speller: Yeah, I see what you said. I think that makes a lot of sense but also I think you're just trying to have it all at this point. Yeah. I don't like it. Yeah, you can't be this happy in front of three of us especially sat next to Pete we've had an awful season we've still got Joe Willock yeah yeah you got him he'll actually be at Salisbury Park he'll be subbed on what is it

50:44Pete Donaldson: 68 minutes yeah 60 minutes yeah usually well of course Arsenal at the time of recording have only won one trophy this season so far Man City have already won two so are they the real winners they're playing Aston Villa at home it is Pep Guardiola's last game in charge don't tell Pep that though because he'll kick off. But he's been in charge after, he's been in charge for a decade, of course, at Manchester City. That's a whipped bye, isn't it? Does it? I'm so old. I just feel like it's whipped bye. I mean, it would have been fitting for him and Man City to have won the league at home to Aston Villa considering they did it not that long ago as well.

51:23Pete Donaldson: Yeah. So it would have been Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa.

51:26Marcus Speller: Yeah, because that was the link between, and Coutinho scored for Villa as well, He did score that.

51:31Jim Campbell: Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa feels longer ago than Pep Guardiola taking over at Man City. I think I very much enjoy Steven Gerrard's recent work where I think he felt the Sharks were circling around Eddie Howe and he came out as a sort of Newcastle being his second team. Oh yeah, he did? Yeah, he did. He said, I've never told anybody that. And it's like, hmm, have you shot your load there? Because like, Howe's staying the job, he probably could have picked someone else. I just felt it was a little bit of a shot window for him.

52:00Marcus Speller: I've always had a lot of affection for Fulham he's going to have to release his third team yeah it was a really weird situation to do in 2026

52:09Pete Donaldson: I did get the impression though that I think he was being genuine it was like a boyhood he always played

52:13Marcus Speller: brilliantly against Newcastle he must have like a really good goal scoring and assist record against them I also think that really reminds me of when Newcastle pretty much soon right after the Saudi takeover early Eddie Howe when he looked like they were you know pushing on breaking to europe and jose enrique started tweeting about newcastle that's right and all these newcastle fans piled onto him and basically searched through his twitter and he'd never mentioned them it was always liverpool and then suddenly it was like oh good to see my old club said no no no not now no no no no see what you're doing you couldn't wait

52:49Pete Donaldson: to get out of newcastle william gallas has had a very similar weekend yeah nice back to uh Guardiola and Man City. So, I mean, would it be nice, Fish, to see them celebrate their man at the Etihad? Give him a 115 seconds, you know, moments of silence. They'll get them and sort of go, 82 points, pathetic.

53:11Marcus Speller: All the trophies and then just a shit ton of paperwork.

53:15Pete Donaldson: I mean, they can only get 81 points, Peter. Right, okay. No, I mean, like Arsenal won with 82. It's not quite the haul that it has been in previous seasons. True, that's very true.

53:24Marcus Speller: I'm really curious to see how... I almost want to fast forward five years and him to do one of those big sit down interviews and see actually what he's taken from City. Because he's obviously given a lot. They've won a lot. I think out of context, or rather if you could have removed the fines, I think the style of football, the impact he's had on English football full stop has been quite something. Seismic. It's been massive. It's totally profound. I mean, we said this

53:55Pete Donaldson: when the news kind of started leaking. Yeah. The influence he's had up and down the country in all levels, even grassroots. I mean, he is, he's one of the great, I say in 50 years time, 100 years time, I think people will say he's probably maybe the greatest coach of all time.

54:11Jim Campbell: And how many kind of significant managers in English football and actually European football have also learned under him? Oh my goodness. Yeah, 100%. So many.

54:18Marcus Speller: Well, I mean,

54:24Marcus Speller: I think there's also that thing of like his affection for the English game and a lot of his former players, like I think it was Carlos Piol, Schweinsteiger and maybe Philip Lahm, but they were always talking about like, he will change the way football's played in that country and everyone thought, that's a bit much mate. That was a big thing, wasn't it?

54:49Jim Campbell: About the Premier League and like, could it be done here? And a lot of people kind of said it couldn't. And that feels like a long time ago.

54:57Marcus Speller: Because it's based on stubbornness, isn't it? And it's like the idea that he's been able, like we obviously love so much about English football and the way we play it and almost the way we view it full stop. And it was the idea that actually like he's coerced us, but like charmed us into, I suppose, just really adoring his way. I think he's been an incredible manager for English football. I think time will tell about the legacy stuff with Man City, but yeah, obviously they've got to celebrate him. They'll never have anyone like him again. It'll be a massive outpouring.

55:30Pete Donaldson: And they've won the dickhead double this season. They have. That's the funny thing. It has been somewhat of an underwhelming season because they haven't won the Premier League. But I mean, they've picked it up from last season. Last season they didn't win anything. I wonder if they had have won the FA Cup against Palace last season, would he have left? Probably not. I don't think that would have been enough. To win two cups, to go all the distance in the Premier League while his powers have been waning, I don't think that's news to anybody. It's remarkable. The games that you say, Vish, the style of football, the moments, everything.

56:03Pete Donaldson: I mean, if someone said, what's the greatest performance from any team you've ever seen? My thoughts would immediately go to Guardiola's teams. You think about Barcelona 5, Real Madrid 0. you think about them beating Man United at Wembley in the Champions League, Barcelona but actually in terms of Manchester City that performance against Real Madrid in the second leg of the round of 16 when they batted them 4-0 I mean it was it was breathtakingly good well I mean I'm talking about it as if it's one of the best performances I've ever seen I can't really give it more praise than that so what he's done is incredible I hope for their sake and Bournemouth's sake that they win this game because it would be a great send off and he will be sorely missed but what about those teams who want to get into the Premier League next season we know there's a couple of them already and there is a player final to contend Hull City take on Middlesbrough it's been quite well documented that they've they're going to take on Middlesbrough at Wembley on Saturday afternoon after Middlesbrough, of course, replaced Southampton as a result of the Spygate fallout.

57:16Pete Donaldson: I do love this. I would very much like my favourite left-back in England, Matt Target, to be back in the Premier League, as discussed on the show before. Nicely done, Peter. Now, there's a left-back you can hang your hat on. Damn right. Is he in the squad? We're safe to say he won't be. I don't think it's safe to say anything about this squad from the drip trees we're getting. Very true. Well, of course, if you haven't heard our podcast yet, you're waiting for it, you can go onto our YouTube channel where we have talked about our views on Thomas Tuchel's England squad, of course. Oh, by the way, before we move on from that, other playoff finals are happening.

57:51Pete Donaldson: Bolton Wanderers play Stockport County. Huge game in the League One playoff final. And then Bank Holiday Monday, Notts County versus Salford City in the League Two playoff final. He's going to have to commentate on them soon enough, isn't he? Oh, Genev. Oh, yeah. It'd be so much funny

58:07Marcus Speller: if Carragher commentates on them. I think that's what they'll do.

58:11Pete Donaldson: I think that's what they'll do. Salford's got a player with the first name Prince Will, which I very much enjoy. What? Prince Will. Prince Will. Prince Will. Prince Will, Abe Hati-Oman. But I just very much like the fact that his first name is Prince Will. Well, he's locked out there because he could have been Prince Ha. Prince Ha. Yeah, exactly. Also, everybody, if you're wondering, well, where's Jack's encyclopedia? Well, it will be myself versus Luke Moore, but it is back tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning, we've put it back because of that England squad announcement. jiggled it around we have had a little jiggle but I will be taking on Luke it'll be available to listen tomorrow morning so make sure to subscribe to the Football Ramble in your podcast app so that you do not miss it there we are everybody we've reached the end of the show thanks for listening to the Football Ramble part of the ACAR's Creator Network it's been an absolute pleasure thank you Vish thank you thank you Jim thank you thank you Peter very well thank you Pep Guardiola

59:10The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.

59:39and food fresh. Having fun in the sun is easy with us in your corner. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Ballot through 527. While supplies last, selection varies by location. See associate or lowes.com for details.