The Preview Show: The Frank factor

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4:14Audio and use code audio for 20 % off your first purchase. That's B-O-M-B-A-S dot com and use code audio. It's all a gamble when it's just a game, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble Preview Show. The Premier League is bloody back. It's Friday 21st of August. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Jim Campbell. And I'm David Cartridge.

4:46Hello, everybody. It's Friday. It's a Premier League Friday, for crying out loud. We've made it. We have made it to another Premier League season. Thank you so much, everybody. All of you who are listening to this, you have chosen to join us at the Football Roundtable for another Premier League campaign. That's right. If you listen to this, you've got to listen to the whole season. We will turn 20 this season. Can you believe that, Jim? No. It's how the calendar works. Yeah, I know it to be true, but it doesn't feel right. Yes. or what does feel right is another Premier League season. We can't wait to enjoy all the highs and lows, oohs and ahs, goals, red cards, brawls, VAR debates, animal pitch invasions, and notice I said plural there, and a notable match.

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6:07So thank you so much and good luck. Right then, we're back. Without further ado, without further ado, without further Freddie ado, we've got Arsenal versus Coventry tonight at 8pm Jim Campbell the title defence starts now you thought of that parade we all march through North London singing away you thought oh this is the end no no no

6:26Jim Campbell: it's just the beginning I was badly misinformed but I didn't have to look for another job so you know there's a silver lining everywhere indeed yeah it's exciting it's very exciting I feel very much kind of that we live a charmed life as Arsenal fans at the moment so to kick off the season as champions is an amazing feeling and the sort of thing that you dream of, isn't it? It is. I mean, Arsenal have already put one sky blue side to the sword this season, if you will. We're counting the community shield. I think we should. Coventry up next and it's Coventry City's first top flight match in 25 years, David.

6:59Quite remarkable. It's nice that Lampard's there for it as well. Just gives a little bit of extra edge. You know how much he'll want to beat Arsenal. Yeah, he certainly will. Yeah, I mean, Lampard has been talking a big game for Coventry City. Of course, he has to, absolutely has to and I think Coventry of the three newly promoted sides I think they're the one aren't they that people are are thinking can they do something I think there's a few reasons there I think the history of Coventry you know we all certainly remember I know Hull and Ipswich have been in the Premier League far more recently than Coventry City but there is that feeling of Coventry City in a sort of I mean they're not not you remember when Leeds and Nottingham Forest were not in the league for a long time and I know they're obviously different sides and all that They were a mainstay for a long time though.

7:43Exactly, yeah. And I think for those...

7:44Jim Campbell: A lot of people won't even kind of really realize that, the younger generation. For those of us who remember there's that, there is the Frank Lampard, you know, aspect to them. Frank factor. Yeah, the Frank factor. Absolutely. Absolutely. It's not the last time we're going to hear that in this season, is it? I wouldn't have thought so, Jim. But there's also some of the players they've signed, the fact that they did win the championship last season. At a canter as well. Indeed. Look at the number of goals they've got. 97 goals. Yes. Almost across the entire football pyramid. Indeed it is. So there you go.

8:16But that leads me on to what I want to talk about with Coventry City. Now, we talked a little bit about this when Adam Cleary was on a couple of days ago, about what Sunderland did. And David, I'd love your thoughts on this as well. Because Lampard was interviewed recently and he said, physicality is a big part of what you need to compete in this league. There is a difference between the Premier League and the Championship in those terms, especially to be the type of team we feel we may have to be. year. And how many times have fans across the land talked about the jump from the championship to the Premier League, particularly if you are that team who wins the league at a canter, you think, well, you know, the temptation is to think, right, well, let's kind of develop a little bit of what we've got and so on and so forth.

8:54That sometimes works. It sometimes doesn't. Lampard here is talking about to be the team we feel we may have to be. Coventry have signed a handful of tall, physically imposing players. And Lampard also said the nature of set pieces is something we have taken very seriously in our recruitment. And Adam Clear was highlighting this about Sunderland last season with what they did. They got in some guys who were battle-hardened warriors, or at least they thought, you know, were up to the fight of the Premier League and it worked. Is this what Coventry are basically? Are they somewhat, modelling might be too strong a word, but they've taken inspiration from Sunderland perhaps.

9:30I think so. I think honestly, if you look at all the promoted sides. I think they've all looked at what Leeds and Sunderland did in the transfer market in terms of buying those players who are physically imposing. And also not delving too much into the best of the championship. If you remember when Ipswich last came up, they seemed to buy everybody who was just the best player at the other teams in the championship. This time, all three teams, especially Coventry, have basically widened their net in terms of the players that they want to bring in and look at. And yeah, I mean, Coventry spent quite a bit and fair play to them.

10:03Doug King, the owner, said, look, we want to have a proper go at this, which is great to see. It echoes my sentiments this time last year when Sunderland were coming at this. I said, have a go. Spend a bit of money, have a go. Why not? And I'm glad to see Coventry doing that. And I honestly hope it works out for them. You were very confident with Sunderland last year, which made a number of us. Not this year, but we'll go. No, no, no, sure. But you were, like, in a way that, obviously, you know, when I was thinking about who you know last season who may go down you always think the three teams are always always going to be a struggle or a challenge and the challenge is really staying in the league I mean it was almost a throwback to yesteryear when teams would come up and finish in the top 10 it wouldn't surprise too many people it was a remarkable achievement but it was you at the start of the season who fancied that and you changed certainly myself and Luke maybe one or two others I can't remember if you did as well Jim but your confidence about talking about Sunderland made me think hang on a minute I'm quite surprised.

10:58Is there any sort of, obviously you're not a Coventry City fan, but what they've been doing and how they're going about it just on the eve of the season, is some of that confidence that you had in your team last season, is it there for Coventry at this early stage? I think so. I think Coventry fans have watched them now, especially last season. But it goes back to where Mark Robbins started moving the ball there, I thought. And Doug King, like I said, and the work that they have done there. And then Lampard obviously kind of put the cherry on top and he got them up. This is a long-term project.

11:30Yeah, this has been a long-term project. Not what Hal City have been doing. No, no. Poor old Hal. Very, very different. So yeah, you've got to admire that and the way that they're going about it. And look, they'll want to bring, we relied upon this quite heavily, was that home form. So I think it was seven losses across last season for Coventry City. And I think two of those were at home. So they'll look to build on their home form. Home form, you always got to do that. I think first and foremost for any promoter team, you say, home form get that right everything else can shape up after that we can figure out our away game style and what have you but look I'll repeat what I said last season with Sunderland teams are there to be got at so have a go don't go up and be scared and look and also another thing I want to add about Coventry they've come up with no parachute money as well and that's got to be admired as well because a lot of those clubs in that championship are up and down up and down and they've got that parachute money sticking around so Coventry have done it without that as well so have a go and you consider the Coventry's finances in the recent decade.

12:26You've got to give him enormous credit there, Jim.

12:28Jim Campbell: Do you think there's a sense that if you sign a lot of players for a kind of made-in-Premier League campaign or the first Premier League campaign in a long time, that is kind of far more of a bonding experience than if you are a bit of a yo-yo team? Because the mission is clear, isn't it? Everybody has to just get stuck in straight away. And as Sunderland did last season, they really hit the ground running when they probably didn't even have a WhatsApp group. They didn't even know each other. I was going to say, yeah, about identity as well. And I think once the manager gets that across, and Lampard's a type of manager, players really, really buy into it.

13:02I was watching an interview with Rodoni, who I'm really excited to see in the Premier League, because he's one of those Coventry players who a lot of people have talked about for a number of years now and said, oh, he's probably got Premier League level in him, same with Rushworth and what have you. I was listening to Rodoni, and you can just tell how much they buy into what Lampard's saying. He's a good communicator. I mean, certainly he's with the media. You would imagine the management of it, he would be pretty good. Really good. and I think players are relying upon that more these days as well.

13:26They want that guy. They want somebody to offer them that path and I think he does that really, really well. I don't know, he gets mocked and everything like that. I think a lot of the time, quite unfairly, I should say.

13:33Jim Campbell: I think that's dying down though, isn't it? Yeah, I think it is. Oh yeah, but Arteta gets mocked. Sure. He likes to get mocked. He's going to achieve great things. Yeah, but I think it's become kind of a side note, isn't it? Rather than the first thing people say about him. You know how awful that stuff could be towards certain managers. It's quite nice as well to see Lampard with his feet under the table and having, you know, been in a job for a while and had an achievement. And I think we're going to see Frank Lampard, the manager, rather than Frank Lampard, the sort of potential managerial prospect.

14:05Jim Campbell: There's no talk about that this time. It felt like every time he was doing brilliant work elsewhere, it was kind of like, oh, Chelsea, Chelsea, you know, where might he go next? Everton was difficult as well in the circumstances. Whereas now it feels very much this is like his club and his team and he's put this identity on this and like I said about the players all buying into it. Well, I didn't even think of when a Coventry play Chelsea. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. I do respect that a lot about Frank Lampard. I mean, there's a lot to admire about his footballing career, of course. But as a manager, like he...

14:36With Lampard, he... It's painfully obvious. He is a manager. He wants to be a manager. He wants to manage at the top level. And he has for a bit. But obviously, Chelsea, we know that's a tricky task. and he, like many others, didn't quite cut the mustard there. Everton was a bit of a funny one as well, of course, kept them up and blah, blah, blah, without going over his whole career. But I felt with Lampard, there was such a determination about him, about being a manager, whereas he could have gone off and been a pundit. Very lucrative deals he could have signed and so on. He could have been a good one as well.

15:08And if he does, it's his life. Good luck to him. There's no shame. That is a tough job and it's a different job. I'm just saying that he could have done a lot of things, Lampard, but he's really gone, no, I want to get this right. And I wonder if we will look at his managerial career in a few years' time and almost liken it to his football career. What was the one thing that he was known for was hard work when he was a player. I mean, immense natural talent, of course, but it was always that. Here's a bloke who's willing to pull his sleeves up, get stuck in and do all the hard yards and doggies and he'll get his reward, blah, blah, blah.

15:39I wonder in a few years' time we're going to be saying that about Lampard. I think we could be. And look, people figure out this Coventry job as well. When he first came in, the fans of Coventry just did not want Mark Robbins to go there's a lot of people against that decision but again they made a decision to say look we need to reach that top level what can get us there they've said look Lampard can do that for us and he has so that decision has been justified as well maybe I'll put the kiss of death on it six months time Coventry bottom he'll get sacked and he'll be your match of the day it's lovely work if you can get it that's what I've been told but they are playing Arsenal in their opening game which is a tall order yeah I was going to say none of this fairytale nonsense for you.

16:18It's now been reported that Arsenal have agreed a£50 million plus deal to sign Esri Konza from Aston Villa. You know, there have been rumours. We said on Wednesday, you know, as you mentioned, Konza might leave Aston Villa. But it looks like it's going to go through. We haven't had the sign sealed and delivered package just yet. But I mean, it should go through, as I say. A hell of a signing for Arsenal.

16:44Jim Campbell: I mean, you know as well as anyone, Marcus I'm a big fan of his record so I've mentioned that many many times in England and in Aston Villa context. Did you know he's a boyhood Spurs fan? I didn't know that no. Still a big fan of his? Yes I am because he's obviously you know made the right decision in the long run isn't he? Yeah I think. You find people as they are not as they were. Yeah well indeed and that's very much up to him isn't it? So it's I think it's a really good signing that adds the sort of depth that is slightly mind-blowing to me sat here. It's you know. It's what you need. Yeah absolutely it is and as I mentioned at the top of the show, there are times at the moment I'm sort of pinching myself at the quality of the squad at the moment.

17:20Jim Campbell: It does suggest to me that William Saliba is going to miss a big chunk of this season. I don't think you go that hard on a player and pay that sort of transfer fee for a 28-year-old if that isn't the case. But there's quite a lot of consistency between them in terms of the style they play. He already knows some of the members of the squad pretty well from England. He should, in theory, be ready to sort of hit the ground running. There's a lot of great stats about him, like the ground dual success rate. He had the highest in the league. Highest pass completion rate of any player who played over 500 minutes.

17:49Jim Campbell: All these very, very enjoyable little nuggets that made me think, okay, yeah, it's plug in and play. We're a long way from the 90s, aren't we? We really are. Imagine somebody signing a player and going, he's got the best pass completion in the league. He's the centre-half. But he's also very good under pressure, which is consistent with Bruno Gimorac as well. So it suggests to me that Arsenal are trying to be much quicker on the transition all over the pitch. And that's nice to see. Villa's vice captain as well so more experience in there more leadership experience yeah really happy with it I think it's an excellent sign I'm looking at Villa going yeah there is a massive refresh going on there isn't there but anyway we're talking about Arsenal and as well you mentioned about the sort of strength and depth in the squad I mean Mikel Artela said we want to be the best club side in the world and to do that we've obviously got to win the Champions League and then the Club World Cup when it comes around well of course let's not forget that because Chelsea are currently the best club side in the world it is official but all bollocks aside Arsenal it is it's a question of firing on all fronts and they were close last season to the Champions League I mean they played the best team in Europe there's no doubt about that PSG and the team to beat and they took them to penalties yes PSG you know I think if you play that game again and again PSG are going to win it more times than not but again one of the problems for Arsenal was is how tired their players were compared to PSG strength and depth is the name of the game when you are at Arsenal's level and this season is a season David where people are talking about myself included this is such an opportunity for Arsenal to win back to back titles and have a period of domination because if you look at the other teams yeah okay fine Iriola may well come good at Liverpool it would be a big surprise I think if they were to win the league under him in the first season Xabi Alonso at Chelsea just because of the nonsense and the chaos going on at Chelsea as well I mean Man United again I don't think many people would have You go through it, or Maresca at Man City, it's an amazing opportunity.

19:45And when the other teams in the league look at Arsenal doing this, I think that strikes fear into them. They're definitely the furthest along. I think all the teams you just listed there are in some way or some form of transition. I think a lot of them are unknown as well. We don't really know what we're going to get under Alonso at Chelsea. Same with City and Maresca as well. Man United still just, I don't know, they don't look there fully yet ready. And Liverpool, like we've said as well, there's just been too many big gaps there. so for Arsenal that opportunity is there I still think they are lacking that extra bit in attack I can see why obviously the big thing this summer has been Vinny Jr there was a reason why they had a bit of a dalliance there and they looked at that and they've been linked with other big names as well and I still feel they need something up there to kind of get people on their feet a bit of a game changer you know

20:36Jim Campbell: yeah I think there's definitely an argument that they need to be a bit more effective from open play from the forward players that they have. Obviously, the set pieces were a big source of goals last season. That will probably continue, but there's a lot of talk about different rules, maybe making it harder for everybody, and therefore that making them easier to defend across the board as well. I guess we'll see how that plays out. There's a couple of instances in the community field which were slightly different from last season, but generally speaking, I think it is important that those forward players fire a little bit more.

21:06Jim Campbell: I do think Bruno Gimoures could have an impact on that. And I also think if Martin Odegaard can get back to the kind of, you know, the top level of his game, the type of game we saw in the Community Shield, then he could have an impact on that as well. But this all remains to be seen. But going on that point, though, do you think that Arsenal, look at the other sides that we mentioned there. And obviously Man City have got Erling Haaland leading the attack. I mean, Chelsea would say Joao Pedro, you know, he's probably the man who's going to lead the line, you would think for them. now okay didn't go to the World Cup obviously Ancelotti didn't fancy him for Brazil for whatever reason well that's a good thing for them straight away he's been a consistent source of goals for every team he's played for England right?

21:43Yeah slightly different point I was going to make but yes obviously Liverpool if they can get Isak up and running we know how good he is okay Man United in a similar sort of situation to Arsenal where you have a player there who's not quite hit the highest you may think he would although Jokeresh is more the finished article than Szczesko is but Szczesko's got probably a better player One maybe, we'll see. But with Arsenal, again, you've basically got the two options in your centre-four position, Havertz and Jokeres. There's little tentative links to Victor Ossiman. No, that's not going to happen.

22:17He's the player who, I'm still baffled that Chelsea haven't signed him. Do you know what I mean? He just seems to be that time. Whatever it is with Ossiman, he seems to be the guy who people would maybe quite like to see, but there's been no kind of real talk of him coming to the Premier League. But do you think Arsenal will look to sign another striker there? Because there's very few who are the finished Arsenal.

22:39Jim Campbell: No, I think they'll look to sign a left-sided forward, if they do, at the expense of Gabriel Martinelli. But I can 100 % see a situation where they don't feel they can get someone who adds more than he does, and they stick with him and maybe see what happens in January. And to be honest, Martinelli's a player that splits opinion, and he had a bit of a funny season, because he got one Premier League goal last season, but he got 11 in all comps. He got seven assists as well. So, Kenan Yielders is one of the players who's been repeatedly linked. That's kind of who I was referring to, I thought. Potential replacement.

23:12Jim Campbell: I love Kenan Yielders, but he got, I think it was 11 goals in all comps and like eight assists. So, it's, you know, he's got a higher ceiling, but I totally see if they can't get a player like Yielders and they have to pay over the, you know, over the odds for someone else, I do see a situation where they stick with Martinelli. Interesting. Well, Can't see another striker coming in. No, I agree. It would be a wide player or maybe somebody who can play just off the front line who I thought could come in. I think they'll consider Marino a legitimate option as a makeshift striker now. Oh, yeah, I'm forgetting Mikel Marino, of course.

23:44Worked out right for Spain. It did, indeed. Well, Mikel Arteta has revealed that Win the Dog, of course, at Arsenal's training ground, is now called One. Yeah. It's not his dog.

23:57Jim Campbell: It's a member of staff who takes Win to the stadium. sorry to the training ground he can't go around renaming people's dogs he's getting ahead of himself I think as well I think you've always got to call it you know in the kind of more present tense win yes keep on winning do you know what I mean won the dog very true yeah that's not very linked in of him to rest on his laurels like that you're absolutely right I'm glad I'm the person who's pointed it out to him I wonder if the dog responds well now his name's changed I mean there's his recall still there yeah we're just standing there just going what yeah what are you talking about Something, though, staying with doggy talk.

24:33Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool have done, finally have done what we've all been crying out for in the world of football. We've got so many bells and whistles in football, but one thing that we were distinctly lacking were football kits for dogs. And Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool, the three teams in red, have finally done the good thing and have launched football kits for dogs. I'm not joking, everybody. They have done it. Jim Campbell you love dogs are you going to buy one of these and shove it on a dog I'd not thought of it and I'm not going to rule it out at this early stage David you do have a dog I do indeed you don't support either I know you've got a soft spot for Manchester United are you going to hold out for a Sunderland kit no I don't believe you should put clothes on dogs yeah okay

25:19Jim Campbell: what if they're even if it's very cold it depends what type of dogs I get if you've got a whipper they obviously just need something they need a jacket even if they're 30 degrees in July but but what if they wanted to enhance their matchday experience by putting on a shirt of their favourite seat. You're right, we've not thought about enhancing the match day experience of the dog. David's very quick to close this off. That's just a bit weird for me. Fair enough. I mean, you get sort of unofficial dog kits, don't you? So I suppose it's just a matter of time. Where did you get these? I've seen them.

25:47Jim Campbell: I've seen dogs walking around. Where have you seen this? Oh, in Mexico? No, not in Mexico. In England. A dog I know had a Nottingham Forest one. A dog you know. Seem down the pool. Fair enough. Mind you, I did once see a dog in jeans. Exactly. With a little mobile phone, wasn't it? Yeah, I mean, it was... Look, do you know what? When I think about that dog that I saw in the Boca district of Buenos Aires, wearing jeans, a belt, little mobile phone and a set of keys, I think it was for the tourists, you know. The photo I snapped clearly wasn't seen by whoever was mining that dog and I didn't have to pay for it.

26:20Might have been a drugs meal. Yeah, exactly.

26:22Jim Campbell: Who knows? That's what my money would be on. Well, it's not my mobile phone, it's my dog's. as long as it's he's doing all those it's his burner yeah exactly indeed it is well the dogs have got their kits on and we're going for a break coming up after this who are the most optimistic and pessimistic fans ahead of the new season

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29:15in box. Excuse my French. What about the football ramble, everybody? Clearly in English. Newcastle United face Liverpool and their kitted out dogs on Sunday at 4.30. It's the first Super Sunday game of the season, David. It's a worthy one. Could be an emotional one, because surely we'd have some sort of honouring of Kevin Keegan, considering his playing career and managerial career and so on. You'd imagine what flags would have something up their sleeve in terms of a nice banner for him. and yeah, this is going to be a big emotional moment. Yeah, but it's one of those Premier League fixes where you think, yeah, this is always a good one.

29:51It may well be because of the four threes. Again, you know I like to live in the 90s. But it's a hell of a start for both managers. Two new managers, of course, in their roles. What do you think of what's been going on at Newcastle United this summer? It's madness. I totally thought Adam was on point about it. He hit the nail on the head, I thought, with it. and I'm going to get a lot of sticks from my son and mates from this. I don't know. I don't really like to see it. You don't like to see what Newcastle has been weak at? No, like this in this manner, I think. It feels very extreme and I like what they've done the last few years.

30:24I like to see the usual big six, wherever you want to call them, get a little bit rattled and Villa and Newcastle have taken it to them the past few years. I like to see that. I admire that. And you want something a little bit different up there and Newcastle are trying to do that. Yes or no, everybody's got an issue with them. money in the way it's come in and such i completely get that point but yeah it's just mad to see the talent drained in the manner that it has um i think they have brought in some good players though and i'll be excited about the new manager i think a lot of people grew very very tired of eddie how um favoritism towards certain players the style of football um and i think look i know it isn't a brand new sign and what have you but i'd be excited about the new manager and what he can bring in something different, I think.

31:09Interesting, yeah. Irilo is going to bring something different to Liverpool, because, again, Arna Slaught, despite having won the league, of course, when he left, I don't think too many people shed a tear for him at Liverpool. Irilo, we know what he did at Bournemouth. Very, very impressive indeed. We expected more of that then, Jim, because, you know, that high-octane, exciting football... Well, it should translate.

31:27Jim Campbell: Absolutely, it suits the squad that Liverpool have already. They're in a funny situation where it feels like their business isn't quite done yet, but I think there's a possibility that he'll hit the ground running, to be honest. I think it's very unusual for Liverpool and a club of their size to head into a new era so quickly. It's been a long time since there's been this sort of kind of managerial churn of someone even staying for two years. So I know there's a lot of kind of pessimism around them at the moment from some of the stuff I've seen online from Liverpool fans. But I think actually both teams are being sort of quite unfairly written off in terms of the seasons they're going to have.

32:04Jim Campbell: Newcastle in particular, I think. they've been written off by some of their own sports absolutely and I do understand why you'd be really kind of worried about the season with what's happened but I think if you look around the squad and you forget the players that they have lost they've still got some decent players in there and they've still got you know they've kept Lewis Horn they've kept Tino Limpolamento so there's some consistency there obviously I really rate Harvey Barnes there's Dan Burns there and he's still going to be the sort of warrior that he is they've brought in six new players and this is so kind of this is so telling of how the transfer market is now particularly for the premier league they're all young players they're kind of none of them have any premier league experience so they're all untested and that adds up to 172 million pounds because you simply cannot kind of do things cheaply in the premier league anymore but they've got a manager who's coming in uh promising a different style that's going to be aggressive and and and front-footed and if that if that works you know if they even see the potential for that to work that's going to really exciting.

33:05Jim Campbell: I don't think there's a Newcastle fan around really that's thinking, oh, we're going to be pushing for the Champions League this season. I think they've got realistic expectations and I think, actually, I think they're going to be fine. There are people talking about them as relegation candidates, which I think is mad. Yeah, I think that's ridiculous. Oh yeah, I think that is a bit fanciful as well. I mean, they are reportedly in talks to sign Nico Gonzalez from Manchester City, which I was kind of getting this way. He's not really, you know, through now, you might argue, not really sort of been playing that much at Man City.

33:34It's You're talking about expectations and so on and so forth. According to The Athletic, they have done a little study into, or ranking which fans are the most optimistic and pessimistic ahead of the new season. And they've released a table of the fan optimism. Newcastle United are very low. They are fourth from bottom. I get that. Yeah, that makes sense. The team who are bottom, though, Liverpool. How about that? There's 58 % optimism, 42 % pessimism. I agree, because you had the dortmine of the last transfer window, and then they saw it, and they just threw it back down to earth with it. Yeah, I mean, one player, though, who's come in, who's already a bit of a fan favourite, according to the reports, is Jeremy Jacquet.

34:21They signed him from Rennes for 60 million. And in one of their pre-season friendlies recently, you know, the fans were loving him, apparently, chanting his name, and so on and so forth, which bodes well, because at the back, they need a bit of help there. I mean Van Dijk we know is a phenomenal player but he's getting on a bit and he needs a little bit of a hand back there I think so absolutely they pretty much need two centre backs to come through and they've got them I mean obviously Leonie was really unlucky to pick up the injury they did he's very highly rated as well but yeah Xhaki is a nice player and I think there's a lot there to work with and he can be a starter almost immediately if he can stay fit as well so you know people talk about I think their left side a lot and sometimes they say they're lacking a bit of physicality in centre mid but it's definitely the centre-backs that I'd be most concerned about with Liverpool.

35:05Jim Campbell: What do you think about Ronald Araujo? He's got a really odd reputation. I'm expecting you to have quite an opinion on him, David. It's a funny one. When he... Like an elite idiot is what people seem to think of him as. Totally. I tell you what, when he first came through, he looked absolutely fantastic because he played this Sergio Ramos style of defending where you played on the edge and when it came off you just looked like this absolutely imposing mountain. But when it went wrong God, you looked like a clown. Unfortunately for Araujo he's been more of a clown. Right. Because Ramos is the opposite, right?

35:41Yeah. Ramos at times looked like a Sunday league defender. Very rarely did he look like but he had that in him. And other times, you know. He was very aggressive. He was unbelievably aggressive. But you look at the medals he's wearing. I mean, just unbelievable. Yeah, he toned down his game to be more astute in terms of reading again rather than being rash. Araujo is just still rash. And there's a reason he fell out of favour at Barcelona. Look, he was being talked about as a hundred million pound centre-back at one point. So for them, this is a bit of a downfall for him. I know he's ended up at Liverpool, this massive Premier League club, but I don't know, I think the way that he's been on a downward trajectory for the past few years, basically.

36:16Jim Campbell: He's at Liverpool now. I mean, it could end up being a really canny move though, because, you know, we could all see it last season, they really needed numbers in there. And obviously, he's a little bit of a risk but you know the upside of it could be quite high if they can figure it out and also I think Iriola is possibly a bit underrated as a defensive coach given how often he's had to retool Bournemouth and the constantly changing personnel but the consistency they had within it yeah how do you think Liverpool fans will react to Curtis Jones going to Inter there's apparently a fee of about 30 million agreed obviously joins the other two English lads that Inter one of those players he's come through at Liverpool, local lad, etc, etc.

36:57I understand he's not a starter for Liverpool, but how many times do we hear Man United fans still remember Danny Welbeck leaving the club and that kind of thing? Do you feel that maybe they'll be sad to see him go? Of course they will. Fans are like that. They want to see somebody who represents them, represents their city and the team as well, and now they haven't got anyone. And that's pretty hard to swallow for a lot of people, I think. And I get it. I think I read something, I don't know if this is more true, that Man United have got more scousers in their team young Shea Lacy's Shea Lacy's yeah yeah so it's funny how it works like that yeah it's sad when money of your own go of course Jim still annoyed that Harry Kane's at Bayern well absolutely yeah the Hayland boy himself

37:33Jim Campbell: I think with Jones I really hope that he can establish himself in the first team at Inter because the thing I've always found with him is I think he he's a really good player when he gets to run a games together I think maybe he suffers from being a little bit of an all-rounder as a midfielder but I think he's someone who can glue a midfield together and he's a really good option in there and you know maybe it'll work out at Inter I think it'll actually be really good for his game and the same goes for Jed Spence as well and look I hate the resort to cliches here but look it is a slower style of football and it is a more technical style of football in terms of the tactical side of things and you'd imagine those two over the next couple of years if they do stay will return will inevitably return England probably and they'll come back better players wiser players just like Trippier did when he went to Spain absolutely yeah indeed not a bad move for Liverpool as well 30 million quid with a 10 % salon clause for a player with a year left pretty good business Not too shabby at all.

38:22Hull City face Manchester United at 12.30 on Saturday. This is a big one. Hull fans apparently are sort of mid-table when it comes to the optimism and pessimism. So not too bad, but they're just one place below Manchester United. So make what you will of that. Perhaps that'll shift after the game on Saturday. Man United, the big story around them at the moment is they are closing in on a deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Beliba. I was wondering when Brighton were going to sell one of their players for an enormous fee. And here it is. this is the move that we've all been expecting when Belieber's been very very good for Brighton of course Manchester United really going after a strong selection of players in that midfield Jim you know obviously Telemans is there you've got Santos there they get Belieber as well none of this they're a bit soft at the core

39:08Jim Campbell: that is how you strengthen he's a really good player in the base of midfield he's a massive upgrade on what I think Manuel Ugarte was supposed to bring to them and just getting three of them in at once as well is a lovely touch. Because it's been a problem area for them for a long, long time. There were times where Casemiro was actually very good. There were times where he was less good. It always felt like an inconsistent part of their game, which is just always, always going to catch up with you. And he had an interesting season last year, didn't he? Because his head was turned by the noise about him going there last season.

39:40Jim Campbell: Clearly he had a little bit of a rusty start, but picked up again. And I think, you know, it really does feel like Brighton have just done it again in unearthing another gem. Yeah, I should say as well, obviously Paul Van Hecker went to Spurs for big money. I said, oh yeah, we were waiting for this one. But this is sort of classic Brighton stuff. But with Man United, if you look at the transfers they've made, it is, you know, Santos, Telemans and presumably Belieber does go through at the time of recording. We're expecting that. They've obviously, they've highlighted that part of the pitch, David, where they've been, you know, a little bit weak and they've gone for it.

40:11Because if you look at the attacking players that they've got, particularly on the wings, you know, Cunha, more central, we can play up wide as well. obviously Rashford's back in there inexplicably, and Boumoselle, obviously Bruno Fernandes, and so on and so forth. It's kind of like, no, they seem pretty set in those areas. It's just what's just behind that, that that seems to be the place where, I mean, there's still a few weeks of the window left. We always have to caveat that. We always forget that it doesn't close when the season starts, quite oddly. But what do you think of Manchester United, how they're shaping up?

40:39I think the business has been really impressive. I think there was a bit of impatience from the fans that nothing was getting done. But if you look at all their deals this summer, they've all come out with the blue and they seem to be they've got a big problem with leaks and they've got a big problem with negotiating deals and that seems to be over with now they're getting who they want definitely need some work defensively you've got Lissandro and De Ligt who can't stay fit Maguire's getting on a bit now Jorov we still probably haven't seen the potential of him and considering the fee that they paid and then obviously fullbacks Dallot and Shaw we all know where their weaknesses are so there's a lot of work still to do I definitely think they'll get a left back in before the window shuts.

41:18If they don't, I'd be really, really surprised. That's a bit of a glaring weak area there, especially if Dogu's going to play further forward. And personally, I would have got Danny Welbeck in as well. No, honestly, because if you look, there's a lot of pressure on Sesko there. I don't read Zerksi at all, like at all. I'm surprised. He's linked with Muda Way as well. I'm really surprised. And I would have just got somebody with a bit of experience in. And there's not many players who are around there in that kind of 30 to 33 bracket who can get in and just be a reliable presence. Well, not even Welbeck in that bracket.

41:48Oh, yeah, exactly. You know what I mean. How old is he? Is he 34? He's 34. Oh, just that. 36, sorry. Is he? I think he's 36. I think he might be. He's not 36. He's 35. He's 35. All right, just that. So I thought he would have been ideal for them and a nice bit of a mentor for Sesko as well. And just, he's good to have around. And you could have the Manchester boys, Mino, Rashford and Welbeck together. You can always rely on Chelsea to ruin the romance. Yeah.

42:12Jim Campbell: I think it's very interesting that actually Man United are having such a quiet summer, because it feels by design, right? That is a really, really good thing for them to have a quiet summer and for the spotlight to be off them a little bit. They've also not gone on a foreign tour, or certainly like a far-flung one, which obviously so often has meant they've started seasons like jet-lagged and kind of not at their best. The spotlight's been on Marcus Rashford and all that situation. Well, of course. Which I think Garak's done well to keep it under wraps, actually. The chat is that he won't reclaim the number 10 shirt though.

42:43Jim Campbell: Yeah, so now we'll get stories about how he should apologise to the memory of Sir Bobby Charlton for disrespecting the number 10 shirt and apologise to Pearl Jam for disrespecting their debut album 10. Oh, is that right? Yeah, that's what I think comes next. Well, the shirt does belong to Matthias Cunha and I can't imagine he, imagine Carrick like, Matthias, I know you've got the number 10. The conversation does not want at all.

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45:24Elsewhere on Saturday, tomorrow, a newly promoted Ipswich hosts Sunderland at 3 p.m. how about that David how are you feeling track the boys where are you on the pessimist Sunderland pretty high scoring pretty well 89 % so what is this David

45:39Jim Campbell: this seems quite surprising to me is that the fears of a second season syndrome there's a few factors second season syndrome could have done with a couple of signs I'm not going to go full Muppet and say oh it's all coming away and we've done nothing and it's all quiet but look we've retained players I think that was important probably was linked with Bayern at the start of the summer Xhaka had the little thing with Chelsea that was rumoured as well so there was a few of the players linked with moves away so to keep the core of the team the spine of the team that's really impressive I'm very very happy with that I just think I think it's an extra minimum of 8 games given the European additional European games now so I just wanted 3 or 4 more faces in there I think another strike just basically every position kind of filled and a little bit concerned about that and look everybody's pumping at us this underlying data and what have you and it's going to catch up to us at some point.

46:31So you're looking over your shoulder at that a little bit. Yeah.

46:34Jim Campbell: The window's still open though, right? Do you think they'll get more players in? The window's still open. And look, I don't think 14th or 15th position is any disgrace. We've been a yo-yo club for far, far too long. So it's about staying in that division, establishing yourself as an actual Premier League team. We'll see. Winning the Europa League and Champions League next year. Easy peasy. It's the Tottenham Hotspur way. They're playing Brentford on Saturday at 5.30. Brentford a tenuous link do you think they're going to be back at the races Jim because they surprised everybody last season yeah I think expecting Brentford to not do so well is foolish at this point isn't it I think Keith Andrews has done a really really good job there they've kept hold of Igor Thiago which is obviously massive they made one of the best summer signings in my eyes as well in Sangara I think he's going to be absolutely outstanding this season well he's been their big signing obviously Jay and Anthony you know reasonably big but yeah Yeah, well, Anthony had a really good season last year, actually.

47:31Yeah, he was decent. They've also got Callum Wilson on a free. Lovely. From West Ham. Lovely stuff. He can sniff out a pro league room still. He actually always pops up on a free. I love that. It's incredible. Absolutely love that. Go on, talk us through Sangari then. Just a lovely sentiment fielder. Can do it all. And if he has more than a year at Brentford, I'll be stunned. Will he be able to fill Jordan Henderson's boots? I'm not saying anything bad about our Jordan. No, I'm not either. Yeah, it's a different level. But he'll show a bit more, he's maybe a bit quicker and whatnot. A bit more quicker, better on the ball.

48:05Yeah, he's honestly top. You're right to mention Thiago there. Because after the season he had, you would think. Yeah. Brian Brodby as well. Like, given the sort of depth of strikers. Brian was sniffing around him. But yeah, like, with Thiago there, like, the season he had was so good. And obviously, Ancelotti fancied him. He was leading the line a lot for Brazil in the summer. I know, actually, his first game wasn't great and he became a meme, didn't he? Maybe that's what it was. People want to see his second season. I imagine clubs who go, oh, right, he is interesting, will want to see if he can do it again.

48:38He's not just a one-season wonder. Yeah. But it's funny where clubs will be willing to take the gamble where they're not, because they're willing to pay big money for a player who's maybe younger and no Premier League experience. It's a guy like that, but anyway. I think Brentford's still got him. I'm glad Brentford have got him as well, because it would have been a bit rubbish if he'd have gone to one of the bigger clubs.

48:56Jim Campbell: It's an area of the table. Bournemouth used to be really good at this, isn't it? Where it's like, you know, we've seen with Newcastle and Villa, their players being sort of picked away from them. You want to be like one of those fish that swims behind a massive shark, just doesn't get seen by the other ones. I think that's where Brentford are at the moment. Yes, always swim behind the shark, never in front of it. Gentlemen, let's turn our attention to Spurs. They're trying to sign Savinho. We know this, they've been trying to sign Savinho for a little while. It's also reported that they're trying to sign Omar Mamouche as well.

49:26What do you think of that, David? They love it, don't they? They bloody do love it. They love getting that checkbook out these days. I mean, in the name of PSR, you know, they've spent a lot of money, have they not?

49:37Jim Campbell: They have, but they've got Sanasi and Robertson in on frees. So they've done a decent amount of business, but not all of it has been for big fees. And also, you know, they've got the money from down the sofa for the last 40 years. There's a bit of money there, and they've got some nice... Look, what's killing a lot of these clubs are revenue streams and Spurs have got money coming in. How much do they charge for Beyonce gigs? It must be enormous. I mean, look, I suppose, you know, Jed Spence was 30 million, Christian Romero as well. There's been a few others who they've sold. So, but I mean, but they've made, I mean, 10-10 million, finance 85, Van Hecker 52 and now here we go with these two.

50:16With these two, exactly. Yeah, they're not going to be cheap either.

50:18Jim Campbell: No, you wouldn't think so. I mean, I think they're both the types of players Tottenham need. They are very lacking in the attacking department at the moment. I think Marmouche in particular, there is surely way more to come from him in the Premier League. You would think so. I mean, some of the attacking players that they've had, whether it be on loan or whatever, you think of like Tell or you think of Colomawani, you know, it's just not quite happened. They've not managed to unleash what they had. And in fact, Colomawani didn't seem that fussed-y. You know, some of the quotes he came out with and so on.

50:47Whereas I suppose these players, Savinho and Marmouche, we know what they can do. again Premier League players etc etc a little bit of dynamism a little bit of something because De Zerbi's got to go all in here that's what Spurs are doing aren't they Jim they're thinking for crying out loud yeah they're spending more money they're paying better wages yeah they don't want to finish 16th or 17th no absolutely

51:07Jim Campbell: and there's zero chance of them doing that they have to get back into Europe sure and they will be thinking again you look at the lie of the land I know they've got a relatively new manager I mean you know obviously he's got experience in the Premier League I know he was there at the tail end of the season but that's you know again you go through all the clubs other than Arsenal at the top of the table I don't think Spurs are going to be in a title race but you go through them all there are big arguments that say not sure about them you know they're not stable etc etc Spurs have really got to be I think they've got to be targeting Champions League places I don't think Champions League do you not think bearing the lie of the land the signings the amount of money they've got to be looking at least for European spots they're targeting it and whether or not it's realistic though right I think they should actually be thinking of it like that I don't think Champions League I think Europa League or Conference League would be a decent return I think the Conference League is beneath them I think it's beneath a lot of the massive clubs in the Premier League to be quite frank they're not going to aim for 7th or 8th yeah I'm not saying aim for that I'm saying that's where I think they'll get I think the strength of the teams going for the Champions League is just a little bit beyond there I think Marmouche could make a massive difference to them because Dominic Solanke has had such frustrating injury problems that I don't know that they can really rely on him.

52:21Jim Campbell: And there was a bit of chat that he might move on. I don't know how likely that is. But you've got Richarlison in there as well. But Marmouche can play as a wide player or as a centre forward. And that versatility is something they really need in that department. I think if they get, if they were to get Marmouche and to a lesser extent Savinho, but still, I just, I think that does bump him up a bit. Massively. You know, I just look in a row. 17th. Yeah, I don't think there is, it's not that hard to bump them up a bit, is it? most improved team or whatever. No, I just, you know, again, looking around some of the big sides and whatnot, yeah, okay, but if you've got five places, maybe even six, although, let's go with five places in the Champions League, I just, it is possible that it doesn't quite click at Liverpool, it's possible that, you know, Lonzo has a sticky start at Chelsea, it's possible that even Man City, I think Man City will finish in the top five for crying out loud, you know, but you start thinking about it, Man United as well, I just think that upstairs at Tottenham Hotspur they will be quietly thinking come on let's try and like nick fifth spot or something like that every single club in the Premier League this season and maybe I'm forgetting that it's like this every year or maybe it genuinely is a really freakish year I think every single one of them bar perhaps Newcastle or Villa I think you could even make arguments for them are looking at their own ambitions and going we've got a chance here you've got to haven't you yeah Yeah, because I think Villa have got the stability of Emery and, you know, what he is as a manager.

53:51Jim Campbell: Newcastle have this kind of interesting new era, which you could look at in a positive light. You know, we would discuss Liverpool's pessimism. Perhaps I've forgotten them there. But it feels... They're the bottom of the table. Feels like there's a lot of optimism going into it. Do you remember who was top of that table? Leeds United. Leeds, loving it. 99 % optimistic. Wow. Again, according to this strange report, I sort of don't know who they've asked, how many people they've asked. I'm not interested. But it's here now, isn't it? It is here to stay. So we're taking it as gospel. We are absolutely...

54:21And Villa are second in this little table as well. So they've not been perturbed by what's going on. Second bottom, though, Fulham. All right. Real Madrid B. Yeah, I just... I think... There's already Real Madrid B, isn't there? Yes. Real Madrid C. Real Madrid finest. El Cottage. I disagree with all of those pessimistic sausages, but no doubt we'll talk about that over orange juice and cake. Before we go, everybody, we're going to go to the Far East. Do you remember how long ago it was on the pod? Fairly recently we talked about Kazuyoshi Miyori scoring his first goal, his first competitive goal in four years.

55:00King Kazoo, the 59-year-old, still playing in Japan, professional football. But he scored again on Wednesday for Fukushima United. He can't stop. What a purple patch. Incredible stuff. Having gone four years without a competitive goal...

55:14Jim Campbell: And not just considered retirement at any point, seemingly. No, no, no. The goals are drying up, maybe it's time. Not for Kinkazu. I mean, it wouldn't have shocked me when the board at Chelsea were thinking, we need some experience in there, his name would have popped up somewhere. Can we get someone immortal? Will that help? Just never gonna retire! You're annoyed if you're his marker, right? How is he still in the team? Is he like a really hard worker? Which seems mad at this age. Presumably he's a late sub. Yeah. Nothing more. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know how this is going to... I mean, he's 50...

55:50So obviously he's Japanese. The official pension age in Japan to collect your pension is 65, provided you've made contributions for at least 10 years. I suggest that he has made contributions. You can start receiving your pension early at 60, apparently, in Japan. He's one year away from an early pension, but he's six years away from... I mean, come on. He'll do his badges when he's 100. You've come this far, King Kazin. Be the only pensioner playing professional football. And the good people of Japan, you can make this happen as well. But yeah, so first competitive goal in four years. There's hope for us all, quite frankly.

56:25Speaking of hope, my bitty aunt will be happening this afternoon. Myself versus David in the opening fixture of the Football Ramble season. It will be available to listen to later today. So make sure to subscribe to the Football Ramble in your podcast app so you do not miss it. Thank you very much for listening to the Football Ramble, part of the Acast Creator Network. We'll see you later for my biddy aunt, of course. Thank you, David. Thank you. Thank you, Jim. Thank you. Thank you, King Kazoo.

56:59The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.

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