Was that the greatest football match ever?

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2:50Pete Donaldson: So take it like a taker, because baby, I'm a giver. Welcome to the Football Ramble, a game for the ages in Paris and Arsenal are up tonight. It's Wednesday, 21st of April. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Jim Campbell. I'm Pete Doddelson.

3:14Pete Donaldson: Hello, everybody. Call blimey. What a wonderful Wednesday we've got for you at the Football Ramble today. I want to start by saying thanks to friend of the Ramble Anthony Rupoli or Rupoles as we would call him Is the rolled R part of the name? Do you know that for sure? I should say so Something for him to think about if he's not been doing it but he gave us that intro line and of course if you want to submit an intro line for a future episode and get an extended edition of today's show then become a friend of the Ramble on our Patreon just head to patreon.com forward slash football ramble to get involved now Is he Rupoli all the time or is it just when he dresses like a lady?

3:48Very good Thank you. Great start to the show. Great start. Peter, we're going to build on that. Great. Some sorry sand underneath that concrete. Yesterday.

3:58Jim Campbell: Yesterday. My goodness. My. I mean, that's your personality in a nutshell, isn't it? I'll tell you what. But on this day of days, it's all the more extreme.

4:07Pete Donaldson: Well, you're absolutely right. It was incredible to watch. It was momentous. It was magnificent. I talk about the King's Speech of Congress. He got all the notes right Didn't he He did yeah What a man And he did it with Enough words To not You know Raise anyone's ire Let's say Yeah And the handshake Oh and the handshake Contour a talk With old sausage fingers Trying to pull him in For one of those handshakes The hubris of it The stupis This is Champions League Handshaking Damn right it is The Donald Yes But that said Oi Get it up you Uncle Sam The Champions League Imagine getting that up you Those digits it.

4:48Pete Donaldson: Oh dear, but yes Peter, you want to wrestle it all the way to the Champions League. PSG 5 by Munich 4. Still another leg to go. It's like Rochdale-York, isn't it? That bloke tipping out his father's ashes on the centre circle. The Rochdale fan before getting chinned off. Did he have to pick him up after the game? I don't know. PSG 5 by Munich 4. The highest scoring semi-final in Champions League history. one of the greatest games I think we've all ever seen 100 % Jim Campbell what a game of football

5:26Jim Campbell: just one of the best games the Champions League has ever seen my thoughts on this evolved during the game do you have to confine it to that competition well at half time I'm thinking that's as good half of football as I've seen anywhere towards the end in that last five minutes or so where they're finally all slowing down yeah it's a bit like come on another goal here Almost so they can appreciate the majesty of what they've all achieved as a group of 22. Companies thrown on Blumman forward players. Yeah. Trying to get the draw. But I'm thinking, well, this is surely one of the best games in the Champions League of all time.

6:00Jim Campbell: And now I'm like, I think that was the best game I've ever seen. That's what I mean. I just don't know what compares to it. It's the quality of it. It's always a good sign of a half, isn't it? When there's only like a minute or so given of added time in the first half. and of course that penalty ends up being scored in the third minute of it because of a decision that we'll come to. But most of the game was like that. It was utterly breathless. It was to the point where every time a player from either side made a clearance, I'm like, oh no, that was a through ball. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That started an attack.

6:33Jim Campbell: That looked like it was, oh, just get it out and just keep possession. No, no, no. There was intention behind that. Under pressure from forward players in your own six yard box and you've made a clinical pass that started an attack. That's how it felt over and over again from both teams and it was just an exceptional, exceptional display of technical ability. It was beautiful to watch. Probably more on Bayern's side than PSG's side. Like, Bayern can get away with man marking in the Bundesliga because they're better than everybody else. Just pound for pound. It's fair to say. It's fair to say. And then when you come up against players like that, you're like, oh, actually, this doesn't work in the Champions League, does it?

7:08It was such a good football match. Oh, man. But it was just completely different to league football. just everybody I mean the goalkeepers Premier League this season specifically I think the goalkeepers helped at times but like what a performance on both sides what an attacking performance on both sides

7:23Pete Donaldson: it was brilliant Luis Henrique summed it up by saying I think it was the best match I have ever managed as a coach he just walked off he just did that on Amazon Prime and just walked off yeah thanks very much yeah that's all I have to say on the matter

7:33Jim Campbell: there's nothing to add is there what more is there to add yet again I've proved my point yeah

7:39Pete Donaldson: I just I mean where do you begin the game it started as it meant to go on with that intensity and quality. It seemed like every single player who got the ball, you thought, what are they going to do? Clearly, when you have such amazing attacking a talent on display, you expect and you hope for something approaching 75 % of this, which would still be outstanding. whereas this delivered with every turn and every call the only thing I think we missed was a sending off but you didn't want anybody to get sent off so it delivered and then some Bayern started the game very very well in fact seldom do you see at this stage of the competition a team take the game to Paris Saint-Germain in Paris like this or I mean in any arena but particularly at home I say in this stage of the competition because we know in the group stages of the Champions or the group stage should I say, that PSG kind of go, yeah, whatever, phone it in.

8:46Pete Donaldson: Bayern, to a slightly lesser degree, may be the same, but my goodness, they know how to time their runs when it gets going. But Bayern were brilliant. Alise, Kane and Diaz, irresistible up front. I love watching Diaz. I know we will talk about Michael Alise and so, but Diaz, the tenacity that that man possesses is something else. But Bayern, yeah, very, very good. They obviously opened the scoring through Harry Kane. lovely play from Diaz invites the foul and if I may go on Peter I was going to say obviously we'll come on to the most contentious foul a little later on in this section as a Newcastle fan is this is this a more contentious foul than that one?

9:27Pete Donaldson: no really? you mean the handball rather than the foul? I think the foul feels to me more of a there was less contact let's say I know what you're saying do you know what I mean he seems that he was already going down Diaz plays for it

9:41Jim Campbell: He puts his foot in the way To make sure Because he does get A little nick on the ball Doesn't he But I think he fouls him Before that Well and Clattenburg says Doesn't he

9:48Pete Donaldson: On comms You know For what it's worth Maybe I just didn't see The right angle But I was a bit like That feels a bit soft for me For a very hard result I suspect some people Would have sympathy With that view I think that The motion Which the defender Takes in trying to get the ball Fouls Diaz And then eventually He kind of gets the ball The foul's already been committed Yeah because I thought Diaz actually probably should have shot before that and then you see what happens and you kind of go oh okay actually it was a pretty clever play

10:15Jim Campbell: because he's also like smacking the ground isn't he in a way that doesn't suggest yes I've just got a penalty more like damn I've just fluffed a big opportunity but a player of that quality

10:23Pete Donaldson: the way he puts his feet he will just instinctively do that thinking I'm putting my foot down there's a marker if you want the ball you're going to have to go through me and risk a penalty and of course that was it Harry Kane stepping up to score what I loved about well yeah I mean you heard his record what is it now, is it now 37 and 39 he scored for Bayern, I think.

10:43Jim Campbell: That's mad, isn't it? Show you how much time they spend in the opposition's box.

10:46Pete Donaldson: Yeah, and the way he, I mean, he's been doing this for a number of seasons now. The way he's mixed up his penalty-taking routine, if you like. You know, he does that sort of slight stutter, which I still think should be outlawed, even though he does it in a more palatable way. For his last penalty, do you do like a Rebona or something? Yeah, maybe, maybe. But what I thought was interesting is the keeper obviously goes the way, which normally Kane, if he needs to put a penalty away, he goes to the goalkeeper's right. If you watch the penalty again, he's obviously waiting for the keeper to move.

11:18Pete Donaldson: The keeper just ever so slightly goes to his right. And that's just enough for Kane to go. And that's what I was looking for. The margin, it really is like that. And he sticks it away. and of course then Bayern with Michael Alisse tearing up all the pulling up all the trees and so on misses a very presentable chance and you think oh that could have been 2-0 and then PSG go we're at home I think

11:44Jim Campbell: is it fair to say he misses a presentable chance or is that more good defending because a lot of people have been saying that basically it wasn't that the defending was bad in this game it's more that there just wasn't time for any I think PSG did well

11:57Pete Donaldson: to keep that out there and deserve credit for it. They did in that it was a sort of, the goalkeeper saved it to an extent because it would have gone in if the defender hadn't have put it off the line. But with Alise, a player of that quality, particularly like this, I think he should probably bury that chance.

12:12Jim Campbell: But regardless of how you view that though,

12:14Pete Donaldson: I think you are right to say. I'm surprised he didn't open the body. To me, it was one of those ones he's obviously then gone, right, I'll try and, you know, it was there to be hit. Easy for me to sit on the sofa and say that I appreciate. But again, a player of his quality. the fact is it was a chance it could have been 2-0 to Bayern

12:30Jim Campbell: but Bayern were on top

12:31Pete Donaldson: at that time

12:32Jim Campbell: as you were saying and that sounds that feels like years ago rather than a moment from last night you can say that about Dembele as well it must be so hard to sort of defend against Dembele because he's the sort of player you don't necessarily always trust on a one-on-one but he just pulls out goals out of his arse and it's like how's he done that he's also a lovely example of a player who plays down the middle but has spent formative years out wide and like you see it all the time with people trying to sort of kind of develop strikers by playing them as wide players and it doesn't always come off they tend to be better suited to one or the other naturally with Dembele he can beat a man in the middle in a way that is more of a kind of winger's thing and he had that chance didn't he one on one with a goalkeeper that he absolutely spooned wide and in that game I'm thinking oh you've got to be clinical against this Bayern team even if you're PSG and uh didn't need to worry so much It works out okay for him and them.

13:26Pete Donaldson: But that chance, though, it showed you again how Bayern were playing at the back. And I thought Clarence Seedhoff made an interesting point after the game on the TV. I thought him and Wayne Rooney were really good, actually. Rooney was scathing of the defenders, wasn't he? And he was just saying, what was going on? He was basically saying, you can't be happy, even if you're Luis Enrique, because you've shipped four goals. And it's that idea of, you know, the perfect game, it should be a low-scoring game, all that sort of thing. And PSG had all of their players. no injuries no problems there the manager in the dugout as well which is helpful well yeah company was up in the golds wasn't he not on an earpiece yeah definitely not on an earpiece yeah well the rule stated oh I'm just resting on my hand a little bit oh dear yeah I was so tired or was it a body double and he was in a laundry basket let's get really deep into this why don't they put like these managers that are banned from the touchline I understand why you don't want them at home because you can still phone in can't you you need eyes on them to see what they're doing they need to be in their own little panic room one of those ones that are like you know those rooms that send people mad that are completely isolated from the outside world I've only heard about them they're like sort of they've got lots of solitary confinement yeah reflective sort of form all Chapman's league clubs should have a jail

14:38Jim Campbell: where the manager exactly

14:39Pete Donaldson: football jail

14:40Jim Campbell: are they the ones where like no sound can get in or out so you can hear your own blood pumping and stuff

14:46Pete Donaldson: isn't this a Scar Sports feature yeah Linnickens turns up in one That's the future of it. Yeah, right. You're on a very slippery slope.

14:59He's here.

15:01Pete Donaldson: Yeah, well, yes, the defending. Rooney was worried about it, and Clarenceenoff made a good point where he said, the style of defending can change. You know, you can have a very high line, you can play very deep, but it's got to be organised. Half a line. Yeah, exactly. There's got to be a structure and organisation. and at times you saw and you know time and time again PSG getting through and Bayern looking quite vulnerable and as you say that man-to-man marking that they sort of deployed a bit now I know we can be very critical of people often man-to-man I remember Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich trying to do this away to Barcelona and then got punished for it and everyone said it was pretty suicidal but obviously company thought right well this is what we're going to do but I kind of He's a pep man he's a pep man through and through well yeah except when he's Kevin Keegan in this match he's also a company man he is a company man thank you I did admire the way that company was like this is how we play we are an attacking side and we're going to bloody attack you and for that opening period it was working they were ahead and it doesn't matter what you're doing we can try it would be fascinating what he does for the second leg I mean I'd imagine it'll be attack because they are a goal down and they're at home but at no point did really until as you say maybe they eventually began to show that they're all human beings and they actually do tire at some point towards the end of the game was there any kind of right okay how can we kind of approach this slightly differently but it was go go go but i felt though that at times whoever was defending and trying to hit on the counter they were the ones on top if you see what i mean because it was it was the it was almost like they were laying traps saying come on get that line a little bit higher and then we go because PSG, this PSG side are so good at everything.

16:46Pete Donaldson: We saw that, for example, away at Anfield when they had that advantage and they just defended very, very resolutely. They were very compact and central and they were just having Liverpool at arm's length. Now, I know Liverpool are not the side that Bayern are, but that style of play, very different to when they go. The way Luis Enrique's got them drilled is stunning.

17:05Jim Campbell: But what made for such a perfect kind of viewing experience, though, is part of it is that PSG are so good at all these different elements of the game, as you say. But that's also true of Bayern Munich. And they're also two sets of supremely technically gifted players that mean when they win possession, they can zip the ball up the other end of the pitch in three or four passes. And they were both doing it all night. I don't think I've ever seen such an end-to-end game. You honestly, like at 5-4, you're thinking, surely no one's putting five goals past PSG and surely no one's putting six goals past Bayern Munich but here we are at 5-4 with 20 minutes to go and it was just an absolutely astonishing spectacle of two teams who play the game in a kind of really, really pure attack-minded way who sort of had no other choice but to try and tear strips off each other because I don't think that if you sat and tried to contain if either team tried to contain the other that that would have been the right tactic.

18:07Jim Campbell: Or Vincent Gubbins himself You invite pressure from these geniuses.

18:10Pete Donaldson: Yeah, Gubbins himself said I've seen a lot of good defending today but the game is such fine margins you either go full into battles or retreat fully. The in-between doesn't work against that level of player. And I think he's got a point there. Absolutely. Which is it was very, very evident. I think as people who are fans of Premier League clubs and having watched a lot of Premier League, obviously, as we always do every season. And don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed the Premier League. I've stayed for that many reasons. I think we needed a game like this. Absolutely. Absolutely. I agree, yeah. Yeah.

18:42Needed a header like Nevis's.

18:44Pete Donaldson: Yeah. Yeah, that was nice. Yeah, that was a lovely one, wasn't it? I think it was the goal of the night, personally. I know Diaz's was very good. She said Nevis, okay. The pace he comes in, the angle he comes in at, and the way he puts that away. Oh, that's Prem, that. That is English. It's also, there we are. You're welcome again.

19:03Jim Campbell: Isn't it lovely to see a young footballer who doesn't use hair product? It's just the natural floofy bounciness is there.

19:10Pete Donaldson: Man after my own heart. I think there were so many good goals. I mean, Elise's one was lovely. I think a lot of people, my guess would be that Diaz's goal. It gets knocked down. It's Dennis Burkamp. It was amazing. And the defender fell for it as well. And so like, I think being chalked off for VAR I'm glad it wasn't, but being chalked off ruins it a little bit for me. But it wasn't chalked off. It's not his fault. No, it stood, Peter.

19:37Jim Campbell: I know it stood. But I think Pete's right, though. It does take away some of the adrenaline from it, doesn't it?

19:43Pete Donaldson: I just thought maybe your Amazon Prime went down.

19:46Jim Campbell: To me, while they were checking the goal.

19:49Pete Donaldson: I think a lot of WhatsApp groups around the world, or wherever it was, presumably in the UK, where it's broadcast on Amazon Prime, it's like, you've got to watch this. get involved and everyone just flooded towards their team yeah killed the servers yeah exactly this is why Rams 500 quid a pop it went down for two minutes and I missed three goals yeah Amazon's a good platform and should be the gold standard for broadcasters to how to present football in my opinion just technically what's going on here they got to you too Amazon.com just check it out there's lots of great things on there well we've got I mean Amazon Music for example we've got our Games Gone series on there we've got our Games Gone back yeah The game's gone But the way that Yeah the next episode Is the game's come back The way you can sort of Skip forward and backwards And it tells you Where the goals are and stuff If you pop out to You know Remonstrate with a dog Do you do have that On TNT Sports as well Do you do that On the TNT Sports Oh maybe okay Alright Well they're part of The Discovery Channel family Exactly yeah We're all about Big conglomerate We'd like to say Thank you to Discovery Do we?

20:50Well For giving you so much Voice over Work for years They've employed me for 15 years Yeah Finally got the era

20:55Jim Campbell: Great shows like Monkey Truckers Ice monkeys Ice truck monkeys We're building another fucking cabin off grid What are we going to eat? Fish probably Brilliant Deadliest catch, don't hang out with the fishermen They're all racist Don't say that about those fishermen They're very brave, they're always having heart attacks They don't live very well We're yet to mention Kavija Kavarach Galia Give him the Ballon d 'Or Now there is no need For any kind of discussion about it. You've not seen Harry Wilson this season. Give him the Ballon d 'Or now. Huff yours. He is just a joy to watch. He's one of those players where it makes you feel like a kid again when you're just falling in love with football.

21:41Jim Campbell: And those players are the other guys where you go, oh my God, I'm gripped to this. He is one of those players. He is just an absolute joy.

21:48Pete Donaldson: Yeah, the way he plays. I know that Clarence Seedhoff said that old Kvart Scalia reminded him of Wayne Rooney. I think in that youthful exuberance that you're talking about, of this is, even though obviously Rooney often looked pissed off when he was playing, that sort of, again, to use the same expression, youthful exuberance of, I can't believe I get to do this. Of course I get to do this because this is all I want to do and this is what I'm really bloody good at. And the way he plays. It's cult hero coded, but he achieves the very best results in the world. Yeah, that's exactly right. Well, some of his style of play reminds me, if I sort of can just about remember him playing from when I was very young, there was a little bit of sort of Chris Waddle in there.

22:34Pete Donaldson: He's obviously quicker than Waddle, but that maybe sort of stance, that at times he looks like a little bit languid. It looks like, oh, is he in fully control of the ball? He is very much in control of the ball. Can he sing? Well, that's to come. Maybe he's been singing away back in his home country of Georgia, but yeah, we would like to see him do it. But a phenomenal player. and one who has the, I mean, a lot of players have, they all have individual brilliance for PSG, but him in particular, obviously, Usman Adembele has had his flowers in winning the Ballon d 'Or. And so we know about him, but Kvarek Scali, who I think, you know, again, if he wins the Ballon d 'Or, they'll get no pushback from me.

23:13Pete Donaldson: You know, I will attend if invited. I know it sounds ridiculous and maybe this is just me, but because of how good that team is and how they play, I sometimes almost forget about, not forget about him, but he reminds me, oh yeah, no, I'm still here, I can do this on my own if needs be. Is it a big shame that he's not playing at the World Cup? Yes, because it means there is just, there are fewer St. George's crosses there. Right. That's a good point, actually, yeah. So that's a huge shame for me. Maybe there's somebody's installed, basically when you come into Basildon, Basildon. In Essex. In Essex.

23:50They've basically, they installed a little while ago A massive like Hollywood style sign Right Just saying Basildon Great On this Near the arterial road This big hill Right And some wrongen Has put a big English flag Like massive It looks like it's made out of like cement bags To make it harder to remove Genius Maybe I could add the little Absolute genius What are they? Blobs? Extra crosses in the Georgian flag? I don't actually know Yeah They are yeah

24:13Pete Donaldson: That's what I mean So that's why If you are going to go up a lamppost Little Georgian clads of faces They are If you ever go up a lamppost Put a Georgia flag up You don't have to do the whole street Yeah

24:21Jim Campbell: Exactly You could dress up as Tamiri Ketspire and kick it all down. I could, yeah. God, George, you've made some bloody players over here, hasn't I? Yeah, name another. Ketspire and... Mamadash Philly. Mamadash Philly. There we are. All right, Mkhitary. That's a team.

24:36Pete Donaldson: Let's move on. We're all agreed, we're all agreed. But yeah, phenomenal. And the way he took his goal as well, again, the defender, everyone knows he's going to cut inside. You just can't stop him. Same with Elise. Yeah. Well, Elise, I think, I mean, both of them, what's the beauty is they can go either side, as Elise showed.

24:52Jim Campbell: many times yeah it was i mean they are such different players uh in terms of how they beat a man and how they jink and shoot and do all those things but they're both so so unique they're they're players where you could you'd you know if someone used some sort of program to blur out who they were you'd still know who they are from the way they run yeah um and it was just so good to have both of them on the pitch now obviously psg are a phenomenal team they're the holders of the Champions League and that they they won it in a quite spectacular fashion last season Bayern Munich are this is a generational Bayern Munich team they have smashed the Bundesliga goal scoring record to pieces with loads of games to go I think last night they scored their 171st goal of the season in all comps well Diaz's goal

25:39Pete Donaldson: meant that him Kane and Elisa have reached a combined 100 goals this season across all competitions and then the first attacking trio not from Real Madrid or Barcelona to achieve that

25:47Jim Campbell: so these are two two of the best sides that either of these clubs have ever had. So I suppose often these things cancel each other out, but we were just treated to the really quite phenomenal and rare spectacle of that.

26:03Pete Donaldson: But I mean, at 5-2, you thought,

26:06Jim Campbell: well, hang on a minute, are PSG going to break away here? Because that fifth goal, Dembele's goal, you're right, we're all thinking the same. There's a shot of Harry Kane kind of reassessing how they're going to approach this, and he looks really, really stressed out.

26:22Jim Campbell: I'm thinking like Tetris right okay but it's that Upamecano goal PSG will rue that because that's probably the one moment in the game from either team where you can say they switched off a little bit soft move yeah very soft I think in the context of the game and that has let Bayern back in and you know you can't do that you really can't

26:44Pete Donaldson: we're due to about to talk about the second penalty yeah do you think it was I don't think it was

26:49Jim Campbell: I thought it was harsh because it hits his leg first right so obviously moves his arm out and it hits his hand and it makes it look like he's sort of like you know caught it a little bit slapped it away a little bit but he's turning and it's hit his leg I think it's very harsh

27:02Pete Donaldson: he opens his body and moves his arm away from his body yeah and maybe that's what's gone against him well it is what's gone against him because otherwise it's you know his arms are down I think if his arms weren't down I think it's almost like he's purposely going right I'm not going to handball this and then it's just that moment where he goes right I'll open the body because I'm going to turn or whatever it's so difficult isn't it very difficult and it was I thought it was a bit of a sickness certainly for Bayern's point of view but you know but there we are fuck it the game was great it was brilliant and what was great is five goals in the first half often you go you might get one in the second half no no no they still went they still went for it

27:38Jim Campbell: and it feels like the second leg will be the same it feels like they don't really know from Bayern's point of view it has to be the same

27:44Pete Donaldson: I mean you just you know those stats about them scoring goals that's why they attack because they're devastatingly good at it they're a goal down they have to do it we're looking forward to it very very much second leg already one man who wasn't watching the game quite incredibly it was Pep Guardiola as he was at Edgley Park for Stockport County versus Port Vale what a prick what a performative bellend Pepformative he's missed out there he's missed out there he's missed out there he's been involved in a fair few ding-dongs in his time yes but presumably had no room for one more. Right, everybody.

28:19Pete Donaldson: Big news. Talking of Champions League semifinals. We're going to be going live on the Football Ramble YouTube channel tonight. Whoa! Old Vichy Baby and me will be reacting to the other Champions League semifinals as Arsenal look to make it 5-4 against Atletico Madrid on their way to trying to reach a Champions League final for the second time for, it's been 20 years since they were in the Champions League final. Over 20 years. I'll tell you now I'd take 5-4. Do you really want to wait? Either way. Do you want to eat something so stodgy before bed, Marcus? I'll be honest with you. Do you want to cut?

28:51That's a carby fixture, isn't it? Carby. Yeah, it is.

28:56Pete Donaldson: But it's still a fixture nonetheless, Peter. It's one of those thick Spanish omelets you get. You're like, this is too much egg.

29:02Jim Campbell: Yeah. Too much potato. There's a lot of fibre in there as well. That's mashed into a load of wheat a bit.

29:08Pete Donaldson: Well, let's hope there's a little bit of chorizo in that Spanish omelet at some point. Fighting cement, yes. Yes, you are. St George's cross-branded cement. Now you're talking. If you're not consuming this on YouTube, then head over to our channel and click the big red subscribe button and make sure to hit that bell icon too if you think one of us deserves that or all of us so you get notified when we go live as well. Right, coming up after this, Casimiro gives the badge a big old smooch.

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32:09Pete Donaldson: Do you want your soccer analysis more direct than an Arsenal set piece? Join me, Max Rushton, and the Guardian's expert soccer journalist for the latest action and news from the Premier League to the Champions League and all the way to the World Cup. We'll have chat more out of the box than a Dominic Sobber's Life free kick, more panellists than Chelsea of players, and unlike VAR, we know where to draw the line. For fine margins, fun debates, and full-blooded tackles, Football Weekly, listen wherever you get your podcasts and watch the full episodes on YouTube. Amazon Health AI presents Painful Thoughts.

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33:32Pete Donaldson: of sixths in the Premier League. Michael Carrick's done a job, Peter. I didn't see this coming when other managers were in charge, but he's got them firing. They are 12 points off Arsenal at the top of the table. Four games left. How about that? Goal difference-wise, they're not going to do it. I'll stop now. But look, they beat Brentford 2-1. Man United fans had a decent evening. they were chanting one more year one more year for old Casemiro who again scored a towering header he loves it doesn't he he's celebrated by pointing to the badge giving it a couple of kisses smooches but he's out of there whether he's smooching or not he's out of there I'm really pleased that he's leaving on a high yeah he's such a fantastic footballer look don't get me wrong we saw the performances you know a little while ago and he wasn't doing very well so I'm not I'm not trying to be wise after that and going well actually if you watch those games you know he had a bad time with it for whatever reason

34:33Jim Campbell: but finishing so strongly as he is is great. He's done really really well to turn that around as well hasn't he? That can be difficult when you come into a new league and you're a little bit older and there were comments about his legs going and all that stuff and I'm sure there were sort of you know various fitness reasons we won't know about that relate to that but to turn it around and to become such a key player is really a credit to just how good he is I think it's a real skill to get yourself out of bad periods of form and kind of step up like he has and become so, so consistent. And I think this is surely, even after all the chaos of Ruben Amorim and the early cup exits and all the kind of banter stuff that's been thrown Man United's way, is this now their most stress-free season in years?

35:15Jim Campbell: Yeah, I know that the stakes have become kind of very focused on essentially just qualifying for the Champions League. But they're playing good football again. They're winning again. They've clearly got a good squad of players, some good young players in there as well. we always get to this part of the cycle with Man United don't we where it's like actually are they are they kicking on now and they may have to put a midweek fixture and have it got to shit yeah absolutely so I mean I guess we've got to be careful of being sort of too effusive about it because of this we've been in this kind of pattern before but it looks like a fun time to be a Man United fan right now and that was it's unthinkable that we'd be saying this in April at the start of the season yeah it is I mean we haven't said

35:53Pete Donaldson: Grimsby Town for a while have we indeed which shows you I mean reset the clock Yeah, I mean, it does seem a long, long time ago. I mean, you mentioned about Casemiro, a player who came through a lot of harsh criticism, or another man who knows what that's about is Harry Maguire. Maguire said of the Brazilian, I thought I was good at heading and attacking the box until I met Casemiro. He's deadly, isn't he? He is, and you're right, though. I think his legs have arguably gone because he's a player of advancing years, but he's kind of working through that a little bit. And Man United are working with his limitations.

36:24and I think that's such a good and by all accounts it looks like they're in for Bruno Gimres and he would be an excellent replacement for what they've got in Casemiro.

36:32Pete Donaldson: Yeah, well Casemiro he made 11 tackles in the game which is the most by any player apparently game this season. How many with both legs? True. He's trying to take other people's legs. Maybe one leg's gone and he's just covering it up really well. Well, all he needs is one leg clearly. Malcolm Carroll did confirm that Casemiro will leave at the end of the season. I don't know whether that was during the challenge. No. No, no. You can stop that now. Actually, imagine that on the loudspeaker. You are promoting this. Cease. Can you just remind yourselves? Another man, it's fair to say, who has excelled in a Manchester United jersey is Bruno Fernandes.

37:10Pete Donaldson: Got his 19th assist this season in the league. He's won away from the record held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry. Yeah, it seemed like last season he would kind of oscillate between being the worst thing about March United and then the best thing three weeks to three weeks to three weeks and then this season since Carrick's taken over he's just become that steady operator that we all kind of respect and love the thing that when you said because obviously he did get criticism didn't he when you said it was the worst thing about March United it was often because of the body language he was getting frustrated now do we understand those frustrations a bit more bearing in mind bearing in mind what he can do and if people put away the chances he creates what could be completely agree don't want to be too wise after the event because yes I thought sometimes his conduct he needed to be a bit more of a leader but I think it's fair to say that all that kind of stuff again is way in the past he's a modern day great of Manchester United look I mean

38:11Jim Campbell: those criticisms in the past have clearly been because he is like a single mother of octuplets who has four jobs just to barely meet the credit card repayment. Exactly. Said it all season, we all have. He has to do everything around there. But everything else seems to have caught up a bit now. And he's obviously been played in his best position, which was a baffling, baffling decision from Ruben Amarim earlier in the season. You wonder if he'd have already beaten that record by now if he'd been playing in his best position all season. And that's a great reminder, Jim, because Kevin De Bruyne, when he, you know,

38:43Pete Donaldson: had this, or equal Thierry Henry's record, is playing for a very, very good football team. Thierry Henry as well, believe it or not, kids. What did you say? Bruno Fernandes has done this and Ruben Amarin was in charge for a chunk of the season. Remarkable. Have you seen that Ruben Amarin has been spotted? Has he? You'll never guess where Ruben Amarin has been spotted. Portugal. Lisbon. Yeah! Marcus, in a restaurant. Shut up. Having some dinner. Some local food. Some local food. Disgraceful. For local people. Disgraceful. Is he going to be taking over? for Jose Mourinho at Benfica. Obviously, he played there back in the day.

39:19Oh, Peter. I'm just saying.

39:21Pete Donaldson: Don't jump ahead of the running order. I will. We might mention. I don't read the running order. We might mention Mourinho a little bit later in the show, everybody. Something to look forward to. Before we move on from Asia United, Kobe Mane, who was excellent. He was, yes. He was really good. It's good to see him firing again. He's had a season off, hasn't he? Perfectly timed for the World Cup.

39:44Jim Campbell: Gap-yar. He's had a gap-yar.

39:45Pete Donaldson: Jim you said it I'm going to run with it come on come on Thomas get him on the plane and it was so good for Manchester I mean look Brentford were actually I mean it was a great goal at the end by Jensen and on another night if Brentford had taken the chance it's not all brilliant at Manchester United it's still work to be done but they're doing well but Carrick at one point in the game switched to a back three and nobody seemed to mum it do you think that's that's how good it is that's how easy it is do you think that's a little signal

40:08Jim Campbell: to Jim Radcliffe though like do you remember what this used to be like not even that long ago see how good it is now under me give me the job What an audition. Have you a jock of doing the job at this point? Oh, dear.

40:20Pete Donaldson: Right, let's move on from Manchester United to another United, Newcastle. Oh, not very United at this point in time. Well, the Saudis have jetted in for talks. Oh. Yes. King Charles is speaking to Congress. Yeah, King Charles has got the hell out of Dodge while they come in. Daddy's home. The Saudi daddy's home. Yeah. The chairman of the club, Old Yasser, is coming in. Minority owner, Jamie Rubin. They've landed in the UK for apparently harder talks about the club's future. Some are bewildered, as I quote The Athletic on this. That Kim Kardashian's ex has arrived. Yes. Didn't know that. That is weird.

40:58Pete Donaldson: Very weird. I'd like to point out that it is Jamie Rubin, not YSL Remain.

41:03Jim Campbell: We don't want Ye turning up. No. No, that would be difficult. That was news to me. So many things often are on this podcast. Jamie Rubin was once asked who he would put into, who he would sign for Newcastle, you know, through history. And he went, Pele?

41:18Pete Donaldson: Great. Pele. Brilliant. Come on. You see, if you're going to choose a Brazilian from yesterday, Mirandina. Yeah. It's got me, isn't it? I'll do that. Play the hits. Nail them down. Oh, dear. Anyway, they are, yeah, so the bewilderment that we speak of is the fact that some people are treating these talks as if they're something out of the ordinary.

41:36Jim Campbell: Well, they're not, though, are they? This is an annual thing. This is an annual summit meeting. Yes. I think the thing this year is, are Yao's trying to lose our summit? You would sort of say that it is a regular thing, but it is also like, it's a bit more tasty than it usually is. That's why Eddie Hard, Eddie Hard, Eddie Hard is saying he welcomes the sort of harder meeting. It is going to be, is anyone going to vomit in a fireplace?

42:05Pete Donaldson: Those days are gone.

42:06Jim Campbell: Vomit on a PowerPoint. depending on where you're sat Marcus those glory days are gone around this particular table anyway yeah so I mean this is a tough point for Howe though right I know he had a lot to deal with in the summer no sporting director losing Isaac when he didn't want to Wissler getting injured immediately really really tough but not playing Volteball were issues but that is actually something that's surely going to come up in this meeting because you can't play a striker into form if you play him as a midfielder and all these different things. He'll have his reason.

42:37Pete Donaldson: It's divided the fan base.

42:39Jim Campbell: Sure, absolutely. But how are you feeling about Eddie Howe at the moment, Pete? I mean, I'm interested in this because he's had a lot of success at Newcastle. But he's also had a lot of time and a lot of money as well. I don't think there's many managers who get better after their fifth year. You know what I mean? It's always diminishing returns. Right now I do, yeah. But you know what I mean? If you've had the same squad for a little while and it's been quite settled, one might suggest that it's diminishing returns with your powerpoints and your chat and you just hear the same old thing every single year and Howe's argument will obviously be you know, losing a 27 28 goal a year a season striker is huge and nobody could have foreseen Howe shit was there, post injury obviously, but also Alanga a player we really wanted to have been but you can't argue that Eddie Howe in the last two or three matches he's signed every player in starting 11 he's signed every player on the bench so like it's his side he's in the rare situation where a manager has complete control of the club him and his nephew him and his nephew but you've seen drop off some players like Sven Botman Tino going into the World Cup has been astonishingly bad the last few weeks and they're relying on a player who was set to leave the club in Osula up top and two very immobile players in this shape of Dan Byrne and Kieran Trippier, they don't have a lot of injuries at this moment in time and haven't over the last few weeks.

44:09I think if I was approaching this meeting, I would be thinking, if the Saudis still have any appetite to achieve anything at Newcastle United, I trust Eddie Howe implicitly with a£20 million midfielder from Burnley or Stoke or something. Do I trust him with a£100 million footballer? I don't think I would in this situation. And that's where they want to go. And that's presumably where they want to go. What do you got to do to kick on? But Newcastle are in a funny situation because they can't realistically climb higher than about fifth because of the financial constraints. They routinely have to sign their third or fourth choice footballer.

44:49And even those targets are sold Newcastle United as a stepping stone team. So who's leaving at the end of the season? Volta Mata Bruno Tonali we know Trippi is going Trippi is going obviously but like Gordon's obviously one for the club as well by all indications sounds like Gordon's just down tools

45:08Jim Campbell: isn't it more likely though that Gordon will be the big sale and that means that you won't necessarily have to sell Tonali I think Tonali wants to go I think again they've all been sold this kind of like right you do you do a couple of years at Newcastle you achieve you know something you know you play in the Champions League and if you can't offer Champions League football then you're going to head to an Arsenal or a city or, you know, somewhere else. Well, I think that would be the day. Arsenal have been linked with Chelsea and Zogbia this week.

45:33Pete Donaldson: There you go. Every year. Every year around this time. I mean, that's the thing with Newcastle. You know, with Eddie Howe, they've been in the Champions League a couple of times, obviously won the League Cup as well. If this season, though, they don't get European football, from going from Champions League to no European football season, it's in Chelsea. But it's not just that. It's just playing in the way that they've been playing. He's played like four different, almost all of the team has been changed week to week in the last four matches and you just get the feeling that he's out of ideas he's confused he's brought Nick Port back for some fucking reason and see what he did against Arsenal doing his mad head lost stuff he does think he's faster than he is Nick Port bless him it's like he just doesn't understand reality if he's outside that box I don't know why he changed he changed goalkeepers maybe it was an injury situation but for me it was kind of like he is pound for pound they are pretty much shot stopping style they are probably on a par with each other and of course Aaron Ramsdale he's just got a better pass on him so just play Aaron Ramsdale maybe he's just the Arsenal connection he just didn't want to play the last name out and lose his head or maybe they don't want to

46:39Jim Campbell: they don't want to sign him yeah maybe they've reached the limit of yeah

46:44Pete Donaldson: enough of that old chutney what about the reports that Amanda Stable is keen to launch a bid to return to Newcastle United well it's either them or West Ham It's one journalist who's been saying this. One journalist. Name them. No, because I can't remember the name. But Stavely is the honest truth. Imagine saying that to Jeremy Paxman. Outrageous. No. No. Can't remember. I think a lot of politicians have told Jeremy Paxman that they can't remember. But Stavely, yeah, there's a consortium who's swirling around the Premier League. He loves a consortium. Absolutely loves one. Just have one person to front up the cash.

47:19Pete Donaldson: No, you need more than that these days. I mean, if you're in a bodrum, you're sort of saying, do you want to buy any Cassianite? He's going, yeah, but like, wasn't this£200 million cheaper than last time you did this, Amanda? And she's like, yes. Yes. Do you not understand how this works? For the chess. You people, you people should definitely know how this works. The Saudi connection, this thing, for any neutral in this situation who cherishes pure football, it's funny, isn't it? The Saudis come in, they spend an ungodly amount of money, They can't get there. All right, they get a league cup and stuff and change their fortune slightly, but they can't get to the top table.

47:55It is funny. It's a long grind, isn't it? It's a long grind. And I don't think many people have the appetite for us in this kind of changeable world.

48:04Pete Donaldson: So you would like to see Stavely back? No, I wouldn't like... I don't want to see any of them back. Oh, what a shame. Apparently the real club that she's after with the consortium is Tottenham Hotspur. Is that right?

48:14Jim Campbell: I read West Ham from that one journalist whose name I also don't remember. Yeah, exactly. So who knows? Yeah, Southampton.

48:20Pete Donaldson: Well, Jim, it might be West Ham or Spurs. They're just waiting just another few weeks to see which one they might go for. Anyway. Right, coming up after this, it's a big one tonight at the Metropolitano. Show some fucking respect. Wrong button.

48:43Legendary doesn't happen by chance. It happens because it's what BetMGM does. Sign up for BetMGM and receive up to$1 ,500 back in bonus bets if you don't win your first bet. Get into hockey, basketball, and more of your favorite sports with same-game parlays, live betting, and more. BetMGM. Make it legendary. BetMGM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. See BetMGM.com for terms. 21 plus only. This specific promotional offer is not available in Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, or West Virginia. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET.

49:16Available in the U.S. For New York, call 877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPE-NY 467-369. For Massachusetts, 1-800-327-5050. For Iowa, 1-800-BETS-OFF. For Puerto Rico, 1-800-981-0023. First bet offer for new customers only, subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards are non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire in seven days. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Immersing yourself in all things soccer ahead of this summer's World Cup?

49:44Jim Campbell: I'm Alex Abnos, senior sports editor from The Guardian. Whether you're a soccer beginner or you know the game inside and out, we've got you covered. From one of the fastest-growing soccer newsrooms, The Guardian brings you in-depth World Cup coverage that gets into the winners and losers on and off the pitch. Read, watch, and listen as our journalists connect the dots between the games, the cultures, and this political moment. We'll have daily newsletters throughout the tournament, a global perspective, and a squad of Americans, including me, on the ground with the U.S. national team. Plus, if you want to test your soccer knowledge, try On The Ball.

50:16Jim Campbell: It's a game in the Guardian app, and it's really, really fun. And if you're into stuff like this...

50:21Pete Donaldson: Well, I think the problem is if you give footballers an inch, they will take a mile. Is it too much when it's this close? It's a bit much.

50:27Jim Campbell: It's a bit too real. Maybe you could just talk with a slight delay. Be sure to listen to our Football Weekly podcast for on-the-move expert analysis. The Guardian, bringing you the whole picture on soccer. Search Guardian Soccer for more. When you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters. But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products and fast, dependable delivery. So you can keep your facility stocked, safe, and running smoothly.

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51:16Pete Donaldson: Welcome back, everybody. Right, let's turn our attention to Madrid. No, not Atletico, Real. It's been reported that Jose Mourinho is Florentino Perez's favoured candidate to replace Alvaro Abelhoa as Real Madrid head coach because of course he bloody is. And who's it been reported by, Marcus?

51:35Jim Campbell: It has been reported by that journalist I can't remember the name of. No, no, no. It's a journalist you definitely can remember the name of because it's David Ornstein. Yeah! So it has to be truth. The ornacle does not lie. On it, on it, on it.

51:48Pete Donaldson: I love it. If Ornstein said it, we're going with it, baby. Absolutely. Why? Or why? Yeah, there are a number of questions that could simply be summed up with one word. If my daughter had the capacity to understand all of the major players in the football clubs, she constantly says why all the time. Why? It's a classic kind of toddler thing. She'd be saying that until she was 50. Why? What would Jose Mourinho's... So if he gets the job... What doing? Yeah. What if he gets the job? What doing Real Madrid? When he... If, indeed, he turns up at the club after he's got the job and so on.

52:27Jim Campbell: That might be how he gets it. Just turns up. Turns up, yeah. Just like, come on, I'm in. What's his opening gambit to Vinicius Junior? See, this is the astonishing thing, isn't it? It's not that long ago that Real Madrid got wind that Vinicius Junior wouldn't win the Ballon d 'Or, so they threw their toys out the pram and refused to go to the ceremony. even though it's voted for by lots of different parties. And now they're happily publicly considering the idea of rehiring a man who said that when Vinicius Jr. got racially abused it was partially his fault. It's astonishing. I mean, backing only goes so far clearly with Real Madrid, don't they?

53:00Clubs make statements about backing footballers, but if a player is of colour, they generally don't care.

53:06Jim Campbell: Yeah, indeed. So that is going to be a tricky situation. to say the least. I trust in Jose to navigate it. A.k.a. just ignore it and bomb him out of the club for no reason. Part of the situation here is that Real Madrid are two seasons without a trophy, any trophy, which is decades in Real Madrid years. Obviously, this is a massive, massive kind of Galactico Real Madrid as well in terms of the sheer scale of the stars they have. And obviously Vinicius and Mbappe both being better suited to playing out wide on the left is a part of that. So perhaps Mourinho is the guy who is as famous as the players and can probably either facilitate that sale or get it to work.

53:55Jim Campbell: Who knows? But this is a bit of a crisis by their own standards. And I do think his profile is appealing to them now for the reasons I've just laid out.

54:04Pete Donaldson: Well, yeah, it's amazing to think that even at the top level, you do get some people going, oh, we'll get Mourinho back because he'll get us back to winning ways. And you think, but have you not seen what's been going on in recent years? I mean, in the Portuguese league at the moment, his Benfica side are second. They're seven points off Porto. Now, Porto have been good. They've won 26 out of 31. And I will say that Benfica have not lost a game in the league this season. They've just drawn, you know, a few too many, shall we say. So, you know, Mourinho still has stock for some people. but I just think the idea of bringing Mourinho...

54:38Pete Donaldson: It's Ravel Morrison, isn't it? I can fix him. Yeah, the idea of bringing him back to the top table, the very top table, and thinking, oh yeah, this is the guy who can get us back to winning ways in La Liga when they're way off it against Barcelona. He can have another onslaught on the Champions League. I hope it happens, don't get me wrong,

55:00Jim Campbell: but that's because it'll be a disaster. I mean, it used to be that Mourinho had three seasons and it would all go sour, didn't it? but that has sped up recently there is also I think they might be looking down the road a little bit to a potentially disastrous situation for them where if both they and Barcelona win their games this weekend Barcelona could win La Liga in El Clasico even with a draw and that's never happened before for either club there's never been one in an El Clasico which is amazing given how many league titles those two teams have shared so they probably looked at that as essentially like sort of the ultimate disaster in terms of the league.

55:37Jim Campbell: And it's just like, break glass, get Mourinho.

55:39Pete Donaldson: Who are you going to call? Yeah, exactly. Who are you going to call? Well, gentlemen, on the subject of ludicrous men in football, we turn our attention to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He's been in the headlines in Canada. According to reports, FIFA asked for a Level 4 motorcade escort in Vancouver for Gianni Infantino for FIFA's annual congress there this week. That clearance, Level 4, gives the ability to block off traffic and go through traffic lights. His request amounted to one level of security below what would be given to the Pope and the same level at that which would be granted for the US President, which is actually a level higher than the Canadian Prime Minister himself.

56:22Yeah. The request was denied.

56:25Jim Campbell: It's such an amazing insight into how he thinks of himself, isn't it? Oh, it's Kash Patel-esque, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. It's lovely stuff. I am the king of a sport. I am therefore as important as world leaders because I am a world leader in a way actually because football happens in the world and people love it. This ends with him in a giant mech suit. Like Pacific Rim. Oh, with a very good escort. Well, careful. Mortar kid, I don't know.

56:53I'm not going to do that in a traffic light.

56:55Pete Donaldson: Yeah, it's level four, definitely. Sounds good. Sounds good. Well, the Pope has one more than this. Holy shit. Interesting. He's such a prat. He just likes to chat. Well, yeah. You may as well, look, if you are... No, Peter, don't. You may as well just test the fences wherever you want. Can we have a motorcade? All right, fine.

57:17Jim Campbell: Fine. Fine. I'm going to tell... Can I have a big dinner? I'm going to tell Donald, though. I'm going to tell... I'm telling you now, I'm going to get that motorcade.

57:25Pete Donaldson: I know. Oi, there's only one king in North America at the moment. And he's ours, baby. Why doesn't he have a chopper? you just like you'd imagine Gianni would have a big chopper wouldn't you it's shaped like his head

57:37Jim Campbell: yeah I just think the Infantino Copter is something we'd all like to see I do I agree right let's turn

57:44Pete Donaldson: attention to let's go to Arsenal tonight it's happening Jim it may not be as entertaining as last night's game but what could be quite frankly

57:53Jim Campbell: I'm telling you if Arsenal get through this there is not a lasagna in the world poisonous enough for Arsenal to do anything in that final. It was going to have to be like a... Typhoid Mary herself. It could knock up a lasagna and it would not touch the sides. It's going to be like the worst toxin in the world. Who has the worst ones? Like bullet ants or something? I don't fucking know.

58:17Pete Donaldson: Jim, would you rather have a battling defeat

58:20Jim Campbell: to Atletico Madrid or go through to the final and face one of those teams? It feels like what will happen is that if Arsenal make it through, it will essentially just be as the particularly delicious foil for Harry Kane's crowning moment, isn't it? It can't be as bad as what Inter did against PSG.

58:36Pete Donaldson: Do you not think that's not a great ball, though, is it? I don't know, man. Do you not think if Arsenal got the final and say they're playing Bayern Munich and Neuer is on that kind of form, do you think that controlling the game... I know they can't score at this moment in time.

58:51Jim Campbell: Look, yeah. Marino's back. Pete, that will be exactly what they have to do. Control the game, studge it up, And then just go off, just get a 1-0 in the final. I'm very aware. A handball. Just do that. A Spursy handball.

59:05Pete Donaldson: I'm very aware, Peter, that Arsenal need to play Lettingham Madrid twice to see if they can play this final. So we won't map out Arteta's tactics yet, if indeed. But whichever side gets through, I think those tactics will be relevant. Yes. Okay, right, fine. So, yeah. But Kai Havertz is set to miss this game through injury after suffering a muscular injury against Newcastle. Yes. So what would you expect him to go with up top?

59:26Jim Campbell: I think it will be Jocharez, because Gabriel Jesus looks kind of a shadow of his former self. Not unreasonably, given that he's come back from a very, very long-term injury. I think in a game like this, he will probably want the physicality of Jokeres, even though that's sometimes inefficient. Ebreu Echiezer was in training, so he's absolutely key. At the moment, Arsenal's best tactic really is just get it to him. And getting him and Odegaard on the pitch at the same time was positive in the Man City game, despite the result. the performance reverted to type a little bit against Newcastle despite them both featuring but obviously Ezer went off quite early in that one so this will be a really really interesting game Arsenal beat Atletico 4-0 in the group stage but again those games are just irrelevant aren't they by now by this stage of the competition they might as well have been in a different season there so long ago and you know Arsenal play in a very very different way now so yeah

1:00:19Pete Donaldson: do you think Saka will be back in the side line he's in the squad

1:00:21Jim Campbell: yeah he came off the bench on Saturday so I think so yeah I was really surprised about Arsenal's win ratio without him in the side because he's been quite middling this season. Yeah, by his own standards, he's having an okay season. It's certainly far from his best, but he's been in and out of the team with injury, recovering from surgery as well, which is something new for him. So I think it might take him some time to get back up to his best. I don't think we're going to see that this season. But even so, as you say, the win percentage with him is about 73%. It's much lower without him. Before we move on from Arsenal, Marcus, can I just do one thing?

1:00:55No No you can't

1:00:58Jim Campbell: Alright fine Just move on I will regret this Pete But I You would like to see I'd like to know Right just for the people Who are watching on the YouTube Okay Bruno can you come Can you come into this show Oh yeah Oh here we go Here we go I am astonished At this bit of work From producer Bruno Yeah Come and sit Come and sit in my chair And do Gabriel Jesus But when he's sad But when he's sad face Here we go This is the face Is that one there Yeah

1:01:24Pete Donaldson: look at those eyebrows so good it's good stuff what an applause to the producer Bruno Buckley everybody our own Bruno Man United have one Newcastle United have one yeah now producer Finn can you come in and do the Ratatouille show outrageous he's that Dutch fullback who played for Burnley at some point yeah anyway and I'm everyone yeah there we are right oh remember everybody we're going live tonight after Atletico versus Arsenal. Head over to our Football Ramble YouTube channel. Hit subscribe and hit the bell icon to make sure you do not miss it. You will see me. You will see Vichy. We're going to be talking about what is set to be one of the greatest ever Champions League semifinals so soon after the last one, which was last night, of course.

1:02:11Pete Donaldson: There we are. Thank you for listening to the Football Ramble, part of the Acast Creator Network. Friends of the Ramble, don't go anywhere. Keep listening for Ramble Uncut. And if you're not a friend of the Ramble, head over to patreon.com forward slash football ramble to sign up now and get tickets to our World Cup party as well. Thank you, Jim. Thank you. Thank you, Peter. Fare thee well. Up yours, Gianni. Oh.

1:02:51Pete Donaldson: at peace. Join me, Max Rushton, and the Guardians expert soccer journalist for the latest action and news from the Premier League to the Champions League and all the way to the World Cup. We'll have chat more out of the box than a Dominic Sobber's live free kick, more panellists than Chelsea of players, and unlike VAR, we know where to draw the line. For fine margins, fun debates, and full-blooded tackles, Football Weekly. Listen wherever you get your podcasts and watch the full episodes on YouTube.

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