Weekend of the Month

0:00I'm a tidal wave of question marks everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble. High drama at Anfield and the relegation battle heats up. It's Monday Night at the Fair by Marcus Speller. I'm Pete Donaldson. And I'm the new Shilohukduraja.

0:24And just like that, the weekend was over. But my goodness, it's a weekend we will talk and talk and talk about for at least another few weeks. Well, my goodness. Until the next round of games, which is tomorrow. All right. Thanks for listening. We quite simply did not need them. We, my, I tell you, I tell you. Was the Premier League ultimately the winner on the weekend, Vicious? It so often is. I mean, as you say, as it's often is, it's always the winner. Yeah. House always wins, baby. It's just another example of how the Premier League and all its riches it does drip down and it might just be enjoyment and you might have to pay a subscription to enjoy that enjoyment but it's still there it oozes enjoyment oozes out exactly just look up and open your mouths yeah get involved the secret of the ooze yeah is that Ninja Turtles 2 it is yes Ninja Turtles 2 the best one I think ooh that's a shout is that because Vanilla Rice was in it yeah right yeah Tell us in time Third one Didn't watch it I was happy with the second Stop there Now Much like Manchester City goals At Tanfield They got to two And thought that's enough That's enough Liverpool won Manchester City two We have to start there And Sod the first 75 minutes of the game Sob it Marley Yes I am duty bound to say Manchester City complete Their first league double over Liverpool Since 1936-37 And that's the real story here The big takeaway It is Yeah, six points off Liverpool they've got this season.

2:01Without any fuss at all. Thanks very much. Yeah. I'm sure in 1936-37 we're all thinking about that, weren't we? We probably had other things on our mind. Bigger things were on the horizon. Bigger things were on the horizon. Much like today, one might suggest. What are you seeing that I'm not seeing? Well, the news, Marcus. This could be seven years of domination. Well, careful. because...

2:29Is there an alliance needed in the Premier League? I don't know. I do not know. Right. Sorry for that, bollocks. Get down to it then. Liverpool, yeah. They lost 2-1. Where to begin? Should we begin with... Begin in the second half. I should say so. I should say so. I mean, the Mark Gay controversy, we'll get to that in a bit. Dominic Sabozlai opens the scoring with a free kick for the ages and does he fuck he near-tored that oh dear oh dear it was it was lovely the best scorekeeper in the world just went oh yeah I'm not touching that that's the there are so many different things to it there was a bit of Roberto Carlos about it reverse Roberto yeah mirror image Roberto Carlos about it There was the fact that, regardless of, you know, I know people are talking about the size of the wall, but he beats the wall on the inside into the top corner.

3:31And the other side of it is a Donnarumma, the longest arms known to man, as he showed in the ninth minute of stoppage time. Thought, nah, can't do that. He shuffles that way and he's thinking, the post could really bail me out here. And it nearly did. There's a bit where he shuffles where he's like, probably should have died by now. I am not getting there I'm not getting there am I It's such a clean hit I know It's beautiful It's absolutely When people say that And it will be forgotten Yeah Almost instantly No I don't Do you think? I actually think it was that good a strike that it'll be taken out and isolated for what it was Quite possibly It's one of the best strikes of a football I've ever seen I just feel that Shobbis like got himself sent off because of that Do you know what I mean?

4:14Because of that? Yeah I mean Because he knew that his goal was getting absolutely... That is a stunning conspiracy theory. Yeah. He was so angry that it looked like his goal was going to be forgotten. I think he's more professional than that. Imagine if he booted Haaland into the goal as hard as he kicked the ball. Bent around the wall. The reason why it won't be forgotten is because he still has that one he scored against Arsenal earlier on in the season, which was the only goal of the game, of course. So we will remember that one. And when you see that one, you go, oh, but actually, no, there was the other one.

4:46they hit even better one might argue but a totally different type of hit yeah there's a bit of like Lauren Robert at his peak for Newcastle about the fact that he's got more than one stunning free kick in a season Giannino Ponombucanu yes he's up there with him you have to say because he could you know all manner of shots he could do the old sort of knuckleball or whatever they call it we could curl them we could whip them he could also do his my favourite one of his was the knuckleball into a lofted shot dipping into the far corner. But to be able to do this against the very best goalkeeper in the world it's certainly for shot stopping.

5:27He's done it against the two best goalkeepers in the league. David Rea and... Sorry Pete. Pete, you haven't done that? And Donnarumma. And what he needs is to have a shot at the third best which is probably Alisson. So we want to release some free kicks in training footage please. Yeah, that would be nice. That's maybe why he's so good at them. He's right. But like, didn't it not like say so much about not just his season, but Liverpool season and also where City season was at the time in that he's been Liverpool's best player comfortably. I think there is, I don't know if it's irony or whatever device it is, but I think the fact that he's being so influential at right back where not only do Liverpool have a problem, but they used to have someone who was very good at all the things that Sub-Zai is doing really well.

6:13Yeah. but also doing it in a kind of, if you forgive the comparison, a bit of a Steven Gerrard way. And so when he hits that free kick, the manner of the goal and the fact that it's him and the noise from the crowd, you're like, I think the tire race is done now. It was such a like, uppercut of a moment that you're like, right, this is... It felt like a knockout blow. Exactly, yeah. This is it. And for City to come back, I think a lot of, you know, there was some fault at Liverpool, but for City to come back, I really did not see that coming. Yeah, and I think we had to start with the free kick.

6:44because normally that free kick would be the story of the game. Yeah. We haven't even got there. You know what I mean? How far into the pod already? I hope you've enjoyed the start. Exactly. Well, the worst thing that happened to Liverpool was them scoring that goal, you would suggest. They really sort of, the mentality wasn't there. They just sort of really regressed it to themselves. They were missing, they missed some very good chances. Yeah, I mean, Eketika as well. Two shots on target. Yeah. That's not good. Yeah, but the Eketika one, that should have been a goal. he should have been they were bad in the first half and then they like City just let them tear them to shreds but it was almost classic City in that the second half was poor but they rally and of course Bernardo Silva scores an equalising goal very well taken nice assist from from Erling Haaland and then the penalty which was a penalty Alisson is just I mean people say one of the stupidest things I've seen him do yeah very uncharacteristic like the chat of but where did the ball go is just not is just pretty mute these days I know that again to talk about that one where forget which Newcastle United player it was who clattered into Phil Foden when he gets the shot away that should have been a penalty and that would be people say oh well he'd already got the shot away or whatever it was a pen I mean he's fouled him I mean there's no two ways about that of course and Sir Bozly who was in the thick of all the stuff right in Harland's face but Erling Harland for a striker who's apparently low on confidence the way he's I thought when you see it oh is he having a laugh with him he explained it after the game Harland yeah he said that he was you know and then eventually when he pushes him I thought oh no he's not but Harland is just Harland what was the explanation though so they're best mates they play together at Red Bull Salzburg and Sommersai and McAllister go up to him so obviously those players normally do try and get in his head and apparently well Harland says that he said to Sommersai he's like I really like talking to you but not now yeah that's it Yeah, indeed.

8:43And it was a great moment. And Haaland steps up. The thing is, right, he struck that penalty really well into the corner. It's the first one he's hit in that corner this season. That's interesting. Really, right. Because I think that that was his safe corner. You know Harry Kane had the win. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? And Kane's mixed it up because it became quite apparent. And I think that with Haaland, it's interesting. But that is the safe one. And I thought surely Alisson would know that as well. I understand he's thundered it into the corner. So I'm not necessarily criticising the keeper.

9:10but I think it was one of those ones where he could have gone like slightly earlier if you see what I mean if you've got to go earlier than that because he's not a stuttering run-up guy yeah because I think he maybe even showed a little bit more of the corner as if to say go on then he goes Alisson goes back and across so he goes towards the corner that Haaland eventually scores into and then goes the other way all of Haaland's penalties including the ones he've missed have gone in the opposite bottom corner which kind of tells the story so again I'm not criticising a goalkeeper for not saving a penalty that was thumped into the bottom corner.

9:41I just, yeah, anyway, he went that way ultimately. And of course, the power and the accuracy, I'm probably overanalyzing that goes in. Wild scenes of celebration. And then, I mean, you thought to yourself, oh my God, how much drama have we had? It just didn't stop there. Minutes later, that save that Donnarumma makes, when the McAllister hits the shot and it deflected, when he first did it, I thought, oh, that's a good save. Because from the angle of the camera that you have, watching football, you can see he gets a full hand to it. But a lot of keepers wouldn't have had such a strong hand on that ball.

10:17Well, indeed, Peter. And it was only the angle kind of behind the goal, I think it was, when I saw it, I thought, flipping heck. You see the angle in which he's sort of watching the ball. Yeah, totally. And again, I was under no illusion that it was indeed a good save. But when the replays and that came in, you were like, flipping heck. Yeah, when he hits it and it takes the deflection, I actually thought it was always going into that corner and the deflection has given it a bit of loop and slowed it down. And the loop is a nightmare for a keeper. But actually the loop and the direction changed from the deflection.

10:50Does that make sense? So it was going further into the corner than it was. I think it probably would have actually been quite a simple save for Donald Ruma without the deflection. We'll never know. But then he has to react and, oh, yeah. And that's where it finished. No, hold on. And finally we get to the most maddest moment. perhaps some of us have ever seen on a football pitch where if you haven't seen it, I'm sure every single person has seen it, but Ryan Cherky, it's in the 100th minute. He's just inside his own half, pretty much on the halfway line. He has the goal at his mercy because Alison's up the pitch.

11:24As Harlan said quite wonderfully in the post-match interview, well, he should have passed it to me. Yeah, he said for some reason he didn't want to pass it to me. But as if Cherky's going to not take up that opportunity. and he kind of P-rolls it now fair play it's accurate and it goes in ultimately but he doesn't hit it with an awful lot of pace Sir Bosley's after it Harlan's quicker Sir Bosley tugs the shirt Harlan goes in Sir Bosley then is fouled by Harlan the ball trickles in the back of the net wild scenes of celebration and then the just the the maddest the maddest turn of events and then the you know VAR gets involved and I've never seen anything like that Peter I don't think not at that stage of the game I think so late having like the hangover of a VAR check so late I mean fundamentally it didn't change anything really I mean if it was 1-0 that would have been absolutely wild and also if they played on after the free kick when they take the goal kick and then Liverpool have scored obviously the referee was like there's no chance I'm letting play run on this ball's not going to land from the goal kick totally someone else is like Somerset's taking the kick and Alison gets a header in.

12:38The only thing I could remember seeing and I forget the specifics of it but when you see, it's happened a couple of times when a player is fouled in one box and then it goes up the other end and it's not given and then they score and there's celebration and then the rest is... And then actually it's a penalty. Yeah, totally. And the sort of the jubilation goes from one end of the ground to the other kind of thing. But this, you know, huge controversy. Pep Guardia was just a bit like, oh, come on, just let it go. Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart on Match of the Day, obviously an X-Man City player and an Evertonian going yeah just give the goal but no I think they genuinely meant that a lot of people felt that the goal should have been given the advantage should have been played when the first foul was made yeah I mean there's a lot of opinions that we can say well this person said there seemed to be a lot of anger and dismay at how it was given because Zoboslai sent off for his foul the goal isn't given because of Harland's foul and then it's a free kick what on earth is going on I want to read a tweet from your friend of mine Henry Winter who said football belongs to players and fans not to soulless joyless pedants with no feel for the game senseless decision this an affront to football ruling out that third goal is one of the most ridiculous moments of the season totally against the spirit of the game the law's an ass if it's a foul play play advantage and so on and so forth so this is how strongly people felt about that decision I mean I kind of do see it from the referee's point of view I've got the rule here so when I first saw it I was on the WhatsApp I was like why didn't they play the advantage there that seems absolutely maddening that they would do that but I didn't actually see Haaland's tug as well you can't abuse the advantage well so the rule is if a player commits a foul and then an opponent commits a more serious violence or misconduct based foul immediately after the referee can penalise the second more serious offence while still disciplining the first so that's the rule isn't it They both committed the same misconduct-based foul.

14:34And in classic Manchester City fashion, they're having a go at the rules, aren't they? Saying that actually, you know, it's the rules. They're a rule-based economy, Manchester City. We can get our lawyers in this. Sorry, they are busy. They're a bit... For me, what should have probably happened was when that ball goes in, referee blows his whistle and then gives... Because you can see the first foul, Sir Bozlai pull Haaland back because it's how Sir Bozlai gets the advantage because Haaland's gone. Haaland is quicker, right? So to me, I think a lot of this could have calmed down if when the ball goes in, the referee just blew his whistle.

15:14He lets play go on so you can do the whole VAR thing just in case there's something there he hasn't seen. But as soon as the ball just trickles into the back of the net, blow the whistle and go, right, that's a free kick because then everybody calms down and then you've got it. I think it's a whole so the referee should have done a correct on-field decision but that's what VAR's all about it's about correcting decisions but for me I don't know that he I mean he probably didn't but I don't know that he didn't because he went mental from that point indeed but my point is though that right so that is the rules right when you start this whole yeah but what's the feeling for the game and da da da da then an enormous can of worms is open but I don't think like I know you know people on commentary were talking about it how can you disallow this?

15:59I know you've read out Henry Winter's tweet there. I don't think anyone disagrees with the fact that it's within the laws and the laws are applied correctly here. Right. I think what has dismayed most people, if not everyone else, who's been affronted by the, affronted, who've been annoyed by the decision, is that... It's an ungodly decision. This is quite, yeah, this is like a real overt moment in the fact that VAR is here and that is what you lose. And I think we've always known that. We've always known it takes away certain things from the game. And I think if at the moment we're not annoyed about those things, we've kind of lost the game a bit.

16:39Enjoy the outrage. No, I'm not even saying enjoy the outrage. I mean, like, you should be annoyed about that. I'm not saying that you can be incorrect and annoyed and still have the right spirit about you and how you want to enjoy the game and how you think football should be enjoyed. And I see no, if anything, I am more annoyed personally by the people who are like, well, it's in the laws, grow up. And it's like, no, that's not the point of sport. That's not the point of this game. And like, no, barring anything going too far in that, like, you know, a referee getting a lot of hate or opposition fans kind of piling into each other.

17:21I think you're right to be annoyed by this and you can still have comfort in the fact that you're, you know, what you believe and what you feel isn't in the laws of the game. Yeah, completely agree. It's nice to be annoyed, and you can be annoyed at one more thing now VR exists. Yes. You can be annoyed at the other team. You can be annoyed at the other fans. You can be annoyed at the other manager, and a robot as well. Yeah. So an example of that is I get really annoyed when what you think has been a really nice goal takes a deflection. Yes. Yes, exactly. It's that kind of stuff. Enjoy it. I know what you mean.

17:55Yeah. Yeah, I agree with you, yeah. I mean, it was just... And at no point do I think, sorry, I've got to say, I know you agree with me because I know what you love about football and how you love football. Yeah. And I think we all feel that way. Yeah. I think you've summed it up very well there, Vish. And I think that, yeah, the... I mean, Rooney said on Master of the Day 2, he's like, I'll just get rid of VAR, pretty much was his sentiment. And you kind of go, this is the problem with listening to Wend Rooney. Hey, leave off, Wayne. What do you mean? He's one of the finest Britons of our time.

18:25He's one of the best footballers we produce, correct, yes. Okay, great. But he's not the only one who thinks he should be abolished. Loads of people think he should be abolished. No, no, I know. Yes. I'd like it to be abolished. Would you? Yeah, but. Would you like to go back to the dark age? Making potatoes. Making potatoes football. But I mean. But we. Staying on. Briefly. Staying on me. I'm going to be here. I'll try to hear. All right, fine. Bring it. I think, right. Because obviously we sometimes don't have it in the cup competitions and all that kind of thing. Yeah. And we miss it to a certain extent, don't we?

18:53I think then the last round of fixtures in the Premier League or whenever it's a crucial title race. Oh, it should be non-VAR. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, like the purge. A little bit. And it should be done in Riyadh. Okay, you've gone too far there. But think of the financial rewards, everybody. Exactly. Won't anybody think of the financial rewards? The suddenly uplands of doing some matches in Riyadh. Let's have it. Oh, dear. You're right, I should have moved on from VAR.

19:21yeah so uh the game ended 2-1 rather than 3-1 but one of the big things one of the big takeaways uh from it was that manchester city are they going to be re-energized and have a bit of uh a bit more vigor and vim about them in this title race peter because that seemed to be a lot of the chat from the pundits gary neville certainly thinks so uh i feel that the way that you phrase that question is that you don't actually believe that yourself and i'm not sure i believe it either I feel that I thought that Rodri coming back into the side or being reintroduced into the side would have had enough effect but they did look very very leaky at the back this week and Liverpool just didn't take their chances it was it was pull from both teams at the back I think we knew what the brief was from Manchester City they had to win to stay in the title title situation and Liverpool should have known what that brief was when they leveled and you just sort of feel that even on the Liverpool side of things you look at players like Kerkhez who's obviously very young and he's sort of from a quite shaky start he's kind of like recovered a little bit and he's playing really well at this moment in time but even he was just smashing balls into Manchester City's half and they weren't really going to anybody and they were just inviting pressure upon themselves and I think both teams are a little bit at fault for that sort of thing so yeah I would like to see a title race but Manchester City just seem a little bit too leaky at the back well I agree I mean I I think that in terms of them being I don't know whatever Neville was saying sort of re-energised and so on perhaps I mean I think that they have got players like Silva and Rodri who have been there and done that that's the good that's the good thing about Manchester City but you just think that the way they played this match and the way they've been playing matches recently it's there was nothing too different there but what it was was their big players produced the moments that got them through.

21:14Donnarumma does the same. That's why they signed him. Also, not a plan though, is it? It is a plan, but it's not a classic Pep plan. This is, as Vish was saying, Bayern Semenyo and Gay, and obviously earlier on the season, Donnarumma, these are all very good signings. And if you make very good signings, it's always a good idea. So let's be clear about that. But it does feel like, you know, right, let's plug the gap rather than, right, what's the sort of the big plan here? But they got them through the match and they won. And I think that the scenes of celebration, I think even if they were, you know, trying to cement second place or something, I think the manner of that game against the side who were their sparring partner, really, in the title race for so many years.

21:55At Anfield. At Anfield, in the manner of it, of course you're going to have that. Yes, perhaps there's an extra 5%, 10 % or whatever on top of that, which, you know, one minute they're nine points behind Arsenal and then, boom, you know, this is a message or whatever you want to say. the good news for Arsenal though is that Fulham visit the Etihad on Wednesday so that should dampen down that should just pour cold water over there no kisses no kisses from Pep hey Everton at Craven Cottage are a bogey side for Fulham okay and we'll leave that there Jordan Pickford and co they're a tough team to be but anyway back to this did you say Craven Cottage was a bogey team for Fulham no because that wouldn't make sense well good fine we all make mistakes indeed and so does Bernard Leno but Arna Slott was very unhappy with Mark Gay I don't want to lose that a little bit of controversy he felt that Gay should have been sent off for pulling back Mo Salah I like many others thought that there was a covering defender I think I completely agree but I also think that Mo Salah needs all the help he can get and maybe we should try to pull him back for like a Hot Wheels car style kind of like increasing speed possibly yeah possibly it probably was that it probably was that Arna Slott needs some help with defending sometimes.

23:12No, no, no, you got it wrong, mate. He was, you know, Hot Wheels. Trying to pull him back. Trying to pull him back and make him go faster. No, you know, that's what he's trying to do. Yeah, yeah. I know it didn't work out like that. I know. What is Hot Wheels? What? What is Hot Wheels? See you later. Arna Slott did say that he sort of insinuated that as it was... You're never gonna fire me. He's been doing this for the last eight years is what he said about when Salah gets in that position and scoring, which is why it was a goal scoring opportunity. And that's why I didn't play him for four months of this season.

23:44And also, well, I mean, he was at AFCON. That's a bit naughty. Well, sorry. That's why I didn't play him for two months of this season. You can't start bringing that into the law, can you? What sort of like, this guy used to be good. It's Mo Salah. He was playing the season last year. He probably would have scored. Yeah, we'd give him a penalty. Have you seen him recently? Yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean. I didn't think it was a red card Purely because Yeah He still had a decent amount to do There were probably three touches he needed to take The third being the shot He'd be able to get off And in that time it would stop being A clear goal scoring opportunity That's certainly the way I saw it At the same time I did think he was lucky to be only a yellow Or am I then contradicting myself here Yeah The reason he does it then and there is to stop him getting in the box.

24:38So yeah, Gay is very aware of the situation. Yeah, and to be honest with you... It's actually very smart from Gay. It's timed perfectly. Is it smart? Because he does run the risk of being given a red. I think if he's given a red, people might think it's a touch harsh, but I don't think anybody's going to lose their minds over that. Yeah, that's a results-based opinion on it. For an experienced defender, at that point of the game, I thought to myself, I'm getting out of the way ahead of the World Cup, big boy. You've always got to look at the bigger picture. No, I... You know what those foreign referees are like?

25:11It is as professional as a professional foul can be. Yes. And people hate those ones for obvious reasons because they literally spoil the game. That is what they're designed to do. Not the back end of this match. Well, bloody... Yeah. 9 ,999 times. Actually, if those fouls were straight red, we would have a much smoother game. Yeah, so I think that there's almost outrage to that. It's like a low blow in boxing almost, do you know what I mean? It's one of those ones, and you think a yellow card when he was going to have the ball there. I do get it, but ultimately I think, again, whatever you may think of the law, the laws of the game, I think it was a yellow card.

25:51Yeah, yeah, I'd agree. I also thought, I mean... But again, as you said quite eloquently about the whole VAR business, you can accept that and also be angry about it. Yeah, yeah. I also think Gay had a brilliant game. Other than that, yeah. You know what you were saying about, you were alluding to before about plug-in players that actually don't necessarily plug into his system but just perform well. I thought that's probably the most John Stones performance I've seen from someone that's not John Stones in a Man City shirt. Because he seemed to read everything really well. His passing, I mean in the last 10 minutes when City start chasing the game, he does this one thing in the left-sided centre-back position where he cuts in onto his right foot into the middle, into pressure, and plays the perfect ball into, let's say, the edge of the centre circle in Liverpool's half, and basically opens up the game.

26:44I was like, I didn't know you could do that. That was really good. Yeah. And do you know what, actually, when we say that these players are brought into the plug gaps and so on, I agree with that, obviously, hence I said it, but one does have to give Pep and you know the team credit because him and Semenyo in particular they have just slotted in seamlessly yeah like seamlessly is that what you get from that price point well yes what you're meant to get yeah doesn't always work I suppose as a Manchester United fan I can say not all the time and I understand that they're established Premier League players so it's not I'm not like gobsmacked that that's been the case it is the case and therefore how much credit you want to give but I do think a little bit of credit is needed to that.

27:27And of course, one of Gay's defensive partners, Kuzinov, went off after a quite magnificent block. I wanted to say that. I mean, it looked like he got concussed, but when he whacked his head off, Donnarumma's knee was it, and it looked a real bad one. Imagine how knobbly that knee is. Calloused. Yeah, I couldn't work out whether Donnarumma when he was doing that classic celebration of, yeah, go on, he's all pumped, and Kuzinov looked like he was out cold. and I was like is he trying to wake him up or is he not realised but anyway Kuzunov he was okay right to take him off but a fantastic block I'd want to mention that because it was absolutely magnificent stuff what a game what a game that was you know the title race yep I mean it's as long as it was coming into the weekend which wasn't very on is it though because Victor Djokovic has found his form well that's kind of what I mean like it's not you know I think the 83 minutes when Man City are 1-0 down the tyre race is over and then with City winning it's like okay we're back to where we were back to where we were yeah nice to see Jokic scoring though are you a member like me are you a member of the strikers union I think so yeah what do we have to do for that score lots of goals and tell lots of people about it we don't have to go on any marches do we we can if you want yeah fine yeah he I We were in the pub with Nile Quinn on Friday, weren't we?

28:55Yes, we were! All three of us. We weren't invited to the... Technically we weren't, because we were actually sat just outside. Alright, fine. Well, because some of us need to vape. There was no vaping. There was a little bit of vaping, wasn't there? There was some vaping. From one side of the table. Okay, alright, okay. Anyway, yeah. Nile Quinn was upstairs. He did. He saw us and thought he'd sit upstairs. It was just a signal we've got a new striker now. That's where the strikers union is, at the pub. It's upstairs, at the pub. I don't know if I have anywhere near the strength to defend this opinion.

29:27Right. And it has lost... Hold off your defender. Slot it on. It has lost a little bit of weight as Jocko Reyes' performance have gone on this season. But I quite like the fact that he's a bit offbeat and totally out-sync with everything else Arsenal do. I'm for him. Kind of like everything they stand for. He's just like this big lummox and I quite like it. Yeah. I hashtag believe in Jocko Reyes. I mean, if he's going to get like tap-ins on the side. Basically like right onto the trial line. Here you go, mate. Yeah. Great. Coming up after this, it's getting interesting down at the bottom.

30:11From that save that I think helped everybody. Can you shut them up in there? Hey, shut up! Banging Shut up Sorry do carry on Do it He loves it doesn't he He loves it He's on great form Thanks to Friend of the Ramble James for sending us that clip You can become a Friend of the Ramble too Search patreon.com Or click that join button on YouTube To get involved Do it Right gentlemen Let's turn our attention to The bottom of the Premier League On Friday night, Leeds United had a lovely old time. They beat Nottingham Forest 3-1. Puts them six points clear of the rally zone. Daniel Farker said afterwards that they don't fear anyone.

31:0022 of their 29 points this season have all come at home. And Peter, this is exactly what a newly promoted side want. The home becomes the fortress. And we know what Ellen Rhodes like, but they have done it. Or they're doing it, should I say. And they've done it because Farker has kind of left behind that dogmatic way of playing in the championship. He's tinkered with the topics. Yeah, they're scoring goals, especially at home. Would you let him tinker with your topic? Yeah, I think he'd... Why have you led him of all people down that path? Yeah, exactly. That's his Monday as well. Me and Daniel Farker holding hands like the Queen and Paddington and he's going to give me a diddle in an alleyway.

31:39Karl Darlo had a good game, Marcus. That's not why he's holding the Queen's hand. We don't know. We don't know what happened. We have to trust that's not what the Queen or Paddington is doing. He's taking her to heaven. Right. He's taking her up to heaven. Sexually. Yeah, you didn't have yourself there. Carl Darlow had a good game and I thought that really settled everyone down. And not the club heaven. He's taking her up to heaven.

32:06I enjoyed this football match and I... Yeah, that leads look right. No, they do though. They do. But it's remarkable. You started thinking about Paddington I panicked in there yeah yeah yeah no but it has been great what Farker has been doing there but the players as well they were all at least a 7 out of 10 in that match there's something when the tide turned at Leeds it was totally different feeling that with all the other teams surrounding them really in the relegation battle in that Leeds United they cannot wait for their next game particularly at home and that's such a massive feeling it really really is and that you totally got that just from watching from the TV they were like right who have we got Forrest yeah well we're right now we're better than them and they just let them have it I fancied them to do them over and they did them quite tightly I mean Forrest have only got themselves to blame because like even on the counter like they just weren't committing players forward and if you're not going to do that like it's they're not going to commit players forward I know but it's just like players are so good I know but they've got enough there to score some bloody goals like but if you're not going to perform like a dash side at the back like Borgel's run was beautifully done but Forrest just nowhere near him nowhere near Okafor for the second either it was just it was atrocious at the back for Forrest to win from one keep it tight but when you know Grewev is on that kind of form when he's you know threaded those balls over and so I mean it's hard to defend against but the eye of the needle is like it's about the size of a dinner plate isn't it true enough true enough Bogle has consistently been one of those like you know one of the more enjoyable marauding fullbacks and I mean that run just comes from clearly like the instructions being like do what you do best if you fancy going across to the left side just do it yeah we'll cover you yeah he should just do it as you were saying Goodminton as well another great performance look they've they're on it aren't they like that's all you can say really with Leeds yes of course I know they're in a relegation battle because they're down there 29 points but you know they have a in terms of the Premier League a lot of those players would be considered more sort of championship players they hadn't spent an enormous amount of money compared to some other teams down there but they're on it and you would back them to stay up and it would be amazing if they do stay up if they stay up they'll have done it without spending as I say huge sums I mean obviously they spend a bit but they'll have done it with the tactics all really through the manager and it'd be great for Farker with a manager who most lead fans would probably admit that they wanted sack after a big early promotion.

34:44Totally. Because things had been so up and down in that promotion season, yeah. Yeah, no, indeed, yeah. So, I mean, yeah, they're on it. They're three points above Forest, who are in trouble, despite what Sean Dyche constantly tries to tell everybody. I mean, you know, they've only won two of their last nine games. They've got Wolves on Wednesday night, which is a huge game for them. But Dyche was getting a little bit prickly, one might say, in the post-match when asked if the Wolves match is a must-win. and he said they, the media, have been saying that every game since I've been here is a must win.

35:17Don't worry about it. It's just for you guys when they just keep rolling out every game is a must win. But they didn't say that Anfield when we went and won 3-0 there or when Spurs came and we won 3-0 against them. Nobody said it then, did they, Peter? No, no, they didn't. No. And nor should they, in my opinion. Well, the premise of must win is that you're expected to win those games. Or rather, you're a favourite and thus you must win it. Yeah, but I'll tell you something. the worst news for Forrest is West Ham's form. Yeah. The three points from safety. And when Dyche went there, myself included, thought, okay, Forrest will probably be fine.

35:51You said that in the context of Wolves being very, very bad. Burnley, again, to think Wolves and Burnley, one of them would stay up this season is pretty much unmanageable. But you also said it when West Ham were floundering. And they're still in the relegation zone, of course, West Ham, but they have been better. there's no doubt about that. Forrest now, and also Leeds hadn't, had their sort of turn in form. So Forrest are in trouble. There's no two ways about that. We know what Daesh's ceiling is. Farker, you know, smashed through the glass ceiling, one might say, and is showing what he's been showing with his team in the last, you know, couple of months or whatever.

36:32If I'm a Forrest fan, I'd be very, very worried about what's going on. And certainly on the latest side of things, it's not just that they're scoring goals and winning matches, certainly at home. it was that period just before half-time against Forrest where they weathered a bit of a storm and they got through it without a scratch. Parker said that. He said that he was very pleased with the maturity of the performance in those kind of areas. I mean, the only positive for Forrest was that their new signing, Lorenzo Luka, scored, albeit a consolation. And he does look like a big boy that can get onto crosses.

37:00So, you know, there is value in that, I understand. And we know Dice likes to play kind of more direct. But really, I mean, are you worried about Forrest, Vish? I mean, I think it was this time last week where I said they'd be, that I felt like relegation was between Leeds and West Ham. I think I'd probably give it a couple of weeks before. Saying you're fearful of forests. Yeah, yeah, yes. Strange, strange. But if this doesn't change and West Ham continue. Oh, 100%, yeah. But there's also... They may well have to change the manager again. If they're that worried. Yeah, I suppose. Well, I mean, yeah.

37:32And he'll do it. Yeah. Going down when you're in the Europa League side. Yeah. With that squad. A bit of flair, though. I quite like it. No, you're 100 % right. I thought relative to Leeds and West Ham generally that Forest would be the safer out of the three teams, the safest out of the three teams. And yet their performance on Friday was awful and surprisingly rigid. I appreciate people who've watched Nottingham Forest recently have said, rather Forest fans, have said that that's something that they can't understand. It used to be quite a bit more free-flowing why have we suddenly stopped? Why has Dyche put an end to that basically?

38:09but they've got Wolves in midweek and then they've got quite a hard set of games after that but I just it feels like, I don't think they're too good to go down but I think it might be beholden to the players to be like, you know what Morgan Gibb White looks across the top the front three and is like we've got to do it ourselves now Elliot, come on up let's try and do something now West Ham have got Man United tomorrow they've got Liverpool pretty soon Man City as well they've got a hard run of games and your beloved Fulham as well oh yeah so that resurgence might end in pretty short order in a flurry of hair this is the kind of run in not run in but this is like the February into March the Forest have they've obviously got Wolves but then they play Liverpool Brighton away Man City away well there you go in amongst this tie with Fenerbahce as well in the Europa League.

39:10We'll worry about Brighton away. They can't win over. Yeah, I mean, but like, I mean, Forrest, if they're not going to do anything, if they're going to let Brighton play, then... Well, with West Ham beating Burnley 2-0 as they did, they are on the march. And look, you're right to point out those games they've got coming up. But lest we forget, you know, they were a whisker away from getting something at Stamford Bridge. And they will feel that they should have done in terms of being 2-0 up. But even when it went to 2-2, the Mr. Sitter, they botched that game yes indeed but the fact is that they were still there and they come off the pitch being beaten by a better side a Champions League side and they're thinking we should have got something out of the game it shows you we talked about Leeds and Farkas suddenly the tide has turned it's looking like that at West Ham now you know the way they I mean that Somerville goal sort of Somervilled it up really like then it was a cheeky little dink and it's like wow they're a team playing with a bit of confidence I know they're playing Burnley but still away from home no no you're absolutely right they're still in loads of trouble Castellanos as well has made a difference up front he scored again all their attacking players are in good form and when you're that side of the table that's what you need I think this is it though because with West Ham as we say with Leeds it's like boom sea change suddenly something the pennies dropped or whatever it is because with Nuno and the way it was going it was worse or comparable to Graham Potter and Potter had time and it wasn't changing hence they changed the manager with Nuno he comes and he's going to sort it out and it just drifts and it's drifting and the reports that you know sources of the club and all that business are saying he's distant with the players none of it everything looked like it was going in one direction suddenly there's a little spark from somewhere they beat QPR in the cup and there's a few results and there's some performances Packetar leaves and they speed up their clear play well to be fair you have been saying that Peter no you're right to say that because you said so whatever's happened there it is happening and West Ham now have a chance whereas Whereas, you know, a month ago, people were understandably saying, if this doesn't change, they're down.

41:10And they'll probably have to change the manager again, just to throw anything at it. And this is very, very bad news for Forrest and co. Could I posit something? Please. That I think we'd all be in favour for. Because if he's already gone, if he, if Maranaka sacks Dyche, he'd have gone through three managers. And that's got to be the closest he's ever come to thinking, you know what, why don't I give it a go? It would be like an idiot son though, wouldn't it? I'll give my idiot son a go. Yeah, but he's the idiot. And the son. I thought you were going to... And the Holy Spirit. I thought you were going to say...

41:46I thought you were going to say... I thought I got away with that one. Well, I mean, ultimately you wouldn't. Stop threatening me with your lard, Marcus. I'm tired of it. You and Paddington are not getting in there. I'm giving you a behaviour. Come on with a sandwich, Mark. Every moment's a chance to turn it around, Peter. I've been VAR to hell I thought you were going to say that Maranakis you know you'd get rid of the ice and then he'd be like Nuno come on it's Forrest and West Ham are both going for it where's that gun we used on Morgan's how are you son welcome if Nuno and West Ham finish 17th or Forrest finish 18th he often doesn't look too emotional on the touchline Nuno or maybe he does I don't know he also looks like a man who never forgets and holds a grudge.

42:35One might argue. One might argue. But yeah, so West Ham, there's something happening there. Poor old Burnley. Again, not a surprise. Turf Moor, not a happy atmosphere. There was, you know, some booze, some chants if you're not fit to wear the shirt. And off the back of that Sunderland loss as well. It's pretty sad. I mean, they showed a bit with draws against Man United, Liverpool and Spurs, but yeah, I think... I think those names meant something maybe and I just feel a little bit sorry for Burnley because everybody at the start of the season were just like yeah well they're down and if you're a Burnley fan a Burnley fan linked to that club at all you're like let's prove all these bastards wrong and when you get the odd point well they could have done look at Sunderland you know what I mean if they had a slightly better manager a Premier League manager what Burnley yeah I think with the best I love Scott Parker I love it when he had his teeth knocked out from Newcastle come on well it's good so short a bit of fight he's a man who never says die but he's a championship manager unfortunately isn't he okay he put his teeth on the line for the club he put his teeth on the line for the club yeah yeah anyway but I think we can agree Alan Sheena refused to as he ducked Roy Keane's fists yeah because he ducked a punch exactly when he put his boot on the line when Neil Lennon tried to face him exactly yeah I remember it well I remember it well right coming up after this could our mate Frank be getting a haircut

44:09Welcome back, everybody. Right, Peter, Newcastle United 2, Brentford 3. I like the way you did that. It was good. It surprised me and I enjoyed it. Pleasing to score a couple of goals at home, but not when you concede three. Brentford's first victory at St. James' Park since 1934. There we are, back to the 1930s again. People are having a whale of a time between the wars, aren't they? in Paris they certainly did I I mean any time someone puts on our incredibly secret WhatsApp group and the Football Ramble files have not been released and we hope they won't ever be but whenever you anybody says anything positive about Newcastle United you're quick to dampen down and I'm beginning to understand why over to you what I'll do is I'll sort of say I can't remember the time, I think I can remember two halves of decent football that Newcastle have played.

45:05And that was the league cup final last year. And then Luke will jump on and go, well, they actually won in the Champions League three times by a couple of goals. And it's like, yeah, I stand by. I have watched them beat bands all season. What else has Luke said to you, privately? What else do you not like about Luke? Should we go around the table? What else don't you like about Luke? We could do a whole show. Next show, let's get the AdSense, Rev. That performance was indicative of a team who cannot win on the road, which invites a pressure that doesn't need to be there on the home performances.

45:37It really was a poor performance from Newcastle, full of just penalties and potential sendings off. And it was just a real messy performance from Newcastle. And we've been seeing this all season. Massively hit by injuries at the back. They don't have many resources to draw from. And it seems a leadership who don't want to spend any money at this moment in time, or certainly don't want to spend on any house. So we're going to be talking about this on tomorrow's show. Is that the worst thing the leadership has ever done? The worst thing the leadership has ever done. How dare you? How dare you? How can you live with yourself?

46:14No. Buy us a right back. Bruno Guimaraes, he got a goal and an assist. He did, yeah. Yeah, he wasn't holding you back, wasn't he? He was running into that box before being felled. Because of you, I took him out of my fantasy team. Thanks very much for that. Well, I mean, take him out because he's been injured for the last three matches, Marcus. He'll definitely do that. Yeah, but he was back. He was back. Among the goals in the goal. But I mean, I think he's our second choice penalty takers for that. I think that's why him and Volta Marder were arguing over it. I mean, Nick probably needed the goal more than Bruno.

46:46Nick, I don't know why. Give me the ball. John, do you call him Nick? Nick. Good old Nick. I thought you meant Pope as well. I was thinking, well, yeah, he's yet to register the season, of course. Well, Peter, we are going to talk about Newcastle United tomorrow on the mailbag. We're going to be chatting about Eddie Howe and the whole project there. The booing. Booing at half-time and full-time. Boo. Yeah. Boo. Well, indeed, football clubs are now projects, by the way. Right, yeah. So that's why we have to say that. Because Eddie Howe admitted he's not doing his job well enough. He's not, yeah.

47:17He seems to have... He's getting a bit keggy. He's getting a bit keggy. I don't think he'll walk because managers don't walk anymore. He'll never... Yeah, I don't think he'll walk either. Also, if you're getting a bit keggy, the last thing you want to do is walk. limit the risk limit movement the penalty shout Kieran Trippier Tugged Keane Lewis Potter's shirt second minute it was really I mean when Kieran Trippier's been forced to be used he is finding his kind of situation to be very he can't go over the midpoint line because he's just, it's the new midpoint line at the midpoint line because he's scared of getting beaten for Piers and he just is, he's having a terrible torrent time, but he's still our best fullback.

48:05Have you ever seen him, but has this season, has he popped up on the 18th green this season at all? In the iron, I can't remember, where is it, NFL, iron zone? What's the end point? I don't know. The iron, grid iron, end zone. Yeah. The iron zone. The iron zone. Which quarter though of the Piers was he? Have they ever turned up in the Stone Age? Where do the house robots live again? I don't know. But he was on the court when he took Lewis Potter's shirt inside the box in the second minute. There was a lot of angst and anger from Brentford at that point, but it was just poor control for KLP. Did you think it was a penalty?

48:43No, because his knee just sort of bounced off. I can see why they got upset about it. It was a pull. That was some good old-fashioned refereeing. All right, you've had your one. Next one, next one I'm giving it. Well, Levy Arco said that it was minimal contact with no impact, which is not true there was impact but he threw himself to the ground so that's why How can it both be minimal contact and no impact? I know It also felt like you know obviously Trippier is I mean it's kind of sad to watch but it's not my team I don't care anymore but it did feel like a lifetime achievement award to not give the penalty Yes for services to football you and Milner Well he nearly left didn't he what a season or two ago Tito Livramento being injured is obviously a huge deal especially because he was one of the few good players this season Trippier played his part in the League Cup win though he did all those months a year ago but the I mean love Trippier we have to talk about Brentford because we do I do not understand why they're so good I mean like I see it you watch it and you're like when you first they are on the same point they are set on the same points as the champions and if If the goal had stood at the end there, instead of being ruled out for a slobber-sized tug, they would be above Liverpool.

50:00That's right. Indeed. You know, someone, I want to mention Dango Otara, because he's someone who, A, I didn't think was quite good enough, and obviously that proved to be the case at Bournemouth, and them wanting to move him on. I feel like he didn't know what his best position was in the Premier League, because it's like, you're not quite a wide man, you're not quite a forward, but he does pop up and score goals and he was brilliant on Saturday he was and it's funny you said it because when he was out wide at one point whipping across and I'm thinking you want him on the end of that because I envisage hit it really high and run in yeah well yeah exactly he does brilliantly to essentially set up the penalty if that makes sense he breaks into the box cuts back lays it for the shot that's eventually handballed well they've got goals I mean Igor Thiago his form as well has been magnificent this season we all know that but you've still got to say it.

50:53It puts his penalty away. Did you say that Ataro was wearing a bikini faso wristband? I don't think I was allowed, but I enjoyed it. You can, can't you? That's okay, that's not a political statement. No, but are you allowed to just wear what you want? No. I certainly remember somebody who used to wear a headband from Newcastle United not being able to wear a beautifully branded... Peter, you're not allowed to wear what you want, I'm being clear about that, but if you had a country's flag... Some of them wear helmets and shoulder pads, I've seen them. I've seen them, Marcus. were you annoyed I'd make air max were you annoyed that halfway Drew Bad Bunny came on and took over in about 45 minutes yeah that was strange actually Trippier jumped really high and smashed the backboard into a million pieces oh dear he recovered for the third quarter didn't he he did he did yeah this is definitely the last block of the day isn't it kind of feel right now I want to give Brentford I'm not doing my job well enough I want to give Brentford the props though 39 points I would love it props rugby okay I would love when they get to 40 points just phone it in for the rest of the season yeah that's fine but you know what though what I love about it is Keith Andrews obviously inexperienced as a number one he's a huge job he's taking over Thomas Frank you know massive character probably Brentford's best ever manager certainly in the modern era little Thomas Frank Andrews going in there and it is like it shows you how well run the club is but it's still always It's a gamble.

52:19It's not just a gimme. But when everyone, when people say, oh, well, that club, they've tried that manager and that manager. It's a case-by-case basis. It always is. So if you, you know, if you get an inexperienced manager in at number one, well, Keith Andrews has done it. Yeah, well, that's fine. But the context and everything is so crucial. And it's enormous testament again to that club. Yeah, 100%. And previously, you could, I feel like you could always look at Brentford strikers over the years and see the continuity of thinking. So whether it's like Neil Morpé, Olly Watkins, Ivan Toney. Morpé's done well to get in there.

52:55Well, but he kind of came, he was, you know, very good at Brighton because he was very good at Brentford. Like the way of like scouting the profile, I'm not going to mention the one they signed. No, not yet. But, you know, Brian Mbumo and obviously like Thiago Nalli is, you know, having been able to like gauge the, I suppose how organised the club are on a number of fronts from this striker, you're kind of starting to see in the manager's chair, aren't you? Yeah. Right. Where are we going to go now? We're nearly at the end. Oh yeah, Man United. Well done. They won. Well done. You got anything to say on that?

53:27Nothing that I haven't already said. Move on. Move on. If you want to know what I think of Man United winning again, listen to the last four weeks. Do not clip that, please, because it's going to go horribly awry. We should have cut his tongue. His tongue's gone very long, recently. It was nice of them to finally win the midfield battle though, wasn't it? Is it a battle? I don't know. I mean, Christian Romero thought it was a battle. Yeah, he did, yeah. He does that block style tackle a lot. You'd think he'd be good at it by now. It was reminiscent of the way he got sent off against Chelsea, you know, in the mad Ange Postacoglu game where they were like nine men on the halfway line.

54:12Obviously, he's his sixth red card as well for Spurs. It's just, yeah, it's mad really. That's poor, isn't it? Why are they not, I don't know, why are they not disciplining him in some way? Not even like officially, just be like, calm it down. Do you mean the squad? Yeah. Sorry, the team, sorry. Yeah, I mean like Thomas Frank being like, look, we all like Instagram, mate. Maybe stop posting as much on there. I'll give you the armband, but have a bit of responsibility. Don't kick him. Seriously, don't kick him. Bruno Fernandes was asked about Manchester United fan Frank Illitt, who is now just one win away from getting his haircut after almost 500 days.

54:49Fernandes said, I don't really look at other people if they need to go to the hairdresser or not. That's not important to me. Throw him a bone, Broome. I think that's one of my favourite responses to any question by a Manchester United player. I'm including the Seagulls in that because I just love the fact that you don't need to be aware of it. Leave it, he's fine. He's totally pied him off. He's pae-ed him off because he's now in Spain. in a way that's just like look if he wants to get a haircut I'll get a haircut it doesn't matter yeah it really has cut him off at the knees it needs it a bit higher doesn't it very late West Ham equaliser yeah which is probably what young Frank wants really because it keeps this whole thing going yes I love it if it's just a trim he just gets a little trim it is but it's just a haircut it's not to cut all his hair off well what do you reckon he can sort of like do it get it braided yeah that would be appropriate I think it's up to him Yeah.

55:43All right. Okay. Stop telling people what they should do with their hair. Okay, fine. Then stop telling us about what you're going to do with your hair. I need to do something. Thanks for listening to the Football Ramble, part of the Acast Creator Network. We're back tomorrow for the mailbag. Hey. How about that, everybody? Until then, thank you very much, Vish. Thank you. Thank you, Peter. Goodbye. And thank you, Bruno Fernandes.

56:10The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the Acast Creator Network.