Where’s that steam going?

0:00Just another Manic Monday everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble. Massive win for Man United. And call blimey West Ham, we're good. It's Monday 26th Jan. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Luke Moore. I'm Jim Campbell. And I'm Pete Donaldson.

0:24Hello, everybody. Good to have you with us. I tell you what, the Premier League can't take your eyes off us, Luke Moore. Can't. You can't take your eyes off it. Oh, you did for a moment. You looked at the championship. You did. I did, actually. Two hours. No, it was a very, very short moment. Sunday. Unprofessional. Would you call it a peep? Yeah, it was a little peep. A little peep show on the South Coast. Through the letterbox of the championship. Got my telescope out. Had about an hour of championship. Yeah. Rubbed myself silly. And then went back to the Premier League. That's a shame. Yeah.

0:52You forced me to it. Not even two minutes in. You pushed me to it. Nobody pushed you to pushing yourself on yourself, so to speak. Now, hang on a minute, Peter. Oh, God. Before we get started, big news from Ramble HQ. Our first line of merch in what seems like a decade is now available. But what's the finest piece in the collection? I can hear you ask. Well, Pete Donaldson, for those watching on YouTube, look at that! I'm wearing it now. Stand up, Pete. I really don't want to stand up. Okay, give people a twirl in this world you see. There you go. Peter Donaldson is wearing what can only be described as a football ramble, football top.

1:29It says Rumble Sportswear on the front. Made by Admiral. Made by Admiral. Classic. An excellent classic provider. We admire them. I walked outside with this yesterday and I was wolf whistled several times. Really? By actual wolves. Because you're absolutely nothing on your bottom arm. That's right. Just a pair of socks. Just like a meat strapped to him. Yeah. Of course, the original football podcast has teamed up with the original British football brand. As the aforementioned Admiral. So yes, this brand new admirable... Admirable... An admirable admiral. Admirable admiral. An admirable admiral.

2:06Captain Admiral. Amarin? Yeah, why not? Admiral Ackbar football shirt. Available to buy right now. Alongside a load of other brand new designs. You can show your love for the show. The Luke Nation. That made it to the read. I'm surprised at that rule. It's a bit disappointing. All of that. Or even declare yourself a boatman boy, as Pete has done many times. Something for everybody. Do search for the show on YouTube if you really want to see this in action because Pete Donaldson is wearing it as we record. All of these are available to purchase now. If you are a Patreon subscriber, because Patreon subscribers get early access to the merch from right now until this Friday at midday, which is when the hordes of general public will pile in.

2:48So if you want to get in on the action before it goes on general sale, get yourself over to patreon.com forward slash football round with a sign up now and get access to the merch yourself. If you, I mean, look, going into the weekend dressed like that. Well, I'd love to see, guys. I'd love to see. Doors will fling open. I'd love to see people playing football in that shirt and sending us photos of it. I'm going to do it tonight. And if they do, exactly, we'll get it on the socials as well so people can do that too. That would be great. Pete's already christened his top playing football yesterday.

3:13How did you get on Big Boy? Terrible asthma now. So, okay. Were you in goal? No, I was in defence and we lost 3-1. Did you get the one? No. Did you get any of the three? Have you scored this season? I had a shot on target. Hey! Come on! Left back. Have you scored this season? No, I have not scored this season. Yeah, but he's a fullback. Come on. I mean, the keeper was legitimately 6 '6", which is tall for anyone. Well, don't try and lob him then. Strike it hard and low. He won't get down to it quickly enough. Chipping him from 30. She holds your fancy. Would you say, though, that shirt you're wearing right now made you, what, 15%, 20 % a better player?

3:48It made me feel 6 '6". I bet it did. In many ways. Exactly. Exactly. And that's what we can do. Different sizes are available. Right. Let's do it then, Jim Campbell. Arsenal 2, Manchester United 3. It took Ruben Amorim 35 matches to get back-to-back wins in the Premier League. It took Michael Carrick just two. Sorry, that's almost a season. That is mad. That's almost the entire season. That is an incredible stat. The barbers are sharpening their scissors for that, what's his name? Yeah, the United Strand. Harry McClary. He's two down now. Yeah. Two out of five. I genuinely had no idea what you meant then.

4:23I was like, what? should have switched his allegiance to West Ham one wouldn't suggest Jim Campbell in a way I feel I'm surprised to find I feel kind of good because it's been ages since I've had this sort of situation where I have to come to work to kind of face a firing squad which is what this feels like after a result like this it was obviously an extremely frustrating result I think the main kind of take home from it is obviously you have to praise United for taking the chances they had really, really well. And I think there was an element of them kind of letting Arsenal play against themselves.

5:00I think, you know, Arteta spoke about there being a lack of composure in an attacking sense. And I think there's elements of that. And that sort of crept into Arsenal's games in the last few games. But for me, the story of it is one of complacence. Defensively, I think that the first goal they give up is obviously a ridiculous mistake. You should be more switched on than that. And both of United's goals as well, they shouldn't have the space. You know that Kunja can hit them like that. Dorgou's been in really, really good form. Arsenal, you know, earlier on in the season, I'm sure people were bored of hearing about it, they weren't even giving up shots.

5:29That sort of space, they simply weren't allowing it. And those are two players where you know they're capable of something special from those distances. The third one in particular, when you've just scored, it is just, it is a ludicrous, ludicrous kind of level of, as I say, complacency to not think you're going to get punished in those moments. I thought it was a really sort of mentally poor game. from Arsenal. I was at the game and I haven't seen them in the flesh for a while. I was actually quite surprised at how sloppy they were. Yeah. The passing game was collapsed in that game and that's happened a few times too.

6:02For the first 20 minutes, United didn't get a kick. Arsenal were very good. Yeah, but United, it felt to me, weirdly, this is not something you'd associate with the Man United team at all recently, but United seemed okay with that. They seemed like they knew they were going to have to weather a storm. They've got Harry Maguire at the back. He was sensational. he was absolutely brilliant you're not laughing now are you everybody but one of the things one of the things they did is the real winner of yesterday's game by the way is obviously Marcus no it's Harry Maguire don't deflect off Maguire you're doing it Harry Maguire and Marcus thank you you're in his little pocket you're in his pocket lovely pocket to be in pocket your head out exactly going that's it Harry get on yeah just singing the national anthem every so often doing every header with him out the pocket popping out head in one of his nuts hey let's get on the big square nuts presumably hey let's get on the plane yeah together I've got your boarding pass Harry send me that pocket tiny little pocket in your pocket but United United did some stuff which was interesting they kind of weathered the storm they fought really really hard for every battle with Maguire typified that really it's interesting when they play Dorgo a bit further forward who's also quite defensively minded as well who can double up on Saka who was really game the first 20 minutes then kind of lost his mojo really and then the sloppiness was was wild.

7:18I'm not just talking about the Zubamendi era, but like there are two or three points when Arsenal found themselves weirdly chasing the game after being a goal ahead. Bruno Fernandes had a couple of chances, didn't he? He did. He simply shouldn't have had. There was a really annoying moment for the crowd when Arsenal break and the ball flies across to Jesus and he takes a really heavy touch and gives it straight to Maguire or Martinez. I forget which one. And the crowd, that was when they kind of turned a bit. They were like, oh, come on. You know what I mean? People were really annoyed. And then, towards the end of the game, it was that kind of horseshoe of doom, pass it around, not move it all quick enough.

7:56The United's organisation though, Jim, the five and the four, the United have got straight away under Carrick. It's a different game entirely compared to Amarim. It's mad. Honestly, it is incredible how bad a manager it looks makes Amarim. Yeah, massively. I mean, I think we said this before Carrick came in, didn't we? Before it was even clearer it was going to be Carrick, that whoever came in next would likely just really, really simplify things. And that allows you to essentially give a platform to your very good players, which is what we saw with Kunja and to a degree in Bumo as well. And obviously that's made them a lot harder to beat.

8:30There's a sense that there's nothing to lose for them in this run of games as well. It's all upside for Carrick. If he goes out there and doesn't worry about what we have we hold and goes for that third goal, which was, I think, a really impressive mentality from him, that makes a lot of sense. But I think on the Horseshoe of Doom thing, There are times where it looks like Arsenal were trying to practice picking a lock. So they're so used to teams setting into a low block that they give teams that aren't doing it time to get everyone behind the ball. And we saw that a few times as well. And it's extremely frustrating.

9:00There's a lot of kind of fluency has gone out of the attack. That looks very, very stale. There were a lot of balls, particularly when the angry substitutions happened, where the pattern of play changed slightly. quite a few balls kind of essentially just to the edge of the box that were a big ask for someone to get on the end of in the first place and then a big ask to expect them to do something with it just a lot of kind of essentially a lot of blind alleys I think Unite shut Arsenal off really really well and they've just been they've just been very stale in an attacking sense lately and we've seen it kind of badly exposed there I think you know listen five weeks ago you've probably run the tape could we so five weeks ago and I said Arsenal running out of steam I think Arsenal are rapidly running out of steam.

9:42He's back, is he? Yeah. After getting all the pelters. Take a month off. Five weeks. Rapidly. That's not rapid. Well, five weeks out of season is quite quick. And they haven't won a game for free now. And fair enough, the Villa game, they got in a battle with Villa and they took the game away from him. They were very impressive straight after I said that. But I don't think you can argue that point now. Well, I mean, to hand you a useful card, I mean, Arsenal had a nine-point gap at their mercy. It's now four. But I mean, this has been, you know, you've probably, you've mocked me yourself, Marcus, for not being confident when Arsenal have had these leads.

10:21Because I think this season is going to be a stumble to the finish line, isn't it? And I've not really felt that, whoever wins it, I've not felt that Arsenal have been immune from that because, you know, the attack influency has fluctuated, obviously, you know. They didn't shoot in over an hour, apparently. Yeah, I'm not surprised. I mean, we could, you know, all the gubbins that Luke and Jim and I don't disagree with but I mean sometimes you've got to hold your hands up when Patrick Dorg who channels his inner Tony Yeboah and does that what a goal to lash a goal like that when it's rising like that it's something to behold isn't it it really is I mean but it is I mean talked about Michael Carrick there and by the way old Stevie Holland's got to take some praise hasn't he because the pair of them Holland obviously with the work he did with England knows what it's like to try and get players' confidence up unless you're Ben White.

11:12Maybe that was a factor. That's probably why he was saying, if they bring Ben White on their face. But if they're going to do four substitutions at the same time, that is going to destabilise. You're going to be moving players around. It's not like for like every time, is it? But clearly he was trying to do that, to try and disrupt the game, almost like, right, something's got to change, this will change it. One team wanted to control the game and the other team wanted to win it and Manchester United won it. Well, yeah, I mean, I find it funny. So you talk about the title race there. You're right.

11:39Again, earlier in the season with Arsenal, as you say, Jim, when they weren't conceding any kind of shot on target, it was ridiculous. People assumed, ah, they're going to pick up where Liverpool left off last season. And then before that, you had these teams. Liverpool weren't perfect last season, but I mean, it was an easy title win, all things considered. And before that, you had teams who were perfect. Arsenal are going to be the side. And they start sort of stumbling. Oh, well, man, they're going to come roaring back and they can't quite do it. We're still kind of scratching around or a lot of people are for that.

12:10With Arsenal, I feel though that one of the reasons why you've not got that this season is because of Guardiola in the twilight of his time at Man City. And also, I think you do have some teams lower down who are not scared of going to the bigger sides. This systems-based approach, which we often hear pundits talking about, isn't what it was two, three seasons ago, partly because of Guardiola and other reasons as well. and Klopp obviously not being there, etc, etc. So what you have is you have teams that seemingly can disrupt that type of play. There's a little bit more of the ruggedness perhaps that's brought back into the game with your long passes and your long throws and all that kind of good stuff.

12:52Arsenal to me, it feels like Arteta is trying to do what Guardiola did two or three seasons ago at Manchester City and to an extent what he did as well at Arsenal to be fair, it feels like he's like no we control the game we want it to be calm and we'll control the game a bit like what Southgate did with England for a couple of tournaments Deschamps did so well with France at the 2018 World Cup when they won it it feels like Arteta wants to do that and other teams are going no no no no that's a bit passé now mate we're going to disrupt you and Arsenal they're still top they're four points clear you know you'd rather be them than Man City but I feel that Arteta you know Gary Neville said right you've got to go toe to toe you've got to have a fight with them now and I feel that that's what maybe Arsenal fans are crying out for a bit of the scoring and free flow and attacking stuff that they did have two seasons ago and it's not happening they did get back into the game it's worth remembering obviously it comes from a set piece and that is a I think it's funny isn't it because Arsenal are being criticised for not criticised but sort of it's regularly commented on how reliant they can be on set pieces but if they close that game out you see the value in it so they fight their way back into it then but for me that's what's so unforgivable about it there is that you switch off again straight away and you don't take that fight.

14:07I think the aggression has gone out of the defending and actually I think that's an issue in the stadium as well because part of the kind of pattern of games in recent seasons has been a massive tackle from someone gets the crowd up and then, you know, that kind of sets the tone the crowd's good and it's kind of we know what it's like it's a sort of symbiotic relationship and it's a positive thing. We've seen a lot less of that. But yeah, I think there's probably something to that, Marcus. I think they slow the game down now in a way that used to suit them, but quite often suits opponents because they sit in and they dig in and they try to frustrate them.

14:40Nottingham Forest is a great example of how you can get something there. It is frustrating. I'm not trying to label Arsenal fans as being entitled or not being able or not being entitled to complain about stuff. It is frustrating, particularly the two flashpoints I would say is that you're right to make that point about they fight it's so hard to get back into the game they do it from like a scrappy goal which you know is the hallmark of a team that gets things done there's nothing wrong with that at all nothing to be ashamed of there and then they do what a you can't lose the game an average team do an average team do well we scored so great we scored oh fucking hell they've scored top quality teams don't do that and the second point I just make is that on your slowing the game down thing I'm really surprised that Arteta seems to insist upon them taking so long to take throwing yeah yeah over and over again.

15:30And it's repeated players as well. People say Ben White does it and Julian Timber does it, but a lot of players do it. I know why you'd want to do it if you're 2-1 up in the five minutes to go. I get that. But they seem to... Your point is a really good one about them kind of almost allowing teams to get back in their shape. United's shape was good. They were really good. But Arsenal kind of allowed that to happen and it frustrates the fans so much. They get so pissed off because they're like, we want to see some rhythm, some verve, some kind of... I've taken the game to the team. The lack of rhythm as a spectator becomes frustrating.

16:03Particularly, you know, we've been spoiled at the Emirates for a long time now. So I'm not complaining generally. But when games go like this, there are absolutely frustrating elements of those patterns of play for sure. Even as a neutral, I'm sure you said that's just undeniable. But I think that's the point of that. He goes, right, everybody calm it down. Yeah, all the time. We're the best team in the league. And look, they're top of the Premier League and they're top of the Champions League League, right? So they're not... We've got to put this in a little bit of perspective. Do it from the bench, though.

16:31If you're losing your head a little bit, you've got a dancing man running around getting in your face as you're taking a throw in. Just sit down. Tell you to calm down all the time. I am calm. You're making me un-calmed. I know. You're picking it to say how Richard Keyes you are. Yeah. Mendy. He's got a zoom in Mendy's head. Would Arteta be able to calm you down? No. If you were having an asthma attack? He'd probably get a PowerPoint out. Can you think of a worse person to calm you down during an asthma attack? Pep Guardiola. Antonio Conte. There you go. But Manchester United, you've got to give them all the credit in the world.

17:02Because I take your points, Jim, about Arsenal being sloppy for that third goal. It's a world-class goal. It's an absolute beauty. And that goal is, once that goes in, despite the seven minutes or whatever it was of injury time, the few minutes left, you know it's done then. It is an absolute killer. And the away end went absolutely crazy. I mean, Manchester United, it is incredible how they've been these last two games. It's night and day. And I understand Fletcher was there before. So it wasn't, this is not straight off the back of Amarin, but I mean, it does feel like that. It feels like a back to basics job.

17:36But it feels more than that, I think. You've got the basics there, but I feel like the way they're playing, the confidence, I mean, that Dogger goal, and even the Cunha one, the way they're knocking it about, I mean, the simplicity is, Bruno Fernandes, he's a world beater at number 10. Well, let's put him there. Cobby Mayne. Cobby Mayne, who's in the side. He was apparently not good enough to have any minutes at all under Amarim. Like Casemiro, Maynou and Fernandes is so obviously a really good, really well-balanced midfield. Not when you play a 3-4-3. Well, indeed. And you have to play the 3-4-3.

18:08But, I mean, Maynou now, I know, here I go, but he's now back in the conversation. Absolutely. For players at the World Cup. Because he's going to keep playing, isn't he? So we're going to see a bigger sample size than this. But we've seen again what a good player he is. Totally. Maguire and Martinez have been brilliant. I mean, having four at the back, does seem to suit them, Peter, doesn't it? Lamens played his part. Lamens has been underrated how good he is, how good he has silenced that chat about the goalkeeping issue at United. And it's really, the biggest testament you could pay to him is just that chat has just gone away.

18:41And you've got to give the club credit for getting him because he's a young, inexperienced goalkeeper. Coming into that. Well, that was part of the reason that Amarim, part of the reason Amarim's moved on because he was desperate for Martinez, wasn't he? And Martinez wanted to go and the club, from what we've read, like vetoed it Amarim didn't want Lemons just as well for Martinez they're on the verge I know but look Manchester United really good getting the best out of Mbumo as well I know Kuno will be disappointed that he's not started but my goodness he's come on and he's he's come in for goals like that hasn't he exactly and he's maybe not been as good as they were possibly hoping in terms of his output but we all know that he's a player who's capable of that and that's a perfect expression of it but that's and that's another thing about the whole sort of systems based approach you know you don't want to throw out the baby with the bathwater here.

19:25But the absolute extreme example is because Guardiola at Manchester City. But even within that, you had Kevin De Bruyne, one of the finest players we've ever seen really, you would say, of our generation. And he would ping them in. At times, it's handy to have that. And Aston Villa, not so much. The company scored a good one. Well, blimey, what a necessary one that was. But, you know, there does come a point in a game where those opportunities present themselves as Cunha found. but with Aston Villa you know much earlier on in the season when they weren't carving teams open there was space for them to kind of shoot and take advantage and my goodness they did you know if you look at the stats they've been banging them in teams then start setting up differently against Villa opens up a little bit of space and then they start exploiting that with Arsenal yes they're four points clear so don't get me wrong yes that's the point do you see what I mean so again I don't want to go sort of crazy because people are saying oh well Arsenal they're going to bottle it well that's I don't think this Guardiola side that they've got now at Manchester City are particularly reliable as well no that's the thing Jim said this earlier someone's going to limp over the line exactly the biggest takeaway is you can't rely on City or Villa and then the other teams are too far away so Arsenal if they win it they'll deserve to win it of course because it's a long season but it's not going to be a it doesn't seem at this point that it's going to be a kind of we're going to strive to it it's going to be a great kind of coronation but I just think Arteta he's people keep now saying handbrake on and again it just reminds me particularly of latter stages Southgate England it's kind of like okay look you're a good side and you're going to be good enough to win the majority of games but can you just do a little bit more going forward because if you can boom you're away but I think what they need to do is return to essentially some of the kind of basic principles that they talk about all the time I think Arteta spent all week in press conferences and whatnot talking about how you know nobody wants nobody wants more than them and the players are all aware of how serious it is and he's hammering every detail and it feels like maybe that messaging has become wallpaper because they weren't doing that in this game.

21:30It's like the basics were wrong. So if Arsenal can return to the best of their play, they'll be okay. But every season recently, there have been performances like this, games against Fulham and West Ham a few seasons ago where they were just bad. They just didn't play like themselves. They have to possibly go away to Dubai for a couple of days like they did a few seasons ago and re-energize themselves because that has to this performance has to be put in the past mid-week they are playing the worst team they could ever play at home imagine if it was a way oh that's a tester I was going to say the journey it's not a journey you want the journey would be genuinely harder than the game but if you make massive amounts of changes and it's a goalless draw would that does that invite a bit more pressure well I clip that one what's your timing 23-31 Mikel Moreno and Declan Rice got very, very obviously deliberate yellows in the last game so that they're not available for this and they reset a ban.

22:28Is that Jim Campbell Wicked Whisper? I mean, for anyone who watched the game, it won't be that great. I'm saying that on Mike. Views of Jim Campbell, not Arsenal football. Do you remember when David Beckham did that and then told everyone he did it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But the thing was, it was obvious he did it. People think I'm not clever, but I am actually quite clever and that's why I did that. That is why I should be a knight of the realm. But yeah, so I think they're going to have to play a pretty changed team pick. I mean the thing is with Arsenal with the last handful of games obviously in the league they've been a little bit disappointed in the last three games but you know going away to Inter that was a good victory you know so it's not all been bad I just think with Arsenal still four points they're still the team to beat and I still fancy them to go on and do it but the nerves are there at the Emirates particularly for that game I think because it was a rejuvenated Manchester United but remember the nerves are also there at the Etihad we've seen that in the last few games as well it is fascinating for the neutral drink it in I want a title race Absolutely.

23:19And don't count out Aston Villa as well. I won't count them out. Because what a victory that was at Newcastle United. So there's a lot of stuff to be enjoyed this season in the Premier League. And it's fascinating. A little bit annoying for me as a Fulham fan because Man Utd are now four points above them. They're four points off Champions League. But Hope Springs Eternal. They're in the conversation at the time of recording. They're in your specific conversation. Your version of the conversation. So a man's sitting in the title race or not? Yeah. Right. How many points have we had asked? Four.

23:48Right. How many points are Fulham behind Man United in fourth? Four. Thank you. Needles to say. Marcus had the last laugh. It's just four points, everybody. What is that among friends? Yeah, what is that about Harry Wilson's left foot? Nothing. He eats that for breakfast. Of course he does. Now, if you want to hear more on Arsenal's loss against Manchester United, be sure to listen to our sister podcast, The Thing About Arsenal, who will be offering their analysis and opinion on Arsenal's title hopes. Be sure to check out their match reaction and their show that's coming out today. just search The Thing About Arsenal wherever you get your pods talking of title races everybody we go north of the border and Hearts managed to get a point off Celtic I say managed I thought they were the better side but 2-1 down with only a few minutes to go the magnificent Gheorgie boys yeah is this not Celtic getting a point off Hearts exactly yeah I'd say so Jim you're absolutely right yeah I mean of course Martin O 'Neill is the third Celtic manager to face Hearts this season and a second Martin O 'Neill this season not even the first Not even the best mark I knew we've had this season.

24:48No, it isn't. And of course, he's the first to avoid defeat against the league leaders. Rangers beat Dundee. They're up to second. Four points behind us. So they're only four points. Hearts' lead. But, you know, still, at the end of January, you'd take that as a Hearts fan, I think. I think you'd take that all day long. Every day of the week and twice on a Sunday. And twice on a Super Sunday. In which you get a point against a 10-man Celtic. There we are. Well, I've been 2-1 down, you know. Yeah. And the Celtic player was Austin trusted, wasn't he? He was sent off quite late in the game, to be fair.

25:16To be fair. Let's all be fair. Listen, they've been great. We'd all love to see Hearts do it. And you know, I'm a big hips man myself. And even I would like to see him do it. When did you become a big hips man? Just when I first listened to Sunshine Leith by Proclaimers. Okay. Back in the day. The best football song around, I think. Luke Moore, before we go for a break. Go on then. South Coast Derby. Oh, Portsmouth. It feels like a victory because they didn't lose to Southampton. If you can't win it, do not lose it. Absolutely. Happy with that? You've taken two points off them this season. I know.

25:430-0 to 1-1. Southampton will be disappointed. I wasn't that happy. I mean, Portsmouth was okay. I thought they played well in parts. It was a bit of a sickening to go down a goal. But then Schmid made some good saves before that. And then Pompey's equalised up a scrappy. From a new signing, though, so it gets him up and running. He's already now a legend because obviously you never forget a player who scores against Stampton. Chiefly, actually, because you don't always get a chance to play them. Players can play for Portsmouth for years and never play against Stampton. So he'll be a legend. There's a lovely little dust-up on the touchline as well.

26:14There we go. Yeah, yeah, yeah. A bit more, yeah. That challenge, though, was a disgrace. Did you see the challenge? It was so late, it was off the camera. It was about two seconds after. Is that how you beat VAR? Must be. Yeah. They don't have it in the championship, but, you know. So basically, you wait for the cameras to do it. You do like one of those host movies. You get a little spray paint on the cameras, and then you do someone, yeah. So, look, I feel horribly nervous going into these. I'm sure everyone who supports a club, head of a local derby, feels the same. If I had my way, I would just totally avoid it and pretend it never happened.

26:48So to get out of it with a point. And now Portsmouth are out of the relegation zone. Yeah, and I think it's important. This slay of the season, when you're fighting against relegation, losing at home to your big, bitter rivals will just be a sickener. What I would also say is a lot of chat from both Portsmouth and Southampton fans, interestingly enough, that Sky Sports were turning the volume of the crowd down, the game. Well, probably a good reason for that. Maybe, but there's a load of complaints all over the YouTube, the Instagram of the game, everything. Could be the bell. Bell, man. Could be the bell right next to the mic.

27:18Yeah. Mocking about the level. Somebody was showing like displaying a new bit of AI technology on a TV where you can yourself using, I don't know, AI algorithms, turn up the crowd yourself, turn the crowd down, turn the commentators up, turn Fletch down. Down, yeah. And sort of make your choices accordingly. Can you do anything about the amount of goals? Turn the goals up, turn it down. That'd be awful though, wouldn't it? Not for me. Yeah, but you might watch a game and Sky think it's boring so they put some AI goals in it and then you look at the results. Hang on, this was nil-nil, what? It's basically what North Korea did that time.

27:54I've always said we should be more like North Korea. Now coming up after this is The Great Escape back on for West Ham.

28:11Can I just ask about the penalty shout? And B.A.R. Some great.

28:24Why you asking me that?

28:29Legalise it. welcome back to the football ramble everybody what's going on there thanks to friend of the ramble tom for sending us that clip who the hell was that crazy you can become a friend of the ramble too peter search patreon.com or click that join button on youtube to get involved who was that Pep Guardiola was it Pep Guardiola was it he was asked with a big homemade bucket yeah that was such an eccentric character he didn't know what he was going to do next he helped you with your asthma though as he showed there that's what you've got to do not talk about my asthma I didn't say you I said he could help you with one's asthma he talked about my asthma you need to get into swimming that helps asthma yeah when you're having a bad I'm having a bad asthma time at the moment someone saying do some swimming is not take the asbestos out your room take the asbestos out your room have some cigarettes yeah some some legal is it yeah have some probably chill me out yeah not those right West Ham United 3 Sunderland 1 bloody Nora what a win that was I would say that that is the best that first half is the best I've seen West Ham play for probably years certainly on the Nuno and longer than that I would say definitely on the Nuno that's an easy one Marcus said they have to be drug tested they just simply have to be because this is insane it was amazing how good they were well it's funny I mean Bowen said didn't he that when they played QPR in the cup they said right this is a chance for us lads to get a win and to kind of almost reset Now, it's all very well said and done, but they got through that tie.

30:01They went brilliant, but they did enough to win it. Obviously, Tottenham away, you know, or the old Dr. Tottenham and all that sort of business. But it's a good win ultimately. And they've used that to spring off against this, to get this win against Sunderland because you can say, all right, fine, you know, beating a side in the division below you in the cup. Well, okay, you should be doing that really. We know how strange and bad Tottenham have been at home okay you can justify this not only was this a victory the performance was something else and there was a maturity about it as well because in that second half when Sunderland get the goal from Brian Broby with about 25 we've seen them wobble after that they kept calm all the rest of it they probably should have run out say 4-1 winners even they were pressing the keeper and it's like it just showed a team that would just add a little bit of confidence about them it was lovely well it was and it was a vital victory because Forest won later in the day and obviously that was a vital victory for them Leeds have still got to play so West Ham could have been in a situation where they were eight points adrift okay five is still you know it's still quite something to overhaul especially when you've not won that many games but when you've won back to back games suddenly the feeling around the place has changed because it becomes about momentum totally you start to pick up they've got two difficult away games coming up they've got Chelsea away and they've got Burnley away and Burnley would probably the ship might have already sailed for Burnley but they might feel like we need to win this massive game for us but there's still a victory there you'd argue for Burnley but more so for West Ham I think the impressive thing from West Ham in this performance really is how much of the elements that haven't quite been working for them gelled together Crescencio Somerville has been really effective lately and he'd flattered to deceive quite a bit for them I know he missed a lot of time with injury but he came in with a fairly big reputation there was an expectation of him that he'd be a lively tricky winger and he'd score goals and he looked a bit tricky but there was no end product there.

32:02He's really, really started to deliver on that. Obviously, I mean, Nuno deserves credit for the two new strikers as well. You know, Pablo Felipe and Tati Castellanos, people didn't really know much about them but they played a big part in that. Mateus Fernandes obviously had a big impact there. What a hit. We'll come to it in a minute. It does make you question and I know West Ham fans have been questioning this as well. It's like, are they better without Lucas Paqueta? Are they better without that psychodrom? They're quicker on the turn. They just are. He's slowed it down. Even Frank Champion says it.

32:30Does he, yeah? Big Frank. Did you watch the game with Frank Champion? Of course he never. Of course he never. Because they've won. They've won. Friends like Pete, can you get out of the country for half an hour? We finally won a game and I watched it with Pete. Oh, he's having an asthma attack. And then it's the last 10 minutes. It's not laughing matter. No, it's not. I didn't mean to make it a laughing matter, Peter. I'm sorry. You just somehow manage it, don't you? Yeah, I can't help it. I can't help myself. My lungs sound like they're saying Granit Xhaka all the time. Xhaka! Where is he? Well, I mean, his absence was sorely felt.

33:01Was felt by the West Ham fans. Yeah, but he still had a visible presence. He did. They stopped the game. That's ridiculous. I wondered about that. It's so weird. He had a confrontation with the West Ham fans. Was it producer George? Were you getting stuck into him? Yeah, he says he was. George said that the fans were actually in pretty good voice for the first time in a long time. Oh, George. He had a baby on him as well. He had a baby on him. Yeah. What? Granit Xhaka. Oh, he had a baby. That's why Granit Xhaka couldn't play because he had a baby. Yeah. I can't play with this. I can't even shove it.

33:28Can anyone look after that while you play? So it's nice to see a West Ham fan with a baby under his arm throwing the wanker sign at a professional footballer. It is, yeah. To the point where they had to stop the game. I've never known the game be stopped for that before. Unless it's obviously a kind of a genuine like racist issue or something, racism issue or something like that. But it seemed very strange. Fernanda's almost scored another one of those. Oh my goodness. So he's here. I mean, his goal was an absolute peach. It's a goal of the month contender for sure. it was yeah for sure Rupes has been probably one of the keepers of the season even he couldn't get there no but that I mean nearly scored an even better one as well when that smashes the beautiful thing about that was when he gets a bit of space obviously the crowd are all going shit and he does you're like oh bloody hell I'm so unlucky the follow up really looked like across the line so that would have been very tight as well and then you got the mad situation of two players arguing while it's happening not even looking at the play Alderete and Mavropanos I'm sure everybody's seen this.

34:25Darren Fletcher was not the best thing that's ever happened to him. Darren Fletcher couldn't believe his luck. I mean, to be fair, right, Fletcher side, it was an extraordinary... It was weird. Because as the ball's like sailing past their edge, they're both squaring up to each other. It's like, lads, there's a passage of plays. They both only react when it comes back off the bar. They both look around. It's very ice hockey. It was. A little bit. A little bit, Jim. But Jarrod Bowen, he was in the thick of things, especially in that first half. Tucked his penalty away. People were like, oh, he's standing foot nearly gave away.

34:51But it didn't. but it didn't would have been a retake if he had touched it with the other foot of course Andreas Bramer-esque penalty yes it was very good reference thanks very much World Cup final 1990 exactly if you think it's an old reference it is but it was a World Cup final so up yours young 'uns it's a World Cup reference exactly he went the other corner of course he used to take his penalties with his weak foot didn't he I think was he not a bit like Dennis Erwin I forget with Andreas Bramer so he was very strong with both feet and I think he purposely took his penalties with his weaker foot why to confuse the goal yeah to make it easier Peter will never know but the man we might know we could just ask him alright we'll get yourself over there get on that someone but yeah and of course he assisted someone with a lovely one he's now the outright most goal involvement player for West Ham in Premier League history write that one down yeah I know we can't ask Andreas Bremer because he died in 2024 so we may never know we could ask his family yeah we could ask his family did he leave any information about that that's very sad don't doubt Dara Bowen though I know with all those goal involvements.

35:52With the Mr. Goal involvement. You know when some strikers, they'll claim a goal where you think that was an own goal or who actually... Are you going to have players run around and go, I was involved in that goal! Yeah, goal involvement. Well, you were, right? Well, four stone goals needs to be a thing. In the aforementioned ice hockey, there's two assists for every goal. So the stats are basically padded because if you pass to the person who passes for the assist, you also get an assist. there's two assists for every goal in hockey so maybe football will start doing that when we were kids they didn't even talk about assists and what you'd call it a set up wouldn't you set up yeah set them up who set the goal up I set them up who set the slap shot up there are some assists where somebody assisted Fernandes' goal in that game someone assisted George Weyer for that goal or did they probably not clearly Gerobo assisting Somerville is a proper assist someone assisted Zanz Volley against Leverkus in the Champions League final yeah Joe Hart assisted Saturday room which is overhead kicked that time where does it end everybody I'd rise your cross almost unassisted it he did he absolutely did well look Jarrod Bowen did say that West Ham are starting to turn into a team that Nuno recognises and he also was full of praise for Nuno saying that he lets us know you don't want to get on the wrong side of him he gives you a bit of a stare but he said all the things to I suppose challenge the thinking that's been reported about Nuno of late about he's been distant not building up rapport I mean, perhaps there's a reason for that.

37:20Maybe a couple of wins, everyone's feeling well. Go on, I'll say some nice things. Maybe he just walked in the training room one day and thought, these lots are a bunch of fucking losers. I don't want to build up a rapport with them. Or maybe in the last... I'll just do what I say or shut the fuck up. Perhaps, maybe in the last two or three games, Nuno has been talking to them and it's paying dividends. I don't know. Whatever's happened, they are... The feeling in that club is much better now. It's incredible what a couple of wins can do for you, but they're still in the relegation zone because, as I say, Forrest beat Brentford on Sunday.

37:46Five points. they've won three and they're still five points behind yeah but if they are going to fight their way out of it they have to be putting in performances like this right so they've at least put themselves in the best position they could be right now I'll tell you what's really interesting how about this for a little thought experiment a little tickle go on then bruv Leeds play tonight against Everton if they win they go on to 28 points same as Spurs and Palace and obviously Forest have won and West Ham have won talk to me about Palace I want to talk to you about Spurs Have you seen the February Spurs have got?

38:18You want to see the fixtures that Tottenham have got in February is absolutely unreal. They've got Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle and Arsenal in the next four league games. It's not great, is it? They always beat Man City, though. That is weird. They do definitely do really well against Man City. Thomas Frank had some good results with Brentford against City as well, oddly. So maybe they'll beat them twice. You'd like that, wouldn't you? I'd love it. Yeah, I mean, if you want to talk about Spurs now, we can. but I just think you've got to add further fuel to that kind of fire of how bad they've been because the teams they've played in the last however many weeks have been teams they should be beating and the real hard stuff comes next month.

38:55While I am enjoying this thought experiment I can't help but look at Palace as the one. They drop in like Rebecca Vardy's phone. Yeah they are straight to the bottom of North Sea. And they are obviously we've seen them lose Mark Gay and the kind of chaos that's surrounding them with gloves and arrows where their manager hates them. and we all are broadly very in favour of Crystal Palace on this podcast I think everyone who listens knows that but you can't help but look at them and think if anyone's going to get sucked into it right now it looks like them I'm a bit worried for them yeah I am indeed but nice win for Shawnee Dyche though Luke yeah great to see good British win Jim would you be would you be would you be he sounds like he's got asthma would you be generally in favour of Crystal Palace as part of this show if they beat Arsenal at Sellers Park on the final day I will be less keen on them then just warn you Palace fans that's where Arsenal go on the final day you've got that four point lead on the final day you're laughing so don't worry about it let me on the Sean Dyche stuff no I'm not pleased to see him win because I don't like him but the but you like Forrest though it's interesting because Brentford I've said for a while I don't think Brentford are anywhere near as good as the league table suggests they are I think I think their manager's done a really good job I think Thiago has covered a lot of a multitude of sins if you like and but nevertheless it's a good result away from home 33 points already this season same as Newcastle and Sunderland I genuinely thought they'd get relegated I think they're booing up ahead of steam yeah I think they probably are they're taking the last of steam dragging it all the way to West London yeah well they lost their last two though alright coming up after this Thomas Frank somehow hasn't got the sack yet

40:39welcome back everybody Burnley to Spurs 2 Christian Romero rescued a point for Spurs Peter what a lovely header yeah it was a lovely header it was a great fucking header Peter it was a great fucking header and I know he celebrated like it was a winner but I just it was the last minute equaliser it was the last minute Peter imagine yourself you score a goal like that wearing that new football round ball top from left back and you're arriving in the box lane the shots are coming off Marcus I don't want to put words in your mouth but other than our Palladium live show finest moment of your life that would be yeah I reckon so I mean it's a very confusing thing so I'm playing in the front line for Spurs go with it no I said that type of goal right okay that type of goal come on I'm not that you know off that big bonce it's a big forehead for a draw away at home a relegation rival rival Rival.

41:29I was going to say. They're not going to win. Make sure they don't. They should have been celebrating it, I would suggest. You don't need any patterns of play or ball-carrying midfield players who can do something when your centre-backs can just score goals. Landevan smashes one with a slight miskick off the far post. Which also looked like a proper striker's finish. Yeah, it's the thing to me. You can look at each one. Good finisher. He simply will not be at the club for much longer. No, absolutely. But Peter, Romero, when he scored, he appeared to injure himself kicking the advertising holdings and was then subbed off to more of Ketsbire-esque.

41:59It is, but Ketsbire didn't injure himself. I don't think Romero did either, to be fair. You reckon? No, I think he's, I think he's made a sterner stuff. Do you think he just, when he was subbed off, he was like, right, I've proved my point, I'm having enough. Or he just, Frank thought, oh, he gets sent off if he carries on like this. He's too wired, yeah. I've got shares in that company and that's a terrible risk. When you're in a situation like Spurs and you're going away from home at, again, a relegation candidate slash rival. You're just looking for any bit of luck to pull you out of fixtures.

42:29And Martin Dubravka being in goal is awful luck because he's so good at shot stopping. He's such a good goalkeeper. He's got a couple of those afternoons in him a season. He has, yeah, yeah. And like the wider world goes, I just need Dubravka today. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That'll get his next move. Do you want the latest instalment in the absolute soap opera that is Spurs and their injuries? Go on. This is one of the best ones of the season. Let me tell you, the doctor's injured. Last week, Lucas Bergvau hurt his ankle during a game. The game before this one, I forget who they're playing. It doesn't matter.

43:06It wasn't the Champions League game. It might have been. The physios assessed him and asked him to go back on and try to run it off. Don't do that. Yeah. He was in surgery on Sunday. It was an ankle injury that required surgery that the physios put him back on to try and get him to run off. and he's now out for months. That's Dr. Nick Riviera. It is. It really is. He must be working at the club. Yeah. I mean, dearie bloody me. This result leaves Spurs with two victories in 14 Premier League matches. There's been a huge amount of banter, yeah, that Spurs might finish 17th again but then win the European competition that they're in.

43:42Yeah. Because they are going very well in the Champions League. Look, boy, you can't deny it. I feel fair. Try and deny it. Okay, let me give it a go. You're not having that banter, mate. I feel fairly confident Spurs won't win the Champions League. And if you want to clip that out, you can. I'll stand tall on that one. I think I'm pretty safe bet that. They don't seem to be running out of steam thus far in the Champions League. But there is no steam. It's a holiday, isn't it? There's no steam. Look, we just don't know right now. But maybe, just maybe, you might be proved right. They're technically in the competition.

44:09Of course they are. I think, as I said before the break, aside from the fact that they do normally do well against Man City, they've not been doing well at home this season and then the next Premier League game is at home to City. United away, United look great. Newcastle is a difficult game, particularly because Tottenham are so bad at home. And the North London derby at the end of the month. You know, Spurs, I'm not saying they're going to get relegated. I don't think they will be relegated, but they're going to be in bad shakes this time next month. But the thing is, I understand obviously, slight tongue-in-cheek, they're eight points.

44:42And West Ham, a couple of games ago, even after the Spurs game, you thought, yeah like come on they've still got a point they've got a lot to prove there well that victory okay they're still five points from safety and who knows they might revert to start but what Bowen was saying about looking like a team Nuno recognises and that performance against Sunderland that type of performance I've not Forrest haven't done that really under Dijon I mean they've had better performances and better results Leeds okay Leeds have looked a lot better of course in recent months Palace drop it I mean yeah also Nuno for whatever you think about Dyche and you know what I think about him he's got pedigree in keeping teams in the league but yeah you might say that about Frank though with Brentford but the difference is Nuno has as well but the difference is right now if you offered any West Ham fans 17th they'd take it any Forest fan I think they'd probably take it Leeds probably take it Palace wouldn't Spurs definitely wouldn't and I think that's the difference is those managers when you've got to do the rallying cry and go right lads Frank is clueless he's the way on but in the club though he wasn't clueless at Brentford But this season, you could do another thought experiment like that, but just flip it onto managers, right?

45:52Would you take, if you are a supporter of any of those other clubs that isn't Spurs, would you take Frank? Well, I think you would, but if you're a Spurs, but in the context of Spurs, that's the thing, it's in the context of Tottenham Oxford. They're cursed, aren't they? They're cursed, aren't they? Well, yeah, but he's clearly not the right man for the job and they're sinking. Yeah. And he's got a hope, and the club have got a hope, that at least three clubs below them are going to be shitter than them. Now, right now, that seems like a reasonably safe bet, but you can't go on that, especially if you have bloody Champions League club.

46:21Well, in the post-match, Frank said a really interesting thing, which was that people need to focus on the beginning of the game and the end of the game. And to be fair to him, if you do that, they're 1-2-0. And then he gave everyone detention. This type of thinking will get them out of it, I'm sure. Andy Robertson looks like it's unlikely he's going to go there. Oh, really? Is that the latest? Maybe he went like, can I come and watch a game? you can watch it when you're playing sort of thing no no come and watch yeah you get a better idea of it then yeah it's like a sphere in Vegas just watch Ref Cam it's like that Spurs have got about five left backs already and I know they're struggling with personnel for injury reasons but they just signed a left back yeah that seemed a really odd move from Liverpool's point of view as well right I think Robertson just wants to play I think that's it I think that's it but by the way talking about teams down there and how you know wins can change everything Bournemouth beating Liverpool and Bournemouth now I don't think for a moment Bournemouth will get relegated I mean they're 10 points above West Ham but two victories and a draw in their last three well that helps an enormous amount so a couple of games you can get out of it you can be dragged into it you know again it's absolutely fascinating Hopefully we'll have a much better kind of run in for title and for relegation than we saw last season I think it's building up to it It does seem to be you're right about Bournemouth because they they were kind of under the radar because everyone had decided that Iria was a good manager and it was getting quite bad They seem to have turned it around now.

47:46Which is impressive having just lost Semenyo as well, isn't it? They lose all their good players. I mean, that's sadly inevitable. But keeping Iriola was big. And I think it was a wise move for him to stay there. But look, they beat Liverpool 3-2. They ended Liverpool's very underwhelming 13 match on beat and run. Great game, though. It was a really good game. At the Vitality Stadium. It's sort of a calamitous seven-minute spell seemed to cost Liverpool. But Bournemouth, you know, we know what they can do. and getting a 95th minute winner like that is always going to put a spring in your step.

48:19Absolutely. I mean, it was a really dramatic game, wasn't it? The first goal was... So I'd seen that Virgil van Dijk had said that it was essentially the wind's fault before I'd seen the highlight of the goal. And I thought the goal was going to be some sort of mad, kind of weird thing. And he'd seen Arbroath be greener, by the way. That's the wind's fault. I don't know if anybody saw that when the goalkeeper takes a goal kick and the wind carries the ball out of the stadium. But I think it's kind of symptomatic of how it feels like a lot of the players and staff at Liverpool can't quite get their heads around why this is happening.

48:54And it feels like in Arnest Lott's post-matches as well, he seems absolutely baffled as to why their form is in the way that it is. And I think, again, it's just a symptom of that. But he gave up on the actual chance, didn't he? He didn't even stick a leg out. And afterwards, he doesn't understand why he's done that. Yeah, yeah. and he shoaled us one in to one all it Peter Peter you seem to be one of the few people that does understand why Virgil van Dijk is not called it early called it early yeah but I don't wait a few months and then resurface and have a go at everyone you should I do all the time actually you're one of the pettiest people I know I'm not sure that's true prettiest oh sorry yeah wheezing out of your little hole I think they should sell Bruno actually he almost he looked great against Villa actually he almost died of an asthma attack but he had a really big point to make so he stopped he stopped himself from my cold dead hands I feel like Liverpool the problem with Liverpool is they find it absolutely incapable of controlling a whole game yeah right in any way so if you think this example here Bournemouth I might be cherry picking here but I'm sure there's other examples well they are the cherries well you go cherry picking it pick away exactly it's perfect there are three examples I can think of including this one against Fulham they conceded really early and they conceded very late to draw 2-1 against Leeds.

50:10They conceded two goals in two minutes then conceded an equaliser to go free or right at the end. Brilliant game by the way. You know you're still in it when deep into injury time against them. You always do and I think that one of the things that I think frustrates slot and some of the better players like it's the Boslow who's been their best player and one or two others who've been okay is that they don't seem to be able to shut a game out or close a game out and I think the teams they're playing against now always think that if they just stick at it they can force a mistake or they can sort of take advantage of a lack of concentration or whatever it might be.

50:40And that's really terminal for a team. I find it fascinating. They had a very good win away to Marseille in the Champions League. Yeah. You know, pretty calm. And you look at, again, people talk about the quality of the Premier League and how is it as good this season. All the Premier League sides have done really well in the Champions League. Even Spurs. There's no better example of how good the Premier League remains than the amount of times this season teams in this league that have struggled domestically just go and do common or garden wins against other fairly big European sides. Happens all the time.

51:10I think teams set up very differently in Europe though, right? So you don't perhaps, you're generally facing teams who are a lot more open because they are trying to set the agenda and be the protagonist themselves and go for a win rather than essentially kind of choke your strikers. Yeah, possibly. I just do find it interesting. I mean, even when Liverpool, you know, it all looked like it was almost crisis time. You know, they went away to, was it Frankfurt? And they absolutely battered them. That'll happen. Yeah, well, true. But it's a funny little phenomenon and I know some of the bigger teams aren't as good like Real Madrid, Barcelona and a couple of others you could say.

51:47But anyway, we are going to talk more about Liverpool on the mailbag tomorrow. We're going to talk about Arnaz Slott and even the man who might well be waiting in the wings, Jabby Alonso, because he is very available now. So that will be on the mailbag tomorrow. So do get your lug holes around that lot. There we are, everybody. Thank you very much for listening to the Football Ramble, part of the ACAST Creator Network. We're back tomorrow for that thing called the Mailbag. We're looking forward to it immensely. Yeah. Until then, thank you very much, Luke Moore. Thank you very much. Thank you, Pete Donaldson.

52:14Goodbye. Thank you, Jim Campbell. Thank you. Thank you, Football Ramble New Top. And thank you, Premier League.

52:31The Football Ramble is a Stack Production and part of the ACAST Creator Network.