A bad week in the Champions League for English clubs: Football Weekly Extra

20:18Barry Glendenning:Yeah, exactly. Because it seems like as soon as he struck the ball, the ball's in the net. And there's this wonderful shot of a PSG fan who's a kid who's just kind of got his jaw dropped and he's like, Did I just see what I just saw there after the replay? And I think that's kind of the point here as well, is that if you look at who PSG were able to bring off the bench, they were able to bring one massive difference maker off the bench. And Chelsea don't have that, despite the many players that they do have. That Kavarac-Galia comes on, that he has the presence of mind. Some players do not play that ball across when he receives it from Philip Jorgensen for Vitinha's goal.

21:01Barry Glendenning:Some players think, oh, I need to go and shoot because the goal's open now. But he has the presence of mind of, hang on, just play it to Vitinha, who takes that touch where you think, oh, has he messed this? Oh, no, he's just carefully dinking this over. And every time I think with Vitinha, he's about to lose the ball is the most dangerous point. And I think that's the problem with PSG. Every time you think, I've got them, you notice for that aforementioned Farrat Skelia, the fourth one for PSG. He has a horseshoe of five Chelsea players around him when he takes that shot. And it's still not enough.

21:35Barry Glendenning:So, as you say, I don't think Chelsea played too badly. And Philippe Jorgensen might think, have I been done here just by some outrageous finishing? I think the answer is probably yes.

21:46Nicky Bandini:Yeah. I mean, Nicky, you're right. The fourth goal, he takes an extra touch that creates the space. And then Archie says, like, no backlift. He does remind me of Steve Claridge, like an elite level. You know, he's like... Claridge Scalia. Yeah, Claridge Scalia, perfect. You know, because he's a bit scruffy, you know, and his socks are rolled down. But, oh.

22:11Max Rushden:Barney wrote an article likening him to Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

22:18Archie Rhind-Tutt:Is Claridge Scalia just like this incredible mirror to our psyches? In Napoli, everyone called him Maradona. But Max looks at him and sees Steve Claridge. Barney sees Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. You see what you want to see in comparison.

22:33Nicky Bandini:You see what you want to see. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

22:35Archie Rhind-Tutt:I mean, the fourth goal was extraordinary. But I kind of want to come back as well to that Virginia goal because it almost feels like, yes, it starts with this error from Jorgensen and Barker takes it off him. It almost felt like just showing off for the sake of it. Like, how can we make this goal harder for ourselves? Okay, we've stolen it from the keeper. We're right in front of the goal. what if we give it to Petrinha who's the wrong side of a defender and we just let him go over the defender and Jorgensen again just just to add some difficulty points it felt like that kid in the playground who's just who's just doing it to wind everyone up at this point we're just showing you how much better I am than you um but they were they were astonishing goals it's that difficulty of of not wanting to when we're sitting here trying to to to offer analysis and and offer a take on these games.

23:22Archie Rhind-Tutt:But there is a part of me that sometimes has felt watching the Champions League this week that you want to throw half out the window and say, well, it's just because that football is really good. He's just really good at the football.

23:34Nicky Bandini:Yeah, yeah, yeah.

23:35Archie Rhind-Tutt:And that's what's making a difference in what have been some quite chaotic games.

23:39Nicky Bandini:How do we feel about ball boy simulation, Barry? You know, Neto probably shouldn't do that. It's probably a red card, isn't it? But to see a ball boy going down and holding his face like that, you're allowed to say the game was gone.

23:57Max Rushden:Yeah, he looked very old for a ball boy. I'm not sure what age this ball boy was. But obviously it's very uncharacteristic to see a lack of discipline like that from a Chelsea player. And he should have been sent off. I guess he'll probably get a ban anyway he was profusely apologetic afterwards I'd say half apologetic because he knows it's a bad look and he shouldn't have done it and half apologetic trying to preempt any punishment that might come in his way retrospectively yeah it's just funny that he pushed the ball boy in the chest and he went down holding his face monkey see monkey do if you're sitting at the side of a football pitch on a regular basis.

24:48Max Rushden:You've got to pick up a few tricks. Yeah, he shoved them into the advertising hoarding. You can't be doing that, you know. It's not on.

24:56Nicky Bandini:No, but maybe the ball boy should get at least a yellow card for simulation as well. Archie, we've all said, oh, City are still in this tie. Are we all saying Chelsea are still in this tie?

25:08Barry Glendenning:I think they are, but they're not as much in this as City are in theirs. There are moments where your biggest players have to show up and do the kind of things that PSG did, which is take the game by the scruff of its neck. And look, when PSG go 2-1 up, Chelsea could be going 2-1 up. And it's not saying that Cole Palmer's chance is easy, but Cole Palmer is a player who we think on his best day, which there have not been many of those this season, can produce the kind of world-class finish. And the difference is that his goes straight at Safanov and Ousmane Dembele goes down the other end. Yeah, it's a great goal.

25:52Barry Glendenning:We should say he makes Wesley Fofana look very silly indeed. The way he disguises that dribble and makes him think, OK, I'm going to go. You can almost hear Ousmane Dembele saying, yeah, I am going to take this shot inside until I don't. And the way he pulls it back onto his right foot. That's the thing when we're talking about PSG, the quality of these goals. To be honest, I think you can go through the first four at least. I know that Barkela's goal takes a little nick on the way through. But again, the power and the technique that he strikes that at. And that's the thing that Chelsea can play well, but playing well against PSG isn't enough.

26:36Barry Glendenning:And knowing that that's what damage they can do to you on the break. I think that's the thing is can you see Chelsea winning? even if PSG, like, the casualness, by the way, that Malogusto had space at the back post for the equaliser, where you're thinking, PSG, they aren't quite mentally as sharp and focused as last year. They've worked out an almost Real Madrid quality to them that maybe we do need to just invest this amount of effort to win. And there is that thing about them where, look, we've seen in Ligue 1 how close they're being run for the title there but it's just difficult to see Chelsea stepping up to the necessary level to be as ruthless as they need to be to beat this PSG team.

27:25Nicky Bandini:Alright, that'll do for part one. Part two, we'll begin with Arsenal's draw in Leverkusen.

27:32Archie Rhind-Tutt:Scotland has natural beauty in abundance but beyond the stunning landscapes it's a fertile ground to build, grow and succeed, filled with people who are ready to push boundaries in the pursuit of breakthrough ideas. That's why today, Scotland is a dynamic hub of opportunity across growth sectors, from clean energy and life sciences to digital technology and space innovation. Scotland, for the head, heart, and the spirit. Discover more at theguardian.com forward slash brand Scotland. This message was paid for by Brand Scotland.

28:11Archie Rhind-Tutt:and optimize cash flow. In fact, Bill reports that over 90 of the top 100 U.S. accounting firms trust them to manage, move, and maximize money, proven by over a trillion dollars in secure transactions. Eliminate the friction and start scaling with the proven choice. Visit bill.com slash proven to talk with an expert about automating your business finances and get a $250 gift card as a thank you. That's bill.com slash proven. Terms and conditions apply. See offer page for details.

28:46Nicky Bandini:Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. So Arsenal got a late penalty. Madaweke was fouled, was he, in the box? And Kai Havertz put the penalty away. Archie, you were there. Did you have a nice time? I had a nice time.

29:00Barry Glendenning:It wasn't a great game. But I know that this comes with the territory in how Arsenal want to play, how they want to have control of the game and control of the tempo. It actually reminds me of less vintage Xabi Alonso Leverkusen and how Xabi Alonso used to always not want any hectic, as he would put it. The game was not to go back and forth. And I think that's simply what Mikel Arteta wants. He wants control of all phases. And the thing is, is that it was from switching off at the start of the second half when I saw the Arsenal players go into a huddle. And as a fan, when you see that, you think, oh, OK, they're really switching on now.

29:55Barry Glendenning:And not only were they unable to switch on, Leverkusen made Raya make his best save of the game inside 10 seconds of kickoff. And then within a minute, they've scored from a corner where Kasper Hulman, the Leverkusen coach, turns to Nicolas Hauvert, the Arsenal set-piece coach, to go, we could do blocking too. Because it's Eze who gets blocked off there. And also, because there's a fun sideline, is that Hulman tried to sign Hauvert to the Danish national team when Hauvert was at Brentford. So there is some knowledge of each other. Point is, Arsenal didn't quite have enough flair. I would say that even if I think that they have decided that they're going to play at this tempo, and actually long term, if you're going to try and go for as many trophies as they are, it's probably not a bad idea because they still do have enough and have been having enough to get over the line.

30:56Barry Glendenning:But they had Robert Andrush on a yellow card after five minutes. And Andrush, with stricter European refs, could have got sent off. And at that point, I'm thinking, why are you not trying to target Andrush more, get the ball into Jokeres more, and just put him in uncomfortable positions? And Martinelli hit the crossbar after that. And that's where I still think that you can have a bit more control and do a bit more with the game. Leverkusen were really good. I have to give credit to them as well. the way that Ernest Poccu was able to track and keep up with Martinelli's dribbling. Not many people can do that.

31:33Barry Glendenning:Kofana caused problems for Gabriel and Saliba. But I think from a Leverkusen point of view, especially because it's Kai Havertz who rolls in the penalty as well, which is another dagger to the heart, they probably had enough to hang on there. And the penalty, I'll let you pour over it. Well, the challenge is ridiculous.

31:53Nicky Bandini:The challenge is ridiculous. You spoke to Madiweke afterwards. I presume you checked if he was okay.

32:02Barry Glendenning:I did. And he said I felt contact. And that was enough. And the problem is not Madiweke. The problem is what football's become. It's not reliant on the feel of the game from the referee. It's reliant on which slow-mo replay you get. and there's one where you see that Maduweke's foot gets caught under Tillman's back as he's sliding in and actually from there you see that Maduweke's left foot doesn't hit the floor again before he goes back down. But yeah, don't dive in is now what you have to say.

32:40Nicky Bandini:Yeah, he doesn't need to dive in, does he? I don't know, Nicky, how are your emotions as an Arsenal, as the most reasonable Arsenal fan on the earth. How are you feeling?

32:50Archie Rhind-Tutt:I don't know. I think it's really interesting as a contrast with some of the other football we watched and we've been talking about because as I say, I feel like this Champions League, I mean, I need to be clear, I'm loving this Champions League. And I talk about it being off the rails. It's bonkers, but it's very, very entertaining. It almost feels like Arteta this season is trying so hard to not let anything get out of his control. He's trying so hard to keep everything ordered and structured. And I wonder if it's causing the team just to... They look tight. They look almost too worried about everything.

33:25Archie Rhind-Tutt:And in some ways, the fact that it's Madueke who wins that penalty, and I think Archie has analysed it very well, because I didn't think it was a penalty at all at first. And then the more you look at it, the more you can go, well, maybe.

33:36Nicky Bandini:He's running at pace, etc. Yeah.

33:39Archie Rhind-Tutt:But the fact that it's him that causes it is almost indicative, because look, Pagaya Saka is Arsenal's best player. No one's questioning that, but he's a cerebral player. He is someone who thinks about the game and one of his greatest strengths, I think, is his decision-making a lot of the time and it wasn't his best night. And what made something happen in the end was putting on a player, Madweke. I'm not trying to say that Madweke doesn't think about the game as well, but he's just direct. He'll just go. He'll just make those runs and try to make something happen. And it almost feels like that's a story in itself that actually maybe just letting that hand break up a tiny bit and saying, OK, just do your thing is what Arsenal need a bit of being told at this point of the season because it does feel like the longer it goes, the closer we get to actually winning something, which still feels far too far away to me.

34:31Archie Rhind-Tutt:But it feels like they're just getting tighter and tighter and actually maybe that, if anything does go wrong, will be the reason why is because they can't get out of their own way a bit.

34:42Max Rushden:I feel like we're constantly down on Arsenal on this podcast, and I'd love them to pull out a performance of a real swashbuckling nature and just absolutely swat someone aside so we can go, oh, yeah, that was really good. But this was bad performance, but a decent result. Mansfield at the weekend, bad performance, decent result. I can't remember the last time I watched Arsenal and went, whoa, that was really good. Probably Bayern Munich. That was a long time ago. They did beat Spurs 4-1. I was going to say.

35:19Max Rushden:But at some point, you'd imagine they're going to have to seriously up their game or they're going to start getting punished. But so far, it hasn't happened. They were pretty unimpressive last night. Again, you'd imagine they'll win us at home in the second leg, but Barry Leverkusen have already beaten Benfica, Man City and Olympiacos away in this tournament this season. So who's to say they won't win at the Emirates?

35:52Barry Glendenning:I just thought that that's the closest that we'll ever get to hearing what Barry would sound like if he was talking about England in a major tournament.

36:03Barry Glendenning:because the analysis fits so perfectly when are they going to let the hand break off when are

36:08Nicky Bandini:they going to play Barry would never say what we need is a swashbuckling win like that's the point where that analogy really falls down which is the last thing we need

36:20Archie Rhind-Tutt:I was just going to say because because we're focusing on Arsenal I think Leverkusen before this kept it's like six clean sheets in the last seven Champions League games so there's worth saying that as well right it's not just a one team game ever and Leverkusen unlike a lot of teams in this uh in this round managed to do the one crucial thing that again lots of people haven't been doing which is just not do something stupid we saw a lot of stupid things happen this round and Leverkusen didn't do that which always is going to set you up to do

36:46Nicky Bandini:better isn't it uh AJ says should we just assume that Bodo Glimt would win the Premier League Mike says if Bodo go further than Man City does that mean they've saved football Barry, the Nordic dream continues. I mean, this was so comprehensive. This is just like, it was like just, it was so routine.

37:03Max Rushden:Yeah, and it wasn't a shock. I totally expected them to win, and they did, easily. So they have a 3-0 lead to take to Lisbon. They're such a pleasure to watch. They're so well-organised in the fence. They're not afraid to sally forth on the attack. their pass and movement is is brilliant i think it speaks volumes that if you'd asked me at the start of the season to name a single bode glim player i wouldn't have been able to now i watch them and i all these names are familiar they're just so good and i really hope they win the champions league and that's the way they're going i wouldn't rule it out it is your birthday barry

37:49Nicky Bandini:so I shouldn't do the, can you name their starting 11 now? All their players are so familiar. Well, there's the Hulk, the Hulk, Sandra White,

37:57Max Rushden:who sounds like a character from Star Wars.

38:03Nicky Bandini:Actually, Barry, I really thought of you when that penalty was given as just someone pushing someone over that they're never given to the point where the sporting players just couldn't believe it was given and it was just, that is a push. and you are, you know, that's one of your high horses is the shove is a shove. And I presume you are utterly delighted to see that penalty given.

38:25Max Rushden:Well, it's a penalty. The argument is always that is it enough of a push? But if you push someone in the back and prevent them from doing what they're trying to do, that is a foul and it should be given.

38:39Nicky Bandini:Yeah. Archie, they make it all look so simple. like what are they what is it that they're doing timing of every attack and not being affected by

38:50Barry Glendenning:the outside noise they are just playing their own game and you see it with the calmness with which they walk around the pitch at full time and take the acclaim from their fans they still very much look like they're in the zone and it's all the more amazing when I was going through their lineup last night and thinking okay so how many of these players have full international caps for for Norway or for their country and the answer is that the majority of the team have not got a full international cap and and not even like there's only two who have really been regulars for Norway in the last few years and that hasn't really included Jens Petterhalge he's had 12 international caps in total and when you look at the sporting side it's a bit of a different case only two of them have not played full internationals for their country and they're quite young generally uh sorry three of them and it's just a the strength in depth that Norway have coming into this world cup yeah yeah yeah just feel the Bodo Glimplads to be honest they they seem to be pretty well entwined with with one another and it is remarkable i was doing the obvious thing texting lars last night going what are they singing and he was saying that at one point they were singing albeit tongue-in-cheek about winning the champions league and yet artificial pitch you know what would like to see everyone go go there and do this because also what i think is impressive particularly about this game is that they still had, I think it was 49 % possession in the end.

40:36Barry Glendenning:So I think all of their victories have come from having less of the ball, which I know is very marginal here. But I think this is probably their win where they've had most of the ball and I think probably the most expectations as well. But again, to come back to the original point, to shut out all those expectations and say, we are just playing our own game and to continue to create the volume of chances, they'll struggle not to go through now, you'd think.

41:02Nicky Bandini:And good for them that the final actually this year is at Kenilworth Road in 1989. So that should really help them, shouldn't they?

41:14Max Rushden:The one big blot on their copybook is that they failed to beat Tottenham. Yes. Worryingly, for the rest of Europe, they're only the second best team in Norway because they didn't win the championship last season.

41:28Archie Rhind-Tutt:Can we talk about Blomberg's backflip after his goal? I don't know if that's another advantage of your artificial pitch, but he gets some real clearance. Like when you watch it, he's not just a little bit. He's right up there. I think that needs mentioning.

41:42Barry Glendenning:There is one downside for Pogordo is that their domestic season is now starting. Oh, no. They might get tired. What might that mean for them?

41:53Nicky Bandini:Yeah. Tonight in the Europa League, Forrest's home to Mid-Jerland. Villa go to Lille lots of L's in that fixture and in the Commons League Palace home to AEK Larnaca and that'll do and we obviously won't mention those games on Monday because we'll just forget but we'll try we'll try our hardest and that'll do for part two part three we'll do a Premier League preview

42:20Archie Rhind-Tutt:Scotland has natural beauty in abundance but beyond the stunning landscapes it's a fertile ground to build grow and succeed filled with people who are ready to push boundaries in the pursuit of breakthrough ideas. That's why today, Scotland is a dynamic hub of opportunity across growth sectors, from clean energy and life sciences to digital technology and space innovation. Scotland, for the head, heart, and the spirit. Discover more at theguardian.com forward slash brand Scotland. This message was paid for by Brand Scotland. Hey, this is Adam Grant, host of TED's podcast, Rethinking with Adam Grant.

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43:32Nicky Bandini:Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly. Just in the EFL, Coventry beat Preston 3-0 and now have won six on the spin. And they are now eight points clear of Middlesbrough. Producer Joel thought the Google Doc was glitching as he couldn't see Charlton's win over second place Borough, the top of the running order. So yeah, Charlton beat Borough. So yeah, eight points between Coventry and Middlesbrough. Middlesbrough now just one point ahead of Millwall uh in the race for the automatics big win for Oxford United last night at the bottom they beat Blackburn 1-0 just one point behind them uh in 20th level on points with Leicester in 21st uh West Brom got a point against Southampton so it's incredibly tight West Brom on 37 Oxford 38 both in a relegation zone Leicester 38 Blackburn 39, Portsmouth 40.

44:25Nicky Bandini:So look, the weekend then, the title race is Arsenal at home to Everton at 5.30 on Saturday and then City going to West Ham at 8pm on Saturday. Barry, do you presume it will be as you were by the end of play?

44:38Max Rushden:No. I don't know. Everton are wildly unpredictable. You would expect them to lose against Arsenal at the Emirates. It would have come as a massive shock if they got a result. I don't think it would. Everton on their day are really good. It's just picking that day is difficult. And West Ham City, I haven't a clue what's going to happen there. I literally have no idea.

45:08Nicky Bandini:Sorry to ask you for a prediction on your birthday of all days. I know you don't like this.

45:12Max Rushden:Yeah, two sides who are just wildly unpredictable. Manchester City should, of course, beat West Ham. But do I expect them to? No.

45:22Nicky Bandini:Oh, for the love of Spurs, please, City. I can't have West Ham. I can't. I was dropping into the bottom three. Forest home to Fulham as well on Sunday at two o 'clock. And then Liverpool Spurs at 4.30. At time of recording, Archie, Igor Tudor is still the manager of Tottenham, which seems utterly, it's sort of incomprehensible. Like nobody thinks he should be the manager, apart from the incredibly bad decision makers who are the decision makers at Tottenham. I've written a piece about this. There is an article on the website that says, you know, Igor Tudor expected to be in charge for Liverpool.

45:54Nicky Bandini:The subheading is Harry Redknapp rules himself out. A real human had to write that as a genuine piece of news copy. And I'm disappointed that Harry Redknapp ruled himself out. That's where we're at now.

46:07Barry Glendenning:I listened to yesterday's pod. And what struck me is that through the show, your laughter gets more maniacal and desperate and hysterical, as if you can't believe that you're going ever further into this rabbit hole. To be honest, Max, how do you feel?

46:30Nicky Bandini:Well, I mean, I don't mind because it doesn't affect me. If they go down, I will be like, this is ridiculous. It's ridiculous. And I will be sad when they're not just on Match of the Day. You know, that will be like, oh, this is shit. I've got to watch the EFL highlights. You know, like I watched them for League Two. I don't need them for the championship as well. Like that is, how do I feel? Do you know what? Like even though I think there is such a high chance of them going down, because they've never gone down in my lifetime, there is just part of me that thinks they won't because it just doesn't happen, right?

47:04Nicky Bandini:Like it's just not a thing that happens in football. And that is a really naive way to think, but it is how your brain kind of works. You just go, well, West Ham get relegated all the time. Nottingham Forest get relegated all the time. So one of those will get relegated. but you know like there's every chance that Romero and Paulina are concussed right they've got no players you know Liverpool are not having a brilliant season but they're not they're a good football team they're a football team that sort of function they're a functioning team right i don't know like i i am astonished that tudor is still the manager like i can't believe it the only logic could be they think we're not going to get anything in liverpool which is a bad way to think because there aren't that many games left let him have that and and then change it so that the vibes aren't instantly bad for chris hewton or ryan mason or whoever it is.

48:06Nicky Bandini:Glenn Hoddle. But, you know, Chaz or Dave, the surviving Chaz or Dave. I don't know. But, like, it is astonishing. Like, he's so, like, I tend to find football now that I was saying to a producer before the show, like, if Cambridge win or Tottenham win, I'm happy. And if they lose, I don't mind. Like, it's okay. I don't really expect either of them to win that often. but this is really bad. Anyway, Chelsea-Newcastle, Man U Villa in those, you know, that's a big game actually, Barry, at Old Trafford, isn't it, for those two? Yeah, there are some games this weekend.

48:50Max Rushden:I expect United to beat Villa and I expect, sorry, Archie, Forrest to beat Fulham. I'll be devastated if Liverpool don't beat Spurs. I don't expect them to. I probably do. Villa are, yeah, they're just missing key players through injury and midfielders, and they're tired, and I'd be surprised if United didn't win that one.

49:19Barry Glendenning:Just to follow up, Baz, I agree that I think Forrest will beat Fulham, which is why I now think it won't happen, because Fulham tend to turn up suddenly out of nowhere when you least expect it, And yet, under Marco Silva, this time of the season, things always seem to go south. And there was a lot of criticism for the nine changes last week. And I think it was worth criticizing him, just not for the nine changes. Because there's, apart from Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi, no one's really in form. So it's his job to get everyone in form. So he's more looking around the squad of, can anyone stand up?

49:59and the answer is no right now but of what consequence is that when you're 10th with 40

50:06Max Rushden:points and I mean Silva got a lot of flack and I think deservedly so for feeling that team against Southampton but the team everyone wanted him to put out or think he should have put out did get beaten by West Ham the previous week so Archie makes a good point.

50:25Nicky Bandini:Elsewhere then Iran's sports minister Ahmad Donia Mali has said that Iran cannot participate in the 2026 World Cup after the United States killed their leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini. Considering that this corrupt regime, the US has assassinated our leader. Under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup. He told state television, our children are not safe. Fundamentally, such conditions for participation do not exist. His comments come after the FIFA president Gianni Infantino. good old janny reported that donald trump had said iran were welcome to play at the upcoming tournament despite the uh ongoing conflict infantino said during a meeting with trump to discuss preparations for the competition we also spoke about the current situation in iran during the discussions president trump reiterated that iranian team is of course welcome to compete in the tournament in the united states that peace prize looking uh increasingly impressive isn't it uh we don't know yet how their replacement will be picked uh in the world cup uh hank says any plans to mention the iranian women's football team and what happened in australia uh robin mentioned this story last week um when they didn't sing the national anthem women's football weekly has covered it in detail the latest in australia is that a number of the women's team have applied for asylum five have been granted visas already a further two applying the five initial players led by the captain zara ganbari were formally granted protection in australia by home affairs minister tony burke on tuesday morning they've been given temporary humanitarian visas offering a pathway to permanent residency and have already been given a chance to train with the a-league women's side the brisbane raw it follows protesters trying to block the team bus leaving for the airport it's unclear what's happening with the rest of the squad at this stage did we all see the story of the uh slightly different attack the uh barcelona fan who went to the wrongst james's park and ended up in exeter uh rather than newcastle to for the barca game but exeter were playing lincoln so he did see that lincoln won one nil to extend their lead at the top uh it's a slightly different result although you know our friend adam hurry for football cliche says he doesn't believe it i don't believe it can't be it sounds i don't believe it far too plausible yeah at some point you'd notice wouldn't you at some point it does come up if you're typing

52:43Barry Glendenning:it in on on maps would you like the newcastle or exeter version and you would think that given that barcelona were playing newcastle if he's driven there and he's using some sort of old sat nav device right yeah then i have some understanding for it because they can sometimes you know just take you there and and you don't see the town name that's true there were the

53:06Nicky Bandini:Sat-Nav days where people would just drive into a lake, wouldn't they, and go, well, the Sat-Nav took me here at some point. At what point, when you entered the lake, did you not think, this is probably not where I want to be?

53:16Max Rushden:Although, to be fair, while I don't believe this story, I am very much a hostage to Sat-Nav. If I'm driving, I will do whatever it tells me, no matter how much the evidence I can see in front of my own eyes suggests I shouldn't perhaps take herself at her word. Nikki?

53:38Archie Rhind-Tutt:When I used to live in Stratford in East London, I definitely had a conversation with a group of American tourists who wanted me to point them to William Shakespeare's house, which of course is in a very different Stratford. So it definitely happens. I mean, that was a few years ago. Maybe the Google Maps weren't as strong then, but it was, yeah, definitely a thing.

53:57Nicky Bandini:Robbie says, My dad went to his grave, firmly believing Barry was one of Ireland's greatest exports. Happy birthday, Baz. Thank you. There we are. No higher praise there, Baz.

54:08Max Rushden:I'm just curious to know, were they his dad's last words?

54:15Nicky Bandini:Let's not push it. Happy birthday, Barry, says John. Some time ago on Football Weekly, you said you only washed your hair three times a year. I've always wondered, what were the special occasions that prompted your use of shampoo? Is your birthday one of them?

54:27Max Rushden:Um, no, I couldn't tell you the last time I washed my hair, to be honest. I actually don't own a bottle of shampoo or conditioner. And I know Wilson also lives in similar follicle related squalor. So I just, I don't wash my hair. And to be fair, I'm 53 today. I'm still not gray and I still have a full thatch. So maybe there's something to be said for it.

54:55Barry Glendenning:Can I just say, you know, in tribute to Barry that... Yeah. He's still alive.

55:04Barry Glendenning:True that. I just realised today that this is really random. I always think of him when I have a banana.

55:15Barry Glendenning:Because I think you did a bit, it was either on here or on TalkSport, where Barry was like, I spoke to a fitness professional who told me that you should never have a banana after 3pm. And so every time I have a banana, I think of Barry's banana advice. I'm saying, is it after 3pm? Oh, I'm risking it. I'm risking it a bit. And I just thought, the amount of hours I've listened to Baz talk about football and this is the thing that stays in my head.

55:41Max Rushden:I don't remember ever saying that. I'm not saying I didn't.

55:46Nicky Bandini:Oh, no. We can't be one of those podcasts where we dole out fake health advice. You know, that's not us, is it? I think, Archie, if you want to eat a banana after three o 'clock, fill your boots, is what I would say. Joachim says, can I just wish Barry a happy birthday? Very humbly add, today is my birthday. A couple of years ago, he congratulated me on X. Before it went to shit, I really appreciated it. Lots of love from Norway. And Jodie said, I remember starting to listen to Football Weekly during what my memory suggests was the 2010 World Cup. Having just discovered podcasts, I was thrilled to see that Jimbo was heading up this excellent weekly and then bi-weekly pod, having previously assumed that Channel 4 had locked him in a basement somewhere after the demise of Football Italia.

56:29Nicky Bandini:When Jimbo left to go to the dark side, I spread myself thin, listening to both Max on Football Weekly and James on, well, that other show. But alas, it was all too much and a difficult decision was made to ditch the man who lulled me into the world of football podcasts in favour of the new Rushton guard. I've never regretted it for a minute, not missing a single episode to this day. Oh, and Barry was there too. happy birthday barry uh thank you jody um and uh ollie says uh regarding roy hodgson's tour of wiltshire uh hi max and co you can imagine my surprise as i was listening to the latest pod for my home of laycock to get a mention i'm used to hearing and seeing the village on tv and film thanks to its rich cinematic history but i didn't know it was on the tour check missed of former england managers who's going to be next will i be seeing gareth in his waistcoat in the bakery or fabio capello in the pub i was wondering where whether anyone on the panel today has an anecdote about seeing footballing royalty out and about in the wild where you least expect them on a more serious note do we think roy is a national trust member keep up the good work well i mean i've told you before but i did bump into damien duff at the wildlife photography of the year exhibition at the natural history museum i was not expecting to see damien duff there but that's the most in the wild i remember see i i reckon i've probably bumped into loads of footballers in the

57:46Max Rushden:while but unless they're wearing full kit and have their name written across their shoulders i'm not going to recognize them out of context you're right you did a six-week cruise with

57:57Nicky Bandini:sergio ramos and didn't have a fucking clue did you you know that then that's the way it goes yes archie i thought i saw alan nill in germany and i didn't wow of all the bombshells to end today it can't get better than that well you can

58:13Max Rushden:you can indulge me on my birthday by allowing me to mention once again that I had a pint with Kylie Minogue and Michael Hutchinson didn't know who I was talking to yeah

58:24Nicky Bandini:it's very impressive at the height of their fame as well yes yes the absolute height of their fame did they know anyway they were regular listeners of course they loved the pod they were like I love the pod why do you never mention Bristol City that's what Kylie said anyway that'll do for today thanks everybody thank you Nicky thanks thanks Archie cheers Mark thank you Barry thank you Football Weekly is produced by Ian Chambers and Jesse Howard our executive producer is Joel Grove me and Barry are off to Texas to crack America we will be releasing that special live pod at some point but Robin Cowan will be in charge for the next two don't be too good please Robin thank you so much and we'll be back on this one.

59:08Max Rushden:I bet she'll remember to mention the Europa League and the Europa Conference League matches.

59:13Nicky Bandini:Robin will be back on Monday.

59:18Max Rushden:This is The Guardian.

59:29Archie Rhind-Tutt:Scotland has natural beauty in abundance, but beyond the stunning landscapes, it's a fertile ground to build, grow and succeed, filled with people who are ready to push boundaries in the pursuit of breakthrough ideas. That's why today, Scotland is a dynamic hub of opportunity across growth sectors, from clean energy and life sciences to digital technology and space innovation. Scotland, for the head, heart, and the spirit. Discover more at theguardian.com forward slash brand Scotland. This message was paid for by Brand Scotland. Hey, this is Adam Grant, host of TED's podcast, Rethinking with Adam Grant.

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