Bodø/Glimt stun Inter and Newcastle see off Qarabag – Football Weekly

17:19Nicky Bandini:Sure. And I think if you win the league it probably is a good season. How far will Bodo go Sam? I don't know.

17:26Barry Glendenning:I don't know but I agree with the analysis earlier that we need to turn it around. It's not, who do Bodo want to get? It's who wants to avoid getting Bodo? Because going away there is just such a leveller. It's not what any team are used to. I mean, they've already beaten Manchester City, Sporting. I mean, they fancied themselves against Sporting, right? As Barry said, they are a good football team. It's not just like a lovely story and they score the odd scrappy goal and get lucky. They're a good team. So we've got to take them seriously.

17:57Nicky Bandini:All right. Let's take them seriously. That'll do for part one. Part two, will do the other Champions League games.

18:10Nicky Bandini:Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. So the other Champions League games, Newcastle 3, Carabaug 2. I mean, it was done, Barry, before last night. When Newcastle were two up after six minutes, was there part of you hoping, obviously, I know you're a Sunderland fan, but you were hoping to see 10? No. Okay. Sam, you are a Newcastle fan. Were you? Yeah, of course.

18:29Barry Glendenning:I'm always hoping to see 10, right? That's the only reason I turn out the game. Hats off to the 100 or so Carabaug fans that were up in that top corner. They should have put them nearer the guard just for once, Newcastle.

18:40Nicky Bandini:Put the away fans closer. They were still in Carabaug, weren't they?

18:44Barry Glendenning:Almost. So Newcastle were 2-0 down in the semi-final first leg of the Carabaug Cup. And I went to my wife. And we live an hour from Manchester. And I said to her, you know what? I've got a young baby. I'm away a lot. I'll just skip this one. And she said, you absolutely won't skip it. the second leg I'm talking about. Because she said, if you sit on that sofa and Newcastle get an early goal, you will be absolutely unbearable to be around. And I just wonder if a similar conversation happened over in Azerbaijan, where someone went home and said, it's all right, look, we're 6-1 down. So the flights are refundable.

19:17Barry Glendenning:I'm just going to leave that one. And someone's partner went, yeah, but you just never know if you get the first four, you're back in it. So fair play to them. Newcastle did the job they needed to do. the game was over really the tie was over in the first leg two nil after what five six minutes you're thinking like almost in that moment it's getting a bit embarrassing and it's like oh i wish there was the rule we used to have in the sort of early 2000s when you're playing fifa like if you were three nil down after 60 minutes on a computer game that was it tie over throw the controller yeah throw the controller that's it you had to come off um but they they came back into it i mean newcastle positives right into the champions league knockout stages they got a few players back from injury that's the first time ever right isn't it yeah it is i mean there's lots of like formatted things okay it is yeah it is the first time ever there was that weird period where there were two group stages so they got into the second group stage um is this the espirier years later than that is the robson is craig bellamy scored a wonderful goal away at final anyway we're going down a different path but yeah they're into the champions league last 16 so that's brilliant they've got some players back joe linton came back bottman came back both scored Johan Visser, who's been missing for most of the season, partly due to injury and then partly because he's not getting in the side behind an attacking midfielder.

20:33Barry Glendenning:Alex Murphy, young lad, finally got his full debut. Only positive, right? I mean, I found it a bit odd how a few players were still on towards the back end. I know they're playing at walking pace. That is very disrespectful to Carabao. It is. Walking pace. I found it a little bit odd that Sandro Tonali was still on for 90 minutes, given particularly Bruno Guimaraes' injury. He is central to Newcastle's team to their midfield. And actually, having had this horror run-of-away games, they've now got a run-of-home games that aren't much easier. So I thought that was a little bit odd, but I don't think Eddie Howe gives players minutes just for the sake of giving players minutes.

21:13Barry Glendenning:He's done that for the last three or four years, even when he's been down to his bare bones. But yeah, and fair play to the Carabag fans. weird one for newcastle fans to go to turning up it was full there a few were leaving early can't really blame them for that i know some people think that it's sacrilege but job done yeah one

21:30Max Rushden:one presumes the newcastle sold all the tickets before the first leg did they yes they were all because i did see the tickets were really expensive um 65 75 70 quid yeah they stuck an extra fiver

21:43Barry Glendenning:on it um because it's champions league knock knockout rounds in fairness to them like they had predetermined that, those sort of prices come out before the start of the season, you get through the Champions League group stages, we're knocking it up. But yeah, I couldn't make last night because I was coming here, couldn't physically make it work. And I completely forgot to put my ticket back on the resale. And I only remembered about half an hour into the first leg when we were already 4-0 up and I thought, oh, I've got no chance of reselling it. But actually, it went within about a minute.

22:10Sam Dalling:There's one thing that's bothering me with this knockout thing, because I was reading people this morning talking about Newcastle reaching the knockout stage proper. Why is this, why is this not the knockout stage? Teams are being knocked out. I know it's a playoff round. It's still the knockout stage.

22:23Nicky Bandini:You make a very good point.

22:24Sam Dalling:It's bothering me.

22:25Nicky Bandini:Chelsea or Barcelona in the last 16? Sorry, I'm curious and also

22:30Max Rushden:in his analysis last night, Wayne Rooney was quite scathing about Nick Valtamada and his positioning on the field saying that he was playing deeper than Tonali and Joel Linton. He was playing in front of the centre-backs whenever Newcastle got the ball wide. He made no effort whatsoever to get in the box. He does seem to have a dose of hurricane-itis insofar as he's never where you think he should be. And I don't know if that's because he's doing what he's told or he's just, this is what he decides to do. But is it something you've noticed? And would you concur with Waza that perhaps he should be positioning himself in the box?

23:16Barry Glendenning:I mean, Shearer was saying this on commentary too, and far be it from me to cut across Wazza and Alan Shearer. But I did think when Shearer was saying it, I am thinking he needs to get forward a little bit and this is his chance to get a couple of goals. Yeah, but he's playing basically on the left-hand side of a three-man midfield. So he is actually playing tactically where he has been instructed to play. It's one of the things, we'd gone back a couple of weeks ago, Newcastle lost at home to Brentford. there was this big like crisis was overblown and there were these two narratives this sort of anyhow in anyhow out and as ever there was no room for nuance and we've gone down this road before but they've changed things and one of the changes is that when Voltemada first came in he was scoring quite freely those goals have dried up and actually in recent weeks it's been quite telling at times how has preferred to play Anthony Gordon through the middle when Voltemada, Visser and Willis Sula have all been on the bench and one of the things since Bruno Gimerez got injured is that Volta Marder has dropped back a little bit there have been plenty of people who say that he's probably best as a number 10 and that's what Newcastle had been doing but actually looking at the analysis and where their average positions are he's he is playing on the left-hand side of a midfield free so I think as much as we want we think oh yes centre forward he must be in the box I think he's doing what he's told to do and now alongside him he had another former forward who'd been converted into a midfield so they just need to get Visser in there somewhere and they've got three-man midfielder, former forwards.

24:40Barry Glendenning:More proof there that you don't need to listen to podcasts

24:43Nicky Bandini:with Wayne Rooney or Alan Shearer, I guess. Oh, I say he is taller. He'd just get deeper and deeper. What a fun centre-back he'd be. He'll end up in goal. Athletic 4, Club Bruges 1. Doesn't tell the whole story of that, Baz, really, does it?

24:57Max Rushden:No, it doesn't. Club Bruges were very much in this until Athletic... I suppose just before half-time is probably the turning point, actually. so it was one all on the night four all on aggregate Klubbrugas' Hugo Vetson should have scored with a diving header but he was denied by an absolutely brilliant reflex save by Jan Oblak and I think that save was the game changer really after the break Atletico Madrid ran away with it and ended up winning 4-1 but they didn't have it all their own way as the scoreline suggests the 4-1 on the night to make it 7-4 in aggregate, they will now face... Liverpool or Spurs.

25:42Max Rushden:Liverpool or Spurs. I wonder who they'd prefer. Maybe they'd prefer Bodo Glimp. I mean...

25:50Barry Glendenning:Oh, no. Jan Oblak feels a bit like my canary in the mind. I forget all about him. It feels like for all of my adult life, in about February, March, April, suddenly Jan Oblak reappears in my life and I feel like everything in the world is okay.

26:04Nicky Bandini:And actually, see also Simon Mignolet.

26:06Barry Glendenning:Oh, yeah, of course. And they both did.

26:07Nicky Bandini:And he did make a mistake. Oh, yeah. In a very soft one. The first one from Soorloth. You're like this, Nicky. Soorloth became the first athletic player ever to score a hat-trick in a Champions League knockout match. So they are now knockout matches. So that's good. Isn't it? And Lookman did well for Soorloth's second, didn't he?

26:24Sam Dalling:Yeah, he did. And so did Griesman. That was a really nice play all the way through. Griesman coming off the bench and getting a big reception might be off to Orlando. But yeah, Lookman. Lookman has integrated there really, really quickly. And I'm not surprised because he's a brilliant footballer and it's kind of a shame that he's had this little, feels like a lost chapter after getting himself into the Ballon d 'Or voting and getting some of that recognition. Suddenly he had that fallout with Atletico because they didn't honour what he felt was an agreement to let him leave and it's taken a while, but I think he's certainly landed somewhere good.

26:57Sam Dalling:It is interesting. Baz is dead right in the first half of this game. Atletico really weren't in control of it and I think to an extent that's an image of Atletico this season. They are a team that is capable of being really brilliant, beating anyone 4-0, but they're also a bit lacking in controlling games. I think that's probably why they're not necessarily going to go all the way in this competition. But worst thing as well, Sol of course, another little Norwegian victory on the night. So yeah, Norway everywhere, winning everything, looking good.

27:27Nicky Bandini:It's a Lars pod.

27:28Sam Dalling:Yeah.

27:29Nicky Bandini:Nobody on this panel watched a minute of Leverkusen Olympiakos. Our apologies to the Leverkusen and Olympiacos fans. But they're through. It was a goalless draw. And they'll play Arsenal Bayern Munich in the last 16. So you don't imagine Barry Arsenal Bayern Munich can be that worried if they get them.

27:48Max Rushden:I don't know is the answer because I can't remember a single thing Barry Leverkusen have done in this tournament. Yeah. Which would suggest they probably won't be very worried. Barry Leverkusen may be really good. I don't know.

28:01Nicky Bandini:If they've done the same amount of research as you they can't be that worried because they wouldn't know. Tonight's games, Atalanta, Borussia Dortmund, Juve, Galatasaray, PSG, Monaco which is 3-2 to PSG at the time and Real Madrid have that one goal lead against Benfica Gianluca Prestiani is provisionally suspended by UEFA for one game after the Vinicius incident which is probably the right, they've probably done the right thing there.

28:26Max Rushden:He has travelled Has he? I think they're appealing the decision to suspend him I've no problem with them being suspended is probably for the best. I'd quite like if he was playing to see what kind of reception he'd get and how he'd deal with it because I don't think it would be a very pleasant one. He has been suspended despite not being found guilty of everything and that seems weird.

28:51Nicky Bandini:Yeah. Anyway, we'll report on those games tomorrow and that'll do for part two, part three. We'll do some championships, we'll do some Premier League. We'll talk about what's happening in Mexico too.

29:07Nicky Bandini:Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly. And if you thought you got away with me ranting about handball, just in the break, Barry brought up the Dan Byrne handball penalty in the Carabao game. Your thoughts?

29:19Max Rushden:Oh, it was ludicrous. And I think there was a ludicrous penalty in the first leg as well, possibly also involving Dan Byrne. I can't remember, but this one was... I mean, I know you get very het up about penalties given for handball, but I think he slid in and fell to the ground and his groundside arm, you know, which kind of broke his fall, the ball was hit against it and that was deemed a handball and sufficient to award Carabag a penalty. Ultimately, the penalty did not matter. No. But that's beside the point. There is literally nowhere else Dan Byrne could have put his arm.

30:01Nicky Bandini:But also, we're now at a stage where Newcastle didn't complain. Yeah. Right? And Carabaugh didn't even appeal because they sort of knew they were going to get it. And the ref just gave it straight away. And everyone's like, yeah, I guess that is in the Champions League. It's obviously a penalty. That's how far we've got. And IFAB are having a meeting at the moment, like in the next day, to talk about laws of the game. they're not even talking about handball like no one is going there with a big i want to go there with a big sort of placard saying what the fuck are you doing you're ruining football like you're ruining it and they don't even realize i honestly it and it's so ridiculous that it's different in they go well in the champions league because that's a different form of football people's hands are different they move their arms in different ways what does he have to do just I mean, him falling down like a tree, like a redwood, would be quite fun to watch.

30:52Max Rushden:But his arm was literally by his side between his body and the ground.

30:58Nicky Bandini:I don't know. I feel like I'm losing people as well. Because people eventually, you know, you can't, you just accept it. You know, this is how people get away with bad things.

31:09Sam Dalling:I mean, you know, the direction I've had this going is towards more use of VR. if anything we're going to get VAR for corners from the World Cup onwards

31:16Nicky Bandini:but I don't mind that if it's an obvious corner but so one of the VAR things is if it's an obvious corner that they give a goal kick they'll change that decision but if it's an obvious goal kick define clear and obvious facts but if it's an obvious goal kick that should be a corner the other way round they're not going to change that, it makes no sense at all anyway, somebody change the laws of the game please, somebody break into IFAB, let's do the Premier League game from Monday night, Everton 0, Manchester United 1. Another really good goal from Sesko, Sam. And I'd never really noticed how fast he is, unless James Tarkovsky's just incredibly slow.

31:51Nicky Bandini:I think there might be a bit of that.

31:53Barry Glendenning:There is a little bit of running and treacle, but he is quick. And the pass from Matthias Cunha is the one that sets it up to break. And actually, after all we've laughed at Manchester United, and I certainly have in the last six, eight months, it's looking like a really, really great summer window with all the mess that was going on last summer, the recruitment. Cesco is starting to find the goal. Cunha sets it up and Buemo's involved and Senny Lemons. So actually, really good summer business. Cesco's taken a little bit of time. I know that there was almost a bit of worry at Manchester United that he worked too hard.

32:25Barry Glendenning:He came in and was this perfectionist and really harsh on himself and maybe actually needed to step back and give himself a little bit of a break. And he started those couple of games under the Fletcher scored three goals and now what's he got a winner at Fulham equaliser at West Ham winner at Everton all off the bench and Carrick is slowly starting to trust him build him up a few more minutes here and there um so yeah exciting front three for Manchester United and lovely first time finish and also in front of the away fans perfectly set up wasn't it so he could just wheel straight towards those away fans in the corner yeah and what Carrick's doing Nicky is

33:01Nicky Bandini:like it just can't be this obvious you know put the players where they're meant to play and and and if he keeps doing this they can't not give him the job yeah i mean it's you look at

33:13Sam Dalling:previous examples of them doing that and turning to former player and going oh it's started quite well but this does feel like something different doesn't it this feels like it's actually coming together i do think some of it is timing when you talk about sesco it feels like the lesson football never learns ever is that some footballers can't hit the ground running like some footballers will take a few months to get used to playing in a new country in a new league in a new team and this expectation that everyone should be able to just show up and perform at the same level is is unrealistic so some of it is timing but like you say it it feels so natural already it it's astonishing that it was that hard before yeah and just because it didn't work with solskjaer it

33:52Nicky Bandini:doesn't mean he's a different person and they're different times different players um and whoever

33:57Max Rushden:they brought in would just be so up against it you know if carrick does carry on this run i don't think you can read too much into this result this was a terrible terrible game it wasn't great and did you like one by the sole moment of quality yeah did you like barry the uh just the end of

34:15Nicky Bandini:the last 20 minutes of the game as far as i can tell was everton having a corner and all the players surrounding and um james tarkovsky and harry mcguire just sort of falling on the floor and then laughing about it.

34:27Max Rushden:Yeah, it was hard to watch. And it's kind of funny, but I suppose we have Arsenal to thank for this now, don't we? Have to drag them in just because their fans love them getting blamed for Everton's tactics against Manchester United. But David Moyes more or less admitted after the game that was our tactic. Try not to concede, score from a set piece. We didn't think Lambens would be good under a high ball. And they just got, I think they had 10 corners, tried to bully United bully Lammons forced the ball over the line with these battering rams lumbering up from the back and it didn't work but it's grim to watch and how do you fix it

35:07Nicky Bandini:at someone I think

35:09Max Rushden:I don't know how to fix it it's not my job to fix it but what I can say is Senna Lammons said like a goalkeeper should not have to come from behind his goal line to be able to try just to have a 50-50 chance of catching a ball or punching it clear when it comes in for a corner. Yeah. But they're not being protected.

35:30Nicky Bandini:I mean, there was this issue, Sam, that you can't give away a free kick if the ball hasn't been struck. We had this with Ruben Dias pushing Dan Byrne offside, right? And you sort of think, well, you can get sent off if you punch someone in the face after the full-time whistle. So why can't you give away a penalty or a free kick before the corner's taken?

35:47Barry Glendenning:That could perhaps change this. And what was strange was a lot of the time you watch these things, similar situations on TV and you see that happening beforehand and you go, right, well, I just know as soon as this corner goes in, the rest are going to blow his whistle and give a free gear. And you're just waiting for it to happen and it didn't happen this time. And maybe it was because they were enjoying it so much. Like, I don't know. I took a bit of pleasure in it. I thought in amongst a terrible game, it was actually quite fun to watch. Not traditional football. James Tarkowski clearly loves it.

36:15Barry Glendenning:I'm not sure with the Arsenal comparison, I reckon Arsenal's set piece coordinator coach will be a bit offended because I don't think there was quite as much thought going into that Everton approach. I don't think it was quite as ridiculous. The set of people in between is lazy.

36:28Nicky Bandini:All of you, see the goal mouth. Yeah, everyone go there. But there's that bit in Sunday League where you have, it was Jorow and Tarkovsky, I think, quite all the time, where you sort of like, you get close to someone and then you just, all your whole body weight goes into the person. It's really annoying. It's like, oh, this is so annoying. All these people just like flapping into each other. But I think it might be Kalina. And if it isn't, then I'm sorry because I'm angry with you for the handball. So maybe it isn't you. Or someone was suggesting like an exclusion zone around the keeper. But that seems quite hard to enforce, doesn't it?

37:01Nicky Bandini:I don't know how you do that.

37:02Sam Dalling:I feel like you're going to have a really long sign to click to IFAB. It's getting like there's more lines being added to it. I don't know. I think there's always going to be grey areas in football. If you put an exclusion zone around the goalkeeper, who's measuring it? Are we going to have to have like a drone above us?

37:19Nicky Bandini:of shame like a dog like if he has that and you can't or like i haven't thought it through evidently

37:25Barry Glendenning:i haven't i know it's difficult with him but he did so well the goalkeeper we should give him kudos because the way he's come in like to come into such a high profile football club anyway and take a position that i mean they had edwin van der sarden there on monday night football the bartender has been there schmeichel has been there it's a it's a big position the manchester united goalkeeping position then you add in the mess the club has been in generally and then you add in his predecessor and all the noise around anana and how they've been struggling with a goalkeeper and this young lad has come in having played i think one full season in top flight football he was at brugge couldn't get in behind mignolet so he was moved to antwerp where he was hoping to be number one didn't quite happen for him and then he played all of last season and tony cotton this uh goalkeeping scout for manchester united has recommended this kid that no one's really heard of they paid less than 20 million quid for him and he's come in and looks really unflappable like it wasn't like he was moaning and at the ref he was finding solutions to it and you're right he shouldn't have to start behind the goal line but he was it felt like i was back in sort of the 90s he was catching footballs i've not seen a goalkeeper do that for ages i felt like jennings i should be able to go out and go to blockbuster and hire a dvd or something like that but also he was punching effectively so often punching is just the default and actually he was he was using his judgment and punching and actually getting clearance on the ball so i I thought he had a really good game.

38:45Nicky Bandini:I didn't know that Tony Cotan was the goalkeeping scout for Manchester United. Thanks for enlightening me. Let's talk about Snoop Dogg, Barry. Of course, I always knew I'd say that sentence. He was at Swansea. He was at the Winter Olympics, wasn't he? But he was at Swansea, gave everybody a towel, and then walked out on the pitch before the game with Preston. Seemed to have a nice time.

39:04Max Rushden:Yeah, he's a part owner of Swansea, along with Martha Stewart. Luca Modric? Luca Modric, that's it, yes. Big man, little man.

39:13Sam Dalling:Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart, Luke Modric. That's not a trio you expected.

39:17Max Rushden:So he rocked up at the Liberty Stadium yesterday for Swansea's game against Preston. I think the crowd had been told he was coming. There was a welcoming party outside the stadium when he got out of his minibus slash people carrier and only appeared to have a one-man entourage, which I was disappointed. You expected more from Snoop. I expected more from Snoop. He's a man of the peas. He's a humble guy. He doesn't want to bring a mate. So, yeah, I posed for selfies, signed autographs, while a gang of kids serenaded him with Snoop Dogg's Barmy Army. Or no, it wasn't Barmy Army. Jack Army. Jack Army, yes.

39:58Max Rushden:And then pre-match.

40:00Nicky Bandini:If Snoop next goes to join the Barmy Army, I think, you know.

40:03Max Rushden:Well, it might make them less objectionable. There's some people who could do with a dose of humility, but yeah that's not for a football podcast is it? Awful. I think they're okay

40:19Nicky Bandini:aren't they? Oh they're great. Okay fine. They do quite a lot of good work. Like what? I don't know. They play trumpet? They play trumpet? Is that good? I don't hate a trumpet at the cricket at the football maybe but I don't know why it's different. I think they do support the England cricket team quite well I would say but I don't spend a lot of time with them. Anyway you're right. in defence of the Barmy Army. I didn't think I'd be there when I'm trying to talk about Snoop Dogg, which is what this podcast is about.

40:49Max Rushden:Yeah, and then he did a pre-match sort of lap of appreciation and all the fans waved the towels he'd left for them on the seat and then sat down and watched the game and saw his team come from behind. They were quite lucky, weren't they? Yeah, it was a very, very late equaliser. and then I think the Preston manager Paul Hackingbottom made some joke about well maybe it wasn't a joke the tunnel stinking of weed

41:20Nicky Bandini:we don't know if it's actually quite an offensive thing to say or true do we? I wouldn't say it's a fence ok fine, yeah it's interesting being back in London because that smell, there's more weed in London than Melbourne I would say wafting about that's why I'm so giddy today someone get me some Doritos anyway what else happened in the championship Borough Drew won all with Leicester so that means they are two points off Coventry Coventry plays Sheffield United tonight good result for Leicester that because they are a point from safety they've had that points deduction they're a point behind West Brom who drew with Charlton West Brom have sacked Eric Ramsey after just 44 days of course of Maranakis vibes to West Brom isn't it it's their second sacking he was appointed on a two and a half year deal on the 11th of January following the departure of Ryan Mason.

42:08Nicky Bandini:Fail to win any of his nine matches. The Eric Ramsey bounce does not exist. Ipswich are third. Six points by Borough with the game in hand. They won at Watford. Wrexham Hull, Southampton, Bristol City all won as well in those fights for the playoffs. Leicester are third from bottom. West Brom fourth from bottom. Oxford probably done. Now have 29 points. They are six points from safety. Lots of people have got in touch about Mexico and what's happening in Mexico and I wouldn't expect us all to be experts on the cartels. But But they are one of the World Cup hosts, and a lot of people have seen vehicles on fire.

42:44Nicky Bandini:And around where some of the World Cup games are being played, it began when El Mencho, this drug cartel leader, was killed during a federal operation to capture him. There was retaliation by cartel members who blocked almost 100 major roads, attacked National Guard bases across the country. At least 25 soldiers, 34 cartel gunmen died in the fighting. there was a bus on fire which was on the road a mile away from the estadio acron which is in guadalajara which is set to host four group matches the city activated a red alert protocol on sunday freezing activity of ordinary citizens encouraging them to stay at home the violence had mostly subsided by monday the president of mexico claudia scheinbaum has said there's no risk for visitors coming to mexico for the world cup and we're very vocal barry about politics in the u.s So we can't just not talk about politics in the other hosts.

43:37Max Rushden:Yeah, I mean, I'm going to draw my extensive knowledge of Mexican drug cartels, but is what's going on in Guadalajara that much different to what's going on in certain parts of the United States? Loads of people acting lawlessly, thugs running around with guns and setting things on fire. It doesn't seem that different. just these are members of the cartel fighting against the army and the law enforcement whereas in the states it's the the thuggery of ice i guess things will have calmed down by the summer if they haven't calmed down already yeah i was reading somewhere that

44:22Nicky Bandini:you know the cartel money is not just in drugs it's in like nice official businesses which will benefit from people coming to the world cup so it's not in the cartel's interest well of course you know for the world cup not to happen uh or not to go smoothly but i suppose that is a bit like how we approach you know how football approaches major tournaments nikki which is well as long as it's fine for the world cup and then you know we can have all the football and then we can all go back back again and you know they can get on with fighting again yeah i think one of the

44:54Sam Dalling:things that I don't know if it was just because I hadn't seen the World Cup machine close up before, but I really became aware of in 2010 was the power of FIFA to almost impose a temporary state of being on the places it goes to. So when they went to South Africa in 2010, there was the government specifically set up, I think, more than 50 almost short term expedited courts to deal with petty crimes so that you would have any instances of petty crime that effectively could disrupt this beautiful World Cup everyone's having would make sure that was dealt with more efficiently than it would be normally.

45:28Sam Dalling:So at that time, I was thinking, gosh, FIFA is this juggernaut that can just come into a country and effectively make the rules. And you look at this World Cup and it feels, it feels perhaps for the first time that I've been, again, working in football journalism and covering these, like FIFA doesn't have that level of grip on the situation. They're going to be going to these countries and they are going to be at the whims of what's happening in Mexican politics, what's happening in American politics. And I think from a spectator point of view, I absolutely understand why people might look at that and think, gosh, this is a bit less safe than I want it to be.

46:04Sam Dalling:I think if you had been looking at watching games in these places.

46:07Nicky Bandini:And actually a lot of people have thought, I'm not going to go to the States for sort of ethical reasons. I'm going to go to Mexico, for example.

46:16Max Rushden:Mexico are supposed to be playing Iceland in a friendly today and that hasn't been cancelled yeah so i don't know if it's in guadalajara and isn't guadalajara is also hosting at least one if not two world cup playoff games in march

46:31Nicky Bandini:featuring dr congo jamaica and producer silas is nodding behind you can he get there will barry switch off it was would you just switch off and just buffering there new caledonia jamaica and

46:46Max Rushden:DR Congo so yeah but the noises are that FIFA are just going to follow guidance from the Mexican security forces but as you say it is not in the interests of the cartels to make it an unwelcoming place.

47:06Nicky Bandini:No slightly different subject, Jamie says annoyed the mighty yet often terrible Hatters are a game away from Wembley, Max, potentially a Hatters v Hatters final should Stockport beat Doncaster, yet it's that time of the season where lower league teams start to care about the LDV Vans, Johnson's Paint. Is it called the Virtu Trophy these days? When teams get into the semifinal. But well done to Dirty Luton who beat Plymouth and are in the semis. Tony says, do the Kingsland Town watering their pitch in a downpour story so they force a postponement? Top shit housery. Yes, this is the story that Kingsland Town are being investigated over claims its sprinkler system was put on hours before a game was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

47:43Nicky Bandini:They were due to play South Shields in a three o 'clock kickoff on the 14th of February, but announced the postponement the day before the match. An anonymous source has released CCTV footage of a sprinkler in operation at the ground, 10.38am on the Friday, when it was also raining. Ian Culverhouse's King's Inn are just four points above the relegation zone in National League North and had injury problems ahead of the game. The club said, due to a high amount of rainfall and insufficient drainage, our pitch has too much sitting water and has become waterlogged. We don't know the, we don't want to get in trouble with Kings Lynn.

48:20Nicky Bandini:Maybe this didn't happen. How do we feel about if it was the case, Sam, this sort of behavior? I mean, it's completely unacceptable. I mean,

48:31Barry Glendenning:if you are deliberately, if you're a football club who are deliberately trying to avoid playing fixtures, then yeah, I'm not on board with that at all. I mean, maybe it was just someone forgot to change the automated sprinkler system. Someone was on holiday and it's pre-programmed to come on on a Friday morning. maybe that was it I wonder what beef the person that released that anonymous footage has there with Kingsley I reckon this story has got a long way to run it will lead more podcasts than Bodo Glimt I reckon

48:54Nicky Bandini:they're sort of scrolling through we finally got it who is watching CCTV of Kingsley Town's pitch when a game isn't happening that's the real question isn't it is that the person with the most time on their hands

49:07Max Rushden:I reckon it would still be better than Everton Manchester

49:11Nicky Bandini:it's possible we did contact the club for comment about the investigation uh hadn't received any comment from them when we published this pod uh barry some half marathon news yes yeah this is exciting

49:24Max Rushden:well it's exciting and it's slightly disappointing okay is it the listeners who we are disappointed oh god no no not at all uh no very happy with the listeners but i need the listeners help max I have discovered that not only is the world of running competitive, but the world of fundraising acts is super competitive. I was not ready for this. So I got wind of the fact that the top five fundraisers for the London Landmarks Half Marathon get the bibs numbers one to five on race day. So if you're the top fundraiser, you get bib number one. yeah now i think that would be a very heavy bib to wear absolutely yeah and there would be a danger

50:11Nicky Bandini:that people might on the day think you were the top five favorites to win the race but anyway as

50:17Max Rushden:things stand i'm currently in line to get bib number three okay that's admirable yeah and i've done some investigating and the the two people above me bibs one and two they're basically propped up by massive singular one-off donations of$50 ,000. One guy basically donated$50 ,000 to himself and the other guy got $50 ,000, which is 30-something thousand pounds from a group or a business. Whereas my donations, I've got hundreds and hundreds of donations of all sizes from loads of generous friends,

51:00Nicky Bandini:family and football weekly family you're like zora mamdani aren't you yeah yeah so um i'm i

51:08Max Rushden:basically i'm i'm asking people to trying fundraising is bent max yeah and i want people to bend it in my face or you want to be pure like bodo right yeah you you need so how much more money

51:24Nicky Bandini:do we need for that we've already got 30 odd grand 20 grand has anyone got a spare 20 grand Also, Nicky made a good point before the pod that you could just do the same and donate 20 grand.

51:34Max Rushden:I'll be honest. I already resent the fact that the 30-something grand I've raised is going to charity. I'm certainly not. I'm certainly not donating any more of my own money. Anyway, if you haven't donated to Barry yet, now to charity. Yeah, Barry Glendening, just giving. Had a bit of a training wobble. I was injured, and then it was ill, and then I was just lazy. Right. But I'm back at it now.

51:58Nicky Bandini:Okay, good stuff. What day is the rest? It's the 12th of April. Okay. And it's Hyde Park, is it? No, it's London Landmarks. Oh, right. The clue's in the title. I haven't been paying attention to where it is. Yeah, yeah. All right. Okay, so you're running around... Big Ben. Big Ben and all that. Trafalgar School. Right. Okay, and a few vape shops. A few vape shops, yeah. A few vape shops and someone stealing a mobile phone. Yeah. They're all the landmarks of London. Okay. With a constant smell of weed. Absolutely. In my last clue. Okay, good stuff. So, yeah, go on. He just needs a... I mean, if everyone listening, just a quid.

52:33Nicky Bandini:Yeah. We'd do it. No, we'd raise five and a half million pounds. But, you know, heavy is the chest that we're as good number one. Ah, get about the number one. Okay, that'll do for today. Thanks, everybody. Thank you, Nicky. Thanks. Thanks, Sam. You're welcome. Thank you, Barry. Thank you. Football Weekly is produced by Silas Gray with Jesse Howard. Our executive producer is Ian Chambers, and we'll be back on Wednesday. What day is it today? It is Wednesday. We'll be back on Thursday. We'll be back on Thursday, everybody.

53:11Nicky Bandini:This is The Guardian.