Manchester City win FA Cup and Hearts heartbreak at Celtic – Football Weekly

23:12You know, because Nuno has turned it around a bit in this, just a bit again. Well, it was the start and then they got better and then they got, had lost a couple of games or drew games they should have won or lost games they should have drawn. And then yesterday was just a fiasco from start to finish, more or less. Jared Bowens said afterwards, we've created this mess that we're in. And I'm going, are you talking about yesterday's mess, the general mess, the mess at the start of the season? So I think it's done. They're going to go down and they can't have any complaints. but yesterday was just a shambles.

23:53And even the team selection, the playing three at the back, the starting Wilson, who's Callum Wilson, who's sort of been their finisher this season. Why not start Castellanos, who was excellent when he came on? I mean, we just, we're not allowed to have nice things. Tottenham going down would be a nice thing. Hearts winning the Scottish Championship would have been a nice thing. Leeds beating Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final would have been a nice thing. It would have given us a better final probably, but they froze in that semi-final for whatever reason. And yeah, football is a cruel master. It is.

24:33I mean, a nod to the director on Match of the Day or the editor who managed to actually sort of make this beautiful narrative arc of cutting to like increasingly isolated West Ham fan. You know, at the start, all looking sad. but looking sadder and sadder and the crowd being sparser and sparser just as everything went on. It was like a beautiful story of just seeing that agony. A word on Newcastle, John. I mean, the season hasn't been great. Azula's got five in his last eight. You know, could he turn into a great Newcastle number nine with Volta Marder in behind? Could that work?

25:08John Brewin:The suggestion is I think they're going to try and get... Volta Marder is not particularly... We'd like to get rid of him, to be quite honest. I think they'd like to cash him out if they can. Fair, okay. I mean, we're Volta Marder fans, I know, but I don't think anyone in Newcastle is or at the club. I think that's the opinion. Our opinion counts for nothing up there, it appears. But yeah, I mean, he did score a decent goal, though it couldn't have been much easier for him, could it really, thanks to West Ham's defending. True. But yeah, Ashula, yeah, he's been around a bit longer than you might think, but yeah, he did score that wonderful goal against Manchester United and he scored those two good goals.

25:46John Brewin:there's a player there, isn't there? There's something to work with for, and we assume it is going to be Eddie Howe, the manager, don't we? I mean, I think Eddie Howe assumes it's going to be Eddie Howe, but it's been a disappointing season for Newcastle. There's no doubt about that. And there are questions, obviously, over how interested the Saudi overlords are and whether Eddie Howe has had a bit too much power, you know, in a sort of reverse of the Jabby Alonso situation that we were talking about before. Let's see, let's see. Big summer ahead for Newcastle. Big summer. Yeah. Shout out for Kieran Trippier.

26:19He was interviewed moments after he came off to sit on the bench, played his last game for Newcastle. It's been a really good signing for them. And in terms of right-backs leaving the Premier League, he had a slightly better few minutes than Seamus Coleman. But we'll get to the wonderful Seamus Coleman.

26:35John Brewin:I was going to say, Max, he was interviewed while West Ham were still playing to rescue themselves, which, as I said, my West Ham supporting friends found that deeply disrespectful. He's like, we're trying to get back in the game here and they're treating it like soccer aid. Yeah, well, I've been to one game at the Maracanã and I had Flamengo playing. I have no idea who. It was only about 15 ,000 in there. It wasn't a cauldron. And Adriano, the old big Adriano, who was really big at this, I mean, physically really big. He looked like he was playing soccer aid. But at halftime, he did a halftime interview and he was basically on the pitch for the whole 15 minutes.

27:15And you were thinking, he's the manager thinking, where's Adriano? Why isn't he like, I've got some tactics to do here. Anyway, let's go to Old Trafford then. Man United 3-4-2, quite a good fun game. This end of season vibe to it. Three things to discuss, I think, in this. Bruno Fernandes, the handball, non-handball, handball, and Michael Carrick probably agreeing a two-year deal. We'll do it in that order for no particular reason. Maria says, can John explain to everyone why the individual Bruno Fernandes should get the individual Player of the Year award despite not being in the best team. I don't understand why people argue against it because he hasn't won any trophies.

27:47He reached that assist record and he has been stunningly good this season in a team who have got better but have been bad for lots of it.

27:57John Brewin:Yeah, well, I think she's referring to a tweet that the Football Righters Association retweeted on X which was, I said, you know, the best player doesn't necessarily play for the best team. Manchester United have been nowhere near the best team in the league but Bruno Fernandes has had an outstanding season. Now, you might say he's had an outstanding half season, which has certainly got better since Michael Carrick took over. But he also, if you were willing to rummage through the slime of the Ruben Amirim era, if you're really feeling, want to feel bad about yourself, you will see that Bruno, who played a deeper role in that, worked pretty hard then and played pretty well for Amirim as well.

28:38John Brewin:But then this assist record, this game, obviously he'd equal the record, but there was a couple of times where it was like, shoot here, you're supposed to shoot at this point. Normally, Bruno, you would shoot, but you're trying to do an assist, aren't you? When Joshua Zerkesy is the guy you're trying to assist, it's not going to come off because he's not going to score because he's not good enough to score. So, yeah, but I mean, Bruno's had a brilliant season. Other players had a great season. As Dan said before, Semenyo has been fantastic. Obviously, there's a raft of Arsenal players, you know, Declan Rice, Gabriel, Saliba, you know, David Raya, all those.

29:17John Brewin:And I suppose the vote is split for Arsenal players, you could say that. But come on, let's recognise Bruno for having a great season. And Manchester United were in a hell of a mess when Michael Carrick took over. And Bruno has helped lead them back into, if not the promised land, into some element of respectability where I don't want to turn off my television when Manchester United come on. Yeah, also, we shouldn't forget Harry Wilson had the best two months of any footballer ever at one point during the season. Sensible Steve says, I'd love another conversation about nobody understanding the handball.

29:52And then lots of people saying this was a good decision and lots saying this was a bad decision. And Buemo does kind of control it with his arm, Dan, and his chest. Michael Salisbury sent to the screen and he ignored the screen. It's the 17th time in seven seasons the refs ignored VAR. I think Salisbury has done it before. I mean, we always like a referee sticking to his guns. Should he have? Do we not know anymore? Are our brains just addled with just handball angst? Yeah, I don't know what to think with handball. My initial gut reaction was that's handball and the reasoning given that it wasn't intentional.

30:31Are many handballs intentional? I can't think that too many handballs that get given in the general Premier League season are intentional. And I think if Mbwemo scores that himself because it's hit his arm and he's the goal scorer, I think it probably gets disallowed. But because the game's carried on and it's someone else who's put the ball into the back of the net, it's not looked at in the same way. That's my understanding of the handball rule, but as we discuss every week, I'm not sure I understand. the handball rule, but it's handball in my opinion and the goal should get disallowed. I think there was a controversial handball, I can't remember what it was because there's been so many of them, at the very start of the season and we discussed it on the first pod of the season and I said at the time we're going to be having this discussion every pod and so it has come to pass.

31:24I was bewildered by that decision. Vitor Pereira was bewildered. I'm bewildered that some people think it was correct decision but Pereira said afterwards we need to have a meeting together to understand what is a handball what's a block etc and so on because at this moment we don't know and I would very much like to attend that meeting because I don't know either and I suspect the big problem is that quite a few referees don't seem to know either, or they certainly haven't reached a consensus. The handball law is a mess. Total mess. Who do we have at the meeting? Luis Suarez is at the meeting.

32:05We get Maradona in a sort of Weekend of Bernie style. Peter Shilton. I want him there. I don't want to be at the meeting, but they do need to fix it, John. I mean, I'm lost because the head of referees, this guy who's in UEFA who's pushing it, I forget his name. I really want to yell at him but it's not in my nature and as you said we don't have any power no one listens to us John but it's a disaster at the moment It certainly is

32:34John Brewin:I was reminded the other day do you remember at the 2002 World Cup Torsten Frings denied for Germany denied the USA it was described by David Pleat rather unfortunately as a last gasp handjob on the line

33:00I don't think you ever it's not the time or the place David if you ask me whatever Torsten Frings wants to do

33:09John Brewin:that's always stuck in my mind for some reason but yeah it's you don't have to end your point John you've made the point that's it at least you've We've made the handball conversation fun. And that's what we needed someone to do. Casemiro's final game at Old Trafford came off in the 80th minute. He had a renaissance, didn't he? He started terribly and then got good. And we should talk about Michael Carrick. Two-year deal by all accounts. He has won 11 of 16. I'll come back to you, John. I mean, how do you feel about this? I think he's done enough to land the job. I think he is perhaps fortunate there isn't a wealth of other options that they feel comfortable with.

33:48John Brewin:perhaps there's a suggestion that someone like Andoni Iraiola might not have the personality, which I think is a little bit unfair, but the idea that he is not the empire builder that they wanted. And I'm not going to say, it almost feels like Michael Carrick is almost like an extended caretaker. It's like Carrick's there and we'll see how it goes, but maybe there might be a better guy out there. Maybe a Luis Enrique appears on the market or something like that. But the whole point was that they didn't want to repeat the Solskjaer situation of a few years ago. But they haven't. They've been patient.

34:23John Brewin:Remember how trigger happy they were with giving Solskjaer the job after the PSG win. And they've thought about it. They've considered it. The various Big Sir Jim's acolytes have come to the decision. Presumably Jim made the decision or will be taking credit for the decision. If it goes wrong, then it won't have been Jim's decision. so that's how it's going to be but I think Michael Carrick's done a fine job a club like Manchester United it helps to understand the club in a certain sense doesn't it because if we consider his predecessor he didn't understand the club he didn't want to understand the club and that was where it all went wrong Yeah let's talk about the race for Europe because City have won both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup this season those European spots get sort of passed down the league so Champions League will go down to fifth unless Villa finish fifth and then sixth and seventh will be the Europa League and the Conference League will be eighth unless sixth is the Champions League but they don't get an extra spot is my understanding but somebody yell at me if if they do Villa beat Liverpool 4-2 in the race for fourth place Dan you were there before we get on to the big talking point which is on a slot what did you make of the game it's a great game probably the opposite of what I was expecting because we all remember when Villa had a big European tie last time round.

35:44They lay down and let Spurs come to Villa Park and play them off the park. And in all fairness, I was probably expecting something more like that than what I saw. But Villa were galvanised. UNA Henry went very strong. I think there was some questionable refereeing in there which galvanised the crowd, which in turn galvanised the players as well. They've got some players, Villa, in terrific form. Oli Watkins has scored 10 goals, I think, since he was left out of Thomas Tuchel's England squad. you'd think now he's not going to be left out of the World Cup squad. He's come back in scintillating form in the back end of the season.

36:19McGinn's goal was lovely, a lovely reward for another fantastic season. For him, he spoke about always wanting to get into double figures in his career. That's the first time he's done it. What a way to do it. It was a quite magnificent goal. Even the first goal was a really well-worked set piece that set Villa on their way. The two they conceded were pretty basic from Van Dijk. So Austin McPhee, very well done for the well-worked set-piece goal. Not so well done for the two that Villa conceded. But to get Champions League football again is absolutely magnificent. And to an extent, I think it takes off a layer of pressure to Wednesday's Europa League final.

36:55Because Villa need to win a trophy desperately. They haven't won one for so long. But also the way the finances are and the rules. They absolutely need to be in the Champions League to give themselves a chance of continuing this journey under Unai Emery. Ian, I think this is his biggest achievement yet, getting this squad into the Champions League a game early. I think it's an unbelievable achievement. And for him not to be in the list of top six contenders for manager of the year, I find frightening because Villa had an awful start. People didn't expect much from Villa this season and they've sewed up Champions League with a game to spare and have a European final on Wednesday.

37:31Clapham Gill says, Slot's keen to tell us that Liverpool can't compete against a low block. Now we see they can't compete against a team that attacks them. What can they do? And then Mo Salah posted somewhere, I think Instagram probably said, us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful, not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play. That's the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it.

37:59I bet Arna Slott was like, oh, fuck's sake, Mo. Do us a favour.

38:07Yeah, I mean, Mo is leaving Liverpool. He has one game left if selected. It would be incredibly petty not to select him on the back of that Instagram post, but I think entirely justifiable and not give him his farewell. You wonder, whatever you make of what he said, and I mean, Liverpool were remarkably easy for Villa to play against in that game. And Ollie Watkins even said himself after the game that they made it easy for him by giving him loads of space to run into. Yeah, why, Mo? Just say nothing. And I think Curtis Jones put out a similar tweet, a little shorter and less eloquent, but along the same lines.

38:57Thank you for your continued support in a disappointing season. It's way off the standards expected at this football club. So now I'd say Mo is on firmer ground when it comes to criticising Liverpool's style of play than Curtis Jones, who hasn't been particularly impressive for Liverpool the last few times I've seen him. But I think that dressing room is not a healthy one. There seem to be factions. Players don't seem to be getting on too well with each other. And they seem to have turned against Aaron Slott very publicly, and that's a problem for him.

39:33John Brewin:it's funny, isn't it? The Arne slot thing is everything is pointing to him being removed, whereas it isn't going to happen. And that's against the will of quite a sizable proportion of Liverpool fans. And it appears some of the players, like all this social media stuff, you know, I think at one point there was nine players that had liked them, including a couple that, I think Leone, who has played less than 90 minutes for the manager, like this, you know, he's been out with an injury. Harvey Elliott who's currently on loan at Villa but not playing Yeah who's somewhere lost on the M6 and has been all season and social media has been a problem for Liverpool I don't know if you saw this Dominic Sposni appeared in one of these sponsored Instagram things eating McDonald's and this has not gone down well with fans I saw a great tweet actually over the weekend so I was like who think all of us here would have said it's had a really good season for Liverpool have been alone in that is coming for criticism I think for fans and someone described it as Strava's lie because his Strava stats are very good so he runs around a lot but this appears the criticism that's all he does is run around a lot and Liverpool at this point appear to be turning in on each other don't they?

40:53John Brewin:The leadership at the club is supposed to be provided by Arne Slott who in my observation whenever I've been in Liverpool games spends a lot of time defending himself because he is aware of his own unpopularity. And Mo Salah's tweet referred to heavy metal football, which obviously is a nod back to Jurgen Klopp, a manager who, let us recall, he didn't have the easiest of relationships with at all times. They had a bit of a kiss off, didn't they? And the other question is, who's writing these messages for these footballers? Is Mo Salah writing that? Does heavy metal football, is that something in the Mo Salah vernacular?

41:36It feels very chat GPT to me. Do you think so? I mean, you know that Salah, he very rarely says anything. And when he says something, there's a reason for doing it. And maybe, who knows? But it's terrible news for Slott. And it would be hilarious if he didn't pick him at the weekend. But I don't think that would do him any favours. But it would be interesting to see if he subs him off after the 88th minute, if they have a warm embrace. you know

41:59John Brewin:well it's a Danny role in James Tavernier isn't it where James Tavernier for Rangers we're supposed to have this big send off and he didn't pick him and he's just there in a suit it would be cruel I think one of the issues at this point is maybe Mohamed Salah maybe ought to look to his own performances this season and think I've had a part to play in this because when I've seen him play he hasn't been the same player that we have so enjoyed over the years. Sorry, just as far as I know, John, I think Tavernier spat the dummy because he wasn't picked to start the game. Right. And possibly refused to play any part.

42:40He wouldn't sit on the bench. So I think that's... I'm being slightly nitpicky here, but I don't think it was a case that Roel refused to pick him. If one of them's in a suit and one's not, then I'll have a better chance of knowing which Tavernier is which Tavernier. That is useful for me. Sondland won 3-1 at Everton. Good win for them, Barry. They could still make Europe, couldn't they? Yeah. This was a really good win. It was a really good win. They went behind. They blew Everton away in the second half. They need to beat Chelsea next week and hope for the best. And we've established that they will beat Chelsea because Chelsea don't want to win.

43:22And I suppose this game was all about Seamus Coleman. who was his last home game for Everton. What a signing he has been for them. What was it? 60 grand. 60 grand from Sligo Rovers. Sligo Rovers have probably spent the last 17 years hoping for a sell-on fee that's now not going to materialise. But he's been a brilliant signing, great ambassador for the club, great player, doesn't cause an ounce of trouble, and we will gloss over his mistake for Sunderland's last goal. It's so sad, isn't it? Now is not the time. No. I also like Enderle Le Fay. When asked, why did you do a Spider-Man celebration?

44:05He said, I like Spider-Man, which I thought was good. I mean, he did say that since I've been little and it's a sign for my little brother, but I just liked his opening line because I just like Spider-Man and a really good centre-forward play from Brian. Broby, broby, broby. So well done. Brentford drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace. They're now eighth, so that might be enough for Conference League, which is probably perfect for them, although they haven't won in the league since February. Leeds beat Brighton 1-0, Calvert-Lewin in the 96th minute. So it's him or Watkins probably for getting on that plane.

44:36And Wolves won, Fulham won. I don't know if anyone has any strong thoughts on any of those three games.

44:42John Brewin:John? I was at Brentford and it did feel like it was slipping away from them, though they are in eighth and they're now relying on permutations and winning at Anfield. I suppose what they could do with is Liverpool all hating on each other through the week so that it makes it easier at Anfield. But a little unfortunate, the Calvert-Lewin goal, wasn't it? The back pass for him. Is it Van Hecker? Yeah. Just, oh, you know, just one of those. He's like, oh, no. And Verbruggen as well has a real, he really likes to come out of his goal. Like he's got a real accidentally pressed sprint on his controller.

45:21and just run all over the place, I think. All right, that'll do for part two. Part three, Ewan Murray. Asad, Ewan Murray will join us.

45:38Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly. Mark says, as a busy parent, I get to watch about one full, uninterrupted football match per year, and Celtic v. Hearts was it. Surely the injustice of that penalty from last round would be undone, but alas, it was not. I feel deeply sad for Hearts, their fans, football neutrals around the world and the Scottish Premiership. Now the day after in the cold light of day, I realise the saddest thing of all is that we'll be hearing a very sad Ewan Murray. It's not fair. I should have finished watching one battle after another. Ewan Murray joins us.

46:08Commiserations, Ewan. Yeah, I should say from balance, there's quite a lot of people will be delighted to hear a very sad Ewan Murray. Well, absolutely. I think that message is reflective of a lot of people. I think Hearts have gained a lot of supporters over the last few months and certainly over the last few weeks. So I think that message you got is probably reflective of a broader sentiment. Yeah, sorry, Max. Yeah, no, no, that's okay. I think a lot of people were supporting them because they were the underdogs and we haven't seen Hearts win the title for donkeys and donkeys years. And they were so close.

46:43I mean, Celtic were knocking at the door, you know, Hearts take the lead. There's one of those handball penalties, which I understand why it's a handball, but I wouldn't like it given. And then you held on until three minutes to go. You must have started thinking, okay, or because of the pressure Celtic were putting on, were you just terrified? Oh, I was terrified generally, yes. I have been for quite a while. I mean, in terms of the game itself, in the first half, Harv's played very well, went ahead. I think they had to get to halftime with that lead, but the penalty, as you perfectly explained, Max, changed that dynamic.

47:15I think it was a penalty, but I think that's an element of the law that's unfair, unbalanced. I think the penalty is not proportionate to the crime, inverted commas for that. And then the second half, yeah, Celtic were pushing, but I didn't feel it was inevitable they would score. But when they did, and then some sort of stuff that we all came on to, it all became a bit mad. But yeah, I don't grudge Celtic at all their victory in the game, in the championship. They've run a form, I mean, since March, So seven wins in a row is that of champions and they deserve to win it on that basis. But I was and remain pretty dispirited and angry about the way the game ended.

47:58Yeah, I mean, and actually I was listening to the radio and I think Pat Nevin was doing co-coms and he was saying like the whole world, like so rare that Scottish football has the high, you know, the world is looking at it. But there were reports from all over the world at this game because it was an interesting title race. and quite often people are po-faced and say these are scenes you don't like to see and actually you do but these are scenes you really don't like to see you know the game hasn't finished and Hearts players are getting they are getting manhandled and it's just not on if Celtic and Rangers had been involved in this title race the whole world wouldn't have watched it in the manner they did with this it was because it was the underdog story of Hearts and again I can do accept and the club accept that you finish second best in that and that's fine that's the way it happens that's a sporting outcome.

48:44What was wrong was that these fans invaded the pitch in such a number to stop and curtail the game. I mean, it's a known fashion point, but I believe quite strongly in it. Football players should shake hands at the end of a game. That's what happens. And they were denied that. The Harvest players were huckled off the pitch by club staff. They didn't get a chance to find their own supporters. I mean, Celtic are not prone to apologising to other football clubs, but the fact that they did yesterday I think shows you that there's an acknowledgement there that the way the game finished and the way the season finished is wrong anyway but I think in respect of everything that had happened before and everything that has contributed to the to the league to the championship it was it was very very wrong and it was it was sad that you know there should be significant action taken against Celtic I believe from the fact that that happened in the final day of the season Sure you've written a piece saying you're sceptical that anything will happen because the league are slightly they're reluctant to punish anyone or Celtic and Rangers specifically because of the power that they have?

49:50Yeah, a bit of both, yeah. I mean, essentially, Scottish football is not alone, but Scottish football is run and controlled by the clubs. So, you know, you're marking your own homework. So I remain sceptical that anything serious will happen, but it should. And I think there's people at Celtic, actually. Celtic are run by good people and Celtic have so many good fans who, as you may pointed out, booed those who were on the pitch on Saturday but I think there would be an element of Celtic and their supporters who would accept that there has to be a punishment for that and there has to be some kind of recompense to make people realise you can't behave like that you can't, you know whether the game is abandoned or not this has become a bit of a conversation topic I don't care, the game finished Celtic won the game, that's okay but the fact remains that the referee was forced to stop it and Hart's players were forced to come off a pitch because of the actions of a lot of supporters and that's that's not right and there should be some some kind of sanction for that yeah what do you think should be the sanction well they should have a stand closed for three games or something like that that in my experience the way that you make football supporters think about their actions is you deny them the right to to go to the game so if you shut a stand and say a lot of you can't go for i've plucked three games out of the air but you know a number of games that will have an effect I believe but you know thankfully I'm not in charge of these things but as I say I would be astonished if anything close to that happens and actually you make a good point about the you know the majority of the Celtic fans who didn't really get a chance to really celebrate that that goal like the Callum Osmond goal if you're a football fan it's so rare that you know you're going to score for so long you know like it's literally like it's a It's a different way, but the goal from the halfway line for Scotland, you've just got so long.

51:42My thought at the time was there was absolutely nothing that could go wrong for Osmond that could stop him scoring. Nothing, not a thing. I don't know who it was. There was even a Celtic player alongside him. So if he toppled over, there was someone else who was going to score. There was just nothing that could happen. So you're right. Yeah, and it's just that that is so rare for you as a fan. And you're just like, and this is it. We've won it and we've won it. And like for them and for Martin O 'Neill, which is an extraordinary story, right? And we were critical of him, and I think rightly so, for just saying that's a handball last week because that was just basically bullshit.

52:13But like, it's a sort of amazing season that he's had to turn up and then go away again, then come back and go, okay. And to win the title is, yeah, incredible. Yeah, I mean, there's two elements of this fairy tale. One was the heartsman, obviously, but the other one's Martin O 'Neill. And it is astonishing for him. And I'm pleased for Martin. I like him a lot. I think he's very, very good. obviously what he does and for him to come back and drag that Celtic team over the line is hugely impressive and listen dude you know it's a nod towards old school straightforward simple management this 74 year old guy who's been out of the scene for a while he hasn't been to Celtic for 20 years comes back simple messaging straightforward stuff the players buy into it and respect them and it works and that's worthy of huge praise I thought not for the first time And I thought on Saturday, he looked exhausted after the game.

53:04I think this has taken a lot out of him. And I understand that. But he's done a terrific job. I think you could overstate the significance of Celtic winning the league because I think they have still a lot of players at a Scottish level who borderline should do that. And I don't think we should get carried away with that. But they were in a pretty grim place, even in March. And Martin turned that round. And as I say, for someone at his stage in life and someone of his skill set to do that, I think is worthy of huge praise. Yeah, the second oldest manager of 74, second oldest manager to win the top flights behind 77-year-old Bill Struth in 52, 53.

53:46So I should know who Bill Struth was managing, unless you know, Ewan. He managed Rangers forever, yeah. He probably managed Rangers from the age of 16. To 77. so look I guess now we've talked about it already so we don't need to go through we think this you know hearts will stick around and it'll be interesting to see what Rangers and Celtic do next season but I suppose your attention now turns I don't know how much time you have off before you know off to the World Cup to watch the Tartan Army Ewan? Absolutely yeah and respect the parts they need to adjust and it will be a big adjustment because the expectations have risen massively they're going to be back in European football next season there's going to be quite a lot to handle which won't be straightforward and it may well be a case of two steps forward and one back.

54:31What Selthie do with their manager and their squad is going to be very interesting. If the Rangers manager, having spent more money, can improve his squad, who knows? So, you know, there's an intriguing set of months ahead. And Scotland and their squad tomorrow, I have a slight sinking feeling with this World Cup for Scotland. I don't think their squad is strong enough. Sorry, maybe it's just the mood I'm in, but I've felt this way for a while. I'm not at all convinced that Scotland are going to be a significant factor in this World Cup, We shall see. I need to touch on it, Max, but Scotland supporters in Boston and Miami will be wonderful for the colour, if not anything else.

55:06But I am slightly despondent in advance about how that team might perform. Scotland have to beat Haiti in their first game by more goals than they are going to lose against Brazil by in their last group game, basically. I think my concern about Steve Clarke, who has done a great job to get them qualified, and we all remember that game against Denmark. It's one of the highlights of the season for me, that crazy game with the crazy goals. But Steve, his loyalty to players, the news broke yesterday, Tommy Conway will miss the World Cup because he's got an ankle injury, I think. So that's sad for him.

55:48But he won't pick Ross Stewart, will he? He won't pick, who's your man at Hull? Ollie McBurney. Ollie McBurney. they're unlikely to get picked and they probably should get picked I agree, I think he might pick Ross Stewart now actually, I think Conway's injury might mean Stewart gets picked but you have articulated Barry what my concern is I think there's nothing wrong with having continuity and fostering a team spirit in the national team and picking the same players to a point but I think he is overly loyal to some I mean I made a point of watching McBurney and watching Stewart and to me both players are better than Linden Dykes, but Linden Dykes will go to the World Cup.

56:29So things like that, I'm a bit uneasy with, and I fear, because I also agree with you, Steve Clarke has done a terrific job, but I fear if this goes wrong, the loyalty to certain players is going to be the stick that people use to hit them over the head. And then I think it becomes a bit of a kind of inauspicious, unfair way for things to end. But I think that's a live reality. well it is the constants in life that keep us going Ewan so we leave a despondent Ewan Murray and we'll pick up with a despondent Ewan Murray after a goalless draw with Haiti on the 14th of June thank you pal thanks for tuning me up take care you're all good our Scottish football correspondent Ewan Murray there just to say congratulations to Southend who beat Wealdstone 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw in the FA Trophy 43 ,000 there and the FA Vars happened early in the afternoon.

57:25Also 0-0. AFC Stoneham fallen asleep on the Piccadilly line Cockfosters 4-2 on penalties as well. So well done to Southend and Stoneham and that'll do for today. Thanks everybody. Thank you Dan. Thank you Max. Cheers John. Thanks for having me. Thank you Barry. Thank you Max. Football Weekly is produced by Silas Gray. Our executive producer is Ian Chambers. We'll be back on Wednesday.

58:01This is The Guardian.