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In short
PSG beat Arsenal on penalties to win back-to-back Champions League titles; panel debates whether Arsenal’s tactics (1-0 up, low possession) were justified or too cautious. It also covers Liverpool sacking Arne Slot a year after winning the Premier League, and what this means for the club’s rebuild.
Guests (and backgrounds)
Andy Hunter, Guardian Merseyside football correspondent; previously covers Liverpool and the Premier League. He discusses Slot’s decline, the Chelsea-Anfield turning point, and Liverpool’s likely successor plans.
Key claims
- Arsenal’s defensive approach is framed as a disciplined, controlled “defensive masterpiece,” not “parking the bus,” with PSG’s midfield blocking progression.
- Penalty shootout pressure is highlighted: players on the brink of winning convert far more often than those under elimination pressure.
- Liverpool’s sacking is portrayed as partly inevitable after crowd and squad unrest, despite mitigating circumstances (injuries, £450m spend, Jota’s death).
- Liverpool likely moved quickly because a successor (Andoni Iraola is discussed as the target) was close to being secured.
Notable examples
- Arsenal’s Gabriel and Eze missed penalties; PSG’s Marquinhos scored.
- Turning point for Slot: Chelsea home game (Anfield crowd turned on him), then Aston Villa defeat; Salah’s “heavy metal football” post and squad alignment.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOPSG vs Arsenal: The Final Showdown
2:28 to 3:30
Discussion about the Champions League final and Arsenal's performance.
“There are mitigating circumstances, of course, but it seemed like he'd lost the players.”
Tayo's Experience in the Fan Park
3:30 to 5:00
Tayo shares his experience celebrating with fans after the match.
“But I wanted to carry on the celebrations of where we've been.”
The Pressure of Penalties
5:00 to 7:40
Analyzing the pressure on players during penalty shootouts.
“It doesn't mean it's automatic, but it does put a lot of pressure on Gabriel, who's had an extraordinary season, who I thought had a brilliant game, by the way, as well.”
Arteta's Game Plan: A Defense Debate
7:40 to 9:50
Discussion on Arsenal's defensive strategy and its effectiveness.
“I think people are still buzzing, really buzzing.”
Quality and Capability in Finals
9:50 to 12:00
Analyzing the quality of players and tactical decisions in the final.
“And by the way, this was no parking the bus.”
Critique of Arsenal's Approach
12:00 to 14:01
Criticism of Arsenal's defensive tactics and their implications.
“by the way, so not just to single them out but you felt like the quality just wasn't quite the level it needed to be for that fixture Paz?”
Analyzing Arsenal's Performance Against PSG
14:01 to 17:08
A deep dive into Arsenal's tactics and performance in the final against PSG.
“So I think kind of allowed to criticise their approach.”
Comparing Styles: PSG vs. Arsenal
17:09 to 20:48
Discussion on the contrasting gameplay and strategies of PSG and Arsenal.
“showed by Mikel Arteta's team during the season.”
The Need for Star Quality in Arsenal's Squad
20:49 to 23:24
The necessity for star players to enhance Arsenal's competitiveness.
“And I think that's the problem, unfortunately, is because people know we are Arsenal supporting, it's going to be very hard for us to say anything that convinces them otherwise.”
Public Perception and Bias Against Arsenal
23:25 to 27:35
Exploring the public sentiment and media bias towards Arsenal's recent defeat.
“But we endured and that's what the league lets you do.”
Show all 17 chapters
Cultural Dynamics of the Arsenal Fanbase
27:36 to 28:00
An examination of the diverse community of Arsenal fans and societal reactions.
“have shown a dislike of Arsenal or actually much more than a dislike of Arsenal especially on X and even on Blue Sky where I was on the receiving end of some absolutely astonishing comments on the night of the final.”
Arsenal's Diverse Fanbase and Its Impact
28:00 to 30:34
Discusses the social and political dimensions of Arsenal's fan community and the animosity faced this season.
“which was magnificent, almost a million people.”
Arna Slott's Departure from Liverpool
33:16 to 42:00
Examines the circumstances and implications of Arna Slott's sacking as Liverpool's manager.
“Do you think there was a moment, or do you think it's just been a general, gradual decline in performances, and as the season's gone on, he hasn't managed to turn it around?”
Liverpool's Managerial Changes and Player Dynamics
42:00 to 47:20
Discussion on Arne Slot's departure and the implications for Liverpool's squad.
“I think whoever comes in and I do think it would be a Rayola is maybe one of the reasons they want him in quick is because there's an awful lot of work to be done this summer.”
Pochettino's Future and Managerial Rumors
48:40 to 55:20
Exploration of Maurizio Pochettino's potential moves and discussions on other managerial news.
“But having said that, for Milan are a mess.”
Living Arrangements and Personal Insights
55:20 to 56:00
Hosts discuss their upcoming living situation and the dynamics of cohabitation.
Pre-World Cup Preparations
56:00 to 57:45
The hosts discuss their upcoming trip and World Cup plans.
“I mean, you're allowed a couple, but not relentless.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00This is The Guardian.
0:30Nicky Bandini:to stay. So it's good to know that when you're a Hotels.com member, you can save up to 20 % on hundreds of thousands of hotels. Plus, you earn rewards on every stay. So each trip you take helps pay for your future trips. Just use those rewards like cash. And importantly, there are never any blackout dates. What's a blackout date? Well, it's a date where you can't use travel rewards. Frustratingly, usually on or around major holidays or other peak travel periods. But there are no blackout dates with Hotels.com rewards. Superb. Yes. So next time you're booking somewhere to stay, just book it at hotels.com.
1:01Nicky Bandini:Hotels.com, it's all in the name.
1:09Nicky Bandini:Hi, Podfans. Max here. Football Weekly is supported by Contentful. Marketers, no matter what pitch you play on, a big wind feels the same. Electric. It's that moment when you read the play before the trend even starts, beat the clock on a campaign with a little help from AI, and connect with customers in real time, like you've trained for it your whole career. That's Contentful. World-class digital experiences built fast, built beautifully. Create and launch personalized content in an instant across every channel your customers are watching. No chaos, no limits, just open field. Take your shot at contentful.com.
1:52Nicky Bandini:Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. PSG win back-to-back Champions League after beating Arsenal on penalties. Gabriel stuttered, lent back and baggioed his penalty over the bar, meaning the Gunners are still without a European Cup. We asked if this would be attack versus defence and that's how it turned out to be. Was this Arteta playing anti-football bus parking of the highest order or simply the absolute best way to play against the best midfield and attack in world football when you're a goal up and you're really good at defending? There is no in-between. And it all ends with the fairy tale of a nation-state back side taking home the trophy.
2:21Nicky Bandini:And then to Arna Slott, sacked by Liverpool a year after winning the Premier League Andy Hunter joins us to discuss if this is simply the ruthlessness of football. There are mitigating circumstances, of course, but it seemed like he'd lost the players. And with Andoni Iriola sitting there, perhaps it's the right call. We'll round up the other major manager and transfer news, answer your questions. And that's today's Guardian Football Weekly.
2:45Nicky Bandini:On the panel today, an Arsenal-heavy panel. Filippo Clerc, bonjour, ça va? Bonjour, ça va très bien, je t 'en remercie. Niki Bandini, how are you? Bonjour, ça va? Bonjour, ça va? Out in Budapest, Tayo Papula. Hey, Tayo. Good morning, Max. Good morning, everyone. And representing everyone else, Barry Glendennig. Hi, Barry. Good morning, Max. I'm sure you can do it. Joe said, can we also get producer Tayo on? It's only fair. You made us listen to an Arsenal love-in last week when they won it. Now, all we want to hear is collective tears and justifications for how it's still been a good season. You owe us loyal listeners who never miss a pod.
3:24Nicky Bandini:well look you're out there so look PSG won Arsenal won PSG winning 4-3 on penalties after Gabriel and Eza missed their penalties how was it Tayo out there? Well it's been brilliant Max it's been a celebration with people I've been going to the football with for 25 years it's been a celebration of new friends it's been a celebration of the fact that we won the league a couple of weeks ago and had the chance to get together in a fan park and do all of that I think one of the reasons why I wanted to be out here is obviously to try and support the team to a Champions League win. But I wanted to carry on the celebrations of where we've been.
3:59And it really has been like that. You know, Arsenal have obviously outnumbered kind of PSG. Unfortunately, not in the bit that matters, but like on the streets and with the singing and with the cheering and so forth. So it has been brilliant. And up to, you know, six minutes in, it was felt like one of the greatest days kind of of my life. So I'd like to say to Joe and anyone else like him, like to quote our old chairman Peter Hillwood as he said to our supporters once thank you for your
4:28Nicky Bandini:interest in our affairs I just don't Gabrielle you know scarring that final penalty and penalties are we will talk about this no doubt in the World Cup Nikki and I presume when I don't know Morgan Rogers skies one or whoever it's so tough for him Marquinhos like embracing him was a beautiful thing but but there was an interesting stat from uh the guest the attendance handle without crossing the stream saying taking men's world cup shootouts as the sample 73.3 percent of no consequence penalties are scored players whose team are on the brink of winning the shootout convert 90 percent and players under elimination pressure collapse to 34.6 percent like it's a very difficult thing to do it is more difficult than the other penalties yeah i mean there's well you still hear people on commentary making the lottery references but i think we're past the point of really calling these things a lottery, aren't they?
5:18And among the things that we've known now for a lot of years is indeed just the simple fact of winning the coin toss and getting to go first is an advantage in that situation because you don't put yourself in that position of having the guy who needs to hit the penalty with everything on the line. It doesn't mean it's automatic, but it does put a lot of pressure on Gabriel, who's had an extraordinary season, who I thought had a brilliant game, by the way, as well. Made a couple of really huge challenges on Dewey and Kratz-Galia. I don't think you're going to find anyone in, well, that's not true.
5:50It's a big old world out there. You'll find someone who's an Arsenal fan who will vilify Gabriel, I'm sure, but you won't find many people who are Arsenal fans who will vilify Gabriel for missing that penalty, which I think is interesting because you, of course, had to. You couldn't help yourself. Invoke some Italian trauma at the start of the show with Badger missing that penalty in 94. Yes, sorry about that. He really was. He really was vilified hugely. the press and really unfairly because he carried an injury through that tournament and dragged Italy through to that final. But he still absolutely was made into a huge villain for it.
6:22I can't see that happening with Gabriele, both because of what Tayo's already said. And no matter how much the people who don't like Arsenal want it to be a miserable, sad moment, I think most Arsenal fans just aren't right now. But I also just think that there's too much recognition of what Gabriele has done all season for him to become the villain of the piece in that scenario. Yeah.
6:41Nicky Bandini:Here's the question then from Matrya, who says, Are Niki or Philippe or Tayo frustrated by Arteta's game plan? Arsenal have a huge depth of really talented players, and to only manage 25 % possession and one shot on goal in 120 minutes is quite disappointing. And that, Philippe, is the debate, is Arsenal's approach to this game. And I thought, having gone 1-0 up, they did the right thing, but other opinions are clearly available. What do you think?
7:06Philippe Auclair:I think they did exactly what was the right thing to do, And I think what they gave was one of the most extraordinary demonstrations of, this was a defensive masterpiece. And I know that there are people out there who think that every game should be like the PSG Bayern Munich, the first leg. I don't agree with them at all. And I'm not saying that because I'm a Stone Charles Nol fan. And there are actually, you can hear it in my voice, there's absolutely no sour grapes, no regrets whatsoever. And I think, strangely enough, I can't think of any Arsenal supporter at the moment who feel that they've been let down by their team or anything like that.
7:47Philippe Auclair:I think people are still buzzing, really buzzing. And I think some of the commentary on Arsenal performance has been honestly, I mean, so biased and so blind. Because what exactly were they supposed to do? Yes, there's a wealth of talent in that team. but in attacking terms nobody compares to Paris Saint-Germain. That's the first thing. So what are you supposed to do? To go head-to-head and try to play fancy football and try to attack, attack, attack and then lose? I would put it that way that Arsenal play to about 96 % of their potential and force PSG to play to about 70 % of their potential because all of the discourse we're hearing now is a discourse which is based on the result of a penalty shootout.
8:37Philippe Auclair:If you invert the result for the last two shots on goal, we have a completely different discussion, which should already make us think, all right, let's be careful about what we say here, because it's also about the context and about we saw what happened at the end and then we make assumptions as to what should have happened before that. The other thing I would say is the reason why Arsenal had the lowest possession, I think, in any European final is because PSG are bloody good. In that every time Arsenal had the ball and were trying to build from the back, my goodness, that Parisian midfield was on them.
9:16Philippe Auclair:I mean, like a rash and so well organized. And I thought it was personally, I mean, in terms of level, tactical level, one of the best finals I've ever seen. It was incredible. It's like two proper heavyweights going for it. Could they have done it differently? Yes, but only up to a point. Because every time they did try to go up the field, either the players were not quite good enough, and that is something to talk about. That definitely is. But they did try. But they were in a situation where they couldn't do anything other than defend as they did. And by the way, this was no parking the bus.
9:54Philippe Auclair:No way. it was as disciplined and mastered and controlled a display of defensive skills as I've ever seen. And I would put that on the level of what Inter did against Barcelona all those years ago in the Champions League and 10 v 11, you remember. I think it was actually better.
10:15Nicky Bandini:I was actually on the radio yesterday speculating as whether actually, you know, parking a bus shouldn't be the insult. It is because parking a bus is probably quite a difficult thing to do. So actually, it's a skill to do that. Nikki, you wanted to come in, then I'll go to Baz. I feel like the people want to hear Baz. The people are ready now. Everyone listening is desperately waiting for a non-Arsenal positive verdict on this. I was just going to say that I do think there's two conversations, one of which is intent and one of which is reality of what you're capable of. And I think the first half, actually, even though, yes, Arsenal scored and then gave up a lot of the ball, actually the first half I thought was great from Arsenal.
10:55PSG did nothing in that first, despite having the ball. And actually the next best chance after the goal was another Arsenal chance for Havertz later in the half. So I thought the first half was one story. And I think you can talk about the game in phases after that. But I think that unfortunately there was a reality in the second half, which is not wanting to kick him in particular either. But once Giocares came on, he didn't do a good job of holding the ball up. The shape changed and Havertz had to move. And actually, to me, that was not a question of intent. That was a question of quality. That was a question of simply the player not performing to the level of this extraordinary level of PSG.
11:33I do think that's going to get lost in this because we're obviously English language podcast and because there's an Arsenal focus. But PSG are the best team in Europe. They did smash to pieces a very good Bayern Munich team in the semi-final. And the quality there is so high that to match it, you have to be at an extraordinary level. And on the day, without even making global verdict, I do think Giocarescu is one of those players who once he came on, and I'd say it with some of the other Arsenal subs as well, by the way, so not just to single them out but you felt like the quality just wasn't quite the level it needed to be for that fixture Paz?
12:09Well just about the Gabriel penalty I wonder if he'd been allowed to take it with his head and someone had been blocking Sofanov would he have scored? Almost certainly
12:24I'm not saying Arsenal's approach was wrong I thought their defensive display was brilliant and there were some brilliant performances in the Arsenal team. I was particularly impressed with Myles Lewis-Skelly, who for a kid just was outstanding. But I find it, and I also must add the caveat, Mikel Arteta is under no obligation to entertain me or anyone else. But I just find it a bit sad that the champions of the Premier League, which purports and sells itself, was the best league in the world. go into a Champions League final, go a goal up, and then play like a League Two side, trying to close out a third round shock in the FA Cup at the Etihad.
13:14There's something really sad about that. I'm old enough to remember the 19, I think it was 1986 final between Stau Bucharest and Barcelona. Stou, Bucharest came to spoil, to destroy, to waste time. And boy, do Arsenal have time wasted and down to an absolute art form. It is incredible. And it worked. And they ended up beating, it was a nil-nil draw, and they ended up beating Barcelona 2-0 in a penalty shootout. It was a terrible, terrible, terrible game. and it was largely down to Stou Boucher's spoiling tactics. But they got their name on the trophy. It worked for them. It didn't work for Arsenal.
14:02So I think kind of allowed to criticise their approach. And I don't buy Philippe's claim that he's not letting his Arsenal bias affect his opinion on their approach because if I think it was another team, he would be very critical of that approach.
14:23Philippe Auclair:I'm not so sure, possibly. I don't know. I'm trying to think of similar examples. And to be honest, it's such a unique final in terms of, first of all, the quality. I mean, to be honest, if League Two teams were playing like that, I'd watch a lot more. I watched a lot of League Two last year, I'd say, I'm not sure.
14:44Nicky Bandini:I guess the point is, isn't it? It's different because Arsenal score early. that changes how they approach it. Can I just add one little thing? Sorry. Arsenal have some terrific players. Let them play. Back them. Because I think the question, Tayo, is if you play 10 % more, does that open you up 10 % more? And that's the risk, right? I mean, that's the question. You don't have to go gung-ho. It's not like PSG v Bayern or PSG v Arsenal. There is somewhere in between where they could have maybe taken a few more risks. But I'm playing devil's advocate. I don't think they should have done personally.
15:18No, agreed. And as many people have said, there are teams that have gone toe-to-toe with PSG this year and they were watching the Champions League final from home. And the team that we picked were the best team to defend. And Arsenal fans looked at the team sheet and some of us would have hoped for perhaps a few different players on there who might have been able to take the game to PSG a little bit more. But the team that were out there were the best ones to defend. As soon as you saw Hincapié in there, Maybe there was an issue with Calafiore in 90 minutes. I don't know. But when you see someone like Incappier in there, then you knew that we had this best team to defend.
15:52And Arsenal do have players, but PSG are really, really good. And you have to get the ball off them. And I thought, for example, it would have lovely to have been seen more for Saka. But Saka wasn't in a system that was stopping him playing. It was PSG who stopped us getting the ball to him, as well as the issue at right back where he progresses up the pitch very well with Ezzer. and he put against us on the pitch with Timber and Ben White. But if you're defending for that time, then by the time he gets the ball back in his own half, it's very hard to do anything. And Hakimi did very well against him.
16:24So, you know, it's about game state, really. We would have liked to have done more, but we did also score after five minutes. And if you're not supposed to try and defend before, you're going to try and do that a lot more after you've scored against the best team in Europe. So, you know, if that's stinking the place out, then, you know, get me a bottle of it. I thought the team could have done more. There's one moment in particular where, say, Martinelli had a chance to put Maduweke through. And as Philippe said, that's a case of quality that stopped us doing that. And I wish in that instance that things had been better.
16:56But it's a very hard game to play. And I don't think we should have played it too much different from how we did.
17:03Philippe Auclair:It's happened this season before. I think actually I was on the pod after that game. that I was intensely frustrated by the lack of ambition showed by Mikel Arteta's team during the season. One case in mind in particular, which really drove me absolutely nuts at the time, was the defeat at Anfield against Liverpool, where Arsenal were actually so negative. And we had some very harsh words about that. And one of the reasons for that was, for example, I think Zubimendi was playing in midfield that day. And one of the reasons was that when there were passes available, threading going past one screen of players, no they wouldn't go they wouldn't do that it would always be lateral and backwards this time if you look at if you watch the game against PSG when Lewis Kelly who was absolutely magnificent and and Declan Rice had the ball in in in the kind of pivot position you could try and look at the availability of passes and players to them to progress the ball through the lines there were none it's just like PSG are absolutely amazing at blocking all the possible paths for the ball to be progressing from one line to the next so the ball went back because there was no opportunity to do anything else so which for me shows the difference there is about the way you approach a game against Liverpool what we saw and defeat at the end was a negative approach at the game and which was punished and rightly so and infuriated me.
18:33Philippe Auclair:What you saw against PSG was something which was imposed by the context but also by an opponent that we tend to forget is, you know, as Steyo has said actually, and Ikea has said, the best team in the world at the moment and could be the best team in the world for quite a while if it carries on like that. But seven teams this season have beaten PSG. Two teams have beaten them twice. Now, I do appreciate that PSG often don't play their superstars in a lot of league games, but they have still lost against Marseille, Bayern Munich, Monaco twice, Paris FC twice, Sporting, Rennes, Lyon. They're not unbeatable.
19:16Nobody's unbeatable. That's not the point. The point is that PSG, actually, I think part of what they've mastered indeed is that actually it's really hard to maintain top level through an entire season, especially when you're coming off a Club World Cup, as they did. And so you manage your energies for certain games. I think that PSG have been extraordinary when they've needed to be in this Champions League. I thought Bayern Munich were going to win this Champions League and I was proved emphatically wrong in that semifinal. They were, I thought, much better than the scoreline showed. Well, you weren't really.
19:47I mean, they only lost by a dodgy penalty in the end. And I think that was actually the point I wanted to make is actually that, by the way, even PSG are not above this sort of thinking when they played away to Bayern. They played an extremely different game to the game they played at home to Bayern. And they scored a goal early and then they played smart football. Now, their counterattacking was much more effective and dangerous looking in that game than Arsenal's was in this final. And that's a thing which maybe you can criticise for. I think you can, maybe you can criticise Arsenal for not having more threat on the counter in the latter parts of the game.
20:21But I think that, again, to me, comes back less to a question of tactics. Yes, to a question of substitutions. I don't know if Arteta got the substitutions right. But I do think it comes to a question of technical quality, but also comfort working together in a system. PSG are at a different stage of their project than Arsenal are of their current project. That's also a reality, right? These players have understood the system for longer and what Luis Enrique wants for longer than this current version of Arsenal do. I'm not trying to make excuses. I think it's going to sound like that. And I think that's the problem, unfortunately, is because people know we are Arsenal supporting, it's going to be very hard for us to say anything that convinces them otherwise.
21:01I do think, even having just heard people saying it, we still probably haven't said enough about how good PSG are, about the fact that this team has done something that only Real Madrid have done since the Champions League became the Champions League, winning it back to back, about the fact that Luis Enrique is, in my opinion, the manager of this era of football and has built a team that is extraordinary. I think those things are all worthy focuses of this story as well. And I think that it's also not trying to say that not want to criticise Arsenal because people will. And I think the thing that maybe is going to annoy some people is that most Arsenal fans aren't going to be upset because Arsenal fans are pretty happy without the season have gone.
21:43Nicky Bandini:Yeah. I mean, I suppose if I can be, I'm a Tottenham fan, right? I didn't want Arsenal to win this, but I think it was exactly the right thing to do. And also, it is really hard to defend against a really good team. It takes such discipline and it is more tiring to chase than it is to have the ball. It is exhausting to do that. And I sort of, yes, I'm not making excuses. I was pleased they didn't win it. I'm not sure I wanted PSG to win it either, to be honest. But I totally understand the approach. Daniel Sture made a point, Taya, that none of Zubimendi, Eze, Maduweke, or Jokoriz started the biggest game of the season.
22:22Nicky Bandini:They cost 230 million. So we have talked a lot about Arsenal having two players for each position. But he said, you know, they added depth rather than star quality, right? Like the squad is great. It is really, really good. But I think that's quite interesting that none of those players started. Yeah, I thought that was really interesting too. And I think the squad that we built had enough depth and endurance for a long league campaign. But you need to win cups, which I think is a little bit what Barry's been saying about us. Maybe we could have done more on the pitch. And you need star quality to win cups.
Read the full transcript
22:54You need people with individual actions, which I think is that phrase that Mike Arteta has used. You need star quality on the wings. You need somebody with a moment of magic in midfield. And Arsenal didn't have that. But that squad was there, I think, to make sure that it could cope with the injuries which have derailed us before and almost derailed us again this time because it is an absolute slog to win the Premier League. So we do need reinforcements this summer and Arsenal fans know that. I mean, you know, we haven't played that well since November. Like, let's be real here. But we endured and that's what the league lets you do.
23:32but you know we fell short when moments of star quality were needed so yeah 100 % agree with that that Daniel Story said but I think we will see that and to Nicky's point that's the next stage of the project to we've got the business at the back so let's uh you know let's have the party
23:48Nicky Bandini:at the front as it were so um the opposite of a mullet isn't it do you think he will start having party at the front or is it going to be more of the same next season well it's a great question And if we're here a year later, Barry, and having the same conversation, then what some people suspect is a style issue with this manager, that will be a valid question. But I do think if the equality is out there, I do think we'll try and make that difference because we've got this brilliant defence. And every Arsenal fan and the manager knows that we need to do something about the attacking kind of issues that we've had.
24:23And I think that will happen. I think there'll be replacements, certainly wide left, certainly more attacking positions. so yeah I'm hopeful It's not just about the manager when it comes to recruitment because I do think, I'm obsessed with Kvairz Scalier, I think he's the best player maybe the best player in the world right now, he's certainly the best player in the Champions League this season, he was a sensational player and I think it's again one of those little things that you can observe is he didn't have as big an impact in this game as he has in a lot of games, even though he was still very impactful but I think that comes down to recruitment as well I think that's what Ty has just brought up is completely also one of the things you can make a sort of valid criticism of Arsenal on.
25:02They've spent a lot of money and they've bought some good players and they've achieved players that have won them the Premier League. But there are players out there who you can get who are even better. And it's not like Ferret Scalier was at a financial cost that a club like Arsenal couldn't have reached when PSG went out and got him. So part of building the best team in Europe, and that is what we're talking about, the best team in Europe and maybe the world, is landing the absolute perfect signing. And I do think PSG, that's part of their story as well. Just incredible recruitment.
25:29Nicky Bandini:Simon says, was the ref blowing for half-time while Saka faffed about the high point of the whole football season? And Adam says, I think the national response to Arsenal's defeat needs to be discussed. Has an English team losing a final ever caused so much open celebration for the rest of the nation? Why is this the case? John Terry missing a penalty got probably at least as much, to be fair. That's a very, very good point. Maybe that's just recency bias, Barry. I don't know. Or just maybe social media has just sort of polarised us of this world that you can just instantly see people just yelling about whatever they want to yell about while you're sitting on the toilet yeah well i mean look we're having this discussion and i think it's been a really interesting discussion uh it's it's sort of me against three and a half arsenal fans and i know exactly what's going to be i take i know no objection to that i know exactly what's going to be clipped up and put on the socials and i don't know I've been absolutely slaughtered by Arsenal fans accusing me of being bitter, of being jealous, of being a hater, of blah, blah, blah, and no-nothing fool.
26:36That's fine. I don't mind. But, I mean, the TNT sport coverage was incredibly biased in favour of Arsenal. And there seems to be this presumption at TNT that everyone watching at home, all the folks at home, wanted Arsenal to win. and I don't think anything could have been further from the truth. So, look, I've said it before and I'm happy to say it again. I don't like watching them play. They bore me and I watch football to be entertained. But I've also said they have no obligation to entertain me and that's fine too.
27:13Nicky Bandini:At one point the panel was, you know, Laura Woods, who's an Arsenal fan, Rob Beckett, Ramesh Ranganathan and Dara O 'Brien, all fine comedians. but that's quite an Arsenal-heavy fun panel. Very briefly then, Philippe and then Tayo and then we'll end this and go to Arnaz Slott being sacked.
27:31Philippe Auclair:I think that's one of the reasons, one of the main reasons why so many people have shown a dislike of Arsenal or actually much more than a dislike of Arsenal especially on X and even on Blue Sky where I was on the receiving end of some absolutely astonishing comments on the night of the final. It was amazing. I've never blocked as many people on that platform. Just like, block, block, block, block, block. One of the reasons why so many people don't like Arsenal is what we saw during the parade yesterday, which was magnificent, almost a million people. I think there are people who are really pissed off by the fact that Arsenal has a community of fans, which is as diverse as it is, culturally, socially, economically.
28:18Philippe Auclair:It really pisses them off. They hate us because we represent the type of society they hate as well. And I think that's part. If you talk to any Arsenal fan, there's a very big part of our fandom because we don't forget that we've got Emirates on our shirts or Visit Rwanda on our sleeves, that our owner has given money to Donald Trump in the past. We know all that. But the community of fans is very different from that and it really takes pride of it. And I think it really gets up the nose of rather a lot of people in a society that is as polarized as ours, because we represent something completely different.
28:56Philippe Auclair:And also take that, by the way, and I can understand why people hearing me would say, God, you think you're so much better than the others. That's not the point. I know we can come across as like that. We're not so much better than the others. Every club that you love is the best club in the world, beginning of, end of. But I do think that the political and social dimension of it is something which explains why there's been this level of animosity and even hatred towards Arsenal this season.
29:24Nicky Bandini:Yeah, but I think there are probably lots of nice woke people who also find it funny that Arsenal lost. I think it's worth... Yeah, I would include myself in that part. I thought the parade was fantastic, the diversity there. I was watching the footage, unbelievable. Ty, quickly. I would just say they do hate us, but they also rate us again as well. And having lived through a very banter-ish era where Arsenal were being laughed at for all the wrong reasons, we're good again. I have sat there wanting the teams in the Champions League final to lose, whether they were English or not, and mostly out of jealousy.
29:57But it's our turn now. I don't think it'll be 20 years till we're back there again. I don't think it'll be 22 years before we win the league again. And that in itself is there to be celebrated and celebrate it, we will.
30:07Nicky Bandini:If it's not enough to hear and get annoyed by Barry, if we're an Arsenal fan, you can see him clipped up on Instagram. and Blue Sky and TikTok. And now even on Reddit, there is a Football Weekly subreddit, r slash Football Weekly Pod. So go and talk to our other listeners. Enjoy some hot behind-the-scenes content. I mean, what is this hot? It's not like sinister hot. It's not carnal hot from our producers. Plenty more to come, apparently, too. And that'll do for part one. Andy Hunter has been standing by patiently, and we'll talk about Arna Slott in part two. Get back in your box, Taylor. I don't want to see you again for another season.
30:47Nicky Bandini:Hi, pod fans. Max here. Barry's here too. Hello. Football Weekly is supported by Gradient FC. Now, Barry, we've talked a lot on the pod about football analytics, XG and all that. And all those pod fans who are deep into football analytics will probably already know Gradient Sports. They work with pro clubs across Europe's top leagues to provide player performance insights. But they're now bringing that same pro-level analysis directly to fans through the Gradient FC app. Sounds interesting, Max. What can it do? Well, each match is graded by a team of experts who evaluate over 2 ,000 player actions per match, not just by outcome, but by execution.
31:21Nicky Bandini:So, for example, a completed pass that leads the receiver into danger is graded negatively, while one that puts a receiver in on goal is graded positively. Sounds like common sense. Yeah, and with Gradient FC, you get some of the deepest metrics available to ordinary fans, like line-breaking passes, dribbles into dangerous positions, and chance creations. Now, I know you hate making match predictions, Barry, but maybe all that could change with Gradient FC. With head-to-head player comparison tools that show you who's best across more than 100 grades and metrics, it's easy to build and defend any prediction.
31:51Nicky Bandini:And here's something else that will appeal to you, Barry. It's free. Okay. I'm surprised to hear that, Max. Yeah. Well, explore it for yourself at gradientfc.com or download the Gradient FC app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
32:09Nicky Bandini:Hi, Pod fans. Max here. Barry's here too. Hello. Football Weekly is supported by Hotels.com. Now, Barry, question, when you're booking a hotel, do you use Hotels.com? Actually, you're probably just going to say, I don't know. Producer Joel does it. I don't know. Producer Joel does it. Well, I think you should give it a try for yourself. Obviously, it's a massive summer of soccer and loads of our listeners will be travelling to watch the tournament and needing to book somewhere great to stay. So it's good to know that when you're a Hotels.com member, you can save up to 20 % on hundreds of thousands of hotels.
32:36Nicky Bandini:Plus, you earn rewards on every stay. so each trip you take helps pay for your future trips. Just use those rewards like cash, and importantly, there are never any blackout dates. What's a blackout date? Well, it's a date where you can't use travel rewards. Frustratingly, usually on or around major holidays or other peak travel periods. But there are no blackout dates with Hotels.com rewards. Superb. Yes, so next time you're booking somewhere to stay, just book it at Hotels.com. Hotels.com, it's all in the name.
33:15Nicky Bandini:welcome to part two of the guardian football weekly uh ender says not now liverpool today isn't about you an arsenal fan going of course this had to happen on the day it was all about us so we've done lots of arsenal our um mercedes football correspondent andy hunter joins us hey andy hi good morning that was my reaction too not today yeah i thought so did it take you by surprised because like the assumed understanding i don't have any sources and i'm too lazy to have sources my understanding was he's staying and i was happy with that and actually i was half an hour left of a radio show with a couple of fun quizzes i had to drop to do a serious phone in did it surprise you the timing maybe the timing did i thought towards the end it was inevitable there was a sense of inevitability that he would go but when he was still in place after the final game of the season and there was no little bulletin after that game or on the Monday and the whole week progressed I started to think well maybe maybe they are gonna stick with them and as of Friday night our time slots people were still thinking he wasn't going anywhere they on Friday night they said he was safe really so wow that's so interesting isn't it and then he gets told about 11 a.m 11 a.m Saturday and Liverpool made the announcement night about 90 minutes later so So it did move quite quickly towards the end, but I do think there was a bit of an inevitability about the decision.
34:35Nicky Bandini:Yeah. Do you think there was a turning point? Do you think there was a moment, or do you think it's just been a general, gradual decline in performances, and as the season's gone on, he hasn't managed to turn it around? That's certainly true. But if I had to identify a turning point, I would say the Chelsea home game. Because, I mean, he was getting abuse on social media all season, pretty vitriolic stuff, completely out of order. And the frustration was growing, but when the Anfield crowd themselves turned on him and the team in that Chelsea game, I made a note of mine, I was just checking my cover in the match, in the 39th minute, Chelsea dominating possession for a long while, Liverpool haven't done anything despite getting an early lead.
35:22And then there were cat calls, whistles, jeers, that was in the 39th minute. Then they get booed off for half-time. Then the substitutions get booed in the second half. Then they get booed at the final whistle. And then the following week, terrible performance at Aston Villa. Mo Salah comes out on the Saturday with his post calling for the heavy metal football. Half the first-team squad like it. So in the space of a week, you've got the Anfield crowd and the first-team squad kind of in open descent against them. So I saw from that moment, from the Chelsea game onwards, I would say.
35:53Nicky Bandini:You mentioned that Salah post, Andy. I mean, he has thrown him under the bus in such a massive way. I guess the fact that the first team all liked it is a sign that he didn't have the dressing room anymore. Yeah, it's not a good look. And then obviously since when he was then sacked on Saturday, there's been very few Liverpool players posting, you know, the Instagram messages of best wishes to him. But Virgil van Dijk, Curtis Jones, very few, which is kind of surprising given what he did there. But obviously hints that, you know, shows there were problems behind the scenes as well. But I mean, people say, you know, he was gone a long time ago.
36:36He wasn't. Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes only started conducting a review into what had gone wrong and what to do about two weeks ago or two weeks before the decision was made. So around the time of that Aston Villa defeat. So, you know, and as I say, Slotzkamp thought he was safe on Friday night. And you said it's kind of surprising. I mean, I still think it's this extraordinary fact that this is the guy who won Liverpool's second league title in the Premier League era at all is going to be someone who's got that place, I suppose, in the history books regardless. And it feels like he's leaving with so little goodwill.
37:10Yeah, that's true. I mean, it is an extraordinary situation. But I mean, he's the first Liverpool manager or head coach to be sacked, a title winning Liverpool manager or head coach to be sacked in that tenure. Kenny Daglish was sacked, but only in that second spell after coming back. So this is unprecedented. Plus the mitigating circumstances for Liverpool's season from Diogo Jota's death in July to the football side of things, last summer's intake, the£450 million spend, which changes the entire perception of Liverpool as well. That intake, apart from Hugo Eketike, was poor. If you look at the three main signings, Eketike, Isaac and Florian Wirtz, they were on the pitch together for 115 minutes due to injury.
38:02So, you know, a game, less than a game and a half. So there's three, he's not had them either. So there are so many mitigating circumstances and yet the crowd were against him. It doesn't look like the squad were united behind him And it did have a feel of inevitability towards the end that, you know, a fresh start is needed. And I think if a manager or a coach of Iriola's quality is there and they can get him, I think then it kind of encourages them to act.
38:34Philippe Auclair:Andy, a question. Do you think that the timing of the decision might be linked to the fact that they are now almost sure to lend Iriola as a manager? and that because of that they thought, now we can do it because we've got the successor. Yes, 100%. I don't think the way FSG operate or Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards, I don't think they make a decision as enormous as to sack Arna Slott without having the successor in the bag. So I think it will be done very quickly. I think when they see that Iriola is speaking to several other clubs, Milan, Leverkusen, and Palace linked with them as well. And obviously the links between Richard Hughes and Iriola.
39:22Basically, they want to make an appointment. They want it all done before the World Cup starts. In my eyes, you're not going for a coach who's currently employed somewhere else. You're going for someone who's available, and a top coach is available. He's got links to the club or to the hierarchy, and he plays the style of footballer. most sellers asking for, but he won't be around to implement.
39:46Nicky Bandini:Yeah, I mean, I suppose the interesting thing is, you know, we have seen managers who are very successful at the vertical and smaller clubs not succeed at bigger clubs. And it is always a gamble. And yet there are so many reasons why Urelo does feel like a good fit for Liverpool. Yeah, he does. Certainly, style of play. Richard Hughes did several months, you know, background checks on Arna Slott before they moved for him. because obviously the time and Klopp gave them ample notice to get working on his successor. But he doesn't have to do that now. He's already done it. So he's good to go in that respect.
40:23Plus he's got Premier League experience. And what he did this season, having lost so many players, key players, and pushed the team on again, is something that Liverpool need because they've bought badly last summer. although there's talent there and he's got to get the best out of them and the style of play is what the fans certainly the generation that have grown up with Jurgen Klopp that's what they associate with Liverpool now and they want a return to that they were drifted further and further away from it under Arna Slott
40:57Nicky Bandini:and how much, because the squad, like you said they spent so much money but it does feel like that squad needs work because Salah's off, Canate's off Robertson's gone even if Robertson wasn't starting every week there's still a problem at right back so you might need another centre back does Isaac now TK's injured but I guess Isaac could start and hopefully be better but it feels like there's quite a lot of work to do recruitment wise Oh there is absolutely I mean at the end of the season we get a couple of top quality wingers in and everything's going to be alright but Liverpool need a lot more than that they need a defensive midfielder for a start, short of options as you say, right back and centre-back, which is going to get worse with Canate leaving.
41:44I mean, you look at last summer, they brought Jeremy Fringpong, who's really, he's a wing-back. Liverpool don't play with wing-backs. And he's kind of like signed to cover for Salah at the African Cup of Nations. But, you know, just mystifying some of the decisions. Isaac, I mean, there's a lot of pressure and responsibility on him next season. Does he even fit that team? and there's a lot to do. I think whoever comes in and I do think it would be a Rayola is maybe one of the reasons they want him in quick is because there's an awful lot of work to be done this summer.
42:18Nicky Bandini:But it's worth saying that Arna Slott wasn't responsible for recruitment. I mean, I don't know how much say he had actually, but the recruitment criticism should go higher than him. Absolutely, yeah. I think I said that on Saturday in my piece that you've got to look above Slott. Slott is what FSG and Michael Edwards and that they wanted. They wanted a head coach. They don't want an all-powerful Jurgen Klopp type dominating the football operation. They want the coach to coach the team and obviously have input into the type of signings they're making, but the strategy and the transfer business is elsewhere now.
43:00It's not really on the head coach's door. He's head coach for a reason.
43:05Philippe Auclair:if slot has gone do you expect other movements out of the door as well during the summer because from the outside oh it looks to me that there were quite a few players who didn't quite pull their weight whose attitude was questionable perhaps whether they liked their manager or not certainly their performances were way well under par compared to what they had been before so I'm not talking about the recruits who had such a mixed bag of fortunes when it comes to injuries in particular but I'm thinking about more of the Guardians of the Temple so to speak who were way back on the performance of previous seasons including the seasons where when they were champions with Slott and everybody was celebrating the fact that he had managed to make the team much more versatile and complete let's not forget all that so some of those players bear a huge responsibility in what happened and it's very hard from the outside to understand how you can fall out with a manager that just made a champion out of you?
44:06Philippe Auclair:And also, what does it say in terms of your own professional attitude? And how is the club going to react to that? Or is it going to react? Is it actually going to show some of those players the door? I think you're right. I think you absolutely nailed it. I think some will inevitably go. But then they made so many changes last summer. and they're saying like putting some finishing touches in place if it was still on a slot in charge. But they're going to be in that situation again next season because there's so many going and so many leaders are going as well. Where's the leadership in that group?
44:47You know, there's still question marks over Alisson's future. Juventus won him. Liverpool want to keep him, but it's kind of up to him what happens now. He's only got a year left. Van Dijk's only got a year left. Beyond those two, where are the leaders? But I agree, like Alexis McAllister, Cody Gapko, you know, their forms all went down. And one thing about Salah's post about returning to heavy metal football, when Liverpool won the league last year, he was praising Slott's tactics and approach for getting the best out of him and for delivering the title. And then 12 months later, it's all his fault.
45:22And it's certainly not all his fault.
45:23Nicky Bandini:Yeah, he definitely moved from heavy metal to, you know, a sort of mid-range, what sort of, you know, Nickelback style, didn't he, for this season? It was more that than Guns N' Roses. I think Nickelback sounds a bit dramatic compared to some of the performances at the end. Too many modern references from me there. Nikki, final question. I was just curious which players Andy would build the team around and which players, I mean, I suppose do you think they are going to build the team around if there is this transition period that's inevitable, which are the ones that you do view as the ones that you start from and go from there?
45:58Well, Sabozla, I think, is the obvious one. He was Liverpool's best player last season, even when, you know, played out of position. He's an interesting one again. Another one who's coming to two years left on his contract. Liverpool have let too many players get past the two-year mark. You know, and then if you look at last year's defence, the title-winning defence, Trent Alexander-Arnold goes, Canate goes, Robertson goes. and other than the, you know, the lit small fee Real Madrid paid to get Trent Alexander-Arnold in early for the Club World Cup, they've all gone for free. So, Sir Bozle is the main man.
46:34Now, I still think... McAllister, first season under slot was great.
46:41Nicky Bandini:Florian Virts is so good though, Andy, isn't he? Like, just sort of think that has to work. He's clearly a talented player and in the right team would shine. Does he fit this team? Does he fit the Premier League? They're going to find out next season. They can't discard him after one year. So that has to come good. Isaac has to come good. But on what basis are we basing that on? It's what they've done for other clubs. It's not what they've done for Liverpool. Yeah, fair enough. Andy, thanks for coming on. Thanks for having me. Andy Hunter there, Merseyside football correspondent. And if you thought that was one of those parts where Barry just wasn't saying anything, his internet did go down in his defence.
47:20Nicky Bandini:But he has returned now, heroically, Baz. and we expect a big part three from you. Hi, pod fans. Max here. Barry's here too. Hello. Football Weekly is supported by Gradient FC. Now, Barry, we've talked a lot on the pod about football analytics, XG and all that. And all those pod fans who are deep into football analytics will probably already know Gradient Sports. They work with pro clubs across Europe's top leagues to provide player performance insights. But they're now bringing that same pro-level analysis directly to fans through the Gradient FC app. Sounds interesting, Max. What can it do? Well, each match is graded by a team of experts who evaluate over 2 ,000 player actions per match, not just by outcome, but by execution.
48:01Nicky Bandini:So, for example, a completed pass that leads the receiver into danger is graded negatively, while one that puts a receiver in on goal is graded positively. Sounds like common sense. Yeah, and with Gradient FC, you get some of the deepest metrics available to ordinary fans, like line-breaking passes, dribbles into dangerous positions, and chance creations. Now, I know you hate making match predictions, Barry, but maybe all that could change with Gradient FC. With head-to-head player comparison tools that show you who's best across more than 100 grades and metrics, it's easy to build and defend any prediction.
48:31Nicky Bandini:And here's something else that will appeal to you, Barry. It's free. Okay. I'm surprised to hear that, Max. Yeah. Well, explore it for yourself at gradientfc.com or download the Gradient FC app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
49:08Nicky Bandini:www.washingtonwise.com
49:21Nicky Bandini:welcome to part three of the guardian football weekly uh just for the tape barry your internet went down for the andy hunter bit uh so you're forgiven for asking no questions yes i apologize i had a lot of probing questions i wanted to ask andy but my part two heat map is rather threadbare sorry technical difficulties Nikki can we talk about Pochettino to AC Milan he's held talks with them or maybe they just well they didn't email him to say he wasn't in their plans he gave a very cagey keeping all options open press conference what do you make of that well I'm excited that it's not just one of Max Allegri Antonio Conte or Maurizio Sarri or the cycle of Italian acceptable managers that these clubs have decided they're going to rotate through so it'd be nice if if Milan are willing to be a little bit more open than some of the circuit feels like it is at the moment.
50:14But having said that, for Milan are a mess. I mean, the way this has all been handled, it feels like they've made the clear out that everyone wanted at the end of the season. That was certainly a popular choice among the fans, but it does feel a bit like no one quite did that with a thought of what's happening next. And Ibrahimovic is off to the World Cup and could someone show a little bit of leadership and get the situation in hand? I don't know. But it's certainly nice, again, that it's a name that's not just one of the immediate names that's already been in charge of one of the other top clubs in Italy in the last five minutes.
50:45Philippe Auclair:Nicky, one question. Are the Italians already claiming Poch as one of their own? And now they're saying Pochettino and not Pochettino and remembering that he actually comes from Italy or some part of him is from Italy. Have they already done that? I haven't had that. But yeah, that'll be a fun one for the pronunciation. the hard ch um i think he's famous enough that probably he gets uh he gets uh the right the
51:10Nicky Bandini:right pronunciation on that one in other managing news um frank lampard was the favorite for the palace job after iraola uh looks like he's off to off to liverpool but now the lons manager pierre sarge is in i'd be very excited philippe about someone being called sarge and suggested he should dress as a sergeant major but tell us a little bit more about this guy i i hope this is not true
51:32Philippe Auclair:because I think that what Sash has done with Lens is just extraordinary. Lens has had a season, just a magnificent season. They recently won the French Cup as well, a brilliant game against Sashjah Zénis. They really pushed PSG as much as they could. He inherited a squad. Honestly, Lens is one of those clubs. Every time they do well, they lose their best players, which is the typical French thing to do because those clubs have no other way to survive. It's a really well-run club with an excellent owner, fabulous fan base, terrific manager. And now you're telling me he's about to leave. So I feel rather sad about that.
52:10Philippe Auclair:But he would be a very good fit. I think he could do a Regis Lebré, you know, in England. He's that good. And he's actually really loved by his players as well and by the fans and even by the press. So I do hope that he doesn't leave Lens. but unfortunately he might be a little bit too good to stay in lans barry anthony gordon was
52:34Nicky Bandini:unveiled at barcelona and his spanish was very impressive i mean i don't know why we should be surprised but i was slightly surprised it's probably a measure of my snobbery but i was gobsmacked it was quite surreal seeing anthony gordon uh standing there talking really good Spanish so yeah that's a bad reflection on me rather than him I find that whole transfer slightly perplexing he's a fine player I don't know if he's as good as he perhaps thinks he is but look we were all surprised when Rafinha ended up at Barcelona because he wasn't particularly brilliant at Leeds and they've turned him into a fine player so who's to say they won't do the same with Anthony Gorin.
53:22Nicky Bandini:Yeah, he said, I wanted to speak Spanish because as a kid I believed I would play for Barca. Believe it or not, I just wonder if Real Madrid had signed him if he would have changed the name of the team. I had a physio in Newcastle. We spoke Spanish every day. I told him one day I'll play for Barca and I want to learn Spanish. The international break has begun. I mean, friendly is ahead of the World Cup. Scotland meet Curacao 4-1. We're recording our World Cup previews this week and they'll be out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday next week. So a good win for Scotland, but Billy Gilmore's injury has put a bit of shade on that.
53:56Nicky Bandini:I went on to Man City, who won the Women's FA Cup final, beat Brighton 4-0. Please go and subscribe to Guardian Women's Football Weekly, out tomorrow, wherever you get your podcasts. And I'll finish with this email from Adam Wells, who says, Dear Pod, Barry's offer to bunk up with Wilson in Frankfurt for the Europa League final next year, which was instantly shot down by Wilson. A little who instantly, if you ask me, needs to be revisited. Aside from the great cost of lost content we would all feel the pinch of, we need to reconsider this from the POV of the hotel. Not only would this be a rare case of neither guest in a double occupancy room not absconding with those irresistible mini toiletry bottles, but a potentially unique case of the shampoo and conditioner not being touched at all.
54:36Nicky Bandini:In these austere times, it would be nice if these bourgeois media men could think of the little people for a change. Sincerely yours, Adam Wells. I forgot that Wilson didn't wash his hair either. when we live together will you wash your hair Barry I mean I don't care I honestly couldn't care less I'm interested to I'm I was thinking today about it Barry am I fascinated to know will it be harder to live with one Barry or with two children under four because you maintain how amazingly like you maintain so much almost you protest too much about how easygoing you are and I'm interested to see what it's really going to be like well you'll find out soon enough and you can let everyone know i think i'm very easy to live with i'm low maintenance i'm tidy not obsessively so um i can cook a bit i do my share of the housework i put the bins out well the trash now sure yeah down the chute will we do laundry together or separately do you think separately this bond separately i'm yeah my laundry does not get sullied by other laundry my laundry is your laundry i would say one you know we're one family the one thing i will not stand for right okay is if in the very unlikely event i haven't taken my laundry out of the washing machine as soon as the machine finishes if anyone else takes it out and throws it in a pile on the floor or on a table or in the back of a chair yeah i will become enraged and you will see a side of me you have never seen before so i'm to hang up and you won't like it do you have any nerves about living with me or do you think it'll be fine i think it'll probably be fine yeah as long as i'm not hearing secondhand complaints about how things are going at home.
56:34Yeah. I mean, you're allowed a couple,
56:37Nicky Bandini:but not relentless. I'll make a WhatsApp group and I'll say, every time Jamie wants to say, it's four o 'clock and they're both awake, how's your hotel room? You'll have to be included. Are we sharing a bathroom or do you think we get our own one each? We're sharing an apartment and I presume there's only one bathroom. I don't know. But I've Google image, Google mapped it and to seek out local amenities. So there's a diner nearby. There are a couple of nice bars and restaurants. And we're in, I'm a big fan of the Michael Connolly Bosch novels, Harry Bosch, the detective. We're staying bang in the middle of Bosch country.
57:19So there's lots of bars and restaurants. He eats and drinks in that I want to visit. Right, okay. But we're not going to have much spare time, Matt, because we're going to have to watch 95 football matches a day.
57:33Nicky Bandini:Anyway, more of this and on, no doubt. We're off for a week now. World Cup preview pod's out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday next week. And then we go daily from base camp in Los Angeles from the opening day of the World Cup. On Thursday, we're releasing a World Cup special episode of our sister podcast, Science Weekly, answering questions on players and heat, climate change and the psychology of VAR. Look out for that on your Football Weekly feed, but that'll do for today. Thank you, everybody. Thank you, Nicky. Thanks. Thanks, Philippe. Merci, Max. Cheers, Baz. Thank you. Football Weekly is produced by Tyra Papula.
58:03Nicky Bandini:Our executive producer is Joel Grove. Back next week.
58:17This is The Guardian.
58:25Hi, Podfans.
58:26Nicky Bandini:Max here. Barry's here too. Hello. Football Weekly is supported by Hotels.com. Now, Barry, question, when you're booking a hotel, do you use Hotels.com? Actually, you're probably just going to say, I don't know. Producer Joel does it. I don't know. Producer Joel does it. Well, I think you should give it a try for yourself. Obviously, it's a massive summer of soccer and loads of our listeners will be travelling to watch the tournament and needing to book somewhere great to stay. So it's good to know that when you're a Hotels.com member, you can save up to 20 % on hundreds of thousands of hotels, plus you earn rewards on every stay.
58:54Nicky Bandini:So each trip you take helps pay for your future trips. Just use those rewards like cash. and importantly, there are never any blackout dates. What's a blackout date? Well, it's a date where you can't use travel rewards. Frustratingly, usually on or around major holidays or other peak travel periods. But there are no blackout dates with Hotels.com rewards. Superb. Yes, so next time you're booking somewhere to stay, just book it at Hotels.com. Hotels.com, it's all in the name.
59:44Nicky Bandini:www.washingtonwise.com Thank you.