Arsenal topple Chelsea, Iraola's First Win, Flo Balogun Aftermath: Men In Blazers 09/07/26

22:08Roger Bennett:And not only was that in terms of players, to this old Ilyan Jai on the last day of the window, but in terms of numbers, which is crucially important in the Premier League, where there is an element of you kind of need bodies to throw in the way of the cannons, that is part of the Premier League war of attrition. And Everton, they messed it all up. It was what we call, based on the thick of it, an omni-shambles. I don't know if that word exists in the US. but it was an omni shambles. I don't understand why they left everything so late. I don't understand why they weren't more active more quickly.

22:43Roger Bennett:I think there are questions to be asked there in terms of the hierarchy. And just as you say that there is a bit of a rift between the fans and the board, it also strikes me there's a rift between the board and the manager, and that is just as important. By the way, just like there's a false nine, Everton are playing like a false ten. We're playing like a false four. we're planning this is post-modern you don't need a squad anymore in modern football we're just running off the vibes by the way for the record I hate Mr Bean but I agree with you I think the one person who's loving this is David Moyes I think he hates it I think he loves it man loves being written off man loves football yeah but even more loves a bar fight loves a bar fight against the odds loves the smell of a rumble loves being in a dive bar here's a bit of a Rekas just stands up, smashes his pint glass, baggles that lassie, got glass, nobody leaves here until we find out who did it.

23:40He was out of his way, out of Goodison. It felt like two weeks ago he was being absolutely flung out. Now he's got all the leverage and he's got the fans behind him. In a way, David Moyes is our only hope now.

23:54Roger Bennett:Well, as some of us said in our previews, Rog, to you and Humph, Everton quite like it when they're back against the wall. It gives them something to fight for. that's when they're at their most dangerous, I always think. Auto-asphyxiation? Well, I mean, people are very dangerous when they're auto-asphyxiating. They do not like to be interrupted. But the... I've learned that to my cost. Don't do the knock-knock and open the door at the same time. Wait for the... Wait for the... You can come in. I think from a strictly managerial point of view, to get us off this slightly disturbing tangent, to me, quite a lot of managers, what you need is a narrative.

24:32Roger Bennett:You need something you can sell your players rather than my idea is the best idea. It could be kind of we've got this vision of football and this is how we're going to play. We have to prove the point. It could be I'm going to improve you. I think a lot of the time it's whether it's true or not or rooted in truth or not. I think a lot of the time it's all those people out there are haters. Go and get them. I think that is a huge like motivational factor in football. What other motivational factor is it? I don't know exactly. That is all that every single dressing room is not believe from Ted Lasso.

25:00Roger Bennett:it's spite is the great what's the john oliver thing spite is the spite is the rocket fuel of human motivation exactly it's that that is why so many teams so many managers so many players are kind of constantly thinking about critics and you'll see players score a goal and then do the thing you know no no one's mentioned you you're like ips which is third choice striker no one there is no narrative around you being a failure we just no one's talked about you at all the The problem, if anything, is we are being too quiet about you. And I think what this whole Farago in the transfer market has given Moyes...

25:32Farago? I've never used that word before until that second.

25:35Roger Bennett:...is an abiding narrative for the season. It's to say to his squad, the world is against it. And do you know what's even more powerful? It's true. Everything is set up against Everton. Their job now is to prove that they can scrap through it. And in that Everton squad, there are players who will respond to that really, really well. Yeah, I've got to say, despite the prevailing mood, the Farrago, the omniscient shambles, every time I'm actually one point in two places above United before kickoff. But I was braced for darkness. Remember the last time we felt this level of fume, this level of outrage was after the points deduction of 2023, of course, narrative, the next game we played was against whom?

26:12Manchester United. And Garnaccio scored a Puskas winner within five minutes. So I was ready for that worldie to be struck against us, which would probably destroy us, would have led to an absolute fracturing of really the soul of the club. Eighth minute, Bruno Fernandes, off a knockdown from Mbumo. Ball fell out of the sky to probably the most dreaded man on the field. Delicious technique. The volley that came in. It was meant to be a kill shot. Instead, it was a ball of mercy. Crashed off the bar. Really a warning shot, Robert. I do think if that shot had gone in, just a dark alternative upside down timeline would have then unspooled.

26:55Roger Bennett:Like an alternative to what happens if Archduke Franz Ferdinand isn't assassinated in 1914. That kind of level, yeah. But more serious. Yeah, the counterfactual of where we would be had Bruno Fernandes scored. By now, the world would be engulfed in chaos. Yeah, the thread of civilisation would have been utterly torn. Whereas thankfully, he hit the bar and if you look outside, everything's absolutely fine. straight. I know, I can see like butterflies and birds instead of just like a drone-filled sky. I don't want to go there, Ruh. It was dark though to begin with. United's midfield three, Kobe Maynou at the heart of all of it, just totally befuddled Everton.

27:30Rashford thriving down the flank against all who knew we needed a right back and not Merlin Roll trying his damnedest. I do miss the simple days when Everton could have Gay slap his own teammate Keane, get sent off when we'd still beat United with ten men. Look, Cunha, Blue, at least one open chance over the bar. Everton were blunt. I wrote my game notes, how I miss Beto. Yeah, I just said that.

27:56Roger Bennett:Get over Beto, Rog. I don't know if I ever can. He's not coming back. No, Beto was the embodiment of everything Evertonians want in the play. Not very much on the skill. Think zero out of 100 on his FIFA rating, but passion, heart, loving us, loving him. Always 100, and I love that. When the commentary waffled how Everton was struggling to come up with anything at all that very second. We came alive and, of course, Tieno Barry somehow headed over the bar from two feet out and I wrote for the first and last time, Beto would have scored that. I was honestly so relieved that we got to half-time goalless.

28:32I made a little video about it on our Insta story and, damn, we did not get much bloody further just out the locker room into the second half and Bumo picked up the ball on the edge of the box. He smelled the goal before he struck it. He charged past, was it three defenders? Everton didn't close him down. He just slashed the ball around all picky. And it felt like the reality of that chill, shocking, staggeringly, almost reckless 18-man squad season felt like it had suddenly kicked in.

29:04Roger Bennett:Yeah, that was the big test because you're quite right. If United had scored early, the Hill Dickinson probably would have turned very, very sour. where everything curdles straight away, it becomes a place where Everton are kind of going through their worst nightmare, where the entire week has gone wrong, and now the game's gone wrong, and two plus two equals four. I think it's important the goal didn't come till after half-time, that Everton did have 45 minutes where they could think, OK, do you know what? There's not that much to be afraid of with Manchester United. Yeah, they've got a stronger squad.

29:32Roger Bennett:Yeah, their ambitions for this season will be higher than Everton's, but they're not the Man United of 20 years ago. They're not this kind of big odour that's coming to visit you. you know it's a team that's still got Luke Shaw at left back but that said in that moment there was still the possibility that the fans would turn that they'd say right okay yeah this is exactly what we were telling you about this is why we had to sign more players and it was interesting to me that they didn't seem to do that that there was a little bit more kind of patience and forbearance and okay we're not dead yet I mean I said this when I went to the club before the season did the live show and I feel it even more now the fans are the best thing we have about this club and they stayed with this team.

30:13Roger Bennett:More than the donut. Explain the donut, Rob. The donut is the toffee donut, which I think was released with the launch of the Hill Dickinson. Everton's always had two identities. It's been the Dodgers of War and the School of Science. So one is fight and grit and courage, and the other is highly technical, beautiful interplay. Everton's modern identity is the toffee donut, which is, there's a big hole in the middle, it's quite swishy, and that is expressed. It's a type of conventionary they've launched at the Hill Dickinson. it is essentially a heart attack smothered in caramel sauce that's what and presented to you in a box yeah it's almost like the way you describe it it's like a cyanide pill that spies used to keep behind the ears oh no United have scored start the donut what a way to go we don't get to choose the way we go in life I would love to go just choking on a toffee donut it's just a wish by the way you talk about how United are not the United of our imagination this was the first time they've taken the lead this season first time they'd scored on the road.

31:12And I've got to say, we were resilient here. Best chances, unfortunately, fell to poor Brennan Johnson. Things I thought I'd never say, part two. I missed Dwight McNeil. 66 minute, Jack Grealish back. He just trotted onto the field like a chirpy chappy. His very presence, I've got to say, gave his hope. Before he'd even touched the ball, you felt like, okay, this is a player who can do the most important thing. any Everton player can until January, which is utterly ignore reality and just go for it. We moved Tyreek George to the right. I love that human being. I really, really do. We had the true threat on both flanks and it paid off.

31:51Cue ecstasy. Hayden Hackney, who I think is excellent, gave us more forward thrust when he came on, slipped the ball out to George, lost Shaw, all too easy. And then just quite mercilessly, quite magically, ecstatically, drove the ball with venom and clinicality and roared away. What a footballer. I spoke to him this week. You'll see a lot of the footage over our social media in the days to come. He is so good. I can't wait to savour him. I can't wait to love him until he inevitably goes to City for 65 million before we know it.

32:29Roger Bennett:But it's exactly the sort of signing that Everton need, isn't it? It's a young player, upward curve, points approved, first team football, all that stuff. It's not kind of, I'm here because the big club I wanted to be at didn't want me anymore. Tyreek George is a player on the up. I want to talk about near posts, Rog. Please. I think there is a narrative that goalkeepers should never be beaten at their near posts. And we saw two goals this weekend, one of which was Tyreek George's, where, what are you meant to do? He hit it really hard. And even if the keeper's standing in exactly the right position, the speed of the shot may well kind of carry it past them anyway.

33:05Roger Bennett:in addition to the fact that most goalkeepers and Mbwemo's goal actually proves this quite nicely must be permanently anticipating someone else for the far corner that is the goal that you see all of the time this near post thing I made a documentary about goalkeepers for NBC the goalkeepers union where I interviewed a ton of the Premier League's goalkeepers and they said that is the one thing that pisses them off most about football is the near post myth all of them agreed they saw it as just because every single commentator almost all of them are not goalkeepers. It's like NFL players don't understand kickers.

33:40And so this myth has come into being that you should never be beaten on your near post. Every single goalkeeper I interview said, you should never be beaten on either post. Each goalkeeper hates being beaten on either post. The near post thing is just not in their head at all. It's just like common consensus, but it doesn't go through their mind whatsoever.

33:58Roger Bennett:I agree with them. They are correct. There is no way you should be looking at Senna Lamans and thinking that that was his fault because he was stood in the wrong place. It was a brilliant bit of impromptu finishing from Tyreek George. Yeah, by the way, my favourite part of the interview with Tyreek, I asked him if he likes the Evil Saka nickname. I would guess he doesn't. How do you know that? Because it's got the word evil in it. Yeah, doesn't like it. He doesn't sound like he's an evil man. He's very polite about it, but he said, no, I don't like it. He said it twice. I said, is there a nickname you would like to take root?

34:28And he said, yeah, T.

34:30Roger Bennett:I mean, it's not the catchiest. He needs to work on that, but I can get why he doesn't like Evil Saka. Yeah, but man, I do wonder how long is it going to be, football fans, before Bukayo Saka is just simply known as evil tea? Well, he wouldn't be evil tea, would he? He'd be innocent tea? Cute and gorgeous. What's the opposite of evil? Morally sound tea. Ethically unsuspect tea. They'll always catch on. By the way, it did feel so good in that moment, man. It felt so magical. It felt so insane, honestly. but even as I videoed the immediate highlight reaction shot of the video on my camera, I think even in that, I said, as I was like foaming at the mouth, so ecstatic, I even said then, of course we know United will get a late winner but let's just enjoy this moment and then it happened.

35:19Shesko came on. Just watching him gives me PTSD from last season when he did us in this very game and God bless Luke Shaw managed to get the better of our... Oh, so dodgy. Why did we even sign? Maitland Niles just lost him. Like, he wasn't even a vague sense of right. What a garbage pickup he was. Insert, insert, just self-loathing. Kind of just floated in across and Cesc Owe nodded with power through Paul Pickford. And suddenly it just felt so predictable. Hello, darkness, my old friend. Natalie Imbruglia doesn't know what we feel like, nor does Johnny Cash hurt. Nothing captures just the depths of an Evertonian when we're rocked down and full of self-losing.

36:06Roger Bennett:It was a really odd goal because that's kind of Everton's strong suit still, isn't it? The central defensive pairing. You'd probably make a case that Jarrod Brantwight is Everton's most high potential footballer, I think. And yet they just let Seshto stand there. He was totally unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box. And watching the replay, you assumed he would have made some clever movement to, if you'll forgive the phrase, pull off Tarkovsky or something. Why would you win? You don't really have to. He literally just stood still and no one thought, I should probably stand next to that six foot five inch Slovenian.

36:40Roger Bennett:It was a very odd goal. It was a predictable goal. It was an agonising moment and it just felt like a numbing punch to down below. Again, last gasp, Everton fans giving it all. Everton trying to throw everything forward. 95 minutes and 11 seconds. Jusby Hall crowded out in the penalty area. Ball comes back to the main man. Ainsley mate, Niles, a putative right back. Man who came in at the death to absolute indignation. Six million dollars. I mean, we do tie value to value now. Just six. That's who it is. What? That's the man we were promised from Leon. I think even Everton fans go forward. Was he really the best available?

37:25option. Is this what we become? There was a lot of that. 29-year-old who felt washed up. One time England international. Totally fallen off the elite radar. All of that forgotten in this moment. Ball came out to him. He was just 19 minutes into his Everton career and he had murder on his mind from deep. And I don't mean the whole aquarium regular listeners. Everything Arsenal. Coming up roses. Maitland-Niles just lashed the ball with a vicious whip and it flew so sweet and true cue chaos and madness into the net Pickford charging around the field miming drinking pints just bedlam and raw 90 minutes earlier we'd been in agony Everton fans were full of doom we were full of fear and now just a defiant laughter and possibly the most Everton dream state that can be football can do that

38:15Roger Bennett:Yet another 2-2 win at home for Everton Yes Nodged that one By the way we should have one of those all neat kind of oak boards where we write in in gold leaf our greatest 2-2 wins. This is who we are, and I love it. It was an amazing moment. I would actually take issue, Rog, with your description of Maitland-Niles as lashing it. I don't think he did. The way he whipped the ball with his instep, the inside of his foot, he did it to travel with that speed and that accuracy. He may well never have kicked a ball that well in his entire professional footballing life. It was an astonishing finish. It was, and by the way, in that moment, Everyone laughed that we had just one strike and one right back.

38:59Roar, let me just throw this one out. Did we outthink the world? Did we get a right back who plays striker like one of those forks? It's a spoon. Is Ainsley Mayer and Nas a footballing spork?

39:12Roger Bennett:I'm not prepared to insult him by calling him a spork, Rog. I don't know how they didn't catch on. I don't know how that nickname won't catch on. The spork. Yeah, so you can't stop. Here comes the spork. The spork. Is the spork a better or worse nickname than Evil Sacker? I don't know. I mean, just genuinely, I love it though. Man, this could be our future. We've got Michael Keane, spork. We've got Maitland Niles, spork. We've got all these players, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop, all over the field. David Moyes is like, just why would you take a knife to a knife fight when you can take the spork? Michael Keane is only a spork if neither side has the handle.

39:51Roger Bennett:That's what I'd say. It's like it's the sharp bit of the fork and then the round bit of the spoon. Michael Keane is probably our most prolific striker. Or is he a sport if they're taking the handle of the fork and the handle of the spoon? It's just a long stick. There you are, son. One day all this will be yours. Look, lost in the blue joy. And it was. United, we've got to touch on them. This has kind of been written out, the story, but the levels of disappointment here. To take the lead twice against Everton and then concede twice. He's seated out. I think an agony for Michael Carrick, a little creaking towards the place.

40:28He does not want to be that nerve-numbing, doom-laden kind of loop narrative of United, choosing the iconic player, save your interim, giving him the job full-time, and once the mantle is permanent, I mean, that is the existential fear that's beginning to crackle in that. Alternately, you could say the inability to bolster the defence in the transfer market, one or the other, but they're fusing together ahead of the Manchester derby, possibly the worst possible time.

40:55Roger Bennett:I was going to say, that feels like the test. Obviously, losing at Hull was a bad result. Beating Ipswich, impressively the week after, maybe set them back on the right course. And I'd say that a draw at the Hill Dickinson isn't a terrible result for United. The circumstances will hurt, but it's not a terrible result. The problem is now if they go and lose the derby, and especially if they lose the derby well, then yeah, you do get into the position where Carrick suddenly is under a little bit of pressure. And there is that sense that maybe United, who had seen this season as one where they'd take a great leap forward, given how they ended last season, it starts to feel like maybe they're treading water again.

41:30Roger Bennett:And that is a comparatively dangerous position for Carrick to be in. Yeah, for Everton, I can't say, yes, they're another 2-2 win, you laugh. But it was less that, it was more the attitude, the collective sense of passion, defiance, resilience, ultimately fight. that collective never say die spirit. That's why we love the two twos, lad. That's what Everton fans want, that energy. Took me right back to the night spent with the Everton faithful at the Hill Dickinson a few weeks ago. You can watch debut on Peacock this upcoming Sunday. Really beautiful, beautiful show. Pure elation, pure togetherness, optimism in the face of all possible evidence that tells you the opposite.

42:15Never mind the quality of the finishes here with pair of nipple tinglers. Football once again. Our 18-man squad mocked. Our lack of right backs derided. But the truth of football, truth of life is football teaches us we all know absolutely nothing. Raw, very quickly, how big a goal was that? 2-2 win. Total narrative flip though to go through the dark, plumbing depths of a cold, miserable week. The delta between the fume of losing if it had been 2-1 and remaining unbeaten. It's incredible narrative-wise. the reprieve for this club.

42:49Roger Bennett:Hugely. And imagine how it would have felt had that shot gone over the bat and Everton had lost that game. Everything would feel dark. It would feel kind of as though Everton were drifting through the season, as though all of those kind of worries and anxieties were coming to fruition. Whereas now, Moyes has got an image to sell to his team and to the fans. There is a thing to fight for. And that gives Everton purpose. And generally, Rog, to be honest, I kind of believe that teams with purpose are OK. Teams with purpose. Lives with purpose. Teams with mission, and our mission is just, I mean, it's the movie 300, isn't it?

43:22The greatest football locker room movie of all time. Quick note, we have to button flow Balogun. You know, in the saddest parts of yesterday's game, I kept humming that line from Fast Car, thinking City Lights lay out before us, and Balogun's arm felt nice wrapped around my shoulder. We had him, we lost him. What happens to him now? He's back at Monaco. I think he showed photos of himself training last week. was left out of Monaco's squad for the Conference Liga. Uncertainty swirls. I've got to say, it's odd. It's almost haunting to me, this 25-year-old who had this World Cup of wonder, apart from the weird thing that happened at the end.

43:59But to fail to capitalise on it in this moment, when he came on the World Cup final day at Fanatics Fest, we talked about where he was thinking of going. These were massive clubs. And he's now added the legend of sinking Everton to the red card surreality of that World Cup to his resume. There's rumours of an injury that we still need to understand yet to come out. Roy can still move to Saudi Arabia or a couple of odd leagues that still have transfer windows open. What do you think of his POV, his current predicament and what he can do?

44:33Roger Bennett:It's been a weird year for Flo Balladin, hasn't it? Between the red card incident and then what still seems a very kind of mysterious collapse of that transfer at the very last moment. and as you say, it's not entirely clear whether everyone agreed on the nature or the extent of the injury. We're not certain about to what extent it was his decision or the club's decision. My instinct is that Monaco have to sell players. That is the model of all French clubs apart from PSG. They need to sell players to balance the books because of the situation with the French top flight. It's not in their interest and it's not in Balogun's interests for him to sit out the next four months and wait for January.

45:14Roger Bennett:He could, I suppose, go to Saudi. If they get an offer from Saudi, that would be something that he might have to think about. The money would be good. It probably isn't what he wants to do with his career in terms of profile at this stage. That said, it's not stopped loads of players going to Saudi. They don't seem to mind that. If he wants to stay in Europe, then opportunities will come, but they'll come only if he is playing in France and ideally scoring goals. I can't believe that Monaco would freeze him out for the remainder of the year because that would actively cost them money. and I don't think Balladon would want to sit out for the rest of the year either.

45:46Roger Bennett:So my instinct is that what happens is he is slowly reintegrated into the team and then they revisit it in January. Whether he gets a deal, and this will sound sarcastic, it's not meant to, Rog, whether he gets a deal as appealing as Everton, I don't know. It might be that he doesn't get to move to a club that is aiming for mid-table Premier League. Maybe it's a little bit lower down. I don't think there's any way he's made to wait until January before he plays it I think he will be back because Monaco will bow to reality. I think we're missing a major import on this story. There's a thing we don't know.

46:16And I do think his non-move to Everton is going to retrospectively be judged by just how many games, whatever injury that he is suffering from actually allows him to play this season. Godspeed, Flo. To better days ahead. From one side of Merseyside to the lesser one, Ipswich nil. Liverpool Football Club 2. Who doesn't love Friday night mid-table rumbles? 12th against 13th. And by the way, it wasn't the rough haul in 12th at kickoff at Fortress Portland Road. The Tractor Boys hadn't beaten in 18 games there before this one. Irohola, quite ruthless intellection. Araujo replacing the floundering Jeremy Frimpong at right back.

46:55You thought this was the most significant story of the day. He dropped Gravenberg Irohola last week. Frimpong and Gravenberg kept out this week. To you, that's the symbol.

47:05Roger Bennett:That's the key. Yeah, it's not just that he's clearly still trying to work out. exactly what the best balance of the side is, which is natural for a manager who's in his third competitive game. But he's also sending out a message, I think, that if you don't play well, you don't get to keep your place in the team. And there were times under Arna Slott last year, we will at some point, I'm sure, totally re-literate Arna Slott's last season as Liverpool manager, but there were times last year where it didn't feel as though that was happening. It felt as though partly because the squad was imbalanced and partly because Slott had a very clear idea of how he wanted to play and who he wanted to play it, some players were immune to being dropped for form, whereas Iriola, in three games now, decided Dravon Burch didn't play well enough against Newcastle, so dropped him, then decided to keep him out of the team and drop Frimpon against Ipswich, for Ronald Araujo, who is experienced at playing right-back, but is not a natural right-back, that isn't how he self-defines.

47:58Roger Bennett:That strikes me as being pretty decisive, and the message I think is pretty clear there to the players, it's if you don't play well, you don't play, and that's quite a useful motivational tool. Message sent, message heard. Five minutes, 57 seconds in. Liverpool sped up to the danger zone. Gakpo, just superb. Shouldn't he be at Manchester City? Wriggling through the middle. A pass perfectly sliced into the stride of Isaac, who just trotted forward and unleashed. And maybe it was a shock of Isaac having a touch in the box that early. But man, we've heard a lot about him. Switchtown's goalkeeper, Sherpa, the all six foot nine of him.

48:35He's a giant! He let the ball through him. And then just two minutes, 46 seconds later, that duo again, like the red poor man's Kobe and Shaq, an outside-of-the-foot-curving ball play-through. I can only use the word erotically from Gakpo. It was one of the moments of the weekend into Izak's path. And he just utterly violated and humiliated Greaves. I think you can pinpoint the exact moment the defender's brain synapsed if you watched it in slow motion. and Izak rolled home and then unleashed his signature. Point back at the carnage. I just created celebration. I think for the first time in the Liverpool jersey, a sign to me of confidence that he feels, finally, I can celebrate myself, celebrating.

49:21It's so good to see it back humanly well.

49:23Roger Bennett:Yeah, those three minutes, I suppose, were the first time you've ever really felt that Izak looked like the Alexander Izak, the Liverpool sign. There were glimpses when he played against Spurs last season when he scored and then broke his leg basically in the same moment. That was kind of Izak being Izak. This one, you have to weight it for the fact that it was Ipswich, but there were two finishes that did not suggest he was lacking confidence. I think that's the best way of putting it. I don't know if I can make Izak and Asens a thing, Rour. I don't know if I can make that happen. You definitely can't.

49:52Yeah, I'm trying. Izak and Asens. It's up there with the spork. You know what? We should actually get sporks in the Men in Blazers. Sporks with the word the spork on. I think they sell really well in the Men and Blazers store. Look, loved it. He's acts of red. Ole, ole. Dusted off. Sung. Not ironically. He's now got the same number of league goals he had all season last year. Must have been nice for you, I thought. Trying to be big-hearted. Ah, you can learn football can be a good time to watch. Who knew? Gakpo, by the way, the way he was playing. Like a new signing. Not to go all Buck Showalter on your asses sometimes.

50:28The best moves you make are the ones you don't make. I did think the way he's playing, he's going to keep your new$143 million signing Bradley Barcola on the bench for a little while. He did trot on Double B, 64th minute, had a little lightning burst or two, and what has to, I think, legally be called a cameo. Did you like what you saw of Bradley Barcola?

50:48Roger Bennett:Yeah, I think, I mean, he didn't really do anything, to be honest. I mean, he was there. It was nice to see him in the red shirt. It means that the deal is done and he exists and stuff. But, yeah, I don't think you could really gauge anything from his performance. I suppose the big thing is that it means if he's fit enough to do 25 minutes, then it maybe shouldn't take him that long to be fit enough to do 90. But yeah, it was nice to see him. I'm not sure you can draw any conclusions from what he actually did. I love watching him again. John Oliver has a belief, a theory that Liverpool only sign players from around the world who sound great when they're pronouncing the Scouts accent.

51:23And like, Bradley, Bradley, does sound like he was born, like a stone-sear away from Anfield. So welcome, new friend. Oh, God, Connor Bradley-Barcola. It's like Olivia Newton-John Travolta. You've got your own whatever that's called. I love it when that happens. Clean sheet for Liverpool. Just a second in 14 games. It actually adds the XG in this one. I think it was 0.81 to 0.71, but forget that. Much-needed win. Massive for Irola. He said post-game, we are starting to get to the way we want to play. Look, we know his methods are complex, and we know it took Bournemouth 10 games before. he had his first win so this was relatively speedy and I think it had to be maybe it won't take as long as feared for his ideas to bed in but raw how much of this was progress how much of this was dot dot dot well just dip switch yeah I mean there's a little bit of both I think to be honest

52:12Roger Bennett:it was a game that that Liverpool should have won although their record away from home for the last year or so has been pretty dreadful they're clearly getting familiar with Irola's methods things are getting better I thought the a lot of the players spoke afterwards about how they're kind of under instructions to get the ball forward quicker Izak said that suits him, that's what he wants so those ideas are starting to bed in a little bit it will still take more time but I think it was pretty crucial from Iriola's point of view just to get a win under the belt they've not lost this season I'd say they've actually had two good results I don't think drawing at Newcastle is a bad thing at all they've got Fulham and Bournemouth up next I think so he needed a relatively peaceful start I don't think most Liverpool fans expect him to win the lead or anything this season.

52:57Roger Bennett:But at a club like that, especially a club like that that was in a very fractious mood when he came in, the last thing you need is a slow start because that's when things get tricky. So it buys everybody a bit of time and a bit of space and a bit of calm, Rog. Ah, tranquilo. Liverpool next up, Champions League midweek at Anfield against Atletico Madrid, which I'll cover at the final whistle with the mighty James Horncastle on Wednesday's episode on our YouTube of European Nights, which is now post-game. Then Fulham at home next weekend. It's incredible how a win against Ipswich is quickly bolted onto two fairly damp squibbed draws and Liverpool turned from listing into unbeaten Liverpool.

53:38Surging Liverpool. This is who we are now, just narrative knee-jerkers. One tiny behind-the-scenes point that I need to... Well, it's not tiny, but I need to keep it tiny to keep moving. Liverpool searching for a fourth sporting director in four years after confirming the news everyone knew was coming. this week finally. Richard Hughes has stepped down from the role. His departure has been long expected. He's going to take a similar position with the Saudi Pro League Club Al-Hilal which is mind-bending. Boyhood fan. Yeah, big boy. I mean, God, you've got to feel good for him. It's a dream. Hailed as a genius when he joined Liverpool in 2024 from Bournemouth and installed on the Slotters manager.

54:20Led to the title but he was also the gent who then had to sack Garner less than a season later. That after massive expenditure. Yes, I'm old enough to remember the Verts, Isaac, Eketike window. And now, Barcola. Ro, Richard Hughes will be remembered as dot, dot, dot.

54:37Roger Bennett:To an extent, Rog, I think time will tell. Because if they end up with an attack that is led by Barcola and Verts and Isaac and Eketike, then they were Richard Hughes' contributions. The bitter thing to me is what you said right at the start there, that they're now searching for a fourth sporting director in three years. That's meant to be the long-term job. That's the position that is meant to have the club's future mapped out that is meant to provide stability and continuity. The fact that Liverpool have had so much churn in that position I think says something quite interesting about how the club is being run at the moment.

55:09That would be my broader position on it.

55:13Roger Bennett:I think, Hughes, it's hard to judge until you know how all of those signings end up. Talking about stability amidst transition, Manchester City 1, Coventry City 0, Tesco Pep against Super Frank Lampard. City debut for British record, equaling$169 million Enzo Fernandes, a bloke who'd spent pretty well the entire week with his announcement post-signing. Up the City! Really a shot at up the Chelsea. Then quipping, I always dreamed to be in a club as big as Manchester City. This is a dream move for me. I'm really happy. Essentially, Manchester spent days subtweeting Chelsea or taking shots at every opportunity.

55:54Is this just like modern football now? I did not understand why.

55:58Roger Bennett:Well, the irony there is that Enzo Fernandes has played for two clubs that are bigger than both City and Chelsea, River Plate and Benfica. They're much bigger than either of those teams, certainly historically, Rog. There seems to be a slightly weird amount of resentment from both Enzos towards Chelsea, Moresta and Fernandes. It's almost like club sanctioned policy. That was their tweet up the city. Yeah, I can't really understand what Chelsea have done wrong to Enzo Fernandes other than give him hundreds of millions of dollars or tens of millions of dollars. You gave me lots of money. You paid me extraordinarily well for many years.

56:35But not as much as these guys.

56:37Roger Bennett:Stumbags. Yeah, it seems unnecessary and a little bit gauche, if I'm honest, Rog. what's interesting is trying to work out how long Enzo Fernandes will be booed by by every crowd in England for the World Cup semi-final that is my that's my game of the season we'll get to that when he said I'd love to move to Manchester that's what he meant look it's all very modern football and it's all very strange Enzo initially seemed so exhausted from his his week of trolling that he initially started on the bench but I liked injury to Nico O 'Reilly in warm-ups meant he was flung into the fray alongside in a dagger to my heart, $88 million worth of beautiful, beautiful Ili and Di.

57:16It's so hard emotionally. I will be honest for me to see him ghost around the field, so ethereally in the shirt of another lover. On one team, Cherky and then Di, it's almost like having Chris Rock and Shane Gillis on stage at the same time doing bits. It's almost too much mirth, too much joy.

57:32Roger Bennett:Yeah, there's too much kind of improvisation going on. It's a jazz freestyle at a team that's, I don't have the musical knowledge to do this, Rog, a team that's had the conductor in charge for a long, long time. Yeah, suddenly it's just like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis are let loose and it's just like no longer the Glen Campbell orchestra. Look, game felt like a mismatch. City team, ripple muscle, huge, huge expenditure. Those incoming midfield pieces, Enzo and Elliot Anderson and the fantastic team, Ayubuadi, cost$435 million, which is almost$200 million more than the entire Coventry squad.

58:07City had been unbeaten in their last 30 against newly promoted teams. Coventry had looked so off the pace in their first two games. Big Frank went back three. I've got to say it worked at the outset. Coventry had chances, possibly because City kept giving them charitably. Donnarumma of his own accord almost mispossessed the ball over his own line with his big albatross feet footwork. Then seconds later, a one-year blue, a one-on-one, gifted by more City sloppiness. There was one excellent Donnarumma save from, I think it was a Rudoni header off a long throw. But then form and I guess logic and money kicked in.

58:4126 minute, just a stunning Semenyo cross. A Mareska trait that Pep didn't always believe in crosses. Pulled back at last with real whip. Met with a stunning Holland header. If you look at the play again, you can honestly marvel at how Holland gets open in the first place. It's like watching an elite tight end break free at the line of scrimmage. just clubbing, swimming to punch past physical jams from a linebacker. And man, again, with that new Downey haircut, that buzz cut, it was like watching a dunk by a giant baby. 300th goal in club football. He's still just 26 years overall.

59:16Roger Bennett:Yeah, but he does look like a giant baby. Maybe that's a way of, maybe the haircut is about reminding us how young he is. I just love it. That thing go at my baby. Haaland, also 20 goals in 21 games against the only promoted teams. feasts on the uncertain newbies. Coventry let City have 83 % possession in the first half, but second half, they should draw strength from holding City. And I do think, as you said earlier, I think their fans should have got at least a point, Ro, for chanting the Falklands or Ars at Enzo Fernandes. Yeah, this is going to be a theme. I was at the whole Villa game, and Alejandro Garnaccio got booed when he came on for Villa, I think just for being Argentine.

59:54Roger Bennett:So it may well be that this is going to be something we see a lot through the season, and a lot of it directed at Enzo because of his role in knocking England out of the World Cup. I've got to say, the geopolitics of the Falklands being litigated in Premier League stadia for the entire season is... I don't know. It might become quite tiring quite quickly. It's why we watch. City, for all their new power pieces, second off they played like strangers, like expensive Hello My Name Is sticker style, Murley Anderson was phenomenal here, but Coventry, they did have chances. They will rue Ellis Sims' decision-making.

1:00:34He had a close-range chance in that second half, and he decided instead, let me just thrash this off Donnarumma's sad face instead, which was a choice. Their wait for a first Premier League goal goes on. May 2001 was their last one, if you're counting at home. Three wins out of three for Tesco Pep Roar. Manchester United next Sunday. Where are you on his progress and the betting in?

1:00:55Roger Bennett:He's done as well as you can expect him to have done. I was pleased that Lampard's Coventry, as we have to call them, they seem to be learning. I think that's good. They're getting to grips with the division. But Mureska has done all he could do this far. He's won all of his games. They've looked convincing in moments, less convincing in others. Just as with Xabi Alonso at Chelsea, they are learning. And that will take time. Talking about take time. Nottingham Forest, nil. Tottenham, nil. Progress, people. People watch Tottenham, I realise, in different ways. all that money spent, all that hope, all those new players, 0.0 goals.

1:01:31Many tune in to laugh. Schadenfreude, Spurs and Freude, feeling better about themselves through other suffering. I'll admit, I don't, I find it humanly, I find it hard to watch. I'm re-watching the first two seasons of Narcos right now. I don't know why that show is not better remembered as a classic, because Wagner, Moorman. but I find Spurs as difficult to watch as when you see a new character introduced in that series at the beginning of an episode and you just know the only reason they're being introduced is because they're either going to be tortured horrifically or gunned down by one of Pablo Escobar's Sicario's in quite searingly heartbreaking fashion before the end of the episode that's how you feel you just flick every time they're on screen with just like oh my god I am afraid for you that's how I feel we're watching Tottenham try and prove themselves to themselves just two shots on target in this game for both teams none at all for Tottenham and at this point many Spurs fans are having a counter indignancy to the mockery wondering why football is laughing at them and not as hard at Villa who've had the exact same number of points I think I know the answer to that to be honest rule but for me Spurs is just a symbol of the suffering and blight of kind of postmodern equity investment English football.

1:02:47And so when I watch them, there's a little bit of what ails them in all of us. I'm very aware of that.

1:02:52Roger Bennett:Maybe. I think the difference is that Villa have felt like a team on the up in the last five years, whereas Spurs have sort of felt like a team going the other way. Obviously, they win the Europa League, finish in 17th. They then finish 17th again. And I think because Spurs have a sense of themselves that maybe is at odds with how the rest of English football sees Spurs or would like to see Spurs or pretends to see Spurs, it's easier to mock them. They also spent an awful lot of money this summer and there was a lot of talk of them being kind of, well, we're not going to make the same mistakes again.

1:03:25Roger Bennett:We're going to be, you know, we're back. We're surging back towards the top of the table to where we should be. Whereas with Villa, maybe there's a little bit of sympathy almost that they've had their heart put out of that side. But the other thing you have to remember is Spurs have got loads and loads of fans and that's good because it means, you know, you can sell them merchandise and they can do big pre-season tours. but it comes with a flip side which is that when those fans are quieted by the football not working out as maybe they want it to other fans will crow at them and that I think is what's happening Yeah, and this game, could have been an email first off,$68 million of the lap unleashed for Forest fans to I guess endeavour but blunt impact and for Spurs they have nothing that approaches how precise I guess Roberto De Zerbe's hair can be his hair tactics rule I was watching the whole game.

1:04:14He's got this bushy top. I think it's teepered down. This is from far away, so I don't know if it's accurate. Teepered down into a number two just off his crown. Then it blends into his stubble. But his moustache is at least three different clipper guard sizes in there. It is elite tactical precision.

1:04:30Roger Bennett:And it's all been done deliberately for the psychological benefit, I think. It's to keep players on their toes, to confuse the opposition. It's high class. I do. I think it's like his tactical game map. This is the heat map I want from you lads. Good around here. Daddy wants. Look, what they do have is a collection of wild mean footballers. Marmouche. Constantly, I think the verb is Marmouching. If Mo Salah is the Egyptian king, what is Omar Marmouche? The Egyptian King George III. The Egyptian usurper, maybe. The Egyptian republican. I'm not sure. He's an Egyptian anti-monarchist. I think Marmouche has been quite good.

1:05:09Roger Bennett:He's lively. The anti-monarchist. The Egyptian regicider. The problem with Spurs is that there's so many new players. Again, this is really obvious, Rog. This is not top-class football insight. I feel as though I'm not justifying my existence here. But it's all very well signing lots and lots of footballers in one summer. You then have to teach them all how to play together. I'll have 18. I'll get there in a minute. But I'm starting to think, ultimately, he just is the Egyptian. Dwight McNeil. 73rd minute, McAlellan Mudrick came in. It was like in a sitcom. on just seeing some of the doorbell ringing oh it's um it's it's kramer oh it's crazy watching him come on first time since november 2024 managed to turn like kramer after the racism like just coming back managed to turn them all over twice in the four touches he had um most amazing moment was when nico williams did actually bundle the ball over the line it was tonali and van hecker wasn't it um 200 million dollars or so there to completely just repress all the worry but instead they decide we'll do slapstick bits.

1:06:10We'll do Benny Hill and Keystone Cops playing alongside each other, the back stuff. VAR gave a reprieve, saw the touch of a Nico hand, a caress in the process, and that was that. Again, I'll have a glass of May. Forrest hard to beat, but Spurs, six goalless halves, zero shots on target against Forrest. First time they've failed to score in the first three games of the season since 1974. Good news for me is twofold. A point, it's not nothing. possibly better news. I think you could say performance is better than the one before against Newcastle which was better than the one before it against Brentford.

1:06:44There is progress, Rob.

1:06:46Roger Bennett:Yeah, it's slow and it's halting but it is progress of sorts. I'd agree with that and again, the longer the new signings have to get to know each other the better they will get and the other advantage that Spurs have they've got the midweek off, Rog. They are not playing this week. That will give them chance to train. That gives Deserby access to his players and that will matter this year. A pity who they play next weekend. Checks, notes. Oh, it's Everton, a.k.a. the Spurs of the North. Three points loading. Hole nil. Aston Villa, nil. You were there, Roar. Oh, the Cinderella story. If the coach didn't turn into a pumpkin on the night of the very first ball, everyone predicted before the season a clash between one team who were perfect and the other bottom of the table yet to score a goal.

1:07:36Yeah, but that team is Villa and Unai Emery continues to unleash meme takes on the sideline throughout the game as Villa did not have a shot on target this season before this one. So I guess the tame dribble from George Hemmings in which the only one here was vast progress. $350 million spent by Goretzka and Johan Manzambi still to make their debuts. Hollow sensational. 19 signings, is it, since promotion somehow. Yeah, 18. They've managed to make it look easy, and you've got to credit their manager, Jakirovic, because they don't look like a team we need time to bed in. 26 % possession, yeah, that's not great, but they did come closest to winning this.

1:08:20They had a sizzling shot from quite wonderful winger, Mohamed Balumi, which slapped off the crossbar, only McBurnie also had a late, late chance. They are resilient. Just the third promoted side to keep clean sheets in their first three games of a season in the Premier League, Rouen. They remain, unbelievably, the only team in the top flight yet to concede once this season. That feels almost like a science fiction short story.

1:08:45Roger Bennett:It does. They're actually a really good example of the misleading nature of the transfer market. They have signed 18 players, Rog. They spent$180 million or so, more than Barcelona. But only two or three of those players are in the team. Srdjie Kurovic has been very clear. He is sticking with the players who got him promoted wherever he can. So he's drafted in a couple as reinforcements, but this is still the core of the side that took Hull up unexpectedly last season. And that's because, say it with me, it takes time to bed players in. So every single one of his outfield substitutes on Saturday, and it's a game I still have PTSD from, Rog, because it was terrible.

1:09:20Roger Bennett:But every single one of his substitutes was a new signing. The bolt of the first team, of the team that started, had been there for a while. And that's the way you have to do it. And it's the problem that Villa have got as well, just like Spurs. if you sign lots and lots of players then you have to give them time but those clubs where expectations are much higher don't get that kind of luxury and the other thing I'd say about Sidi Jekirovic himself the whole coach he's a little bit of a star is Jekirovic I think he's got a really dry sense of humour he's very smiley in a way that you wouldn't necessarily expect from a man who seems quite dour I've been to two Hall games this season and I've really taken to him I think he will be someone that people start to appreciate more in the Premier League, provided that he can keep his job full on enough for them to notice.

1:10:08Same could be said of the two managers in this next game. Newcastle, two. Bournemouth, oh, two. In the Eddie Howe Memorial Derby, game was played with, I guess, the intensity one should have expected from two managers, Matthias Geisler and Marco Rosa, who both came through the Red Bull system and both you just say their name in with an uh at the end just because battles up and down the wings, verticality, transitions, counter-pressing, Tyler Adams leading that press, Bournemouth early, just smothering the midfield, Alex Scott and Gardable in the early exchanges and Bournemouth romped 2-0 up after 35 minutes.

1:10:46But this is Bournemouth, you can always come back and Newcastle began with a spectacular Harvey Barnes effort carving down the flank, cutting inside a stunner that scream, Red Bull gives you wings. But that was telling me Newcastle's only shot at the first half. They seem to have nothing in the second half. Flat game of really of negation. But God, Bournemouth, I love Bournemouth. But this Marco Rosa-Bournemouth play like they've been training on this concede after the 84th minute thing. Four times they've conceded goals in three games after that minute here. Here, 88th minute, only their second shot on target, It's slop in the box, cleaned up by a Jacob Ramsey artful side for it.

1:11:25With that, agony for Marco Roser, who seems to hate Leeds, even more than Manchester United fans hate Leeds. Seven points thrown away for Bournemouth already this season, with three games in, seven points. God, that is a what-if agony. First team in Premier League history to score the opening goal in their first three games of the season, fail to win any of them. It's actually quite impressive.

1:11:46Roger Bennett:Yeah, it's not a great sign. And I think what's really problematic for Bournemouth is that it becomes a little bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy that if you can't kill a game off and you've got this record of conceding in the 84th minute plus, the teams you're playing will know that and that will start to play on your mind and it will play on their mind and then that will play on your mind and then that will play on their mind and it becomes this cycle that you can't really escape. Oh, we found out that word, didn't we, in the World Cup? Kopfcine, Kopfcino, or whatever, head cinema. Yes. Inside, yeah, I can't remember what the term was.

1:12:19Kopfcino. yeah Kopfkino that's what they've got by the way Marco Rizzo didn't avoid it post game he said we have to put our finger in the and I think the English media thought he said bunda which which made something else yeah it was a German word for you know what but I actually do when I rewound I think he said wunder which is German for wound meaning we've got to confront a very sensitive I mean either way by the way I mean yeah look it depends where the wound is yeah you can do it both ways do the bunda do the wunder and see which one works better. But I think he's meaning that it's a very sensitive bit of Kopfkino, if I know Marco Rosa.

1:12:55It's Kopfkino. We're going to address it head on. Brentford away, very, very difficult test. But from a Newcastle POV, that equaliser, again, via an impact substitute, that's the difference in Joisler having his first kick in the downbelows and being able to cling on to that pattern of being bright young coach narrative. I've got to say, his team efficient as hell. Two shots on target last week against Spurs, two goals this week. Two shots on target, two goals again. They are an economist's dream.

1:13:21Roger Bennett:They are, but they have allowed 61 shots across the three games they've played, which I'd say is just a little bit of a red flag. An economist's dream. In other games, Brentford won. Sunderland won. Two shockingly well-run clubs. Where's the fun in that? Enzo Le Fay scored a late penalty. Remember, he blew a Penenka against the same opponents last season, so this was doubly redemptive. Rescued a point. Brentford, so efficient, so organised. fifth place very focused on the Europe they did not get last season Sunderland they've got Ecuadorian one the Nilsson Angulo I love watching one of my new friends and I love watching the most that man is a chaos creator but they don't have anyone who can reliably finish Arsenal and Manchester City ahead in their next Premier League to Fulham two Crystal Palace three a game coated in unexpected relegation vibes and not to sound too Led Zeppelin on your ass, Roar.

1:14:18But the managers can change, but the score remains the same. For the fourth straight time, Palace win at Fulham. Should play all their games there. Pierre Sarge gets his first win. Resilient Palace. Three goals from left-backs. Two from Tyreek Mitchell. The winner from returning hero, Ben Chilwell. His first in his return to Palace after 484 days. Palace needed this. But Fulham, Roar, we tip them for relegation. You know, the midfield looks broken. Yes, Josh King is sensational. But the team do look, they look like they're in bits. They played Liverpool next. They were booed off here. Pointless.

1:14:54Three games lost to start a top flight campaign for just the third time in their history. And both of those first two instances, they were relegated.

1:15:02Roger Bennett:It might be that they've got Liverpool next, Roger, that makes me think this. But going forward, they look okay. They look quite threatening going forward. Oscar Bob's playing quite well. Palacios is starting to show a little flicker of promise. Gonzalo Garcia's actually in front of the opposition's goals, started life in the Premier League really, really well. The problem is at the back, they seem far too easy to play through. And Abuelo, who was a very, very good defender in his time, will have to sort that out really quickly. Or, as we said at the start of the season, they might get relegated.

1:15:32Roger Bennett:Just as realistic is he gets sacked and they appoint a manager who can keep them up. On a slot's return. Does on a slot not have Fulham written all over it? I think he'd probably wait to go a bit higher than that. But yeah, look, there's definitely a scenario where Fulham stay up this season, but Alvaro Arbaloa does not remain as manager. And finally, Brighton won. Leeds United won. Leeds hadn't won any Amex in 10 previous goes. Search continues one step at a time. They scored a goal at least. Jadon Bogle opened the score in here. 15 minutes in. DCL had a signature close-range header, Parade. I've got to say Tanaka, the ball he rolls across the face of goal for a tapping off the rebound is so bloody generous.

1:16:14First Leeds goal at the Amex since 2012. At J.R. Cooper tweeted, Leeds played 12 hours, 39 minutes of football at the Amex since they last scored. You could watch all three Lord of the Rings films and The Godfather in that time and still have 23 minutes to spare. You could, Ro, but why would you

1:16:32Roger Bennett:when you can watch impotent, goalless football? I said on our previews, Rog, that I was really expecting Leeds to lose at Brighton, which is Leeds always lose at Brighton. but that first half they created loads of chances which is good for Leeds it's bad for Brighton who look very much like the kind of up and down Brighton of a couple of years ago where one week they're beating Aston Villa 4-0 and then the next week you think how are this team in the Premier League they're the most kind of unpredictable side like that of the entire 20 we've all got mates like Brighton some nights you just like genuinely night of our life you know the world is ours and then the next time you go out expecting the big one and it's just like I think I'm going out I don't really fancy this at all.

1:17:10Yeah, don't fancy none up for this. Brighton, now, God bless. Came alive second half. Young defensive stud Voskovic with the equaliser off a set piece. Leave the Spurs and the goals will come, son. I think Leeds will be the fact they didn't put the game away in that first half. But the veteran Goodmanson admitted post-game, he was asked what's different this season and last season. He said last year we would have lost that game. What did you think, Roar? Lots of reinforcements at least. Lots of money spent in big ways. expectations raising. I see a steadiness, but are you really seeing a big difference, growth in the second campaign?

1:17:44Roger Bennett:I'm the same as you, Ror, to be honest. I thought that their transfers were very sensible and strengthened them where they needed strengthening. My concern from the first three games of the season for Leeds is that they still have that slight vulnerability, as you say, and inability to finish off games. I thought the way that Brentford last week kind of dominated them for an hour or so was a little bit of a warning. I'm sceptical whether they've got enough kind of, whether they basically have enough individual talent going forward to win a lot of games. I don't think the Leeds are going to get relegated.

1:18:15Roger Bennett:I think they'll be fine. They've had a good start to the season. But I still worry that they maybe lack a little bit of creativity and a little bit of quality. I adore watching them. They are my guilty pleasure of the season. Let's wrap with a quick return to our Premier League sentiment table, PLST. Not where the teams are in league position, but the joy or the agony the fan bases seem to be in are I love the knee-jerk fight or flight world of football. Roar, let's start with the happiest three fan bases in your estimation this week. Who's top of the table? So top would be Arsenal, Champions of England, first major test of the season passed, suddenly playing excellent football as well as being able to grind out results.

1:18:53Roger Bennett:Everything is rosy in the world of Arsenal. Second, I'm going to say Newcastle, yet another late equaliser, still riding that Matthias Geisler kind of train, enjoying it in the same way as Everton maybe a little bit. You know, they thought everything was lost and it's not that bad. And third, I'm going to put Everton, Rog, who thought they were down and out, had this terrible week, thought everything had gone wrong. And it's amazing the difference that a 96-minute equaliser can do for you. It kind of reminds me of that psychologist study of last year we talked about where 80 % of the things we worry about in life never come to pass.

1:19:27They will. Top three for me, Hull City in dreamland. Number two, Arsenal, I agree, feeling invincible. And third place, Everton, feeling, well, a pulse, a glorious pulse. Bottom three, Ro, give us them.

1:19:42Roger Bennett:So in reverse order, so the highest first, if you see what I mean. I think Coventry, they've not got a point, they've not stored a goal, but they are starting to improve so that they are moved up a little bit despite things getting technically worse. 19th, Tottenham, no points, no goals. Dreadfully boring, it's Nottingham Forest. This isn't what they were expecting from the season. And 20th, predictably enough, I think it has to be Fulham, who at this stage are already looking extremely worried. I'm going reverse, reverse order for dramatic effect. 20th place, Fulham, dead battery season loading.

1:20:1719th, Aston Villa. This spotting every one of five-game head start things becoming a tradition, but it doesn't mean it's easy to live through. So, oh, and in 18th place, Everton. See what I did there? Long term, still feeling super damaged and very, very fearful about the uncertainty of the bruising that is to come. Doesn't heal in a week, baby. Let's close with a letter from a GFOP, possibly the shortest we got for more time. GFOP, Philippe Polychronio. Oh, Yasu, Philippe, who said,

1:20:49Roger Bennett:succinctly, Roar, do the honours. He said, suitably, for a man with a Greek name, he said is Enzo Morescu Manchester City's Patroclus Ro you're a classic scholar I had to look this one up so Patroclus is Achilles well it depends on your interpretation of the Odyssey I've still not seen the film I've not had chance I'm devastated by it Patroclus in the original myth is Achilles lover effectively it's more than that Ro more than that I did look it up he's the son of an Argonaut stay with me here when he was a child He was exiled from his hometown, adopted by Peleus, who sounds like someone walls with a sign five years ago, king of Phithia.

1:21:31Sorry if I butchered that. How do you class of six say that? Phithia, I think. Yeah. Raised him alongside his own son, who was called? Achilles. He grew up with Achilles, essentially as a quasi-brother. And then, you know, Trojan War turns against the Achaeans. Patroclus, disguised as Achilles, defies orders to retreat, led the Myrmidians to battle against the Trojans and was eventually killed by the Trojan Prince Hector. I love the name Hector. Enraged by Patroclus' death, Achilles ends his refusal to fight and then starts to rack up Greek victories. Essentially, Roy, he's like your standard younger brother slash lover who dies for you.

1:22:10Roger Bennett:Yeah, it's a weird sentence, isn't it? He's your standard younger brother slash lover who dies for you. That is a weird job title, I would say. So does that fit for Enzo? I think if what Philip is driving at is the scene in the Iliad where Patroclus dresses up as Achilles and leads a portion of the Greek army into battle, then there is a bit of a parallel there, which is Enzo Moresca. And this sounds like I'm doing a bit. I'm really not, Rog. But when I was watching the Man City game on Saturday night, and obviously it's not shown live on television in England. And every time they cut to Moresca, if you're not fully paying attention, if you might have your phone in your hand or something, you'll be like, why is Pep there?

1:22:53Roger Bennett:It is genuinely spooky. If you squint, you do think that's all. Yeah, it's Pep. And I'm sure that he's doing it on purpose. Yeah, I think we'll only know for sure if he wears the signature hoodigan when it gets a bit colder, the cardigan with the hood. Or is it the hood with the cardigan? We never did quite work it out. We can't, no. so I think from that point of view yes there is an apt parallel between Enzo Maresca and the mythical feeder of Patroclus I think in the sense of is he also Pep Guardiola's younger brother slash lover I'd have to say not sure. Some things we don't need to know, we want to know whatever the nature of their relationship is it's fine why are we getting into their business?

1:23:33I do know Patroclus means glory of the father, by the way if this is it, also this is the threshold if Enzo does a deal with D squared and starts to wear those cargo pants with a weird place pockets. That's what we know. It's Patrick Clus.

1:23:46Roger Bennett:Do you think if he recruits Kyle Walker just so he can shout at him, would that do it? Yeah, just rack up. Play the hits, man. It's like when a band, the lead singer leaves or dies and they'll get a new lead singer to bed in. It's like watching John Mayer play The Grateful Dead. That's what it is more like, I do think. Glory of the Father, Patrick Clus. Pepp is essentially his dad, brother, lover. I love families. By the way, I did ask Google who David Moyes would be like in Greek mythology, and I did not like what Google told me, Ro. Oh, that's a good one. Hang on. You've not warned me about this, Roger.

1:24:21Roger Bennett:No, I didn't. I just did it while we were chatting. It's pained me. So it's an older man. I'll give you a clue. It's very obvious. Go on. Google said David Moyes would be most accurate. I use robot voice for this. Would be most accurately embodied by Sisyphus. Oh, yeah. That's really good. It annoyed me how good it is. Yeah, yeah. I asked Google why, and Google said, due to his endless uphill battle and the collapse at the peak. But Everton fans, I do know this. Sisyphus twice cheated death, first by trapping the personification of death, and second by tricking the rulers of the underworld. Bite your arm off for trapping death.

1:25:02GFO Peace, be in touch with us. Email, always the same, meninblazers at gmail.com. That is it for today. Where are you off to this week, Ru?

1:25:09Roger Bennett:I'm going to be watching a lot of Champions League football this week Rog, I'm very excited, it's back we filmed with Tyreek George and Ben White and we'll be releasing both of those including Ben White on Tuesday, Thursday afternoon-ish we'll have a very special version of the Big Weekend Preview with the returning Humphrey Carr, thanks for all your lovely notes about that one, again send us all your questions for Raw and Humph this is Rog saying let's not take a second of watching football together for granted and courage.