Benjamin Sesko - The best is yet to come! | How to get more from the Slovenian striker

0:00A BetterHelp ad. Hold on. One second. I just need to...

0:11What if you had a room where no one interrupts? No notifications. No expectations. Just space to talk. With BetterHelp, therapy happens in a space that's yours. Visit betterhelp.com slash randompodcast for 10 % off your first month of online therapy. Football, man, you don't always have to be really pretty. It's got to be effective sometimes. And it's not a long ball, it's the right ball. Like, I'm not saying do it all the time. Mix it up. Man United, we're going to play shortly. Bruno's going to want it to his feet so he can start dictating and playing some crazy balls, etc. Kobe Manu's going to want the balls to feed.

0:52But at times, just say to the opposition, turn around, run to your own goal, and let's see the heart rate go off a little bit a few times.

1:03Welcome to another episode of Rio Presents. We are brought to you by our trusted partner, Crafted. And guys, we have Mr. Joel Bayer and Mr. Steve Halson here with us, as usual. Been a bit of a different week, this one, for me. I've got to be honest with you guys. been a bit of a different one. Yeah, there's been a lot going on out there, Rio, man. I messaged you, obviously, we've seen the news regarding the stuff in Dubai. Are you guys safe and well? Firstly, I'm in great condition. I was in the gym this morning. The whole family done a workout, actually. A bit like, you know, like the old under lockdown in COVID.

1:33The whole family's at home and just doing things that you don't normally get to do together. Homeschooling a little bit today. But in the main, to be honest with you, it's, yeah, listen, it's frightening when you hear whatever it may be, missiles, planes, fighter jets, I don't know what it is, going above us. And then you're hearing big, big, big bombs. And what that is, we don't necessarily know the actual details of what they are, but they could probably guide us a bit more. But, I mean, again, it's just telling your kids what that is and just helping navigate them through this moment as well, which is important, especially as a dad of the house.

2:11You want to remain calm and keep everybody as calm as possible. But what I must say, I've got to be honest with you guys, it's been a bit of a scary situation, but at the same time, weirdly enough, I have felt very secure and very kind of looked after in a weird way. Obviously, the pals that be out here have been nullifying any things that are coming this way. And I have to say, at this moment in time, the coming together of the place where I live and further afield of different people in Dubai who know I'm here, who are on the ground here as well. The coming together and the communication, talking over WhatsApp and whatnot has been really heartwarming, really, in that sense.

2:57Because when you're away from home, you all know what it's like. You're away from your comforts and what you know best, and you're away from England, which is my home. You do think, well, if something ever went wrong here, who have I got? Well, at the moment, I can look around and go, there's a lot of people here willing to help each other. And that community feeling is really, really there. It's positive. Did it get scary? I can't sit there as somebody who's not been around a lot of firearms in my life and know or understand what each sound means. Steve probably knows what every sound means and goes, oh, that one's not the one to worry about.

3:28That one's a bit too close for comfort, et cetera. But everything sounds terrifying when you're here and you're a novice. IDF, or Indirect Fire, which is missiles, drones, rockets, whatever it is, is the most terrifying of things. we got hit with 256 rocket attacks while I was in Iraq and we were in either hardened bunkers or we were sleeping under sandbags and iron sheets and stuff like that and even when you've had that many I remember the last few weeks of my tour me and my sergeant were sitting in there and there was a bit of a salvo going on we were sitting in there going is that incoming or outgoing?

4:08sometimes you actually can't tell the difference are we sending it that way or is it coming in this way? and there's 11 countries that have just had this it's dubai kuwait bahrain oh man saudi's just had a licking uh iraq's had a lick like they've just given everybody yeah qatar and they've hit all the airports as well every country in the region's had a bit of a licking on the back of um you know what's going on in iran um a lot of the gulf countries are using america's patriot missile system which fires up um missiles to try and intercept them you've got to put your faith in that they're pretty good.

4:43I mean, I think they're about a million quid a throw. One thing I would say is that faith in the government here and the authorities here in protecting us for one and the expats the local Emirates etc. has been great to see and long may that continue. This continues obviously, but it's mad. Where I'm shooting from here, this is the studio I've got in my house, but it's like, it's become my little bunker. It's become our little, it's the basement in my house. And we were advised to go into the basement on the first night of all of the, when all the noise started. And we were down here sleeping just behind you.

5:21All the sofas are put together and stuff. And dufes are just in the corner over there. So, yeah, we're utilising the space wisely at the moment. We're glad you're safe. But also, we have to start the pod with Man United up to third. Michael Carrick still unbeaten, but it wasn't totally comfortable, was it, though? Let's be honest with you, lads. These are the type of games that Man United slipped on for I don't know how many years now. Stee and myself would have been going into this game like this. And it's Palace, who have done a number on us a few times, and you're thinking, oh, my God, are we going to be able to get...

5:55And you know what? The first 45 minutes, everyone who supports Man United probably sitting there going, are we going to be going back to Taipei? And, like, they had a box midfield, which were causing us problems, and they're playing out in the first phase and then through the midfield was really good yesterday. And they looked the more drilled, well-drilled team in that respect. But then Michael and his coaching staff and the players all woke up in the second half and changed the game and changed the whole dynamic of the stadium, 100%. I mean, he said himself, he said it was important to see the team respond after the first poor 30 minutes.

6:30And how do you reckon he did that though, Rio? Definitely a few words would have been said at halftime. But I think pass the ball forward. I think everything was a bit like safe. It was safe. I mean, the penalty comes, we go a goal down, set piece, but the goal comes to change the dynamic of the game as well. A ball's just right. It's a simple ball, by the way, but far too often, when I watch the game today, and I don't want to sound like an old fart, but you watch the game today and everything's about being a bit more safer and just stat padding, just getting another couple of passes in just to make sure I'm getting up to the 90 % completion numbers.

7:04when really an extra touch to the side to move away from the man in front and just pop it around the corner into the front man and then runners off him. Like these things cause problems for defenders. They ask the defender questions. Can you defend with me? That's something Michael Carrick would have been great at as well, by the way. That changing the pace of the game, changing the dynamic of the game, changing an angle of a ball into a front man that tells somebody else, not necessarily the man who passed it, but someone else. When that ball goes into the front man, so many more different options open up.

7:33If he's got runners around him, He can use them as people to take the defender's eyesight away and then go the other way. There's so much you can do with that. So that one instance for me was the changing of the game. I'm not sure how much was changed and how much credit you give to Karik here and how much credit you give to the players. I think for the first 30 minutes, United looked toothless. And I think it was about the 30-minute mark or so we started actually crossing the ball. And that's what I thought we needed to do. United was doing something which, I don't know if you're familiar with this, or if this is like a new evolution.

8:11The three in the D. You see three players go into the D, and I think they do it deliberately to try and draw the defence nice and tight and narrow and to open up space in the half space, I presume, right? But United, to me, seem to be going into the D and then trying to pass it into the D where there was United and Palace players screened off by their midfield and protected by their defence in behind as well. And we kept forcing the ball into those areas. I think especially once Luke Shaw went off, there was no natural width down that side. And that really hurt us. Two right-footed players. Like, I think if Michael Carey could have done this in the game, I would have given loads of props to him for it.

8:51If he'd have just put Mbumo over there with Masrawi. Not even necessarily make a sub. I mean, I text Rio and said I'd have brought Amadon at left-back, which is a bit giddy. but Palace at the time were just sitting back and weren't really offering as much of a threat coming forward but even if he'd have just changed Mbumo over and you've got Masraoui and Mbumo at least you've got a left footer on that side that can get around the outside and give you some width United was so predictable and bunching up a little bit I thought I just think it was a bit more of a simple I don't think it was a massive shift just yesterday at half time I think it was a simple this pass the ball forward play forward it was just a conservative approach in the first half like you say it's toothless because how many times did we get the ball into Sesko?

9:32Either from wide areas or just actually a direct ball into his feet and go, right, fight the defender and get runners running off him. We didn't do that in the first half. And we ended up doing it. And the goal that he scored, wow, it was like a proper number nine. If Duncan Ferguson scores that, we're all jumping and going, what, that's what we like to see a number nine get across the front of the defender. He wasn't even favoured for that ball the moment it hit and left Bruno's foot. But he made it, he's with his movement, ghosted across the defender and it was an absolute bullet header. Beautiful.

10:04Sesko, he's now scoring loads of different types of goals, boys. Rio, what's his biggest strength? Because at the moment, I don't really know. I think his biggest strengths are still to come. I still don't think we've seen the best of him. I think, listen, if you look at his highlights, and we all did, many United fans especially, when he signed, what's he like? well he hasn't scored a goal that come up on his clips straight away a thunderbolt from 30 yards 40 yards he hasn't scored with both feet a mad volley like he these are goals that he was renowned for before he turned up that people were like he's explosive like wow can finish from anywhere we haven't seen them yet like that confidence hasn't hasn't landed at Old Trafford yet so when that lands we're going to see it there's another layer to him still at least so but what what I I think one of his strengths is, you can see now, he's had a tough start to his Man United career, given that Hoyland was somebody who struggled before him, so there was huge pressure.

11:01Another young striker coming from Germany now. Is he really going to be the saviour? A lot of question marks. So he would have seen and heard all that. Comes in, doesn't go well at the beginning. This team's struggling. He's struggling to find his feet. but mentality has shown that he's made of the right stuff so far, that he's turned a corner now. A new manager's come in, things have been different, there's a new relationship being built there and we're seeing the benefits of it. And like I said, we're still probably only seeing probably 50, 60 % of him, I think, down to age and from what I've seen him do previously.

11:37I think his movement's really good. He makes the unselfish runs that don't get enough credit, in my opinion. like he's constantly on and that pissed me off I'll be honest yesterday, there were so many times that they had the opportunity to stick one in behind playing with a bit of risk I don't give a fuck if you get 97 % pass accuracy how about stick a couple in the mixer for me and let's see if we can get on the end of something when you've got Mbimo and Sesko put them in ask questions of defence, make them turn around like if it's a foot race and you've got the faster players, guess what you're winning a lot of those duels that's the simplest thing, like Rio will tell you pace is the hardest thing that you can defend against the defender.

12:17Like, if he's having to constantly go up to the halfway line to defend, and then people are sticking one in, and you've got a Cesco chasing you, fucking hell, man. He's got some wheels on him, hasn't he? Like, Rio'd be like, Jesus Christ, you'd be asking for fouls, like, you'd be trying to drag his shirt off him. You might even clip him on the halfway line, try and take a yellow there, like, ask questions. We didn't ask enough questions at Crystal Palace yesterday, especially... Do you know what it is, Oste? Do you know what it is, and we both watched this game, right? Because we were texting, but even the centre-halves or the full-backs, our centre-halves and full-backs, how many balls do they play direct to the nine?

12:52How many balls do they play over the centre-halves shoulder behind the full-back and say, right, just go and chase it. If they played one a half, I'll be amazed. Just say to the defender, go and face your own goal for a bit. Come on. And keep making those runs because I've got three young, hungry ones and I've got a couple more waiting on the bench who will run like that all day. And I don't think you can.

13:16Football, man, you don't always have to be really pretty. It's got to be effective sometimes. And it's not a long ball. It's the right ball. They're not saying do it all the time. Mix it up. Man United, we're going to play short. Bruno's going to want it to his feet so he can start dictating and playing some crazy balls, etc. Kobe Manu's going to want balls to feet. But at times, just say to the opposition, turn around, run to your own goal, and let's see the heart rate go up a little bit a few times. Do you know what that does as well? Because you're going to get change. Lenny Uro gets on the ball, and the first touch is he knocks it out of his feet, and he goes, bam, because he's got the range.

13:50He hits a nice flat one that just drops just behind the centre half, and everyone's on their toes after it. The next time Lenny Uro gets on the ball, and Cesco twitches, that centre half's on his toes, and he's just opened up five yards between defence and midfield, and then you stick one into Bruno, and then you're asking questions. You just don't set the same fucking patterns all the time. That's what we need to be doing. Mix it up, man. And you know what... Do you know what it does as well for that player on the ball? It's a confidence builder. And that 30-yard ball into a space is easier than trying to thread one through big loads of bodies.

14:24You've got more space to miss it here a little bit and a striker like Sesko with his athleticism makes up for that. We had Luis Saha, mate, I swear to God. I reckon if I played 100 balls to him in our career, right, long 30, 40 yarders. I reckon 60 probably would have been in and around him. The other 40, another striker makes it look like a bad ball. But he's fighting for them and he's going, Rio looks brilliant now because he's made a fight of it, brings it in or creates a havoc, gets a foul. So your ball doesn't even have to be perfect. But Sesko's that type and Bumo especially is that type.

15:03Even Kunyu could be that. Just play it into it, around him to an area and say, go on, have a fight with that centre-half or that defender. It makes some work, man. I was saying that, Ria, though. What would be the biggest difficulties when facing a defender like Cesco? We've heard you in the past talk about other strikers that you find it difficult. You've said the likes of Raul. You've said the likes of Bergkamp. But when defending against a Cesco, which is a different type of striker, what's the difficulties? Well, I'll spin it round and say it'll be fantastic for me, like it was in the first 30 minutes, 45 minutes of the game yesterday with Palace, I'd be coming in at half time going, thank you Bruno, thank you Kobe, thank you Casemiro, thank you Dalo for not passing forward.

15:49I'd be looking at that and going, if I'm coaching that team, it's a sin that we've got these guys up front, especially that physical, dominant physique that we've got up there, play it into him. That's what I'm telling you because he'll be a difficult player to play against. If you get good ball into him, he's strong, He's quick. He's brave. Do you know what I mean? I think he can be a bit more aggressive, a bit more nasty, which I'd be demanding from him, but I think that could come over time with confidence. But play into him. And if he knocks it off and runs, because I've seen the goal against West Ham, I mean against Everton, when he ran from in his own half.

16:24So I know he's got wheels. So I'm thinking if the ball comes into his feet, I can't go too tight because if he knocks it off and runs, I'm in a foot race. Don't want it. So he's going to be getting space sometimes because defenders aren't going to come in there now. He could be a problem in many different ways. But again, I think like Steve said, when the ball's wide, mate, his movement is very, very good. And he's going to be difficult to pick up because defenders these days, that we've spoken about a lot, don't know how to defend crosses as much. It's not a priority in their makeup as much as it used to be.

16:55Do you know what he's lacking? What? He needs dumping or something. He needs like a villain arc. He needs to be like, I need a nasty side to him. Yeah, I want to I see him just boot someone off the ball out of frustration. Alan Smith type vibes. Yeah. Just like put it in your head a little bit that I might not get the ball, but I'll get you. One of them, because that's going to make defenders think twice a little bit, isn't it? Just be a bit nasty. Like football's too nice. Stop shaking hands in the fucking tunnel. Stop swapping shirts and just lift someone every now and then. Leni Uro, he was at fault for Palace's goal.

17:30Lots of people have been saying that he's been struggling since he's taken over Martinez. Ria where are you at with Lenny's performances of late? If you look at his last couple of performances He's been very good He come on a sub against West Ham And without him we might not get the result In that game He made two unbelievable challenges in that When he came on And he was a big reason as to why we got the three points And this one he was at fault for the goal But these are learning curves And this is what I say I don't think we should sit here And try and judge him over one or two games or moments Because at 19, 20 years old I was at West Ham then it leads to whatever like making them mistakes not know no one knowing about them young defenders young players make mistakes that is part of it when you buy a young player if he's 50 million 10 million 500 grand when you buy him you put it on the wall and the note next to his name mistakes will happen and it's about how you get them through those moments and how you build them around them and when they make them mistakes highlight them to them let them know but then show him how do you prevent this from happening again and Lenny Oro on that on that instance there is he's forgot where the ball is he doesn't he's worried more about the man than the ball where you've got to be able to see both and it's an easily done thing where you when you're young and you're inexperienced and the fella's stronger than him that's the problem as well so he's panicking I know I've been there I've been in them situations defending in training against John Artson and Ian Dowey big lumps when the ball's coming in and they've got you and they They could just throw you about.

18:56You can't let them touch on. That's what I always say to young defenders. Don't be pinned. The ball's there. See the ball, man. And then sometimes go up early with no intention of winning the ball, but just put him off sometimes. Or go up early and try and hang and head it. But it's footwork. It's knowing your strengths, knowing your body strength versus the opponent. There's loads of aspects to it. But the thing for me, which I'm hearing, which is positive, is that they will be going over that goal now. that goal will be dissected by the likes of Woodgate, the likes of Johnny Evans and the other coaches that are there.

19:29This is where you went wrong. This is how we prevent it next time. And that's the important factor that I'm hearing coming out of the current at the moment under this regime. I thought yesterday it was a physical mismatch. And I think that's the biggest thing you could see. Like any time he tried to go tight to him, he was struggling with him. and that's just the reality, isn't it? He's a smaller player. That's where he needs Harry Maguire to go, Lenny, stop fighting him. Let him have the first ball. If it's a good ball up to the striker, sometimes you've just got to go, it's a good ball, you've got to have it.

20:09I'm just not letting him turn. You can't fight every ball and that's when you're young and you're hungry and you're determined and you're desperate to succeed and to be a success in the team and show the manager and the fans and your players how good I am. Every ball becomes a fight. Can't be like that. Sometimes it's a good ball. Respect the opponent. Let him have it. Go back where the ball came from. That's it. Go back. As long as he doesn't turn, I've done a great job. Get back into position. Yeah, you've got to delay, haven't you? As long as you're in the way, you're doing your job. 100%. It's true.

20:46Bruno Fernandes. I want to apologise to you sir because last year last season Rio and Steve were telling me that you were better than certain midfielders, I'm not going to name who and I fighted them and I fought them and a year on later on I could put my hands up and say I was wrong because Bruno became the first player since Antonio Valencia in 2012 to reach 13 assists in a single Premier League season now we all know that the record right now is being held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne can he break it? Can he break it come the end of the season, Rio? He needs seven in the last ten matches of the season.

21:23What do you reckon? Well, it definitely can be done because he's just got that ability. He's just somebody who just seems like he can... He's a locksmith, isn't he? He can unpick any type of puzzle that you've got in front of him with them boots of ease. He's just somebody who sees the game at a different pace. He sees angles that others don't. He sees areas with which that others don't even imagine, let alone try and execute. And he's just... I think his relationship with the forward players growing, becoming more familiar with their moves. I see yesterday he was shouting at Sesco about a pass he made across the front and he wanted Sesco to move.

22:02That relationship, once that becomes more telepathic, who knows how many more goals he can set up. And again, he's playing higher up the pitch where he's going to have more opportunities to see runs and hurt opposition teams. And again, he's just put himself in a great position that he's even in the conversation with some of the greats that have played in the Premier League over the years. Yeah, I saw some volley that he played across the pitch at one point and I just thought, oh my God, what's going on here? I mean, he was on Rio Meats recently, right? And he spoke about the types of crosses that Cesco likes.

22:32I saw it on the socials as well. Is there anything else that you learnt in that interview regarding Bruno Rio? No, what I learned is that one, he cares, but two, he's a details man. And he's a details... There's a difference in being a details man for yourself, but he's very much a team guy who wants to help and speak about and understand others. Because in the end, he knows it's going to benefit him. So I asked him, are you having these conversations with like Sesko and Kunio and Mbomo and all the guys? He's like, yeah, always, always like about runs and stuff. Because all the strikers will sell you.

23:06Strikers move different depending on who's on the ball You know what I mean All of these strikers are going to start making different runs Quicker, more aggressive runs With a thought process The ball could actually end up on the end of my foot here Or the end of my nose With a header Because of Bruno being on the ball They're not going to run like that On no disrespect when I don't know When Casemiro's on the edge of his box You know what I mean Because he's not going to play that ball Or when Harry Maguire or Lenny Oro on the edge of their box with a ball. They're not going to run like that.

23:38But you get him within 50, 60 yards of the goal, they're all moving, motoring, and thinking the ball's actually going to turn up. So I love him. And that's where Sesko comes in. He must just be sitting there thinking, how lucky am I to be playing with that behind me? Do you know what I mean, Steve? He's just got this knack of like, you've got some players that are easy on the eye. You know, they've got a great silky touch and this, that and the other. And you've got some players that are just putting up numbers. And Bruno Fernandes' numbers are an absolute joke. They hold up against anybody else's numbers.

24:16And people can say, oh, this guy's got a better touch or he throws his arms around. I don't care because what he does is he goes into that football pitch and he just thinks, goals and assists. Goals and assists. Like Bruno Fernandes won that game. Like, he got the goal, he got the assist. he won that game for Manchester United there's a million different ways to be a captain, that's one way that's one, do you reckon Michael Carrick's asked? Do you reckon Michael Carrick's asked that he's probably not quite as silky as some of the players that he played with or is he like, this guy wins games for me?

24:50Steve, you say not as silky, did you see the touch he took down before the assist, before he whipped it in oh my gosh he's got technique, he ain't playing in Timberlands mate, like he's got some technique about him, but he's, you know, he is, what's the word I'm looking for? I don't know, he's kind of, he's aggressive. Yeah. I mean, and sometimes aggression comes before aesthetics. Yeah, he's an antagonist. He's an antagonist. And that's what it goes back to for a year, a couple of years ago, three, four years ago, when people were saying that he's the problem or he's a, he's a terrible captain and that.

25:26But even through those moments, yeah, he was throwing his arms about a bit more maybe and a bit more tetchy with stuff right but his numbers like Steve said was still stacking up and going what he's doing this in a poor team in an inconsistent team and like even you see him in all the games he's always talking and trying to cajole and coach other players young and old it doesn't matter just just for the betterment of the team I think he's one of those and I've always said this that he'd be one that could come into our generation and up playing in our great teams down the years because he's got the quality and he's also got big enough bollocks to do it that's that's the one of the main things he's got the mindset yeah Joe Hart did a segment on him on match of the day where he showed how he was coaching around the players Kunio, Sesko, Mano etc Euro obviously you've just said that's valuable Steve I want to ask you where would you rank Bruno Fernandes in your favourite midfielders because we know you got love for your boys we know you love Yaya where would you put him on your list I was just thinking about 20 minutes ago no about 5 minutes ago if he delivered a European cup for United would he go above Steven Gerrard this guy is funny man you got something wrong with Steven Gerrard man is that not a fair question Bruno needs to have Bruno just needs to have that let him have the career first and then we go from there because I think Steven Gerrard has the longevity man and let's not downplay what's the longevity if you did fuck all with it though really you can't say that because he won FA Cups he won Champions League alright yeah so Bruno's got FA Cups mate I don't know if you knew that no no I think the difference the difference is in that when you're having that argument as well is like Stevie's like a generational talent like you talk to all of the greatest players of that generation regardless of what team he played for or what he won it was like he was one of the top, top boys.

27:19And also, do you know what as well? He had some career-defining massive moments in some huge games. You know what I mean? Like, sometimes that counts for a lot. That's why I think when people talk about Kevin De Bruyne on the same level as those guys. Be careful. Be careful, Ria. Be careful. Be careful. I think he just had less. He had less massive, massive moments, even than probably a Yaya Torre. You know what I mean? Like, he definitely didn't have the same massive moments or amount of moments that poke out in your mind like maybe a Steven Gerrard either. And sometimes their moments do just thrust you into a different strategy when you're talking about greatness.

28:00That's why Zidane's talked of like his, forget him being a wonderful, beautiful footballer and one of the best and most beautiful to watch. He had massive moments, man. World Cup finals, Champions League finals like they count for a lot man yeah Arsenal this was the ninth time in the Premier League it's got a winning goal from a set piece or from a corner the entire game was Kongs Rio yeah it was it was yeah was that a bad advert for the game that game yesterday yeah I don't see why I don't see why it should end of the day you've got a team that hasn't won it in 20 something years we've been playing beautiful football since you've been playing football Rio and we haven't won as much as many other teams now we're about to get the job done and people all of a sudden everybody's a coach I don't care about that bring me the silver way because if you look at the Premier League right we're still five points clear we've still scored the most amount of goals which is 58 we've conceded the least amount of goals so what's everyone talking about?

28:59No no Joe I'm not I'm not I'm not saying that that's the problem I agree with you in terms of like I think Arsenal by any means have to win the Premier League if it means by scoring and most goals by set pieces and that, fair play to you. I'm not saying that's wrong. I'm just saying that it ain't great to watch, is it? You're not saying it's wrong. Steve's saying it's wrong. You can hear by his ad-libs, you know what I mean? And everybody else actually on socials. I haven't actually heard too much from you, Ria, if I'm honest with you. I know you've been a bit preoccupied, but yeah, it's just annoyed me a little bit.

29:30All of a sudden, everybody's some coaching expert. So what? focus on winning the league and doing what you have to do. That's what we have to do, right? It's the fact that they're fouls that they're not being given. That's what it is. Because they are fouls. But you had one yesterday. I know it's not the corner, but I didn't think Kunio's one was a pen. It was outside the box. It happens. It's the Premier League. That's something referees need to start getting right. I've got to start here for you, right? Your 16 corner goals is the joint most by any side in any Premier League campaign, and there's still nine games to go.

30:03Do you know what illustrious teams you've joined? And you think United used to score a lot of corners with the likes of... I know. But that was skill and movement and finishing rather than rugby union. You've just joined West Brom and Oldham. That's the company you keep, right? Not even Tony Pulis. Tony Pulis now looking up at you, going, wow, yeah, that's how it's done. You spent a billion pounds to sit with Oldham. Think about that. I still think there's respect to be had for the way that they've crafted this and the way that they've crafted the way that they've got this together and the way that they've become so dominant it's fearful, you sense fear in your position now when a set piece is about to be taken because referees are not applying the rules no, but the delivery is a joke Saka and Rice is phenomenal, I mean Rhys James yesterday was a joke as well, both teams from set pieces were great but I'm just looking at it more of a spectacle and I'm sitting there going like the most animated I'm seeing the stadium yesterday was when there were set pieces it's mad yeah that's alien to me you can't say that we scored against Spurs last week in open play like you can't like get it right man like yes we have games where we're scoring with corners obviously the stats say that but we've also shown that we can just find a different way of winning and that's something that Rio has always preached about it's a good thing to have alternative ways of winning and if this way is going to help us win the league at this point you said it yourself Rio we just need to get over that line it doesn't matter how we can worry about everything else later on yeah I'll repeat myself I think Arsenal will win this game by a hooker by by any means necessary and I absolutely agree and respect it and I think the following year with that confidence of the silverware the Premier League they become a different beast altogether and I think even more of a harder team to play against because I think they'll fifth next season because the Premier League is going to sit the referees down and say people are cancelling subscriptions across the world they've gone for football not rugby union so we have to start listen you don't need to change the rules you just have to apply the rules look at that one with Saliba yesterday you can't tell me Go back, Rio.

32:24Think about the foul that we had where we give Rodri a penalty against City a couple of seasons ago. And it was the slightest little pull on an arm. What I'm seeing now, mate, is a disgrace. And they can't change the interpretation mid-season. But the start of next season, watch. I reckon those first games, opening kick-off, yellow cards and free kicks all over the gaff. Because it's a disgrace. It ain't football. No, no, no. Let me be precise with this one, Steve. The issue is, even Liam Rossini mentioned this yesterday. The issue is, It's not necessarily the pulling the tugging in the box because, look, let's be honest with you, that always happens.

32:55This is Men's Football Premier League. It happens, you know. But it's the fact that there are fouls being had outside of gameplay. So it's not a foul, but Liam's saying that it should be considered a foul because end of the day, pushing is pushing and tugging is tugging. Whereas what we're doing very well is when the ball's out of play, we're grabbing people, we're moving people about. So by the time the corner's taken, everybody's rattled and shaken. hey that's what the letter of the law is we're just doing what we have to do so we can't be blamed for it no the letter of the law is not being applied because if the if there's fouls before the ball is kicked you can give a free kick or you can give yellow cards out or you can just delay the restart until everyone stops messing about once the kick is taken then you can just give either a free kick or a penalty depending on who it is that's holding but if you look into what the actual rules are if you impede anyone's movement that is a foul and there's all is happening is impeding movement, right?

33:51And it isn't a case of like, people are tussling to go for a ball, so there's a little bit of 50-50. It ain't that. It's blocking. It's turned into some like, NFL shit. It's just not football. It's a totally different thing. Steve, if you're allowed to get away with it, you take it. Yeah, that's fine. So they'll win this title. Well done. Nice one. Sit the referees down at the start of the season and go, we ain't fucking having this bullshit ever again. First game of the season. I want to see more yellow cards. than you've ever seen. Do you know what I mean? It's not like Dortmund's yellow wall.

34:23Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Even Steve, I mean, Joel talking about, oh yeah, we scored from Oakland play against Spurs last week. Have you seen Spurs? They're going down, mate. Spurs are going down. Even their manager says, we've got to improve in every single area, including the brain. Do you know what I mean? Like, he must be, he walked in there, Tudor, the manager, and gone like, and thought, rah, the stadium, been walked around the training ground, wow, this is elite. and then seeing the team turn up and thinking, what is this? I reckon he's sitting there talking to his mates going, listen, I cannot believe what I'm seeing here.

34:59Are they going down real? Because they're close, aren't they? I think they'll go down. Forest need to do their job. If Forest do what they have to do, it's possible. Four points over 10 games. That's all they need. They've got to out point them by four points over 10 games. Exactly. I think Spurs, if I was a betting man now, I'd bet on Spurs going down. right this second, right this moment where they are confidence-wise. What a stadium that is for the Championship. Oh, mate. Imagine being in a Championship next year thinking we're going to be going there. I'd be delighted with that. But I look at their pictures and I'm sitting there going, I don't know where they get their points.

35:33They might be playing Wellington next season or Stockport. Mate. Well, if you're looking... Sunderland away is a hard game. At the beginning, before a ball's kicked, Sunderland away, you think, oh, we could nick something there. They can get Sunderland away. Brighton, at home, Brighton are still doing well. Wolves away, big fight. Villa away. Leeds at home, maybe they could get something there. Chelsea away. Everton at home. Everton, obviously, last day of the season. But only Wolves have picked up fewer points at home. Their record's horrendous. It's a joke. It's bad. It's bad. Do you know what?

36:05And Tudor keeps just slagging them off in the media. I don't know how much that's going to help the players, Rio. I'll be honest with you. You're in a relegation fight. You've got a temporary manager. All he's doing is slagging you off. What do you want them to do? Gas them up. That's the problem with this generation. Everyone wants a fucking handout for doing fuck all. You've been shit. You've made a fortune. You've got every fucking, you've got every benefit you could want. A great stadium, unbelievable training ground, international footballers, and your fucking dog shit. How about it? I'd love it at home truth.

36:33The confidence might come. The confidence might come in the one fact and one bit of hope they might have is that the Leeds and Forest games who are down there with them are both at home. They've got to cling to that fact. They've got enough points around the place, hopefully by then when he played Is that a positive for him at the minute? I don't know you've got to find a positive somewhere though that's the art of the manager you've got to find some sort of positive This is what I'm saying Did you ever do a relegation fight when you was at West Ham? No not really no I don't think so we were decent we were up in the mid table really QPR?

37:03QPR QPR was yeah QPR got relegated didn't they? Joey Barton called that one out in pre-season Did he? Joey Barton right I just signed for QPR right and Harry Redknapp we're on tour in Austria or somewhere like that on a pre-season training camp so we're there one of our first sessions and Joe Barton just fucks the training session up messes it up his head's gone in the training session I'm trying to work out why and then I realised actually we're playing a system that he's not happy because I can hear him mumbling and saying a few things this is shit and oh man what's he doing Harry's just continuing playing three at the back whatever and I think it was a change on what they've been used to.

37:45And then, and I think it was because of me with you on this year because I've come in and I'm a bit older playing free at the back trying to protect me which he shouldn't have done. But, and that's with hindsight, but at the time, Joey's head had gone. So the train session finishes and we're sitting down and Harry's just like, he's high, his head's going all over the place and he's gone like, if anyone's got a problem with it, let me know, whatever. And then Joey just goes, well, he goes on a rant and says it's a joke and shit. You're going to get the sack, you by the way, but before the season not when we go down because we will get relegated playing like this in this formation this way as we said to him and all the players sitting there so everyone's gone in the gap harry's gone mad shouting and whatever and joey's still going and then after we went i went for like a walk to warm down me and joey i said joe come come to go for a walk i said come on man like pull him away from the team like you know i mean you're undermining the authority of the team and the club do you know i mean i know it's like the way you do things but for the benefit of the team and Javi yeah but I'm right we're going to get fucking relegated and to be fair to Javi he was right he was right that's good that's good leadership skills right there man really good but Rio I do have a little bone to pick with you like we all know Harry Kane top player he broke his own record of goals in a season you know there's clips of him doing bits during the Dortmund game you asked in a group chat are we now at the stage where comparisons of him and Wayne Rooney become closer.

39:15Now, I responded and I said, oh, that's a bit of an uncomfortable conversation because, you know, Rooney's close to our hearts. But then you said, as a pure player, my response is a strong no for me. Why did you ask that question in the group chat? Because I think, listen, Rooney's my guy and I don't place any English striker above Rooney for the totality of what they've done as a player striker the whole career, right?

39:45but Kane has broken the England record. Kane also has gone to another country and is putting up crazy, crazy numbers and is doing some crazy work during that, right? And his highlights reel right now in Bundesliga is actually terrifying when you break it out. I've seen a few clips put together by some people. When you look at it and guys, we all knew we could drop in. But we didn't know he could play CDM. We didn't know he could make tackles on the edge of his own bot. Lung busters, last-ditch tackles. We didn't know that he could play 40, 50 yards from the quarterback position consistently. We didn't know he could play slices from that deep as well.

40:27We knew he could play it in a 10-roll, but from that deep. So he's added another couple of layers to his game. And also, while doing that, and probably running a bit more, I'd like to see that's that, he's actually, his output in terms of goals and assists has gone up. it's absolutely mental and now everyone's going to go, yeah, but he's in the Bundesliga but you've still got to go and do it. And we were giving people like Lewandowski, Harland, etc. when they were there all of the credit when they were there. Right? And rightly so. So let's not try and change the narrative just because it's Harry Kane and his English.

40:57Right? I'm not saying he's better than Waz. I'm just saying because I always said that Waz is better for me and it was quite an easy conversation. I just think that conversation can be made a bit more difficult given what I've seen the last couple of years now in the Bundesliga. What Wazza had was like, he could do everything. He could score. He's the main United's leading ever goalscorer. He was England's as well at one point until Harry took it. He was the Royal Rovers, the all-action number nine with nastiness, what we're talking about. Sesko had getting to his game to improve. Aggressive anger, anger management issues, but had finesse.

41:35He played a 30, 40, 50 yarder. He had every club in the bag. Harry's got every club in the bag. I mean, one of the things that he hasn't got that Wayne had was that nastiness, that aggression, which might be the defining factor or the contributing factors to why you might just put him there because that, I think, contributes to Wayne pushing his teams to win more. And trophies. And you know what, Rilo? What you've said, you're right. We can't take away anything from Harry Kane. He is world-class. he's gone out there and he's going to be he is one of the best players that Germany have ever seen but just the way you described Harry Kane about he can do everything he can go outside his spot to me that's just 18 year old Wayne Rooney you know like that's what I'm saying so I agree but my point is that's what brought the conversation closer because Harry weren't doing that before at Spurs he weren't really behind the halfway line he was he'd come in the number 10 spot here and there he weren't going in the holding midfielder role like he's mate he's a he's got weapons in that team to hit as well by the way like Alise and them guys like he's got big weapons to hit Diaz Alise he's he's a I think he's a wonderful player man a brilliant player and again like he's the closest thing I've seen to a golfer in that he's consistency of his striking of the ball is up there with one of the best it's incredible it's incredible I think at the moment he's he's playing at a level that I don't think we've ever seen him play at but I think we outside of the raw numbers and perhaps that one season the 2010 post Ronaldo season where Rooney stuck up numbers no I mean not even similar but similar to this I think just the body of work Rooney had way more seasons where he was the all action like you said Roy the Rovers that nastiness and sometimes just doing what needed to be done to get the team over the line, big moments I mean one of my favourites is to have a Wayne Rooney goals you can talk me through I ended up in a different block you know in Old Trafford celebrating this one like literally moved about 20 metres across, it was just absolute limbs for days, AC Milan Champions League the one where he it's a counter attack towards the Stratford and he buries it and then he just curls himself up in a ball on the floor after he scored it the limbs for that Rio I mean how many goals like that did he have for us just huge huge even even AC Milan away I think he's got two like I think one of them or two of them with headers like those two 11s there's a little there's a little Instagram edit that keeps popping up into my timeline that I see but I think the caption of it is Ronaldo's like the most ordinary player on this on this match.

44:26Sorry. Aura. It's Aura. It's ridiculous. It's like R9. Sorry, Ronaldinho. You've got Gattuso, Maldini. It's an absolute... Is Seedorf playing? Probably. Do you know what that is? It's like going to the stadium when all them players are on the show. Like, there's been a few games like that where you look down the line. Like, Brazil. We played Brazil in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. You look down the line, it's like, Cafu's the captain. then you've got like R9, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Gilberto Silva. I think Kaka was on the bench. Like, what the hell was going on here? Like, this is just nuts.

45:06And then you look to your side and you have Danny Mills. He played well that tournament. I must add to don't try and take it a bit easy. He should play well that tournament. There are better defenders during that tournament. But yeah, he did. How does it feel like when those legends, because I know you're big, big fans of those players, the Romarios of this world, you're talking about them, but they look at you and they show you love and respect, man. How does that feel? You play to win, obviously, right? You play to win. But again, as important, I think, is to get the respect of your peers. And when you walk into a room and, listen, we all know that feeling when it ain't respect and it's like looking down and knows at you or it's like, I don't know who thinks he is.

45:43We all know and have been there at times in our life, right? So to be able to walk into places and you feel that actually there's like a genuine respect, mutual respect between you and the people that you played against or played with. That's one of the most satisfying feelings. Anyway, saying that, guys, I think that's a good way to end the podcast. I have to say thank you to everybody watching. The Dallo Rio meets has done so well. Like I said, good player to me, okay player, but I thought he spoke exceptionally well and it really gives you insight and I've got a lot of respect for him mentally as well and what he's had to overcome.

46:21great insight that you're giving us on Rio Meats so please Rio keep up, what's the next Rio Meats by the way? There's a couple we've got in the bag just waiting to be unloaded you know what I mean, it's a bit, I don't know speak to the editorial team Steve's going to be doing this again wondering if his reception's working happens every week, but yeah everybody watching please make sure that you're also subscribed to the Rio Ferdinand Presents channel, there's loads of good stuff happening we've been giving you countless points of entertainment during the course of the season and the season is not over.

46:53You never know, United could finish above City, man. It could happen, you know. Hopefully you guys do. I want it to be Arsenal and United again. You know, the two top teams in the country. Arsenal come in first, United come in second. But please make sure you like, share, comment and subscribe. We'll be back soon. Steve, fix your face. Joel Baer, Rio Ferdinand, Stephen Housen signing out. Peace.

47:19Thank you.