Man Utd's 4–4 Madness! Character or Chaos? | Arsenal Unstoppable? What's Gone Wrong at Man City?

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0:35Coming up in today's episode, make sure you join me as we break down Manchester United's unbelievable 4-4 thriller against Aston Villa. Was it a show of character or complete chaos? Let us know, guys, and we'll discuss Arsenal's defensive dominance, Manchester City's struggles, and is it getting personal between Thomas Tuchel and Cole Palmer? Stay tuned. Was it character or chaos? to go two goals down at the start of both halves that's just chaos that is chaos that's just like you're not going out there focused enough your mindset isn't professional enough for me you're not prepared the flip side to come back has to be some element of character under that duress and that spotlight and that pressure it needs an ability to have that character but also a willingness to fight and that's fighting for your manager

1:29Yes guys, welcome to another episode of Rio Presents. Joel Baer and Steve Harsin are with me as usual and today we're going to discuss Man United's comeback. Was it character or was it chaos? What a crazy end. What a crazy game full stop. No one could have called 4-4, especially not the way that it unfolded. And you know what, let me just address something. On socials, I put a picture up, right? And a couple, a little comment underneath of me going like that. All right. That's not me celebrating a point against Aston Villa, by the way. That's not me celebrating. That's just me celebrating a moment in a football match.

2:04This is what football does to you. Football can take over your body, can take over your emotions in a moment, right? But it's not, that moment isn't the big picture. So all of these people that are going, oh, I can't believe his standards have dropped. And he's just, he's celebrating a draw against, I'm not celebrating a draw against Villa. I'm celebrating the moment and the fact that we actually came back and showed a bit of character. It's all about that moment, yeah? Then when you calm down and you go, but look where we are in the league. That's terrible. Look at the way that things unfold in the game.

2:34That needs work. You can die. But in the moment, as a football fan, you're allowed to get carried away with it. It's not about, that's not the reality, that moment there. That's just emotion and reaction to, that's what football does. If you don't know that, I don't understand it. I don't feel it. You're not a football person. So get out. Guess maybe I'm not. Cause you might as well just call Joe Bay out there. Cause I was definitely laughing at you for celebrating. They're celebrating draws. No, no, that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. That's where your mind goes to, but that's not the fact of the matter.

3:07The fact of the matter is you're celebrating. The emotion of that game that is where it's took you is what you celebrate. You're not celebrating the big picture of a draw and being where you are in a league. So just get them two, things are very different. I don't know, man. I don't know. But anyway, listen, you mentioned earlier on, Rio, that it was character or chaos. Which one are you saying? Was it character or chaos? I think it's got to be a bit of both. I think you have to show... To go two goals down at the start of both halves, that's just chaos. That is chaos. That's just like, you're not going out there focused enough.

3:44Your mindset isn't professional enough for me. You're not prepared. Listen, it can happen sometimes. I get that. I've been in teams where you go a goal down or a couple of goals down, you're going, oh my God, we've got to fight back. We've done that many times, okay? But when that's happening every bloody week, which it seems like here, it's like, are you not going to learn, guys? Are you not going around and changing before the game going, guys, remember last week? Don't let that happen again this week. Are those conversations not happening? It's like we're not ready. It's like we've got to get a punch on the nose or at least two or three before we wake up and start playing.

4:16and then the next side of it, the flip side to come back has to be somewhere of character and ability obviously plays a part in that but the character to stay in it and fight and to not let it go and just roll over they've gone, no, no, we're going to try and come back and in the end, we could have won it in the end, there was another chance at the end after the fourth goal but they're giving us fans man, grey hairs I said it on my post last night, it's crazy it is absolutely crazy football, absolute chaos Man, you know what's crazy as well, right? Stee, looking at it, it's been a rollercoaster season so far.

4:53What's your thoughts after the 4-4? Were you doing this as well? Like Rio yesterday or? Nah, obviously pleased that we managed to get back into it. I think the players are playing for the manager. I think the players are playing for the fans. I think the reaction in the stadium yesterday probably helped. get the players over the line a little bit. It was, it sounded, I wasn't there yesterday, but it sounded like it was pretty raw at 2-0. And I've been in there recently when we've been behind, like Roma, pretty much every game I've been to this season. But there's been games where it's getting pretty hostile, pretty toxic.

5:37The support for the manager is unwavering. The criticism for the players is strong. and Akaric sort of touched on this in his press conference as well when he was talking about we've got to be defending better and it's the same things and it is these moments he talks about how we were probably between the goals the better team and we were and maybe sometimes circumstance plays a little bit into that because at no point were we level in the game ever really we went behind we were behind for the entire half and we equalised in the 44th minute and then it's half time we start the second half we're behind again so sometimes the the game state dictates which team's chasing and which team's able to relax a little bit so i don't know if villa relaxed or if we stuck it on them it could be a little bit of both it could be one or the other but he was right in terms of like when the shackles came off we actually look good but there's got to be something done about our defending i spoke in my review last night like rio sometimes drops nuggets and he doesn't know he's dropping nuggets around like, you know, non-professionals like ourselves.

6:43But one of the things that's always stuck with me that he said is you can't defend your goal by looking at it. You've got to get your back to the goal. You've got to be able to see the players that are coming in and you've got to be able to see where the ball is. And if you look at Lenny Uro for the, the, the, the fourth goal, I think it is, he heads it against our bar because he's looking at our goal. If he turns and gets his hips right, he heads it clear, doesn't he? Or he heads it away from danger at least. and it seems to me that there's so many fundamental technical things like that happening in every single game and I'd love to know I'd like to think and I'm sure you could probably text someone right now and find out getting on the training ground and drilling crosses coming in are they drilling the technical details of where your feet need to go where your hips need to go because it's been five months for this Rio like I think Michael Carrick's getting the blame for things that aren't on him but that and his coaching staff can I think fix that or improve that if not completely fix that?

7:41I agree. I think there's a lot of individual errors that are amounting to bad results here. And I think Michael Carrick is the one whose head's going to be on a chopping board. But then you look at it and go, well, he's not the one out there making individual mistakes. Like you say, fundamental basic mistakes. We allow far too many crosses into our box. And when the balls come in, a lot of the time we can't defend the crosses. We don't look comfortable at all. You look at a defensive record this season, 30 goals conceded in 15 games. That's two a game average, including 19 in 10 Premier League games.

8:14It's a joke. Like there's been no clean sheet this season. Like defenders, football clubs, football teams, they get pride in keeping clean sheets. Like, and I look at it, and Steve's point is true. When you're struggling to create chances, you do loads of drills around creating chances in training about creative stuff and getting people into positions. and this is what the repetitive stuff that we want to see. So it kind of bleeds into the game. Same with defending when you're doing defensive stuff, when you're conceding a hell of a lot of goals. You've got to work on those aspects and those things.

8:47What's happening to us? Where are we conceding most goals? When the ball's wide and crossing the ball. Okay, right. This work on stopping people across the ball, right? Also, this work on when the ball does come in, because it's going to come in at some point, how we position, how we set up as the other three in the back line or is one of the defensive midfielders dropping into that line as well? where is he? So these things have got to be being done in the training ground. And there's no part of me that is sitting there going that they're not looking at that. They've got too many data analysts at the football club in football in general nowadays, not to know where the issues are.

9:20Our podcast can't be sitting there telling these people what to do and what they should be doing. I'm fully confident they'll be doing that. But again, it's about individuals going out there and implementing what the manager and the coaching staff are asking. Like Michael Carrick can't go out there and head a ball or get his body shape right for players. You can tell him a million times, but they've got to get that and it's down to them to do that. And it's just you look at it and it's too many games. We go down early in the games and it's an uphill task immediately from the first five minutes.

9:50It's a joke. Would you say, Rio, that the players are playing for Michael Carrick? Because Steve's just pointed to that. You're saying there's a lot of individual errors. I think they're errors, but I think it's also a mixture of fear. If you look at what Steve's talking about, they're not facing where they should be faced. Sometimes you could be so concentrated on not wanting to lose the man because you've been making so many errors that you lose the fundamentals. Are the players still playing for Michael Carrick though? If you look at the last two games where the pressure's been at its maximum, they've gone down in both of those games and they've shown character to come back.

10:25If it was a team that had downed tools, they're not coming back in them games. They haven't downed tools. They're fighting for their manager. They're reacting to the fans in the stadium where it can be hostile at times. It's a dark place at the moment for a lot of these players in this situation because they're living on the edge of one mistake and I'm going to get absolutely terrored in this stadium, let alone on social media. Like Dallow giving away that penalty. If we don't draw this game, he's getting stick already as it is. But if we don't draw this game and the penalty that he gave away amounted to us losing the game, can you imagine the stick Dallow would have been getting?

10:57Like that's what these players are living within the 90 minutes. This is the life of a footballer. So I'm not sitting here saying, oh, it shouldn't happen. This has happened. This is the reality of football. You make mistakes. Your team's in a bad place. You're going to get people pointing the finger and screaming and shouting very, very loud about whether you should be playing or whether you shouldn't. So that's the situation they're in right now. And the players are playing for the manager. That's one thing I think if you're looking at it and looking at the change room, and obviously there's going to be people shouting for Michael not to be there because of the results and where the club is.

11:31The one thing I don't think you can say is that the players have downed tools and given up on Michael Carrick because of the last two performances, you can pick holes in it, but you can't... I don't think you can pick holes in are they fighting for the manager? Are they working for the manager? Because to come back in games like that, under that duress and that spotlight and that pressure, it needs an ability to have that character. It needs some ability in there, yes, but also a willingness is to fight and that's fighting for your manager. All right, cool. Phil Neville quoted that back four gets you relegated and sacked as a manager.

12:06It's a strong statement. It's not wrong but I think it's too easy to go the back four. Like, I think it's a very easy shout to go, oh, it's him or it's just the back four. Football's a team game. There's 11 people out on the pitch, right? And they've all got to play their part. If there's one or two people not pulling their weight every team on the planet suffer. Right? So it's not about, oh, let's let the back four do all the work and they're the ones that are going to stop the goals going and the forwards only are the ones who are going to score. It's not like that. You need... Cristiano Ronaldo needs his teammates to support and get him to 1 ,000 goals, all them 1 ,000 goals that he's going to score.

12:44That ain't just him. There's going to be the odd goal in there where Messi's just dribbled from the halfway line past 6 ,000 scored. But the majority of the goals need other people to put the ball on a plate for these guys to score goals. And it's the same when you're defending. There's no way that you have a great defensive record and you go, it's just us as a back four and the goalkeeper. No, because in front of you, what's that defensive midfielder doing? Shielding and stopping passes into dangerous areas. By the way, the way the game's gone now, even more front foot. If your front three ain't flying and chasing and harrying, teams are going to pick you off and get through you easy and then put so much pressure on your back four that you're going to get unpicked.

13:24Liverpool. Klopp's Liverpool do not do what they've done. And not as successful as they are in that period without a front three that worked their socks off the way they did. Mane, Salah, Firmino. These guys worked like rats chasing, running, fighting before it even got to the midfield, let alone getting to Van Dijk and Ko at the back and Alisson. After time, they're not having to do much in some games because those guys are winning the ball so early. The game today is about everyone's set up to try and win the ball high and early. So to think that a defensive record is going to be all about defenders is crazy to me.

14:00That's not football today. You need every part of the team, every component working efficiently to enable you to keep clean sheets and to win games. So I think the defenders, yes, they haven't been good enough. There's been far too many individual errors this season. and the goal record tells you that. 30 goals conceded in 15 games across all competitions this season. It tells you individually they haven't been good enough. But that record isn't just down to defenders. It's down to the whole team not functioning and being efficient enough on transitions, defensively, when you get in your blocks even, stopping crosses, whether it be a winger stopping their fullback crossing the ball or the fullback stopping their winger crossing the ball.

14:41There's so many layers to this and I can't go, oh, it's just the back four. I mean you've got to look at some positives for example Shea Lacey he's had a good week Steve what do you reckon of him as a player and also would you start him I would have started him for Villa because I think sometimes you need a focal point that's a positive focal point that everyone can get behind I think he walks out at Old Trafford yesterday for his start on the back of the performance against Roma midweek everybody gets a lift and everybody in that ground apart from at Birmingham lot in the corner, want to see him roasting people and doing stuff.

15:20Now, I can understand why you bring young players on later in games. Fresh legs against old defenders, it sort of exaggerates their traits, especially when someone's got the acceleration of like Shea Lacey. And sometimes that can get clipped a little bit. They can look not as effective from the start. And maybe you want to go with a more senior player who maybe knows their roles defensively a little bit more. Someone like Ahmad obviously does work going both ways. I think he's got a real potential, a real future. My worry with Shea Lacey is more about United haven't consistently shown that we can develop youngsters lately.

15:57Kobe Maynard, probably the closest thing that we've developed. But when you look at, I mean, you'd probably call Marcus Rashford a successful career. If you may add Marcus's career, you'd call it a success. But did he hit the potential that we all thought he was going to hit? I think that's up for debate. Mason Greenwood's career didn't go the right way for different reasons. But when you look at some of the players that we've had and some of the talent that's come through the club in the last decade, we haven't nurtured it anywhere near good enough. We've let so much slip, we've had so much potential, and it's just washed away from the club.

16:31So what are we going to do with Shea Lacy that's different? What are we going to do to bring him into the first team and create a first team player out of him? Because I think if everyone looks at the club at the moment, you understand that we don't have the finances to go and buy a winger. And any winger at the moment, like literally any Premier League level winger is 50 million plus, even if they're crap. So like every single player that you can farm from the academy and put them in the first team and be a competent player. They don't need to be Ryan Giggs and David Beckham. John O'Shea played 400 games for Manchester United.

17:02How often did he let us down? That's the level of play that you need to be bringing through. And I think most people would be happy with that. If you get people that are like top 10 Ballon d 'Or, Yeah, utterly sensational. But they don't need to be that to be a success. John O'Shea is a massive success for Carrington and Manchester United. And we need more players like that that can come through, fill in a couple of positions and be relied upon for 400 and some at games because that is genuine success. How Shea Lacey gets there, I don't know. I love what I've seen of Lacey so far, by the way. I think he's got that little bit of arrogance that when he comes on, he expects to be given the ball.

17:40where you see that he wants to do something for the fans. There's a connection with the fans already straight away. And I think he's got that little bit of swagger about him that he's got them hips that you know on a dance floor he's going to be all right. You know what I mean? You know that he's going to be able to have a two-step straight away. Like, he can move. But I think blooding him in and just giving him minutes here and there. If he continue for the next five to ten games, coming on and doing what he's doing and impacting the way he is, that's great development. Right? But it's when you push it too quick, too early, and they expose certain parts of their game physically, etc., that you're not doing them the service and justified service that they need.

18:19But Michael's going to have to navigate that, especially in these circumstances, it's going to be difficult because he's got bigger fish to fry just getting results, let alone blooding a young academy graduate into the first team. But what I do like is that Shea Lace is getting in there and going, guys, look at me. Guys, look at me. and you can see the reaction of the players, by the way. I always look, when a young player gets in the first team, I look for the reaction of the first team players when they get the ball. Because some people will see a kid and go, oh, not now, I'll play it there, a bit safer, over there.

18:50When they see him, they give it to him. They know he can handle the ball. They trust him to handle the ball. And when he gets it at the moment, he's been delivering. And so I just want to keep seeing him having the impact, whether that's for 20 minutes, whether it's for half an hour, whether it's for 45 or more. I want to just hopefully the impact is the same what we're seeing now over the next duration of games that he gets. Ryo did you see uh the Michael Carrick post-match interview um by any chance I mean I don't know which which version you would have seen I did see one where Roy Keane said that um he speaks a lot without saying a lot at the same time he did go on to say that that is a good trait as well at the same time but obviously everybody's analyzing Michael and you know, his steely characteristics, which you mentioned last time.

19:35What did you think of the post-match interview saying that he won't walk away? No, I just think it's a bit cheeky. Like, I just think it's a bit out of order to sum it a line of questioning that he's getting. Like, yeah, he's under pressure and that. But when you're saying to him, basically, listen, mate, you're not going to be getting a sack on Monday. Like, how are you going to deal with that? Like, come on, man. Like, that don't happen in everyday life for anybody. Like, why is it? It's got to be right for a football manager. And I'm not just talking about Michael Carrick. I hate that line of questioning around people's livelihoods.

20:05I don't like it. Yeah, we can sit from afar and go, you know what, he might not be good enough, that geezer over there, or he's failing at that, and you know what, it's going to be looked at, I'm sure, whatever. But in a man's face, straight after the game, with a mic under his nose, just bad taste for me, man. And I actually like the way that he threw it back to the geezers. Like, I have to say, oh, you've been told that, have you? Did you know that, do you? You're telling me, you tell me. I like that. And that was a little kind of insight into Michael Carrick don't need to say a lot, doesn't say a lot, but when he does say something, he has got a little punch and a little kick to it.

20:43Because I'm sure that that reporter felt a bit uncomfortable in that moment. I agree. It's bad taste, man. You can see when someone's, obviously I know they're there and they're trying to make headlines, but you know when people are proper digging for it? Yeah, it's like a human, as a human. I'm sitting there. You know my man, he's struggling. You know it's a lot of pressure. You know he's hurting. And you're sitting there trying to put the knife in and twist the knife. What's he meant to say? Yeah, they're going to sack me off. I'm going to hope I can get some sleep tonight and just see what happens when I wake up.

21:14I'm just going to turn my phone off, actually, because I don't want to get the call. What do you expect him to flip and say? Right, man. We've got loads still to come right on this pod, but we'll be back shortly after this. Hey, we're Nick and Jack hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, email, spreadsheets, and our shared Google Doc, the headline hammer. With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work, around the work, and more time finding the stories worth talking about.

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22:32Steve, what happens next then? Do you want the club to keep on supporting Michael? I'd like them to start supporting Michael, actually, rather than keep supporting him. I think start supporting him would be a good idea. Don't worry me. There's been briefings, and I'm inclined to believe the briefings because of the source of a few of the briefings. What are we hearing from inside the club? And I know these aren't statements, and I know these are rumours, so you have to take them with a little bit of a pinch of salt. But we're hearing about preferred manager candidates. We're hearing about who prefers Conte.

23:06I see Pochettino's favourite now. Like Eddie Howe's been in the mix. Nagelsmann's been in the mix. There was talk that Jason wanted Ursula. So you've got all of these kind of rumours, but I think some of these are being briefed from inside the club. Who inside the club? I don't know. Is it a groundsman? Is it a director? It could be either, right? Let's be real. I don't know whose people's sources are. But what we're not being briefed is that Michael Carrick's getting time. What we're not being briefed is actually we acknowledge some of our own mistakes from the transfer window and therefore this is going to require a little bit more.

23:42Like all of the sack talk is being fuelled by United. They could easily shut it down with a briefing to the right people in the press saying, I don't know what you're talking about. Carrick's not going to sack. And they would end this right now. So they're prolonging the pressure. Why are they doing that? Probably because they're going to sack him. But Steve, can you come out and say, we're not going to, it's like they done it last time. We're not going to sack. We're back in Amarim. And they sacked him and they get ridiculed and hammered. Because the landscape can change quickly. Where you are, the vibe, et cetera, the place can change very quickly at a football club based on results.

24:19It can. So to come out and go, listen, we're going to back him and we've got him, right? And then Amarin's a good example. They've done that and then Amarin gets a sack quickly after that and they get laughed at. But I think you can put a deadline on it. I think you don't have to say he's going to see out the remainder of his contract, but you could say, listen, the start of the season hasn't been well. Let's see what January brings and what signings we can get over the line and see if that can improve things. And if things don't improve then, then yeah, you don't look ridiculous. by... You don't want to say that.

24:50You don't want to say that. Then people... Then you get the press going, January. Well, don't brief about new managers then. Not me. Yeah. I think I agree. I've said it many times. When there's problems at football clubs, I think there needs to face to be put to it and then a voice. Right? No silly statements written and stuff like that. It needs to be humanised and fans want to see someone. They want to point the finger at someone. You know what I mean? So, I think that somebody for Man United should come out and speak, but I just think it's the way that it's told and the narrative is told by that person is very, very key.

25:28And that's probably what the people at the club are probably worried about, that things will get misconstrued, twisted, etc. But I genuinely think that they should come out and speak because not speaking leaves far much more room for hearsay, for just chinwagging and lies and what not to be thrown into the mix to just cause even more aggro at the football club, which is where it is right now, I think. Agreed, agreed. Rio, we didn't get to talk about it because you went straight into Man United and this whole situation, but it was your birthday this weekend, just Scott. So first of all, happy birthday, happy belated birthday.

26:05Throw that out there in the comments. Hope you enjoyed it with your family. 31, man. 31. Yeah, man. Oh, man. 48, bruv. Wow. unbelievable well done man done a lot but do you know what was crazy for a minute I saw did you see that image of Sir Alex Ferguson Robin Van Persie just looking like he loves United like everyone was there like I saw John O'Shea there I looked at that picture and I thought wow what United would give to have these players back and I'm guessing mate I'm guessing you weren't there because obviously it was your birthday but what did you think when you saw that picture no I loved it I loved it just nostalgia innit just like I was invited to go but I couldn't go because obviously it's my birthday and my family had organised stuff already before the invitation had come so unfortunately I couldn't be there to celebrate but I was there in spirit but it was just great to see all the guys from my era but also the guys before my era as well so Bobbo and people like that were there Paul Parker and whatnot so great to see the manager celebrated and it's rightly so 40 years anniversary what he achieved at the football club I don't know if it'll ever be repeated again.

27:16I want to move on to the back-to-back Premier League champions. I notice you ain't asking a lot of questions about this, Rio. I notice there's not a lot of Arsenal chat nowadays. I want to see more from you. I want to see more. Have you just anointed yourself another title before Christmas? I know, without even winning it. Yeah, I have. I actually think they're going to win it anyway. I said before the ball was kicked, but the way City are playing, the way Liverpool are playing, the way Chelsea, but I can't even mention Man Utd, but everyone's doing their best not to get close to even having a challenge.

27:47You know what I mean? So they've now gone six points ahead of Man City after the weekend's game. And the way Arsenal are finding ways to win football matches without even playing their best football, that just spells trouble for everybody else. Seven clean sheets this season, 12th victory in 2006, winning 1-0, and four in the Premier League this season at 1-0. It's crazy. So, again, I always think when you look at a team, if you're winning games ugly and not in your best form imagine when you get to being in form and your players and your real players start kicking in but you're a fan of the club like are you happy winning like this and this this kind of way that it seems to be going at the moment we've switched it up like you said we're finding different ways to win and jokes aside this could be the happiest that I've been are you happier now than watching when Thierry, Vieira, Sol, Pires, Bergkamp and their member there?

28:46In my soul. In my soul, I am. Do you know why? Yeah, not because this era is better. It's because the pain we've been through, Rio. Like the pain we've been... Now I watch a football match and I know we're going to win 1-0 or we're going to win again. I know we're going to win it. I know we can go to Anfield and win it. Like for many years, I'm just sitting there going, what's going to happen now? When we used to go to your place and just slap you up, like, what do you mean? The jokes have been running for years, but now, like, and I'm being dead serious here, it's so good to watch football and not worry about the weekend's results.

29:27Very, very different to us over here, mate. I'm telling you, we've flipped sides now, haven't we? Yeah, no, it's true. And it's hilarious. You know what it is? The team are giving you confidence. The way I see Arsenal fans moaning about now, I've never seen them with, I never knew any of them had chests. they had their chest out all they had was rolled shoulders and head down before talking like high pitch voice now I'm hearing deep voices and chest barrel chest out it's different because the team are giving him that confidence and I think when you you've got the confidence in being able to know that you can go into a game and you can just get a scruffy goal like you did at the weekend and know that you're not going to concede a goal a bit similar to Mourinho's Chelsea team like they didn't always win playing good football they can do that but more often than not they've just done enough and just go you know what if we have to roll up our sleeves and have a little tear up with you we'll do that and we've got defenders in there and players in other areas who take pride and what I talked about earlier with Man United who don't seem to be doing that but this Arsenal team take pride in keeping clean sheets and there's no I don't think there's no better example in your team at that than Gabriel and he's someone who I criticised a few years ago in terms of, I think, he just needs to take some of the emotion out of his game and silly fouls he made in the running and he'll be a top player.

30:50And he must be watching the pod because he's done that. He is absolutely like, in terms of his aggression, just he's defending his top all round, right? But I see if a ball comes in the box, he's screaming at the fullback, why is that coming in? If a ball gets played down a channel, like why are you letting him pass that ball there like there's standards all over the park that's my point about it's not just the back four he's keeping everybody else in the team accountable in other areas that's what you need that's exactly what you need and you know what another point I want to make about Arsenal Mikel Arteta has got a problem Mikel Arteta has got a huge problem now what's he going to do when Saliba's fit because Konza has come into that back four and said I've been here 10 years and I am the immovable object now.

31:41That's the way it feels. He just has slid in there and said, listen, man, that's my parking spot. It's mine now. That's the way Konza's come in because he's made some last-ditch tackles in games to keep them in games and to help them win games. He looks dominant. He looks aggressive. He looks accustomed to being in an Arsenal shirt. Like, he looks like he's meant to be there. But let's not forget about Saliba, what he was doing when he was in the team and how great he looked. So this is a problem, but it's a problem that Mikel Arteta I hope will enjoy to have two top centre-backs vying to play in that team that are performing at their premium best at the moment and arguably your best one's not in there what a position to be in they're all at their peak Rio I mean Steve do you think they would consider in some games because we're going to win the league anyway do you reckon in some games you try three at the back?

32:32no I think he'd probably more like just put one of them right back More likely. Right back. Konza plays right back sometimes, doesn't he? Yeah. But ahead of Timber. Yeah, because I think he's got no dramas whatsoever playing a back four of four centre-halves. He does do that anyway. Califuri was a centre-back. He's left back. Timber was a centre-back before he comes to Arsenal. Especially in a game where he thinks that the set plays might be the thing that gets you over the line. He's absolutely going to do that because it's more players on the pitch that have got that sort of ability. Generally, centre-halves are usually a bit more dominant at set plays than fullbacks are typically.

33:09It's not a guarantee. But when you think about the way the game's going and certainly the way a lot of the Arsenal games go, I absolutely can see him doing that. I mean, I agree. You've got free centre-outs with not much difference between them in terms of form and ability. That's a great place to be. Because you get an injury, like you've got at the moment, has the team been diminished in any way? I think you need 16, 17 first-choice players to get an 11 out, which some people will be like, how's that work? Well, you have injuries, you have suspensions, you have form, you have tactical preference for a certain game.

33:42There's a time and a place where this player makes more sense than that player and I think you need 15, 16 of them. And Arsenal, at the moment, one of the most complete squads. It's not there entirely. I think there's still a couple of different positions. I think striker still, yeah. I think there's a couple of areas where you're not there, but midfield you're starting to get that. defence you're starting to get that like you've got a very complete squad I think their midfield yeah I think their midfield and defence is top tier it's just the front areas especially with Saka not being there and being injured now I think it's it drops off in the level from defence which is I think top top tier then midfielder probably around that I'll do it a little bit lower and then I think from the forwards drop off on that in terms of the quality and the reliability.

34:36I have to say, special shout-out to Madureke. I think he's the most dangerous player right now in terms of assists and creativity. I think he's been, and again, someone who's been under a bit of pressure and some people have been quite negative about him at times in his career. He's resilient to stay in it. And then now, when you need him, he's delivering. Because Saka's not there. That's a big, big, big hole to fill. Someone said to you before the season started, Saka's going to have a big injury and Maduweke is going to be your man to fulfil that position and go on, be your creative spark. I reckon even your Arsenal fans, I know yous were, will be going, Maduweke, no, man, we need someone to go and buy something.

35:13Go on, get Vinny. Nah, not me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You say that now. Yeah, all the people have been saying that. I've always, I've always, I've had the headband around and all sorts, bro. Yeah, Maduweke has changed. He's changed a lot of people's opinions and fair play to him because it's not easy to do that. No, good for him. Really quickly, I wanted to look at the other side of Manchester where it's all falling apart as well. I said it, Rio and Steve, I said it. People said, oh, when these charges come, they'll be fine. Liverpool almost messed it up for us. But I know that it's like going to any workplace.

35:44If your job's on the line, Rio, you start to look at your family. You start to think about, you look at the future. You start to wonder, am I settled? And once that creeps in on the pitch and you fail to win a couple of games, it starts to have an impact, man. Is that what you're seeing at City at the moment, would you say? No, I just think they're losing football matches because they're not as good as other teams. And there's a bit of a, I don't think it's the charges because these charges won't really impact the players in terms of right now. I think they're more worried about losing the next game because they've lost the last three and they've not been good enough in those last three games.

36:17So, yeah, new manager comes in. Listen, you've got to remember, they've lost their captain and best player, most important player, Rodri, right? And they've lost their leader in Pep Guardiola. So no matter how they started, and they started really well, right, let's not forget what they are missing this season. There's two massive, massive components of the success they've had over the last six or seven years. So I don't think we should be sitting here surprised that the city are going for a bit of a turbulent time at the moment. we forget what is going on with them charges. Yeah, no, I understand.

36:54I never thought about it like that. International break now. Cole Palmer left out again of Thomas Tuchel's squad. I'm not going to lie. It's looking personal, man. I just don't get what's going on. I'm not trying to put any words in you guys' mouth, but I'm saying it. It's looking personal. What do you think, Steve? I think he occupies a similar space to where Harry Kane comes and gets the ball. But I don't think that's a reason to omit him from the squad. That might be a reason not to put him in the 11, but I think he's probably good enough to be in the squad. I read something the other day, and I can't help keep going back to it when I see that Cole Palmer doesn't get into the squad.

37:31You know when he was asked about the England squad when he wasn't in it, and he was like, I didn't really watch the game or nothing like that, and I didn't show any interest. Those types of things could be working against him, and that's Cole Palmer's personality, so you've got to take that, and that's just the way he is, yeah? He's been honest. I wasn't involved. I didn't want to watch it. So that's me done. Maybe Thomas Tuchel is a different type of person who's going, no, no, I want you supporting the team. You're going to be a part of this at some point. You've got to show some sort of care and love and attention when you're not here to see and study what you need to be doing to be in this team.

38:02I don't know. That might be the thought process of the manager and he can't get away from that. I don't know. I'm just guessing here. But there's no doubt in my mind, Cole Palmer is a good enough talent to be in that squad. I don't know. He's got a talent and almost an attitude and an arrogance that in any given moment in the biggest stage in the world, he'd actually be comfortable in that moment. And I don't think we've got enough of those players in the biggest moments that have that attitude and can execute that. Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane can. Outside of that, who are the other ones that you're going?

38:35And I'm not talking about performance. I'm talking about goals, chances creating. I don't know. No one's proven that other than those two names I just mentioned there. Guys, talking to Cole Palmer, right? Ander Herrera, which is going to go out on Thursday, right, this piece, so you can go and watch it all in its full context, right? He said that Cole Palmer would be perfect, absolutely perfect for Spanish football, right? So that's not the only person that said that, by the way. We sat down with Kaka, Gio Pedro, and they both said as well that he'd be ideal for their nation, for Brazil. And so it makes you sit there and go, well, what does he need to be doing to be in an England squad?

39:13not even starting to be in an England squad these guys are saying that he'll be playing for their countries Spain and Brazil but he can't get in a bloody England England squad let alone in England 11 it is baffling even Laminia Mal mentioned him not long ago so it's yeah it's crazy guys we've got the England squad here right so we can see the names goalkeepers defenders midfielders and forwards right let's just try and pick a team out of this squad goalkeepers Jason Steele James Trafford Jordan Pickford Got to go Pickford. It's going to be Pickford. Yeah, I think I'll go Pickford as well. Yeah.

39:48I think that's going to be the easiest one on the trip. So Trent Alexander-Arnold, who's not starting at Real Madrid, by the way. Ramfway, Konza and Kwanzaa. Jed Spence, Ben White. If you're asking what it's going to be, it's going to be Jed Spence, right back. Konza, then left back is going to be, it's probably going to have to be Lewis Hall, isn't it? Should be. That's the team I'll play. In the middle? in midfield Anderson Rice it's gotta be and Jude yeah Anderson Rice and then Jude better than them in the 10 forwards Gordon on the left probably Anthony Gordon left yep I agree or Morgan Rodgers bro he's been in good form he's gonna go on the right because they played him on the right last time a little bit so I think he goes on the right Gordon on the left and Harry Kane yeah yes yeah that's it it's quite straightforward when you look at the squad there's a lot of names there but it's actually quite a straightforward squad, isn't it?

40:44Yeah. It kind of all just, like, speaks for itself. Excited about it? If we get some young guns, like Josh King starts getting, and Joby Bellenham starts playing, and you get, like, the little Rio and Goma, or you get a, you know what I mean, Max Dalman, these boys start getting in and playing and smashing it up. You might get the juices flowing again. Talking of, like, attacking midfielders, Joel, Lampard, Rio meets. That's going to be dropping on Thursday. We've got a vlog on Wednesday for me going up to Coventry, going around a training ground, et cetera. So stay tuned, guys. Really quickly, you see that Frank Lampard interview.

41:19What's that like? Because obviously he's the Coventry manager, but he's also a childhood friend. So you've had the opportunity to see him at different places. What's it like seeing him at this part in his career? Yeah, it's funny because I've seen him, obviously, when we grew up together. We were roommates at West Ham. So we go back, we roll back the years. If you were looking for a bit of nostalgia about what it was like when we were growing up and what it takes to be a pro and a professional and whatnot and the highs and the lows and the trials and tribulations. Make sure you tune in. Definitely bring this and show it to one of your kids who wants to be a footballer because there's some nuggets in there for them on the journey and how you have to show resilience at times because Frank Lampard had to do that.

41:59But also his managerial career and how he got to where he is now and some things he looks at his career as a manager, what he would have changed given the experience he's had up to now. So, yeah, really good, really good insight. And he's loving life at Coventry with what they're doing. Good for him. Guys, thank you very much for watching. Please make sure you like, share, comment and subscribe. Let us know your thoughts, your raw, deep thoughts about what's going on with your football club and the whole situation, man. We love the interaction. I've noticed that the Instagram broadcast chat has been a little bit quiet, guys.

42:30We need to get that going again. You know, it's been a bit, it's been a little. When you lose, bro, you don't want to talk as much. You know what I mean? not even smashing the gym at a minute I had an operation on my toe on Thursday so I'm grounded at the moment and I can't do nothing, can't even go in a sauna I'm absolutely devoured mate Ed's falling off with it Steve, I'm smashing the gym I'm smashing the gym at the moment throwing it everywhere make him jealous guys, thank you very much for watching like I said, make sure you like, share, comment and subscribe and we will be back next week Joel Baer, Stephen Housen, Rio Ferdinand More videos coming on the channel this week.

43:06Signing out. Peace.

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