Arsenal Crowned Premier League Champions!

15:49Robbie Mustoe:Yeah, I don't know.

15:50Robbie Earle:They seemed very flat to me, very surprised given what's on the game.

15:54Robbie Mustoe:Don't you remember a time back in the day? Was it Sir Alex Ferguson at one point announced he was leaving and then sort of went back on that because everybody's sort of standards dropped and it was a bit like, oh, the boss is going. I don't know. I don't think it's quite as easy as saying because of, you know, all the noise that's come out with Pep supposedly leaving and, you know, that being in the air. I think it's a little bit too similar to point solely to that, but I think he might have had a bearing, Rob. I think, you know, as a group of players, it's almost as though this thing has grown so much that Pep's had to sort of say something to the players because it's leaking out all over the media and people are writing headlines.

16:34Robbie Mustoe:And whether that conversation is something that, you know, people looking forward thinking, well, we thought he was going to be here at least another year and now he's not, whether that affected performance. But as you say, there wasn't the desperation in the football for a team that knew if they won, they take it to the last day, there's still a chance that, you know, Palace could turn up against Arsenal and they might end up with three trophies for the season. So I just felt they looked tired to me, Rob, and I rarely say that about a Pep team. In their football, they didn't have that sparkle at the top end.

17:07Robbie Mustoe:I mean, no Cherky was interesting. I thought from my position it's the wrong decision. I thought he brings something. I wasn't sure the Kovacic thing really worked in midfield. Rodri was laboured, I thought, today. I didn't think he quite got that mix in midfield where, you know, with the Scots and the Adams and people at Bournemouth with Kruppi and Tavernier, Kruppi Tavernier and... Rayan. Rayan, yeah. You know, their speed and just energy, Rob, and like hunger was just too much for City, especially in the middle of the park.

17:44Robbie Earle:Yeah. Let's get to Pep in a minute, Rob, because there's big news, of course, about him. Just quickly on Bournemouth, I mean, the European qualification for the first time, They've still got a chance of finishing in the Champions League sports, given a few scenarios. I mean, it is remarkable what they've done. I don't know. I mean, he's going to be in the reckoning for manager of the season, Rob. Andoni Irola. It is kind of a bit strange to think that he's leaving this kind of amazing squad and team and ownership to move to a new challenge. I mean, when you look at the paper, Rob, and the team, the players, like how they managed to, you know, they beat City.

18:20Robbie Earle:Well, they didn't, sorry, they didn't beat City. It was 1-1 the game.

18:21Robbie Mustoe:1-1, yeah.

18:22Robbie Earle:But it's not, it's like young. There's two 19-year-olds in the front areas. You've got a 35-year-old right back in Adam Smith. You've got a Petrovic goalkeeper that's been around a little bit. Nothing spectacular. James Hill that didn't play a lot last year has come into the side, done well. Marcus Sanessi is leaving the club. Truffaut is a good signing. Tyler Adams had a pretty good game in midfield. Alex Scott is special. I mean, it's just Evan Nilsen up front. I mean, it's, I don't know. I don't know how they do it. The way that they perform, kind of greater than the sum of the parts. The synergy that the manager gets from this club and this team is remarkable.

18:54Robbie Earle:And we've got to tip our hat to Iriola, Rob.

18:56Robbie Mustoe:Isn't that the essence of coaching, though, Rob? Isn't that exactly what it is? You know, sometimes you don't need to have the superstars and the big signings. If you've got a system of play, if you've got players on side, if you've got intelligent footballers who all buy into what you're doing. It was interesting, Rob, because we've seen them now at the Premier League Summer Series and watched a bit of Iriola's training. and you know where you're always looking for something or a little bit of the secret sauce? It's generally a lot of good, basic football. It's good passing. It's decent movement.

19:31Robbie Mustoe:It's nothing that blows you away that you think, wow. There's nothing fancy, Rob.

19:34Robbie Earle:Tactically, there's nothing fancy at all.

19:35Robbie Mustoe:There's nothing that you go, wow, that's very different or that. It's just a real nice fit, and as you're watching it, you can see the patterns they're trying to do in training, and the same things you've seen all through the season that now got them to sixth in the Premier League.

19:53Robbie Earle:Yeah, remarkable. Amazing job he's done and we'll see where he ends up. I hope he stays in the Premier League. It's difficult to find a fit for him now, but who knows?

20:01Robbie Mustoe:My sense is he might go back to Spain somewhere, but again, I don't know which of those jobs are available. But obviously his reputation is good. I kind of think that there's something lined up for him, Rob. But let's turn to Pep because obviously it's going to be one of the big stories of the closing game on Championship Sunday. Man City at home to Villa now, but they know they can't win the title. They've won the two domestic cups. I think they've got a bus tour lined up for Monday or Tuesday, I think, to celebrate that. Obviously, it would appear that we'll also be celebrating the leaving of Pep Guardiola from not just Manchester City, but from English football, Rob.

20:41Robbie Mustoe:Pep's desperately trying to play it down. Probably the right way. I almost feel like he wants to own it a little bit more than it getting out in all these sources and everybody having their opinion and, you know, the eulogies about him and what he's done. Kind of feels like he talked today. He wants to talk to his chairman. He wants to talk to his family. He wants to probably talk to the players before, you know, making any public announcements.

21:05Robbie Earle:I mean, I don't... I think it's messy, Rob. It's messy. Like, you know, just announce it. Jürgen Klopp announced it a while out. Like, it's going to be my last season. and maybe himself, he wasn't sure whether he wanted to continue or not, I guess is why it's like this messy way. Obviously, it's leaked out. I mean, there's a lot of people. There's a lot of planning that's got to be done. Yeah. If he has said to the CEO and the ownership of the club, it's like, I am going to be moving on. They've got to think about new people. And Mareska has been rumored. His people might have leaked it out. You know, there's so many ways of leaking out instead of making an announcement, even today.

21:40Robbie Earle:And I don't know whether he didn't want to make it about him over the last couple of games of the season or whatever. I don't know. Or genuinely, maybe the City fans might think that maybe he's still not made his mind up and all the news outlets that could be wrong. I find it very hard to believe that. When something gets this much momentum and stories,

22:00Robbie Mustoe:you feel like people in the know are putting things out there because things like that can't stay in a football club, Rob. Football clubs are leaky. Somebody whispers to somebody. somebody tells somebody if it's not like you're saying it's not his side, it's Moresca's people or somebody else, you know, is being spoken to and as you say, you know it's a shame that they've not owned it and Pep's not been able to control the narrative the way he's wanted he deserves that at the very least for what he's done in English football but Thomas feels like to me he wants to not make him the centre of attention which he'll always be because of what he does and who he is, get through Sunday and then possibly do it maybe on Sunday.

22:43Robbie Earle:Yeah, I'm sure it's going to be a special, special day on Sunday if we're right and he is going to go. And I think we should expect a statement, Rob, shouldn't we now over the next few days before Sunday? So the fans can come and give their appreciation. I'm sure the club will put on something, some videos rolling, maybe some replica trophies that he's won out there on plinths or whatever. There'll be something to... I mean, it is a big deal. Ten years at the club, 20 trophies, isn't it? 20 trophies in 10 years.

23:14Robbie Mustoe:20 trophies in 10 years, yeah. I mean, six Premier League titles, four on the bounce, mate. Never been done before. Four Premier League titles on the bounce. You know, Centurions.

23:24Robbie Earle:I mean, it goes on.

23:26Robbie Mustoe:Yeah, it goes on and on. But I think maybe based on this, you know, bus tour that they're going to have with Manchester, it might be, you know, a dual thing. The two trophies and Pep's leaving. They can kind of roll that into one and maybe have some event after the time. But it's going to be a big change, mate. It's going to be a big change for Manchester City. Whoever they get in, Mureska seems to be the man that's in pole position. It's going to be a big change for English football because this guy has dominated the way English football has been played and influenced it in a way that I would say greater than anybody else, and that includes Alex Ferguson and possibly Arsene Wenger in that.

24:08Robbie Earle:Yeah, I mean, I think there's a couple of things to chat, Rob, quickly now, is the legacy of Pep and what the Premier League after Pep looks like. And I think that second part of it is interesting. You started on it there. And I think for the other clubs, they'll be like, oh, thank goodness for that. Because, I mean, he's always there or thereabouts. Yeah, I mean, and we'll always be favoured by people when you think about his teams going forward. I know he hasn't won it every single year, but he's been very, very close every year. I think third's the lowest they've been, maybe. I don't know. Yeah.

24:43Robbie Mustoe:So, yeah.

24:45Robbie Earle:So, going forward, it is kind of wide open, the Premier League, Rob. And Mikel Arteta, we'll get to in a second. Of course, sorry, Arsenal fans, if you want this to be going on that first, which you maybe should have done. But he'll think that maybe they can now dominate a little bit. Of course, Xabi Alonso's going in at Chelsea. We're not sure what's happening at Liverpool. You know, Man United with Michael Carrick now, looks like he's going to be confirmed as the coach. So it leaves a very interesting situation in the Premier League where, wow. And by the way, I don't mean to write them off.

25:18Robbie Earle:If it is Enzo Mareska, a very good coach, but it's always so difficult to follow a man like Pep Guardiola. So what's your sense of what we might see going forward?

25:29Robbie Mustoe:It's interesting that, you know, I heard some journalists saying today that, you know, it's always difficult to follow the legends and that's been proven. And then, you know, there is a sense that maybe Pep wants to leave his legacy and wants, you know, success to continue. And Mareska seems like the easier fit. He's worked under Pep. He knows the football club and knows how it works. But somebody reminded me that, you know, that was very similar to Sir Alex Ferguson leaving Manchester United. And, you know, sort of saying he thought David Moyes was the right guy. That didn't go too well, David Moyes' appointment.

26:03Robbie Mustoe:And, you know, Mareska is going to have to deal with everything he does, every decision he makes being compared to would Pep have done that? Is that how Pep, you know? And until we're out of that era and, you know, Manchester United have probably and Michael Carrick just found a home that looks a little bit more suited in terms of manager, you know, Manchester City are going to be the same. And is there going to be a change of two or three managers in the next four or five years at City before they find the right guy. We'll have to wait and see. I mean, it's still a great group of players. Maresco is a decent coach and we saw what Arnaz Slott did taking over a group when Jurgen Klopp left the football club.

26:47Robbie Mustoe:He came in for a year, mate, and he won the title. So, you know, there is an upside to someone like Maresco who knows the club and is a very good coach, but following the legend, I think it's still going to be very, very tough.

26:59Robbie Earle:Follow on, Rob, from that legacy of Pep then. Let's get into the legacy. And where does he stand? And, you know, what special qualities did he bring to the league and to English football? And by the way, English football all over, every single level, I feel like his influence is still there.

27:16Robbie Mustoe:I think right there is the biggest point, Rob. I think in terms of Premier League great and one of the greatest, for me still, I'd put Alex Ferguson as the greatest in terms of what he won and how he moulded that team and how he made probably four iterations of Manchester United under him that all went on to be successful. But I would say in terms of influence on the game of football, Pep stands alone. The influence of English football. And I'm not just talking Premier League, Rob, and I'm not just talking Championship and League One and League Two. I'm talking pub football. I've watched pub football where full-backs are inverting.

28:00Robbie Mustoe:They don't even know what they're doing, but they're just inverting. And, you know, centre-forwards are playing like false nines. And you look and say, why are you playing a false nine? And they won't know, but they've seen what Pep's done it. And he's changed the way that people have wanted to break down defensive structures in a way that we haven't seen in English football before.

28:24Robbie Earle:Yeah, even a simple thing like lineups and systems of play and stuff, it was easier before Pep. Since Pep's come in, it's harder to, of course, his teams, we never really know what he's going to do. He's got different ways of playing, different positions, doing different things that we've never seen before, and it rubbers off on other teams. That's the shore. I think in terms of the greatest, we'll never know what Pep might have done in another 16 years. that Sir Alex Ferguson had, you know, in terms of trophies per year, Pep's ahead, but the longevity of Sir Alex, I get it. You know, I get it.

29:02Robbie Earle:I just, I personally love and I've loved how he coaches his teams, Rob, and the football that he plays. I worked for another company and followed La Liga and I followed Pep when he first started at Barcelona and to see that team and him come through there, I mean, amazing players with Lino Messi, etc, etc, but the football that he played at times is breathtaking. And I just love a coach that can do that in a proactive way to break teams down with attacking. I mean, everything's tilted to possession attack and he did it magnificently well after being said, oh, I'm not sure he's going to have to change if he comes to the Premier League.

29:40Robbie Earle:And we had that conversation before. No, he didn't change and he kept doing the same thing and he was incredibly successful. So I think it leaves an amazing legacy and the club has been changed forever, Rob. but I think Sir Alex Ferguson's, you know, hold over Manchester United will always be there. There'll always be reference points. Yeah, yeah. Well, like Sir Alex Ferguson's United, that United decade or that team or that trophy or that cup run. The same with Man City, Rob, forevermore. For as long as we live, we'll be like the Pep years. And, you know, he talked about Johan Cruyff, who influenced him as a player, the influence that Cruyff had at Ajax and then Barcelona.

30:14Robbie Earle:I think it's a similar thing at Man City. I've had Pep Guardiola for a 10-year period and it's changed the way that they are and will be forevermore. So that's pretty special from Pep Guardiola.

30:28Robbie Mustoe:I think, you know, like Sir Alex, you know, the great years that they've had and not won a title since, I think Man City and Pep will be hoping that that isn't going to happen to them. That, you know, they're going to find a guy and they're going to continue having success because that's the way the club's been set up and built now.

30:43Robbie Earle:Let's move it on to Tottenham Hotspur, my friend.

30:47Robbie Mustoe:It was at Stamford Bridge. Tottenham needed something from the game a point would have been enough to guarantee Premier League status next season I suppose Spurs being Spurs never make it easy get themselves 2-0 down Enzo Fernandes and Santos with I think his first goal for the club and then Charleston pulls one back on 74 minutes so we had an interesting 15 minutes where basically a Spurs goal would have kept them in the Premier League unfortunately they didn't manage to do that and so now go into Championship Sunday two points behind West Ham ahead of West Ham

31:24Robbie Earle:ahead of West Ham

31:26Robbie Mustoe:but with both teams West Ham got Leeds and Spurs have got Everton I mean neither are a gimme and we have some real tension on the last day at two huge London clubs mate that they'll be full of 60 ,000 fans in each and one of those 60 ,000 fans is going to go home in tears

31:46Robbie Earle:Yeah, incredible, isn't it? It's amazing. This is the game. These two games on Sunday are going to be where it's at and the pressure's going to be on. And Tottenham Hotspur, who are big favourites to stay up, could have a nervy day at home against an Everton team that have not been great the last few weeks, but they've got the potential to dig in and grind and enjoy the occasion at Tottenham Hotspur and what it means to that club. West Ham United are going to have to try and pull together a little bit because it felt like after the last game, the last loss, I think they'd lost three on a spin, almost thrown the towel in.

32:23Robbie Earle:The fans were incredibly... So they've got to come back together again. They've got a lifeline, yeah.

32:28Robbie Mustoe:They've got to win, aren't they, now? They've got to win.

32:30Robbie Earle:They have to win, yeah, and hope that Spurs lose.

32:34Robbie Mustoe:And by the way, let's not forget that David Moyes is a former West Ham manager. He wanted to do himself a favour first, but he might want to do the hammers a favour. Yeah, he might.

32:46Robbie Earle:Yeah.

32:47Robbie Mustoe:You know, and make sure he's team. But his team certainly won't be on the beach or won't turn up. What you know about David Moyes and, like you say, form's not been bad. He'll want to finish the season off in the right way and he'll be looking for a win at Tottenham. Against a Tottenham team that, for whatever reason, Rob, have struggled at home again. I think they've got the fewest points of any team in the Premier League at home, which is a problem for that beautiful stadium with the amount of noise and the fan support, something just doesn't feel right and they can't seem to get results there.

33:20Robbie Mustoe:This weekend on Sunday, I think it's 4pm kick-off, they desperately need to put that right and get themselves a win at home.

33:28Robbie Earle:Well, De Zerbe has been very calm, very cool, very effective. He needs all that calmness now, Robert, these next few days before the Sunday game because the preparation for that is absolutely critical. And, you know, I mean, he needs a point. They'll need a point. If West Ham win, they'll stay up by goal difference. There's too many goals to make up for West Ham United.

33:50Robbie Mustoe:Yeah.

33:50Robbie Earle:And that's where it's going to be at. And we'll, you know, whether we'll be there or this is going to be an exciting Sunday, Rob, in that regard. That's the game of jeopardy. We're just still trying to figure out where we're all going to be on that final day.

34:01Robbie Mustoe:Somewhere in the UK, but yeah.

34:03Robbie Earle:Yeah, I mean, James Madison, Rob, just finally on this, I suppose. He got more minutes in today's game. came on, he had an opportunity to score right at the end.

34:12Robbie Mustoe:With his left foot, yeah, he just did it a little bit, didn't he? He couldn't quite get his feet in. Hato came over and made a good block. So maybe he's closer to a start.

34:21Robbie Earle:Maybe?

34:23Robbie Mustoe:I sense, so I heard after the manager talking about maybe 45 minutes, 45 minutes in his legs, so I think he's going to be a sub that come on, but I think in either circumstance, whether you're up, you wouldn't mind him on to keep the ball and keep continuity and confidence. If you're down, he's got the energy and the personality to get people going. So that's a little bonus I think for Deserby. But you're right. I think the managers, I mean, I think he's come in with a real presence and a positivity, Rob, and he's chalked the things up. I think he's going to need to do that and more at the weekend because if they were to go one down, I think there's a few in that team that could crumble and I think the place could get a little bit toxic with the fans there.

35:05Robbie Mustoe:So they're going to need to keep an air of positivity about the whole place as Sunday plays out and Spurs desperately need to win to make sure that they stay in the Premier League it's going to be a big game just before we go mate I have to touch on one of your former teams actually with some incredible news that blew out today for those that don't know the playoffs are going through at the moment and as it stands it should have been Southampton playing Hull in the Championship final on Saturday, May the 23rd. But Southampton have been known and have been caught to be cheating, inverted commas, spying on the Middlesbrough team who they played in the playoff semifinals.

35:57Robbie Mustoe:So an independent disability commission has now expelled Southampton from the championship players, basically stopped them and given them a four-point deduction for next season. Now, basically, Rob, that means that they're out and that Middlesbrough are back in. From what I'm hearing, that Southampton are appealing that decision and the appeal is going to go tomorrow. I kind of feel if you go that strong that it's not happening. They're going to go as strong as they can. But it does look like now Middlesbrough will play Hull in the playoff finals. So one of those teams will be placing West Ham or Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League next season.

36:42Robbie Mustoe:I mean, this is an incredible story, mate. This is a story we'll see on, this will be on Netflix in a couple of seasons.

36:50Robbie Earle:A picture of the guy next to the hedge.

36:53Robbie Mustoe:Yeah, I mean, it's incredible stuff.

36:56Robbie Earle:I mean, also, by the way, Rob, in the same report and stuff, like they've been caught doing it.

37:01Robbie Mustoe:Yeah, three or four times. At least three times, I'm hearing.

37:05Robbie Earle:They all know what the rules are. This was done a couple of years ago, wasn't it, with Leeds United and Derby County? Yeah, yeah. And there was fine too. Marcelo Bielsa, wasn't it?

37:11Robbie Mustoe:Yeah.

37:12Robbie Earle:And they rewrote the rules to be a sporting sanction if it happens again. So this is kind of new. So clubs know they can't get away with this and do this. And they've done it. And I'm so... I'm sorry for so many people at Southampton, certainly the fans. I know the players, Robert. I think there's... Well, some of the players are talking about suing the club, Rob. Yeah, yeah.

37:32Robbie Mustoe:because of the opportunity that they've lost now of winning that game, playing in the Premier League, and what that would mean to them financially, from a status point of view, and everything else.

37:43Robbie Earle:I mean, the club. This tactic, or whether it's come from the manager, the club, or whoever, this cost them£200 million. £200 million. Well, of course, they'd have to win the last game against Hull at Wembley, but the potential win for£200 million based on this guy trying to get some kind of tactical stuff or who's fit or what do they do with their set pieces, trying to get information. It's cheating. Do these people not have all the apps that are out there now, Rob,

38:11Robbie Mustoe:that we all can use? Why Scouts? They're looking for an extra advantage. They're looking for a little extra advantage.

38:17Robbie Earle:And my goodness, it's costing really badly. I mean, this is all pending an appeal. But I think the rules are pretty clear. I think there's a lot of evidence now for, you know, the guy. I heard a story, you know, Rob, that the Middlesbrough guy who cleans the cars, again, don't quote me too much on this, but the guy who cleans the Middlesbrough players' cars was the guy that noticed this guy over there. Oh, the guy. Yeah, and said, what's the noise doing over there? And went over and took a picture. And then it all started from there. That's the story that I got from a friend of mine that lives in the northeast of England.

38:49Robbie Earle:So, I mean, he almost got away with it. If anyone would know, you would know, but yeah.

38:52Robbie Mustoe:He almost got away with it. They got him on the CCTV camera and da-da-da-da-da and then the other stories come out and we are where we are but yeah crazy crazy come on Borough let's get back in the Premier League I knew that would come out we'll be back in the Premier League come on

39:07Robbie Earle:by hook or by crop listen mate

39:09Robbie Mustoe:we're going to leave it there so it's 22 year wait for Arsenal but they win a Premier League title again Mikelar Teta and his team will parade the trophy at Palace on Sunday as City drawn with Bournemouth spoiling peps goodbye elsewhere Spurs lose at the bridge so they go down to the last day to find out if it's Tottenham or it's West Ham who are heading to the Championship. And we'll be back on Championship Sunday, somewhere from the UK, to put a bow on one of the most dramatic Premier League seasons ever, with European spots and relegation places still to be decided. So put that date in your diary, Sunday, May the 24th, for our final podcast ahead of the Champions League final.

39:50Robbie Mustoe:But for now, I'm Earl, he's Musty, together with the two Robbies. Thanks for watching and listening. Be safe, stay healthy. It's a good night from me. And it's a good night from him. Good night.