Heroic Harry, Slot's Slump, Forest Chopped, Ange Axed

25:13And I just think somebody I heard on the radio, not original thought, but that if Sean Dyche comes, he brings Ian Wohan and Steve Stone, two legends from Nottingham Forest, who will absolutely bring people back on side and connect the football club again. And that could be also a little... No, it's a very good shout, yeah. Maybe Dyche isn't that appealing, but those two players, former players... Legends. Big connections. Yeah, very good players for them. So we'll have to wait and see. I'm sure it's not going to be long, mate. No, no. This guy doesn't mess around, does he? Just quickly on Chelsea, just before we move on, Rob, because they've got the three points.

25:49They're sitting, what, fifth in the table. It's not been great, but listen, they're in it around where they would like to be. Five red cards in the last six games, player or manager over the last game. Any issues or is that just one of the anomalies and it happens? It might be, but it needs a conversation in the dressing room with the manager, all of them together. it absolutely needs that I said the same thing for Arsenal and I think it is just a situation I think some of them are young players inexperienced immature the Gusto 2 challenge yes you didn't need to do one's on the halfway line one's in the opposition but an experienced player isn't making that challenge so there's a little bit that's going to come naturally with Chelsea but I think it is a dressing room okay guys this could hurt us this is going to hurt us let's cut this out and let's be a bit more smart and sensible about it but yeah good point but no good win for them awful first half They were sloppy as anything.

26:38Second off better. I like when he puts that gay up top, Robin, and drops Pedro into a 10. They look so much better to him. Pedro doesn't really want to play in that nine position, high up the pitch. He's a footballer, isn't he? He wants to get involved in the play. But not good numbers and, again, showed the depth. It was without cash. Edo didn't start. Enzo didn't start. Cole Palmer didn't start. You know what I mean? It shows that the squad's got a bit of depth. Yeah. OK, let's go to Craven Cottage, where in recent times, also have had a bit of a difficult time getting points from Fulham. We always know Marco Silva's team is well set up, well coached, difficult to play against.

27:13An Arsenal team that momentum was flying, but it was about, you know, they've beaten Newcastle with a bit of a bogey team, they've beaten West Ham recently. Could they go to Craven Cottage and beat Fulham? They did, courtesy of their absolute ally, the corner kick. Yeah, they did. And Trossard, how about Trossard? You know, again, remember our underappreciated, and we used to go, I'll call Gundogan a lot. We should call this Tro... I mean, Troasar's kind of close. Toast to that sort of standard of underappreciated-ness. You know, he steps up. The manager loves him, by the way. Yeah, and sometimes other players, bigger players, quicker players.

27:49So he's in the right place, a brilliant set-piece. I mean, we showed Gabriel's movement. There's two players sandwiching him as this ball's about to be struck in. And he bundles by him, and he steams in. and he still flicks the ball on. I mean, Gabriel is some player, mate. I think, you know, somebody has grown on me over the last couple of years, where I thought, remember, we sort of think there's a bit of a rick in him. He sometimes makes a mistake. Yeah, he's going to make a mistake. Phenomenal. I mean, a strong team from Arsenal, not their fluid best. It wasn't great. And Fulham, to be fair, I always, I'm guilty of, look at the match-ups, and what I've seen of them, like, Arsenal are too strong.

28:24Yeah, we all do that. And every time Fulham surprised me, saying, you know what? They're a good side. And they play good football. Keep possession, don't they? Keep possession. Every player is good on the ball. And that's nice when people don't give the ball silly. And you possess it. It takes pressure off. You make the opponents work a little bit, whoever they are. They gave a good game against Arsenal. It was a difficult away game for them. The set-piece does it again. Should Arsenal fans be concerned again? Set-pieces are great, and it's great to be good at set-pieces. But should they be getting more chances from open play?

28:56And why didn't they trade more? No Odegaard, by the way. Yeah, no Odegaard that loses a bit of creativity. I didn't think the creative players had great days, Eze. No, he didn't. Trussaud gets a goal, but I didn't think he created as much. Saka was better. He was a better one. Saka was good, yeah. The centre-forward, Uwe Jokeres, who's on the three goals. Was it seven without one now? And his manager said, as long as he's doing the job. Made a couple of great runs, got in a couple of good spots, didn't have the finish that he would like. And that's got to hopefully come. That's got to turn into 10, 12 to 15 goals.

29:30But I'm less worried about the set-pieces, mate. If it's something we work on... No, we're not worried about it. It's just the open play creativity. Some say you can't always score from that set. Without an Odegaard, and I just felt it wasn't a great day, but Man City don't have great days and Liverpool don't have great days, and they win. And Arsenal have got this thing with the corner kicks that not only gives them a confidence, I think gives the opposition a real fear. Oh, here we go again. Where's Gabriel? Where's Saliba? You know, it's almost like panic mode when they get a corner. Didn't we show a graphic?

30:04I think two seasons and a bit of seasons, they've scored 16 more goals from set-piece. Yeah, corners. Corners, I think. Than any other team. 16. That's like having a different player. That's a striker. That's a striker's goal. In addition to what they've got. Yeah, so I just... It's noted that. It wasn't easy for them. They win with a set-piece, but in other games, maybe you have to do a little bit more. I mean, you've got to remember that Maduweke wasn't playing, Odegaard wasn't playing, Kai Havers are still out. There's other attacking options that he didn't have. Yeah. It just never felt like there's times when Odegaard's not been there and I'm like, oh, you know.

30:40With Eze and that, with that depth, with Zubamendi and Rice, there's depth now, there's quality, isn't there? I bear it to Eze, Rob, last, and this is me. I know the quality of Eberachie Ezzet. And there was a period of time when he was at Palace doing great and we had conversations. I said, nobody seems to be coming in for him. What is it about him? And I kind of thought, not always reliable of doing, and at a club like Arsenal, the expectations they've got. And it's early, yeah. And I'm not being too critical with him. I'd love to see him be a little bit more dominant, a bit more influential.

31:20What's the word? Does the game let him drift by a little bit? Not maverick, but he has to feel it and he's one of those players, isn't he? He won't go and get it and make things happen. Yeah, it comes to him and then he's on and then he's slinky and he's smooth. Again, it wasn't quite his day because he'd been on England duty and international. I know what you mean, but he brings something different, Rob. And is that spark a difference that I think on certain days they're going to need? If those certain days could get a bit more consistent, that's brilliant. That's what the manager wants. That's hopefully what we'll get to.

31:51OK, my friend, let's get to the other results of the weekend. Tottenham Hotspur 1, Aston Villa 2. We watched that game this morning. I don't say scratching heads, but we're trying to work out what Thomas Frank's Spurs are and what they're going to look like. They get themselves ahead for a well-worked Benton Kerr goal from Polina header. Morgan Rodgers with a good strike to bring Villa back before half-time. and then Buendia came on as a sub with Ollie Watkins, changed the game. Beautiful goal. Start to finish. Start to finish for Villa. Let's look at both these teams, because both are probably as ambitious as the other.

32:26For Tottenham, I know Thomas Frank talked about, Rob, home form and the fortress and getting the fans behind us. The game never quite got to that level, I didn't feel, for Tottenham. No, the attack was not great today, and that's a concern. And again, if we generalise, Rob, our podcast is going to be rubbish. If we just say, well, they're probably going to be all right. But on the basis of this game, Mo Kudo's tick. Yeah. Excellent. Fans get off the seats. That's way a bad thought. He's a threat. Yeah. I mean, he's a really dangerous player. Matthias Tell's a striker. Nothing. Nothing today. Javi Simmonds,$70 million.

33:04Can't affect the game, mate. On the outside of the game, can't affect it. Flatters to deceive a little bit. Very busy, very tricky. but not a lot of end product. And Wilson Odebe, who I like, had a brilliant under-21s, scored four goals in the international games, was quiet as well. Now, that's a lot of your attack. I like the back four, I like the goalkeeper, though I think maybe he sure got to one of those goals. The midfielder I like with Palina. It's funny, like you said with Spurs, it's like you see them one week, and you're like, ah, they're building, they look pretty good, and then they take a step back.

33:34So maybe that's natural with a new manager. I kind of feel the centre-forward position is an issue there at the football club. But between Richarlison, Solanke and Matisse-Tel. Is there a star in amongst those? No, it's almost like put the three together, get the best of all three, and that's where you've got, you know what I mean? I just wonder at some point, might you have to trade one or two to go and get a top-class striker? And also the midfield, like, we're going to see Kulusevski and Madsen under a different manager. How's Thomas Frank going to use those players? So they're missing as well.

34:07So, yeah, frustrating for them. For Villa, it's been a bit of a struggle. Five straight wins now, isn't it? They're slowly finding their feet a little bit. I really like Emi Buendia. I know he's had injury struggles and other players have been preferred to him. Those substitutes on 60 Minutes made a big difference, him and Olly Watkins. The Olly Watkins thing was a bit strange, mate. The manager taught before, he came back from England, he was fine. and then by the time we got to match day, he wasn't fine. Something kind of went on there, I'm not sure. Because they're not the same with that one.

34:39No, those runs in behind and the way he plays. The other one I want to mention, and I think he's been an underappreciate, is our little mate, John McGinn. I couldn't love him any more, mate. Three and a half million dollars from him. Three and a half million dollars, 2018 that was. 2018, he's 31 years of age, looking to sign a three or four year contract. Robbie, he can play still. He's aggressive. He's industrious. He gets on to teammates who aren't doing their job. He's got a big heart. He has a bit of a laugh with the referee when the referee gets in the way. I mean, you're paying£70 million for Jabby Simmons, who can't really affect the game, and I'm not saying he's not a good player, and now paying£3.50.

35:21He's a bit of the old school, Rob, I think. Yeah. I hope he gets kind of looked after by the club. Yeah. Because we all know that guy. Yeah, he's been there. He's been around the club a long time. And all the new guys are coming in. They get the big salaries and the steady Eddie, who's more than a steady Eddie, sometimes doesn't get looked after. But anyway, I'm sure they get looked after plenty good. But that's good for Villa. Yeah. But it feels like they're getting back to their normal level, which the Villa fans will want. It's been a frustrating start for them on the back of the last year's non-qualifying for the Champions League.

35:53But no, all credit to them. Lovely two goals. I thought the goals there were the stars of this game. Rodgers' strike and the lovely Matty Cash volley, the bring down. Dina. Yeah, and then Buendia with a beautiful finish. Lovely. So let's go to Sellers Park for possibly the most dramatic game of the weekend. Crystal Palace 3, Bournemouth 3. This was a crazy game. Krippi gets two goals to put Bournemouth to a little bit. JP Mateta gets a couple of goals back and then gets himself a penalty, gets a hat-trick, then Christie gets an equaliser, and then JP Matata at the end of the day has one that he smashes over the top.

36:31And it was like... I saw Uriolo actually say he was really mad about how Palace were let back into the game, and that's not the way how he wants to control football. What we said in the game, we said this could be hard to get back with the way that Bournemouth play. 2-0 up, including. But, yeah, I mean, Palace in form and always feeling their goals. But they talk about Oliver Glasner and obviously Gaye looks like that's going to be going at the end of the season. Glasner hasn't signed his contract yet. Any worries for Palace? If they lose Gaye, if they lose Glasner, his contract's up in the summer?

37:07There's always going to be that in the Palace. And I feel so, I feel sorry for the fans because it's a brilliant club. Brilliant club, great fans, great atmosphere. And they've just got something going now, haven't they? They've really got something going. There's some really good times. And sadly, a club like that, when you get really good results, there's reasons for that. and those people go other places and then your level naturally drops again. I'm going to go back to their striker. My underappreciated performer is Jean-Philippe Mateta. And in a day, in a season, in a year, in an environment where strikers are everything, particularly this year, has he been drastically overlooked as a striker option of a big club?

37:46Let me just throw a few names that have been added to the league. Victor Jokerez, Benjamin Shesko, Alexander Izak, Jogu Okitike, Gio Pedra went to Chelsea, Liam De Lapp. There's a lot of strikers that's gone to these big clubs and that guy, John Philippe Mateta, has been there banging in the goals. Great record so far. Consistent, reliable, rarely injured. He's a little gem, isn't he? He's underappreciated. There's nothing little about him, mate. He's a big gem. What I would say is he maybe doesn't almost like look the right part. I know. He's a bit awkward looking. He's got a big long body. He's paced.

38:25He's got good technique. He's French international now. He's got goals. He's been incredible. Since Glasner's taken over, Rob, his return on goals has been incredible in his turnaround. He's a decent age. He looks like he's apparently great in the dressing room. He looks like that sort of personality. Yeah. I mean, it's a good child for Undepreciated. A regular goal scorer. A regular goal scorer in the Premier League. Could he have gone... The problem is, If he goes to Man United and it doesn't work out, people are going, oh. Oh, I've got a strike at the Palace. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's that kind of thing.

38:57You'd rather go to Leipzig or Sporting and spend£78 million on this young, mobile-looking player. Let me ask you that one. Who gets more goals? Yeah, yeah. Mateta. This season, the Premier League, at the end of the day, he's going to get more. I think so. Big JP for me, my friend. Yeah. So that was the goals of Standoff. Nice. Great game. Great game. Manchester City 2-0 Everton. I watched this game, Rob, because it was one of those 10 o 'clock. And I've got to tell you, for the first half, it was very even, if not maybe even slightly ahead. Illiman and Jai was on fire, causing kind of problems, put a ball through Beto, who should have scored.

39:35They had a couple of chances. City not at their best. And then second half, the big lad takes over. the machine 11 Premier League goals I think it's 23 now mate for the season for club and country 13 games it's an incredible incredible return to the point where when we ask Rebecca and people are starting to say could there is there an over-reliance on Haaland if he gets injured for any spell of time that could really hurt City because every other player who scored this year has only scored one goal yeah we said this a few weeks ago and it's continuing I mean the first header up the jump and the height he gets and the power of the header.

40:16He's over the crossbow. He's over the height of the crossbow when he heads the ball. Heads it down into the ground, into the back of that. Yeah, let's see. I think when a team's winning games, even if it's just one guy, when that guy's out, sometimes the confidence is such. Yeah. Somebody else comes up there. Marmoush might be there. Others might step up. But you'd have to say the over-reliance. I think we've looked at Champions City before. Yeah. And there's been goals from different areas. Yeah, they find it. Phil Foden getting 17 or Gundogan or whatever it is getting a number. and right now we're not seeing it.

40:43But, I mean, they sit at this table now, mate, second place, three points behind Arsenal, 17 goals scored, the most in the league. So here's a question, my friend, because I thought I'll chuck this one at you. Name me the three players who've scored 10 or more goals in the Premier League in eight games. So when we've got to eight games, is three players who scored 10 or more goals. After eight? After eight. Mo Salah. No. Frank Lampard. No. After eight Premier League games, they scored 10 or more goals. Well, nobody, anybody. Him. Well, Erlen Haaland. And there's others. Erlen Haaland and Erlen Haaland.

41:25Let me tell you. Yeah. Which takes me to a point, Robin, and I suppose this is about vanity and how you look. he's one of the greatest forwards we've ever had in the Premier League but people ain't going to he's never going to get that credit why not? of course he is no he isn't because people keep telling you how his touch ain't great how he doesn't join in I don't know I'm telling you mate I'm telling you people do not like Erlen Haaland because he's not a complete footballer he's a great goal scorer there's a few of that that haven't been complete footballers but great goal scorers and have the recognition Like?

42:05What, Harry Kane? No, Harry Kane's a good footballer. Yeah, but there's some things he can't do. Yeah, of course there's some things. I'm not saying Harry... He's a brilliant finisher. There's something about Holland that people don't like, that people like to jump on. Oh, how many touches he doesn't have? How many of this? This guy's... I think people can't respect the numbers. This guy's numbers are incredible, mate. Incredible. Yeah. We'll see. We'll see on that. Other ones, mate. What else have we got? We have got a bit of Brighton 2, Newcastle 1. Yeah. Danny Welbs. I couldn't love my underappreciated Fitzhawks anymore.

42:37Every time Danny Wells scores... You can't keep giving him awards. He's one of those who should give him a lifetime underappreciated. I said, Rob, to be doing what he's doing at his age when he's a couple of years younger than Daniel Sturridge, who's no longer in football. I think he's 34, Daniel Sturridge is 36. I think they play together in England youth. Because, you know, if you think of the strikers, you know, Raheem Sterling, who's 30-odd years of age and struggling now to find the club, this guy at the top level continues to still deliver the goods. It's an incredible return. I think it's two ACLs he's had, two certainly bad injuries.

43:19Yeah, he had a bad run of injuries, didn't he? I mean, Brighton, Rob, how good were Brighton? You know, I feel like against Newcastle at home, they've been a real problem. We've watched Brighton in different situations where we expect a lot and it's been a bit flat. They are fired up against Newcastle United. That's a difficult game for Eddie Howe's guys. And it looked it. I just thought Brighton were really exceptional on the day. Some of those young players. I like Yasin Iari, the Swedish young kid in midfield. I like him a lot. Baliba, I think you pronounce it now. That's a good midfield too.

43:50Jakob Minta, the weight from Newcastle. So I know the team very well. Ruter as well you liked, didn't you? Ruter, you said. I like Ruter. Playing as a number 10. Really good player. Makes his assists for the first one. I just thought Brighton was a... But instead of beating down on Eddie Howe's Newcastle, I just thought Brighton were exceptional. And maybe Newcastle, where are they now, Rob? They're at the bottom half of the table. A little frustrating. The big man scoring the goals as well, isn't he? Lovely little back heel. So why, you know, they've got a good defence. It's kind of odd. It's a little odd right now, Newcastle.

44:19But fair play. I'd rather go on the Brighton because I thought they were excellent. Really, really great. And one of the stories of the season is Sunderland, mate. Unbeaten at home. Sunderland 2-Wolves 0 in a big game. I'm sure Wolves would like to feel they were going to get some points at their first win of the season. It doesn't happen. Mukhealy, the full-back, gets the first goal, and then it was an own goal from Krejci, I think the Wolves defender that gives them the 2-0 lead. And the scene's up there, Rob, and right now Sunderland, after eight games, are seventh in the Premier League on 14 points.

44:51If they can kind of double that number in a short space of time, we're starting to talk about surviving, mate. We are. I mean, we're eight games in, they've won four. We always say you want to get nine or ten wins. Nine or ten wins. I mean, they've only played eight games. They've got 30 games. They've got 30 games to get them other, you know, five or six wins. So, brilliant, brilliant for them. Yeah, really, really bright. And I'm going to take this point just to do my under-preciate form of week. And it's a name that many won't know. I wasn't that aware of him and did a little research. Nardi Machiavelli, the full-back for Sunderland, who scored the goal.

45:27New player. New player, 27 years of age. He's come from PSG. He was French international, so he's got pedigree. Went on loan to Bayer Leverkusen, has played at Leipzig. What I like about him, Rob, is his versatility. He can play right-side centre-back, he can play at full-back. He's an athlete, and I did a little bit of reading on Sunderland and Regis Labrie's and the whole. And apparently they sat down when they got promoted and looked at profile of players and said, we need size, power, athleticism as a base to match what happens in the Premier League. Then ability and all the other things. And they went out and signed 14 players, mate.

46:06And Michele was one of them. He's a good player. He's 27 years of age. He's going to improve. He's got exactly the right kind of, you know, he's not a kid at 21 where he's still learning. He knows the game and versatile at playing a number of positions. so my own depreciation it goes to Macchiely and the recruitment of Sunderland that's given them a chance to stay in the league yeah and and also a tip of the hat to a club that can change the team yeah and there's examples of lots of change not working there's examples of change that has worked not in France with the team so fair play to the football club recruitment to go down this road of profiling and so far it's working brilliantly well and it's not easy.

46:53They've had the easy doors and players who were there, Le Fay, who played last year. Granit Xhaka brings it all together. Jack is a brilliant signing kid at the back. You look down the team, there's so many new players, so many new players and to make a team so quickly and to start off so well, that's not easy to do. So well done that club and yeah, I like the shout. Good shout. Absolutely good shout. Let's go to Turf Moor my friend. Two promoted teams going head to head, Burnley facing Leeds and it's Scottie Parker comes out on top. Big win for Burnley. It's a huge win, isn't it? Because they were not in great form and Leeds were.

47:26And all of a sudden, it's brought Leeds back into the 15th of eight points. Now it looks a bit different for them. Burnley now just a point behind them on 17. And, you know, it could look a long winter if they can't get a couple of results. Yeah, it's, you know, as it always happens, the promoted teams, obviously Sunderland right now are flying high. But Leeds are kind of drifting lower. And I always think of, like, the number of points that you need has gone down a little bit. But even if it's 35, 36, 37, 38 points, you know, Burnley got seven and Leeds got eight. It's a lot of points to get, you know, over the winter's coming up.

48:05I remember, Rob, going into the winter. You didn't have big squads often at the lower teams. It's a grind of games. It gets colder. It's hard to pick up those points. They're going to be in for a long winter. but roll the sleeves up, managers are bright, they've been there before a little bit, let's see what they can do. But for Burnley particularly, that was a must-win. It's a big win, wasn't it? You want to have some encouragement that they've got enough to win games against some of the so-called weaker teams in the league. And when you look at the bottom three with the Wolves, the West Ham and the Forest, they've got to sort themselves out, haven't they?

48:38Because you think the Forest are going to get somebody and they're going to get a boost. Wolves, you feel, with him in charge, he should be getting better results. Wolves? He should be getting better results than they are. The players have been taken away from him. And West Ham. They are, I think, Wolves are banging. Banging trouble. Yeah, I mean, Adam down to go, but, you know, if they can get on a run, he's the sort who can install confidence quickly. They did that last year and got themselves right out of trouble. I think West Ham and Nuno are going to find a way. I don't think they're going to be in that relegation zone at the end of the season.

49:09Burnley, obviously, in trouble. Brentford, again, I've said before, I kind of like the squad. I think there's enough good recruitment. over a period of time for enough good players there to get out of it. Leeds, question mark. Fulham going to be good. Newcastle, of course, going to be good. Everton going to be good. Villa going to be good. Yeah, you know, it's going to be a fight. But I think there's a lot of teams in there, Rob, that are going to improve. But could be wrong. Well, it's interesting, as you said, that tomorrow, don't forget, 3pm Eastern time on USA Network. It's West Ham v Brantford, which becomes a pretty big game now.

49:38Three points for either of those teams makes a big difference to the two London teams down there. So a London derby tomorrow, 3pm Eastern Time on the USA Network. Listen, mate, we just do a quick preview, don't we, for a game that's coming up next week. I think based on Liverpool having four straight defeats, we have to look at Brentford versus Liverpool away next weekend when the spotlight's on again. Selection will be interesting, certainly after Champions League. Who starts, who doesn't? What do you need to see from Liverpool? that starts to give hope. I'm almost saying it before you finish a sentence.

50:15Clean sheet. Clean sheet. Yeah. I mean, Brentford are going to drop back. They're not going to have the possession. They're not going to win that game. But they've got quick attackers. Yeah. They've got quick players on the break. They've got Damsgaard in midfield. They've got enough midfield players to play Volta. They've got Kevin Charder up front. Thiago up front. They've got some pace up there. If Liverpool keep getting caught in behind, it's going to continue to be a problem. You know, you think about what the manager is going to do to affect that. but it's kind of individual stuff. Virgil van Dijk, the back four.

50:46Just, I don't know, be better and focus more on defending because there's still a lot of talent there. They've got a lot of chances against Manchester United. Yeah, they've got a lot of chances. So I still fancy them to score, but they've got to stop conceding goals. They keep a clean sheet. I think they'll win the game. But right now, they cannot do it. So that's the absolute priority. It used to be their strength, didn't they? Keep people clean sheets, and then they know that at the top end of the pitch, they've got people who can win games. And certainly if the G-Tech, even with Keith Andrews, if that gets going and they get a bit of an atmosphere, it can be a really difficult place to go.

51:18So, you know, depending on what happens with West Ham and Brentford tomorrow, that's not an easy place for Liverpool to go. All eyes on that one next weekend. Listen, mate, that's it for this weekend. The first time in 10 years that Manchester United beat the Champions Liverpool at Anfield to give Ruben Amram and his team a massive boost. We'll be back next Sunday, that's October 26th, when we'll review Match Week 9, which includes Arsenal hosting Palace and obviously Liverpool facing Brentford. But for now, I'm Earl, he's Musty together with the two Robbies. Thanks for watching and listening.

51:49Be safe, stay healthy. It's a good night from me. And it's a good night. Good night.