No Title Decider on Monday But Big Decisions To Make

23:21Elliot:Yeah, and if you read between the lines of all the press conferences and articles, he's been tested and pushed this week to see what they can get. And the comments are there is a chance he's okay for the final. But for me, there needs to be a chance he's okay for Crystal Palace. You know, he needs to have some time on the grass. And he may only need an hour. And that's all that's required. That's probably all he can give. He's been out since March. So that injury is probably more complex than we actually realize. guys. Sorry, excuse me. Yeah, okay. Well, see, this is the nice thing. If Clive gets sick, then I get more mic time.

23:59It all works out. But we do want you to be healthy, Clive. Sorry, carry on. Yeah, there we go. Yeah, sorry.

24:07Elliot:Yeah, we all know Tim was the perfect player to play against Kuroskelia, right? So, I think, I'm optimistic. I think he's going to be fine. That's what I think. I think he's going to be fine and he'll give us time and Moscao will end the game and that's what is going to happen. So, it's your pink up final mate. You make yourself fine. You know, and this isn't like a normal game. This is the first time I've been there for 20 years. Well, and it's because it is the last game of the club season and I realize with the World Cup this is the thing that players have to decide where they want to give because you might say, you know what?

24:41I think I have 30 minutes in me. I can give you that. That's all I've got but I'll give it to you. Then you give it. But, you may give it at the expense of your World Cup. And like, that's where business decisions get made and career decisions get made. So I want to talk a little bit about lineup because I think that there's some really, really interesting lineup prospects for Mikel to think about. But before we do that, I just want to talk goal difference for a minute. Then we'll get onto the lineup stuff. So I've been running the maths, which is always dangerous because I'm very, very bad at them.

25:13but I can't really very easily get us to a scenario where we win the league on goal difference. In other words, win one, draw one. If we win one and draw one, and City win their remaining two games, then really it comes down to goal difference. And the way I see it right now, even if City just win their games by one goal each, which that Villa game, I think they could win it by several. But even if they win by one goal each, we probably need to win, I think, about five nil over Burnley. Mikkel was asked about goal difference. He said, the first thing you have to do is have the right to win the game.

25:54You just have to go out and try to win the game. And I do think it can be a mistake to think about goal difference. But maybe in a way, if you think about goal difference, it takes the pressure off being so controlled and you just freaking go for it, gas pedal style. What I mean is, instead of thinking, keep it close, keep it tight, Let's go try to win it. Maybe you just bombard them and they go to pieces. But do you think that it is incumbent upon Mikel and the team to at least be cognizant of the idea that a five or six goal win on Monday could mean that if the worst thing happens and you draw at Palace, you're still champions?

26:30Is that something that should be in their mind at all? Or is that just silly, just go win two games?

26:35Elliot:Just go win two games. Don't save your legs. You've got a weak gap, right? so the key is just get ahead get two goals ahead so he can play you know and go from there so the nerves come out of the building and he just play if you get goals great but I don't want personally I just want the two wins if I could pick it earlier I just want Bournemouth to go out there and smash them because Bournemouth have got everything to play for they're fit they're healthy in Majors last game they've got a chance to be in the Champions League I mean they are motivated as West Ham are motivated against us they are as motivated with everything to gain they are they are the sort of team in transition that City will not like coming off a cup final which whether they win it or lose it I mean it's still a big expenditure Saturday cup final Tuesday night game this is the moment right so yeah if we have to go to Palace and win I'm sure we can it'll be nervy Palace got some bright forwards leggy forwards that can do things but they're going to be sharing in the game as well, you know, and they've got a chance of 40 million quid in Europa League qualification.

27:44Elliot:They should have qualified last year. Not in the first got them out of that. They took their place. So they feel they're late to getting that competition. The only way to get into it is by winning. They are going to go for it. And so we're going to see a weakened team against us and that should be enough to really go there and beat them. So one game at a time, but I'm already, I'm already there. with you i'm already there yeah i mean look you can tell me it's going to be all right you can tell me that and and it may well be all right it probably will be all right but it still most likely means if city don't drop points against bournemouth that there's a kickoff next weekend where it's nil nil after one minute and i'm already bricking it you know what i mean And that could happen.

28:34Elliot:But I just feel as though we're ready for it. I know West Ham was awful, right? It was sickening, sickening, sickening feelings. But there was also some really good stuff in that game in certain periods. Especially before the Ben White injury. Yeah, the way we approached the game, the way we found solutions, the way we created problems for ourselves, but then found solutions and got out of it. well Cal Fiore was really good Clive we did the re-watch and I just think people maybe undersell how much he creates and how much of a goal scoring threat he is for us he's just a very good footballer you know and we spent the last couple of years with podcasts bemoaning a lack of a left side but we don't talk about that when he's on a pitch you know and so yeah but you know watching him as well they're two really good players you know and through them being so good we found the midfielder moved him out left back into midfield and he looks quite good i love discovering players all the time but you know what's really good about the west hand game is you found a couple of people under pressure they showed up under pressure now these are these are the days to judge people in adversity who's there who's got it other people who carried us through adversity maybe didn't have it in pakaia on the day but other people stepped up into his shoes and showed something and that and that's what i love about the group this this squad that thing is it's going to be the new thing.

29:58Elliot:It's going to be, everyone's going to follow suit. You know? I know you have the concept of role players in the US, you know, but true role players developing in squads, multi-positional, players that keep the level high. It's coming this way. I can't see another way because no one's reducing the length of the tournaments. They're just not, right? So no one's saying the League Cup shouldn't have a two-legged semi-final. No one's saying that the FA Cup shouldn't, it's being prioritized over the Premier League and played on Saturdays and everyone's sitting there watching the FA Cup game when the prize money's about 3 million quid.

30:31Elliot:It's what we're doing. This is what we do, right? So if you're not going to do that, then you better have to squad depth. You better have to squad quality. And we're building that. And other people have got to do it. And they will find out how hard it is. We can have a 19th in Europe again next year. They'll find out how hard it is to maintain in two different competitions. Yeah. And I mean, the level top to bottom in the league has just gone up so much. I do think that there can be a sense sometimes you say like, how can you struggle against West Ham? They're battling relegation. Well, this isn't battling relegation like Darby County used to.

31:05This is a team that's going to, if they get relegated, be within four or five points of teams that are in 10th. It's very compressed. And by the way, I still think Spurs are going down. Just for what it's worth, I think Spurs are going down. I think West Ham and Spurs will match each other's results this weekend. and then I think West Ham will beat Leeds and I think Spurs will lose to Everton on the final or drop points to Everton on the final day.

31:36Elliot:Yeah, the Spurs-Chelsea relationship is something that's unique, Elliot. Chelsea hate them. They hate them with a passion. You think? They will do anything to do that to Spurs. That's going to be one to watch. Chelsea, despite my loathing of them, they've got a lot of talent in that group. And you can see it sometimes. You look at the TV, they've been cool. They could be quite good. Their attacking metrics all season long, Clive, have been elite. I mean, I think they might be the top XG team in the league or something like that, or right there. Their attacking metrics have been good. They're just a mess all, you know.

32:10Yeah, as you're looking at the league, right.

32:12Elliot:So we've got to win first, right. But if we win, there's a good chance we're going to be around next year in the top end. Man City about to have some changes shall we say off the pitch who knows what's going to happen with the less charges for example Liverpool in a bit of a rebuild you know there's a disconnect there between the supporters and slot the club are they're classy clubs they're trying to give a guy a break and stay with him and no doubt build a squad accordingly as a recruitment group but you got them you got Villa Unai he's probably going to win in the European competition and be in Champions League again.

32:50And then he's going to get new funding. And so you're looking at Chelsea

32:55Elliot:and for all their instability, if they get the right manager, which there are a few on the market, and then they start to think about their model differently, they've got a hell of a lot of talent in that group. That's the problem though. They're just the Chelsea player trading company, right? So João Pedro will get flipped for something because he had a good season and they'll move on from these players. Romeo Lavia will go because he can't stay fit. They'll move on from Pedro Neto and players like that, and they'll just keep recycling. Nico Jackson is out of there. So the problem is, no matter who you hire as a manager, you have to give them some kind of consistency.

33:32Look, I'm not going to sit here and say I wish anything good for Chelsea, but I will be rooting for them against Tottenham. Let's talk brands just for a minute, and then I do want to get in the lineup because I think we have some fascinating considerations when it comes to the lineup. If you love the drama and excitement of a big Arsenal match, playoff hockey is right up your alley. Every shift in the Stanley Cup playoffs matters. There's no coasting, just pure intensity. NHL on TNT has the best coverage, with stars like Paul Bissonnette bringing laughs and Wayne Gretzky breaking down the action.

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35:40Elliot:Indeed. Yeah, that. Okay. The lineup for Burnley is an interesting one, and I think it's too soon to have any thoughts about the Champions League final. It's too big and important these next two games to have any thoughts about the Champions League final. So it's really just what works. And if you rewind just a few weeks ago, you would have been saying, look, you got to get Ezza off the left now. We have no left wing. But Leo Troussard pulled a Lazarus and risen from the ashes, and now he's fantastic again. And you would have been saying, well, all right, then we'll put it as a midfield because Odegaard's really out of form.

36:11But Odegaard comes on and plays like Messi in lifting us to beat West Ham. And now you say, how do you not want that guy in the team? And as it was maybe considered a little bit quiet, and is Saka really at the level with his physical fitness to be able to play? Or do you want to rest him because you say, look, I'd rather have Nani Meduake out there than a not fit Saka. If it means I can get him the rest, he needs to be fit for the Champions League final. Everybody wins. So there's lots of really interesting decisions, not to mention Miles in midfield again, where he's looked sensational. We rewatched that game and just the way he goes next line up, turns in tight spaces and wants to play forward.

36:48Calafiore, in games where you need goals, I mean, he looks like he can get goals. He had a header that was cleared off the line that was absolutely brilliant. He had that one play where he got in, Leo played him in, and of course, maybe he could have toe-poked it through to Jokeres or cut it back to Ezen. and instead he tries to take the shot with the outside of the right, outside of the left foot. But anyway, I mean, he's still such a dangerous player. So, Clive, Mikel finds himself with a lot of decisions, a lot of big decisions. I'm curious which way you think he goes with them.

37:18Elliot:Yeah, first things first, you've been flying. So there were three players missing from training today. So Odegaard, Saka, and Saliba were missing from training, and they're doing individual work, which is great, right? That means they're probably working on those parts of the body that obviously we know that I think the sleevers back's a little bit dodged and Achilles for buccaya and Odegaard knee. I can get it, can't you? You can get it based on recent history. And when you have a week off, you can actually work the muscles, you can work the body and you can rehabilitate rather than just carry on training, right?

37:54Elliot:So hopefully they'll all be fine for Monday, which I'm sure they will be. But that tells you who's on the edge. So we're in minute sharing time really aren't we Elliot and I think there's a few players that have come in that have had freshness Miles being one Saka was brilliant against Fulham and brilliant against Athletico he just had a bit of a flat one against West Ham but that means he's probably carrying you know a lot of games in succession on the end the last one probably a little bit too much for him he kept him on a bit long because we were trying to get a goal but in the end made sure we protected him and Nani came on and done a couple of sprints and was fine Martinelli's disappeared for a bit you know but if you watch him in training he's strapped up around his calf they're all carrying something so let's see what we do i think you know the most important thing is those first goals in that in that game focus on the thing that's right in front of you do not look beyond it you know just do your deal with burnley deal with them properly send everyone home happy on the last home game of the season because everything then happens away from home thereafter and um we have a chance to do something really really special right and um ever since we've known each other we haven't won the league you know and um this is it think all the people that we've met think of them it's like can you believe what could happen you know i can't i mean i can't there are more people that i can name that mean so much to me as a result of everything that we've been through together and it's one thing when you want something for yourself but when you want something for all of these people you really care about.

39:30It's such a burden because we're going to be there at Union Chapel on Saturday and it's going to be special. And all those people like I want, I was kind of hoping that might be a title celebration itself. It's going to have to be delayed a little bit, but yeah, I want this so badly for everybody. And, and everybody listening, I mean, we all know this, right? In your heart of hearts, you know, this team's good enough to go win the next two games. It is, it has, it has what it takes to do that. But we've also been burned. We're Arsenal people. We're not dumb. We know if there's a hard way to get there, this team will find a way to...

40:00If you told me we draw nil-nil on Monday night and win 7-nil at Palace and win the league, I would believe you because if there's a hard way to do it, we're going to find the hard way to do it. I just hope we don't. I mean, I do think... You know, I watched City play Burnley and City batted them pretty good and missed a lot of chances. But because of that, when it was a one-goal game, Burnley had counters. They had opportunities. they just did not take advantage of them. I think the way you make that irrelevant is you just go bad at them. And I think defensively they are weak. So for me, I think Mikel's responsibility is to put as much of the firepower on the pitch as possible because this is one of the few teams in the Premier League that I think you can bully in a submission with attacking.

40:43Whereas, you know, even teams like Wolves, as we've seen, and teams like West Ham, they can be organized, they can be robust, and you can find yourself in a tight game. I don't think Burnley can really give you a tight game they have to hope you miss chances and so for me the lineup should reflect an urgency I would love to see I would love to see a Rice Odegaard as a midfield with Califiori and Leo off the left no I know but if there's a game but you understand that there are sacrifices that come with that lineup but if there's a game for it for me it would be this one you know it would be this one

41:18Elliot:or you could go two strikers go Havertz and Jokovic out front you do things right so um how do you access them then though you know what i mean like to me i i think you're going to see a low block a poorly organized low block from burnley that we can pull all over the place if we have our orchestrators at the top of the box yeah i'm not going to argue you on this one in the end it's a home game and it's it's not even about burnley it's about the opportunities that we have and we're going to greet the bus and we're going to be fired up and it's i mean i think it's going to be raucous so you come out fast that's the other thing right Come out fast and maybe they just completely fold.

41:53And by the way, if you do, and I realize this is peak jinxing, so don't yell at me. I realize this is peak jinxing. If you do come out of the blocks fast and if you do something special, you get a 6-0, you get a 7-0. Again, or even 5-0. Just hear me out for a minute. I know people are starting to roll their eyes, but there's a reason I'm saying this. If you do that, and this is a game where you at least have a shot to do that. I mean, we put 5 past Sheffield United this season. they're bad enough defensively you can do it. But if you do it, you actually take a tiny bit of the pressure off the Palace game to just make it that much easier because you know that you have an out.

42:32Not that you want an out, but you have it. So I would say just go blitz them and maybe they collapse and maybe you get yourself into a really advantageous position here.

42:38Elliot:Yeah, I'll be happy with a 5-0 just because everyone wants it. It'd be great. 7-10? Can I get my 10? I just want to win them. Three clear goals is good for me. but making sure we get off the pitch and no injuries, we have time to think, and then it's to City against Bournemouth, see what they do. If City go to Bournemouth and win, the pressure will sort of flip to us, and then it will go back to, look what you could lose. City are at home, they got there, crowd will be a lot livelier than it was against, against, I'm sorry, I've got to play to us. Against Palace? Yeah, sorry, against Palace, it'd be a lot livelier.

43:17Elliot:and say it'll be all on. But we are in London. Arseful people getting to that ground, that's for sure. So yeah, it'll be okay. The problem is City have, they have drawn, I mean, we may have drawn the best possible matchup for the final day if you're going to be away on the final day, which is a team that has a cup final in three days. City may have drawn the second best though at home to a team that either just won a European trophy and can play kids and has a manager that would love to stick two fingers up at Arsenal or a team that just lost a final and is deflated, but it has locked up Champions League anyway by their league position.

43:57Now, I guess if you want to thread a needle, Villa losing the cup final and needing a result to ensure Champions League, that would be the needle to thread where you could potentially see that game be a little more spicy and interesting.

44:11Elliot:Villa's got a high-level team. If they've got anything professionalism about them, they're going to give it a go. Well, you answered your own question right there. Yeah. Just don't worry. It's just honestly, the opportunity for us is so big that I just think there's nothing bigger than the opportunity we have. There isn't. It's almost like the rest of them don't matter. You know, if we can't beat Burnley at home and then go to Crystal Palace with everything on the line and then turn up and do it, then we're not the team, I think. Then you're not champions. No, and by the way, remember when I said I was bad at maths?

44:43I've got some more bad news for you. Villa cannot fall out of a Champions League place unless Bournemouth get a win over City. And if Bournemouth get a draw over City, that's the only way Villa can even potentially fall out of a Champions League place. And if Bournemouth get a draw over City, then that game doesn't matter to us anyway. So really it is a case that Villa will go to City with literally nothing on the line, or if something is on the line, will have already won the title. So it is the case that we need Unai to just have some pride. But by the same token, I'm sure City fans are saying we need Oliver Glastner to have some pride.

45:26But Glastner's got a cup final three days later.

45:29Elliot:Very important cup final for that club. They've only won one trophy in their history, and that was last year. If they can get two in two years, I mean, incredible. Get to a European competition. I'm not worried about Palace. I think they're going to do what they have to do for Crystal Palace. and that's fine. As they should. You know, when we had that hard start going to Manfield, going to Old Trafford and we were like looking at the TV screen thinking, crikey, it's a bit rough. You know what I mean? Then we get City at home. It was a really tough start. And then, but the flip side of that coin is we had a decent finish.

46:05Elliot:And here it is. Let's enjoy it. I just think you hit on it and I think everybody listening feels this way. Would I love it to just be handed to us on a platter? Of course. But if you can't beat Burnley at home and Palace away, two games to win the title, then you have to hold your hands up and say we weren't champions. I mean, at some point, you can't just ask it to be handed to you. Go to it. At some point, you got to go get it. So they need to go get it. I guess, so as the last point on the Burnley game, I mean, I just say, this is the fixture you want. At home, last home game, at night, everybody fired up against a team that's on the beach.

46:41Now, granted, they have nothing to play for, so maybe no nerves, but they don't look very good. I mean, are you feeling pretty good about this just as a final thought about it? Yeah, I am.

46:49Elliot:Hey, look, they've got Kyle Walker. They've been running about for a bit. If you run past him, then eventually you'll think, you know what, I don't want to spend a summer in a boot. Let me just relax myself. You know, I've got to go to the beach. And so it'll soon stop. And I agree with you how you start. Start aggressively, score early, and take the moment away from them and don't even give them any encouragement. get to two clear goals as quick as you possibly can, and go from there. And that's what I'm looking for. That's what I'm looking for this weekend, just to see us deliver, see people together on that day and that night.

47:26Elliot:Wish it was a Sunday. It's a Monday. Let's deal with it. The world will be watching us. Let's deal with Burnley, and let's put ourselves in a position to win. Let's not put too much on Bournemouth, though we all prefer it. if Bournemouth doesn't go for us and City beat them then we have to emotionally cope with that you know and I think that's really important that deep down whispering come on Bournemouth do the job but if they don't then it's and that's why Pep rotated against Palace because he's thinking about that game not the cup final the cup final will take care of itself but he knows the third game in quick succession is the one you need to look at and that's why he rotated So you can have a lot of these big boys playing the two games in a row.

48:12Elliot:So they're going to be strong. They're going to be fit. They're going to be rested for that game. But so are Bournemouth. They're going to be sitting there ready to go with a lot to gain. But if it doesn't go right, we need to be emotionally strong enough to deal with that and just recognize we've got one game at Palace to win the league. Got to do it. Burnley have conceded 73 goals. I mean, what do you want? What more do you want? They've conceded 73 goals. They have 72 expected goals allowed, which is worst by 16, 15. I mean, you just can't ask for anything else other than that. That's what you want.

48:53That's where we're at. So that's what has to be done. I would say, as a final point, that there is an FA Cup on Saturday. You even planning to watch it? Do you care about it? Do you have a dog in the fight?

49:06Elliot:I'll watch it. But I don't really care. Honestly, I don't care about anything about Burnley. But anyway, Saturday, we're going to be getting ready for the show, right? So that's all I'm thinking about on Saturday. And yeah, can't wait for Monday. Can't wait for Saturday. I think what I'll be thinking about is Moises Caicedo. Do you accidentally get into a bit of a clash with Ryan Cherky? Do you accidentally go in a little bit hard on Rodri? I mean, look, I'm a petty man. and I know what I like. We've got to go and win it. We've got to go and win it. And win it, just go and win the games. The people will look back and say, yeah, they were the best squad.

49:46Elliot:That's how they deal with us, right? They were the best squad. We're not saying we're the best club. We're not saying we're the best team. They're the best squad. They can have it this year with their set pieces and their throw-ins and their dark arts. They can have it this year. Let's just mute their fans. You know how it goes. Let's mute their fans and see what happens. Well, you know what? if you win this year, watch out next year. That's all I'm going to say. Watch out next year. Look, I know the quad fell apart this year, but next year's quad is going to be legendary. Actually, all joking aside, if this year taught us anything, next year I don't want the quad.

50:17I don't want the League Cup. I want to be out of it right away so we can win the treble. Straight away. First hurdle. First hurdle. Out of it with kids. Okay, look, it's all on for Monday. It's all on for Saturday's event. It's all on for seeing people around town and celebrating together and being around great Arsenal people. And it just cannot express how excited I am to be here. It is such a joy with everything that's on the line. And it's scary and it's exciting in equal measure. Some of you may be sitting there saying it's not scary. I'm not worried. Some of you may be bricking it every second of every day.

50:48But wherever you are, we're on the journey together. And I'm very, very happy to be on it with you. So we will leave it there, Clive. Thank you very much.

50:53Elliot:Thank you very much. Short one today, obviously, a little bit jet lagged and not a ton happening. But if anything comes up between now and Monday, there'll probably be a pod popping up. I will say we probably won't do the main pod on Monday as I don't think you'd be interested in a pod that is this again, but a few hours before the Burnley game. So you'll probably have to wait till Tuesday for a main pod, but there will be, of course, an instant reaction on Monday if you want that one from the ground, which will be interesting. So, okay, enough of that. Thanks, Clive. Love you, man. See you soon.

51:25Yep, thank you. Feel better. All right, my name's Elliot Smith. We love you, and we will talk to you after our Still 10 Burnley note.

51:43To be continued...