Arsenal’s Title To Lose, Amorim Takes Aim & Wolves Finally Win A Game!

22:56Gary Lineker:Yeah. Maybe I'm reading into things because up until the Newcastle game, he was adamant in every single interview, He is not changing system. And then he went off-piste and changed the system. But then the next game went straight back to his own and he's probably thought, well, I'm not getting any players in January, so what's the point? And I think that's maybe what his rant is today. He's allowed to be frustrated, though, isn't he? Because he might have got told, you're going to get a couple of windows, you're going to get these players, and it's not happened. The manager should be able to manage the players and what goes on.

23:32That's what a manager's supposed to do. I know the new modern game, it's all about coaches. We've talked about Liam Resimia coming in as potentially a coach. It's going to be the board, probably who are going to make the signings, and you've just got to coach these players. But you've been a manager, Al. Like, you have to make the decisions because you're the one who's getting abused every week when it doesn't go right. And that's the way I feel for Amarin there because he should be allowed to make decisions. and this is not what he signed up for, essentially.

24:04Gary Lineker:Do you mean the decisions as in which way to play or which players are going to be brought into the club? Well, a bit of both, you know. If you're going to back a manager and he's going to say, OK, I play a certain type of way. It's going to take a couple of windows to do what I need to do. And then he's gone to the board. And we're speculating here. We don't know this is fact. But say he's gone to the board and said, we need X, Y, Z. and then was like, well, no, then how is he supposed to get out what he wants? And we know he's not the most adaptable manager. So then where do they go from here?

24:41Again, I reiterate, we don't know. We are guessing a little bit here, but judging by his words and the manager coach thing, that suggests to me, not necessarily tactical on the pitch because that's a coach's job, But I wonder whether it is about players that he wants in and then wanting different players than he actually wants in. That's what I read into it because managing means an overall point of view. You kind of managing not just the coaching style of the team, but also managing the overall picture in terms of transfers, etc. And the club. And as you quite rightly say, that's gone out of fashion to a degree.

25:25Managers, there are not too many overall managers. But you're not telling me that someone like Pep Guardiola doesn't have a say on the players that come in? Exactly.

25:35Gary Lineker:Yeah, but he's got a great relationship with the people that are there and worked with them for such a long time, Pep. And he is unique because he is the best. No, absolutely. And, you know, someone like Klopp, when he was there before at Liverpool, You would know that even though they've got a good recruitment team, probably, but I'm sure his opinion is sought. I wonder whether Amriem has been sought or not. Again, we're guessing, but why utter those words unless it was a dig at the fact that he's not getting a say in matters, not necessarily with the players that he's got at the moment? I'll go back to my first point.

26:09Gary Lineker:He hasn't got enough in the bank to be coming out and making and saying these type of things. Have you seen enough to suggest that he's going to be a huge success at Manchester United? and then for him to come out and say what he has done. I am this, I am that, and I'm not a coach. And he also said, the sporting director and the chief scout, whoever, need to do their jobs and I'll do my job as a manager. I heard him say that as well. You heard him say, I didn't hear that. That pretty much reiterates what we've just said. And that's a bit what I struggle with. If you're a young manager, which is a young manager, and you're being told when you come into a club, this is how it's going to be, we're going to choose the players and basically you're going to coach them.

26:49If he's playing a specific system, he should have a say on which players he wants. Otherwise, it's not fair to him because he's the one being judged. It makes no sense. And he would only come out and say that if he's been told one thing and another thing has happened. It's as simple as that.

27:09Gary Lineker:If you go back to when they wanted him that badly and they were obviously prepared to get him out of his contract early because he wanted to wait. But they said, no, you're coming in now. So they knew the system he was going to play. They knew who he was and what he was. Yet, I don't know. I don't see it lasting much longer. I really don't. When a manager or a coach comes out and says that against either the sporting director or the CEO or whoever it may be, there's only one winner. You know that. We've seen two or three examples quite recently, haven't we, with Nuno Espirito Santo at Nottingham Forest and we saw the same with Maresca.

27:46That both happened to them. So we'll follow that as it goes. Decent game at Craven Cottage. I was watching most of that. God, the last bit. What a goal. Unbelievable. I mean, for Liverpool to look like they'd pinched it with Gakpo's goal right at the death and then to go down the other end and score that goal from Harrison Reid. I mean, I think it was his second touch after he came on. I mean, it was a hell of a touch. What a finish.

28:15Gary Lineker:I mean, he'll never, ever, not that he has done before, but he'll never, ever hit another one like that in his life. It was an unbelievable goal, wasn't it? What was that? You say he's first in three years. It's ridiculous. Yeah. How's he put it there? What a wonder strike that was. Unbelievable. You can see a lot of his teammates, I would imagine, on the pitch, about to give him a bollocking for shooting from that far out at that stage of the game, and it flew in the top corner. I mean a bit of a blow to Liverpool again he was interesting as well I heard him interviewed after the game and he was saying the problem with this at the moment is we're relying on a bit of luck or bad luck and it can go either way and we're not getting ourselves in a position where we don't need to rely on a bit of luck so I think what he's saying there is we're not basically playing well enough to guarantee victories like they were last season that is true that's the top and bottom of it Yeah, they're just not, they're nowhere near as good as they were last year.

29:12Gary Lineker:They're being punished. And I guess you are taught in football, you are taught in fine margins. Fine margins, I guess, also helped them get the vert school because looking at that, I thought that was offside. That was bizarre, wasn't it? I mean, that really did for all the world. I mean, the line on the pitch was exactly that. Maybe the line was a bit squiff, I don't know. Because, you know, they've got this obviously automated thing, which we're trying to trust. Semi-ultimated. Semi. Does that give them the way out? It's semi. It gives them the way out, doesn't it? There's a five centimetre thing, isn't there, though, that they brought in a few years ago, to try and stop the offside being offside by a tournail.

29:53The one thing I'll say is semis are never quite good enough.

30:00Gary Lineker:You should be happy with a semi at your age. Fucking hell, though. Yeah.

30:11At least we've seen goals, though, rather than being chalked off. You don't want to see goals taken away from that, you know? As long as they do that every single week. Yeah. Harry Wilson is another goal. He's in great form. Lovely finish, wasn't he? He really is a good finisher. Superb finish. I think Liverpool, obviously, no Iketike. He wasn't in the squad. They say it was a hamstring. I read somewhere that he's been playing a lot of football and he just tweaked his hamstring. Hamstring, apparently. Yeah, a little tweet. I wish you'd told me because I brought him in. Honestly. Having said that, I got Harry Wilson off the bench.

30:44So always not too bad on that point. But one thing I did do, Micah. Go on. I took out Thiago. Six games on the bounce, right? Six games on the bounce. Nothing. Nothing. No assists, no goals, anything. And I just thought, I said to Harry, let's get him out. Get someone else in. And scores a bloody hat-trick. And well done him. Well done. I'm thrilled for you great finishes as well they were weren't they his goals very clever which made me feel a lot better obviously those finishes what a job he's doing by the way

31:13Gary Lineker:Brentford eh isn't he unbelievable again did you have Brentford to go down no no I didn't have them to go down ok just double checking we had them to struggle though I think we all said they might find life difficult you know if you consider that they've lost Wissa they've lost Dumbumo they've lost their manager they've lost Norgard I mean I mean he's done really well brilliant job I mean he really really has yeah really good bit chirpy today Alan you're back you're a bit miserable a couple of weeks ago and this football isn't it it drives you mad as a fan doesn't it the ups and downs the Geordie's a back I was at St James's Park to watch Newcastle beat Palace it wasn't easy they had to work really hard for it but they were the better team and did deserve the three points Joe Linton I thought played a lot better Bruno Guimaraes was very good Malik Chow was excellent again but the best player on the park by an absolute mile was young Lewis Miley in the right-back position.

32:09Gary Lineker:Honestly, guys, he was absolutely fantastic. He never put a foot wrong. He was brilliant. He's a real talent. I think he attempted 59 passes, of which every single one of them was successful. Wow. That's almost 100%. Yeah, so he was bloody brilliant. And Newcastle, a win and a clean sheet, and Leeds at home on Wednesday. Marching on together I can't wait for that game I love you Jordies you know that but when Leeds are in town I can't wait for Calvin Lewis going to have you trembling in your boots Alan let's see we'll see be a good battle by the way because Newcastle looked a bit more solid against Malik Chau who has been a really good bye for Newcastle he's had a really good season even when Newcastle weren't playing well he was one of the better players so that'll be a good battle those two so Newcastle back sorry before we move on guys not back to the not back to the Dizzy Heights as yet but 2-0 clean sheet something to build on he's so full of nonsense this guy something to build on he basically said Dizzy Heights Dizzy Heights Newcastle are back we're back to winning ways we're keeping clean sheets I asked him on the pod and he's like oh and three weeks ago they don't run enough there's no conviction does it Volta Manor can't play.

33:32We need Visser. There's no space. Ridiculous. He's so emotional. Reactionary is a word I will use for you, Mr. Alan Shearer. I quite like it, though. You know, he's on the 16th now. The ups and downs of football. And you've still got that enthusiasm and that. It's funny, I think it gets worse as a football fan. You would think, we're grown adults, you would think that it wouldn't affect you as much as it does. But bloody hell, when your team play badly and you get, it really can ruin a weekend. And when your team plays well, it's like wonderful. And that's one of the joys of the game, the ups and downs.

34:14Gary Lineker:If Newcastle beat Leeds, and it's an if, they can go sixth, I think. They can go fifth. Fifth, dizzy heights indeed. Newcastle are on 29 points. Chelsea are on 31 points you do the maths how are you you see like you're struggling 29 and 2 is 31 so if you was to win I didn't know who was on what points so I knew it was 5th or 6th we could go if we win yeah that's got to be the target isn't it Champions League again yeah I mean that's isn't it such a strange league this year though and we've spoke about Man United Man United are in what 6th yes haven't been great Liverpool being poor by their own standards.

34:55Gary Lineker:Chelsea up and down. And it's like, I mean, look at Brentford in seventh or something like that. Sunderland in eighth. It's like it's been such a crazy league up to now this season. You are actually right though, Al. You can go six because of goal difference. You go joint with Chelsea. So you was right. I apologise. Apologies. Unless you win 7-0 or whatever it is. All right. Can you imagine what it would be like if they win 7-0? I wouldn't come on. I wouldn't come on.

35:27Okay. Let's take a break there. Michael, we'll let you go because you've had a long day and you need to sort yourself out. Alan and myself will talk about... Don't you worry, Michael.

35:37Gary Lineker:We'll cover you back again. Don't worry. You go and get yourself to bed. You've had a long day. Cheers, guys. You're welcome. We'll be back shortly. Protein is now at Starbucks and it's never tasted so good. You can add protein cold foam to your favorite drink or try one of our new protein lattes or matcha. Try it today at Starbucks.

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36:57Welcome back to The Rest is Football. We've let Micah go. He's had a long day working. So it's just Alan Shearer and me, Gary Lineker now. Probably turn our attention a little bit towards the bottom of the table. Alan, you were doing, well, we mentioned it before, you were doing Match of the Day yesterday. And Wolves, John, Producer John.

37:21Gary Lineker:You had that winning feeling. Oh, goodness me. It's been a long time coming, John. If the season started this year, would they be top on goal difference? I'm not sure. Brilliant. No one's got a better record in 2026 than Wolves. Yeah, exactly. And you did that game. Wolves were brilliant. Right from the off, really, they were up for it. And Matthias Mane, the young 18-year-old who got his very first goal and will never, ever forget that day. I said on match of the day, that's no coincidence that the three games he started, Liverpool, Man United and that against West Ham, Wolves have looked a little bit better.

38:01Gary Lineker:Got a bit of confidence, a little bit of belief and they absolutely battered West Ham yesterday. I mean, we'll talk about West Ham, I'm sure, but you have to give all the credit to Wolves because they've been under huge pressure and everyone's been going on about the worst team ever to be in the Premier League or they're going to have the worst number of points or whatever. So to have that following you around and then go out and put in a performance like that at Old Trafford, they did, they deserved something at Old Trafford and they definitely deserved the points against West Ham. Yeah, totally agree with that.

38:31I think, I mean, you mentioned Mane there. It just shows you must be, you know, how talented he is that Rob Edwards would put him into a side which has been struggling so badly this season. So it just, he must, you know, really, really, really have a lot of confidence.

38:48Gary Lineker:Did you see his goal? Yes. The way he touched it, like sort of controlled it and turned with his left foot and then sort of moved inside and hit it with his right foot. I mean, we'll talk about the defender in a minute or the lack of it. But that in itself, I thought, was brilliant, let alone the rest of his performance to win the penalty, track him back. Yeah, he did everything right yesterday. He was without doubt the standout player. and it looks as if he's got a really good future ahead of him. Since Rom Edwards, I mean, obviously that was his first victory, but you can see that they've been, I think, more difficult to beat in a lot of games, have been in games, particularly late.

39:31You can see a bit of progress there. I mean, I suspect it might be too little too late. I mean, be miraculous if they got out from where they are now. but he's coming. He looks like he's steadied the ship a little bit. I mean, I know I'm premature. This was six points, yeah. But there's maybe a little turn, a bit of confidence, spark of confidence, go on a little bit of an undefeated run possibly.

40:01Gary Lineker:Well, the last three games, I think, have been the ones that say, okay, maybe they're now on the right path. I do think it'll be too little too late. and they will have to suffer this season and go down and then maybe come back. But yeah, I think the Liverpool game and the Man United game in particular set them up nicely for that game against West Ham. And they were miles the better team. If you didn't know anything about football and that was the first match you'd seen, you'd have said it was role-reverse the way the mess that Wolves are in. You'd have said it was West Ham that were the team that were the bottom of the league and had no belief and had no confidence.

40:42Gary Lineker:because they were woeful. Let's talk about West Ham. I mean, I was thinking actually earlier today, I mean, looking at a lot of teams with this managerial merry-go-round that we get and different managers end up at different clubs. I don't think it hardly ever makes any difference. I think it generally comes down to the players you've got. I think most coaches pretty much know what they're doing. Obviously, if you get someone who's utterly brilliant, like a Pep Guardia, But even, you know, these people need a lot of time and stuff. But if you go into a club without, you know, special talent, it's difficult.

41:20And you look at West Ham and you think, they're recruitment. And ultimately, it'll be, you know, well, they've got rid of a couple of coaches now. There might be another one. Who knows? They're the best one and Moyes. Yeah, exactly. And he was there for a while on two occasions. but I mean you just think to yourself is there any real difference when you change the coach it doesn't seem to sometimes you get a little bounce don't you for a game or two but I think even statistics say that that's actually a little bit of a myth but I just yeah and then it's you know you see managers managed like two or three different clubs and then they're there for a bit and then they're gone again.

42:04And ultimately, is it a deflection by the owners away from themselves?

42:08Gary Lineker:Well, let's look at that because I think that's a huge part of it. The players and the coach have to take responsibility whilst they're out on the pitch. And there's no excuse for what happened against Wolves yesterday, right? Because there was a lack of effort. There was a lack of fight. There was a lack of energy. Everything was missing what you need in a football match. They're the simple things, the easy things, the effort, the non-negotiables, right? You have to go out and whatever happens, you give your all. And if that doesn't happen, you get hammered. And that happened yesterday. So they have to accept responsibility for that.

42:43Gary Lineker:But if you look at the bigger picture, and I've said this before, and the number of coaches they've had in there who can't get it right tells you it's not just what's happening on the pitches, what the problem is. Because look at the rice money, look at the kudos money, look at the money that they've spent and the recruitment of some of those players yesterday I mean I don't know I go through that team and I know there's one or two youngsters in there Potts and Scarls but other than Bowen I look around and I think Packetars up and down I know he wasn't playing but they've got one or two injuries but the recruitment for me has been it's a massive problem because the money that's been spent there That hasn't been an issue, is that spending the money.

43:31Gary Lineker:It's actually what they've spent it on. They're just not a good football team. And so much relies on Tuesday's game against Forest at West Ham because if Forest beat them there, then they really are doomed, I think. Well, that is a big game. Takes us on to perhaps Forest as well while we're talking about that area of the table because Forest have been struggling as well, haven't they? Sean Dyche came in. They had a decent performance a couple of games ago, but I saw them at Fulham. I went to that game. They weren't very good. I saw them at Everton. I went to that game and they really weren't very good in that game either.

44:09I mean, Villa are obviously a good side and it's a tough place to go and play. But at the moment, you know, they're what, four points above West Ham outside of the relegation zone. But, you know, they'll be worried. I mean, the difference between this season and last season. It's incredible, isn't it?

44:24Gary Lineker:It's unbelievable. Yeah, I mean, Chris Wood was flying last season. They had a Langer. They were hitting teams on the break, of course, with his pace. I don't know. I look at Forest and I think sometimes I think, well, they are. I think they're better than what we're seeing. I think they've lost the last four. And that's why I do think they may have enough to stay up and avoid relegation compared to West Ham. I think they've got better players overall. and I think ultimately it comes down to that. Yeah. Whatever people think. Yeah, I think when you look at Anderson and Gibbs White and one or two others in that Forest team, my guess would be is that they'll get out of trouble and maybe West Ham might not, but so much rides on that game on Tuesday night.

45:15Yeah, it really does. It's a massive fixture, isn't it? It really is. Villa are good at home.

45:20Gary Lineker:Villa are good anyway, wherever it's home or what. they've got some really really talented players as we said and I think I mean even even their defeated Arsenal guys when their first half I thought they were decent and they could have played really well the first 15-20 minutes yeah maybe one or two but it was it was the second half performance from Arsenal that sort of blew them away but for them to to respond like they like they did and with Camara and Telemans in that midfield, no Inanna, but McGinn, Rodgers, Watkins, yeah, there's some really good players in there and they're giving everyone a run for the money, Aston Villa.

46:01And they've got that depth now, haven't they, in the squad, really, you know, that they perhaps wouldn't have had a couple of years ago. I mean, they need it because obviously they're playing European football as well. They're going on a few fronts, but, I mean, I mean, their home form now, that's, what's that? Let's, they actually have the best win percentage in Europe's top five leagues with 82.1%, which is ahead of City, Atletico Madrid, Bayern and Barca. Brilliant. And the teams behind them. I mean, that is quite something. Very, very impressive, yeah.

46:35Gary Lineker:He's doing a great job. Everything, just the way they set up and their balance and the team, you can see everyone's really comfortable in what they're doing and they're playing some really good football. I mean, Tielemans is a really talented player. If you can get him on the ball as much as they did. I thought the balance yesterday looked really good and they were impressive again. Even when Forrest got that goal back, there was no real panic. They just went about their business and then once McGinn got that second goal, God knows what the keeper was doing with Forrest, but once he got that second goal to make it three, then there was no way back for Forrest.

47:11Yeah, and John Victor had a rush of blood to the head. Interesting to talk about Tielemans there because obviously he was at Leicester. I remember having a conversation with Brendan Rodgers and he said to me, he said, he's like my coach on the field. Right. He said he's got such an intelligence and he's, you know, he's a leader and can dictate the play. So, which you can see that. I mean, some of his passing is, I mean, the ball from McGinn for the goal was great. I mean, I know Victor told himself, but it was still pretty tasty. And nevertheless, that was actually, that statagebi was for the whole year of 2025.

47:51Brilliant, though. I mean, incredible, really. Superb. Really is impressive. Yeah. Really good. Excellent. Still in contention. Yeah. No doubt if Arsenal should slip up at some point.

48:02Gary Lineker:Even if you look at City's result, as we spoke about earlier, then yeah, that'll give them confidence. They'll think, hey, why not? And you're going to drop points. Obviously, they lost at Arsenal, which was you know it was a big game but prior to that they won at Chelsea and then they're bad so I think if you'd have gone like Chelsea away you know Chelsea away Arsenal away and then Forrest and you'd get six points you'd have probably gone that's pretty good because the festive period is tough isn't it because you can easily you know before you know it you've lost three games on the bounce and you're out of things but this month's tough as well January the number of games I mean this weekend then you're back into midweek and then you've got FA Cup they'll probably rest a lot of the players weren't they and they got Spurs away I think in the FA Cup so I think I'm doing that with the BBC Core Commons I think that's who they've got on next Saturday OK Alan let's call it a day there and don't forget we've got our new series starts on Wednesday where we're looking at footballing icons in the Premier League history and with some of their action to boot so hopefully you'll enjoy that but for now goodbye from me goodbye from me have a great week everyone

49:13Thank you.