What Mentality Do You Need To Win The Premier League?

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0:58Gary Lineker:Coming up on today's show, are they imploding before our very eyes? For the first time, there's a doubt in my mind they'll actually go and win the title now. It would really worry me if I was an Arsenal fan in what I seen yesterday in terms of just everything about their performance was nervous. I wonder what Pep's thinking. He knows it's on. He's actually on. The treble is actually on. But if you said you need to put your life on the line, I'd probably now go City.

1:35Hello and welcome to The Rest is Football with Micah Richards and me, Garolinica. Alan, I've already recorded the second half with Alan earlier on. He's another one of his mate's birthday parties, Micah. He's a socialite, isn't he? Yeah, he is. Honestly, if it's not golf, it's someone's birthday. If it's not someone's birthday, he's got a dinner. If it's not a dinner, he's got some sort of ball. If it's not a ball, he's pissed. What do you mean? What do you mean? I don't know. Do you think we should suspend him, give him a two-game suspension? A two-pod suspension? He didn't turn up yesterday as well to the big, grand, beautiful opening at Netflix that they put on a fantastic spread for us.

2:23Where was he? Well, he was doing much of the day, I think. In his defense, he was working. But it was fun, wasn't it? We went to see the Tyson Fury fight and of Conor Benn as well. And ringside. Oh, when they hear that. I mean, there's a difference when you ringside, isn't there? You hear that thud of a punch for those big boys. honestly that experience is one of the best of my life where for some reason and i don't know why when they say you're going to boxing i thought it was going to be inside and i don't i don't know why it was freezing hang on a minute michael where was it topdenham hotspur stadium well and you thought it was gonna be inside something in my mind i don't know why i don't know if it was gonna be covered or or something so i thought because you know your dress sets don't you you You can be warm or you can try to look cool.

3:14And I went down the trying to look cool route, you know. Which you did, you did. A little denim shirt on and all that. But you dressed perfectly. You had a little jumper and a jacket looking so smart. And I went for style over substance, didn't I? There is a way of doing both. There is a way of doing both. You can just look at the weather forecast, realise it's out. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it's a football ground. might be outside. I don't know. But, you know, you need warmth. You need energy. You need Fuse.

3:51This episode is powered by Fuse Energy. Before we kick off, a quick pre-match warm-up from Fuse. One question, four options, and two contestants. Today's a little question for you, lads. Which goalkeeper has the most clean sheets in Champions League history? Is it A, Iker Casillas? B, Gianluigi Buffon? C, Manuel Neuer? Or D, Edwin van der Zah?

4:21Gary Lineker:Manuel Neuer for me. You know what? I'm going to be different. I'm going to go Buffon. You're going to go Buffon? Yeah. Well, Micah, that was not correct. the answer was one Manuel Neuer and a role play the best sides don't give things away it should be the same with your energy get more than just lower rates at FuseEnergy.com slash football use the code FUTBALL all uppercase when you sign up save around£200 on your energy bill and get the chance to ask us your football questions on the pod Full terms and conditions at FugedEnergy.com. Well, Micah, let's start talking about the football. And I mean, Arsenal, are they imploding before our very eyes?

5:12I would say no because of the sporting Lisbon result. So they didn't, we had this conversation, didn't we? And I feel like I repeat myself all the time. Arsenal are not creating enough chances. That has been their problem for a while. And this is not reactionary. This is what we've been talking about, I would say, for months now. Set pieces have been getting them over the line. And then when they get a set piece, they grow into the game, they have confidence. That is one aspect of it. And I think you posed the question to me, is that going to be enough? And I've said, well, on paper, it shouldn't be enough.

5:54but they're getting over the line with set pieces and you can only go off what they're doing and they had the massive league. So you say, yes, it's going to be enough. However, yesterday, they were very, very poor. Nothing, did they? No creativity whatsoever. Didn't seem to be any belief. Weren't even very good defensively. And that is generally, they've been able to be guaranteed that they were pretty strong defensively. So, I mean, it was the first time yesterday and particularly following City's performance against Chelsea in the second half when I thought they were absolutely brilliant. And you just thought to yourself, blimey.

6:32For the first time, I've thought to myself, I actually don't, I'm really not sure else I'm going to do it. And I've been convinced for months now that, and I know you've not, you've kept saying it's not over, it's not over. And I've just, I didn't really see this. I spoke to Alan about this. I got his take on Arsenal because obviously he hadn't seen the City game. And he said, you know, it's for the first time. I think they might miss out on this. So, I mean, the next week's game. I mean, it is a monster. It really is now, isn't it? Yeah. I was sort of having this conversation on air today when I was doing, I was at obviously Chelsea game.

7:21Yeah, I was watching you. This guy with Studge. And it's all about your mindset, isn't it? Really. And you look at each of the fixtures. Some would argue Arsenal's a better. Some would argue Man City's a better. But if you look at the points in which Man City dropped, Forest and the West Ham game. So you can pick from all them fixtures and think, oh, he'll get three points there. They might draw. but you just never know. This running up to the end of the season is like no other. When you're in that battle, and I just remember when I was in that sort of fight for the league, going back in 2012, and the game is never, or the games are never how you anticipate them to be, you know?

8:10So that's where the psychological battle comes in. And because Man City have waited this long, and it now looks like they've got the confidence back, then a lot of people would say you'd have to go with Man City. But if you're Arsenal saying, well, there's still six points clear. Yeah. And you're allowed a little bit of a hiccup. They've got players coming back. Saka, they need to come back. Havertz is now back. Ezez is now back. Marino's, I think, the only one who's struggling a little bit. They've got it. They should be thinking in that camp, they've got enough to get over the line. But it's about the mentality and the mental thinking towards the end.

8:52And Man City have that because they've done it. And Arsenal haven't done that yet. So that is why there are so many questions. I mean, it's fascinating. I mean, I must say the whole psychological aspect of it, the fact, as you quite rightly said, that City have been consistently done it over years. You know, not always triumphantly. They missed out at Liverpool one year, didn't they? But by and large, they know how to win down the stretch. a little bit like Sir Alex Ferguson's teams did in the day. And they know how to do that. And once you've done it two or three times, you've got that inner belief.

9:28Well, we know how to do this. Arsenal are fighting themselves. I mean, and some of the... I mean, I'm slightly loathed to be too critical of, you know, the methods, but Arteta's slight verge towards cringeworthy, dare I say, things in trying things. What was it with the pens when they're all carrying the, the, the byros around and, and then they're playing TikTok films and, and big screens at training. And I'm just thinking you're doing things differently. Don't do things differently. Players just what it's like, if you, you don't change things when, you know, when it's, If you're in contention, you've just got to be calm, calm.

10:14This is what we always do. The training's a normal thing. This is what we do. And then all of a sudden, you're doing things a little bit differently. You are drawing attention to yourselves and everyone's going, well, surely they don't do that normally. So you are showing the world that the pressure is getting to you because you're looking to do something. If you do do something differently, do it in-house. Keep it quiet. make sure nobody's videoing it. That would be my one bit of advice to us. And it must be difficult because obviously, I suppose with all these things though, if they were winning, no one would say anything.

10:53But the trouble is if you draw attention to yourselves and then you don't win, then it can become more of an issue. Just an alternate view though, is Arteta doing that to take the pressure off maybe? Put the pressure onto him rather than the player. Possibly. Possibly, in which case, fair enough. I remember when Sam Allardyce took over at Leeds. Do you remember when he was trying to... Keep them up. Keep them up. And he said he's a better manager than Pep Guardiola. And at the time I was thinking, well, actually, with the tools that he's had and the results he's had over the course of his career, you're thinking okay and i listened to an interview afterwards and he said he was doing that to take all the pressure off the players put the pressure on and maybe that's what arteta's doing but when you've got a fan base and you've got a team who have not won the premier league in 22 years for all the rest of the other fan bases they're gonna lump in aren't they they're gonna lump in and They're going to take the mic, but yeah, doing that, I would be on your side of the fence and you just bring in that unwanted attention for no reason.

12:13And I remember a couple of years ago when they did documentary and he was doing similar sort of things and he was playing music, I think the stadium noise or whatever it was through the speakers. And actually I thought that would go against us, But it worked in the end because everyone was saying, Arsenal is such a relatable club and all that sort of thing. So maybe he's trying to bring a little bit of that back. However, performances on the field have not been good enough. They've not backed it up. They've not backed it up. And that is the problem. What can they do? I mean, I think it's fair to say they've been a bit unlucky with injuries lately.

12:49But we all said, didn't we, early on, they've increased the squad. It's much stronger and they can cope with that. And when you look at the starting XI, there's a lot of good players out there. But I think, you know, this is some, they're fighting with their own minds now. I think that's probably the issue. Everyone's been a bit cautious. You know, Alan was saying, as you'll see in the second half, that, you know, no one's really taking the responsibility to make the difference themselves. And at some point you need to do that. I think I would go against that a little bit, just because I think that's an easy thing to say.

13:24When Man City played a couple of games ago and they played West Ham and they're drawing to Forest. And the narrative then was, oh, Man City are not like old. You know, previous seasons, they would have steamrolled them teams. Now we're saying Man City, I think you are going to drop points throughout the season. We all know that. That's what happens. It's a long season, 38 games. it's how then you respond to that and that is what arsenal have got to do it's easy in our pointing fingers saying they've not got enough characters they had enough characters to get to this point so it's now then okay this is a test and if they don't win it i think people can a right to have that view but you can't say that up to now because it's still six points clear and if man city were to drop points then everyone's gonna say oh well you know well the narrative would be well Man City didn't do enough you know it's not because Arsenal deserved it, if you win the league over 38 games you deserve to win it and I don't want the narrative to be oh Man City and not like Man City evolved, yes Arsenal could have took more responsibility if they'd won that game yesterday 12 points clear, that would and that's what a lot of people are talking about they could have taken the pressure off themselves but they didn't But I don't think the narrative then should be switched to they don't have enough characters.

14:54Maybe they don't have enough people have won big trophies before within the league. I think that's a fair argument. But if you look through this, Havertz won the Champions League. Jesus has won the Premier League. Moreno has won the Euro. So they have got winners within that squad. No, I totally agree with you. And obviously with all these things, it's always easy after the event to say where they've got it wrong and why they've got it wrong. But I mean, I must say for the neutral, which I'm definitely neutral, I think it makes it fascinating and really interesting towards City. City, I thought first off, I thought Chelsea played really well.

15:33But second half City, I mean, he adjusted things slightly and I probably gave them a bit of a, probably a bit of a kick up the backside at halftime maybe. I don't know. But they were terrific in the second half, City, weren't they? Played some great stuff. It looked like Man City were nervous in the first half. Yeah. Rodri was misplacing passes and the rhythm of the game wasn't what we expect from Man City, especially because of Arsenal's result. You think they're going to the game, they'll be out the races, high energy, and it just wasn't that. And then the second half, it was amazing. That's what we expect from Man City.

16:14I felt a little bit sorry for Chelsea because they had a plan. It looked like the plan was working. The game opened up a little bit. And then in games, it's all about moments, isn't it? And Chelsea don't defend in the key moments and then don't score when they're on top. And then Man City were always going to take the opportunity once it come because they just have quality players and no players had to win. You know what I mean? I'm starting to look at them now and thinking, you know, they've got a few new signings that have clicked pretty quickly. Semenya probably didn't have his best game, but he's still effective.

16:51Mark Gay has been terrific at the back. Kusinov is growing into a really, really good defender. He's still young. O 'Reilly's different because he's obviously come through. So, you've, Cherokee, I think, is so talented, so talented as well. So, you can see that, you know, there's a new sort of team developing a little bit under Pep Guardiola. It'd be interesting to see how long Pep stays with them for. You never know with Pep. Yeah, I think it was what's nice to see with City. I think all the players are playing in their proper positions. I think the Haaland-Semenyu partnership, it was working to a certain degree because he was getting over the line in some games.

17:32But when Semenyo is wide and when Doku is wide and when Scherke is allowed to get on, like you mentioned, in that number 10 position where he can just create and then Haaland's making the runs. I think the balance of the team is just better. I agree. And it suited them. And that's why he stuck with the same team. I think they've been brilliant. I wouldn't disagree with that. I wonder what Pep's thinking. He knows it's on. Because you can always tell with Pep, in the interviews after. Every time he knows something's on, he plays everything down, you know. That's just another game, you know. We're just six points behind.

18:10Six points. Oh, it was nine. It was nine. Honestly, I love it. And I love that he's got that. And I know I jokingly said in the last pod, like the treble's on for City, but it is actually on. The treble is actually on. After all the talk about Arsenal winning football, football is such a mad sport where it could just change in a couple of weeks or a couple of months. It's amazing. It's one of the joys and also one of the most awful things about football is the way it changes, depending on which side you're on at the time, obviously. So who's your money on? I always said, I'll make my decision.

18:55On the last day of the season. Hey, where's that fence? Where's that fence? Creasso, Mr Creasso. No, I have been the same all the way through. I've been consistent saying, it depends what happens in the Man City against Arsenal game. If Man City win that game, and I've said it, roll the tapes, go back weeks and months. If Man City win that game, I believe they'll win the league. And that's exactly where I'm staying. because I just feel when they had a little bit of a sniff, when they opened the door a little bit, if you give them a chance, Man City will take it. And if they beat Arsenal, I believe that's them winning the league, yes.

19:39Yeah, it will be very damaging. What about you? Are you changing at all a little bit or not? I've been telling everyone that I know, no, Arsenal will be fine. They'll be fine. They're not going to, you know, they're not going to choke. They're not, you know, they'll be all right. And City are not quite. But since he's changed, like you said, back to the three at the top, and the way Arsenal are stuttering, have lost their form at the moment. And you know how important momentum is in not just football, in all sport. Momentum is so important. And all the momentum now is with City. So if you said, I think it's like so tough to call now.

20:16But if you said you need to put your life on the line, which I'd hate to have to do under these circumstances, I'd probably now go City because I think I think they'll I think they will win next week but you never know so can I just ask you because I think I think it's it's very important for the viewers and the listeners is how how do you deal with pressure in this moment you've been a great player and I know I take the mick out of you and we talk about not see not see any videos and all that you are the great Gary Lineker without you know blowing smoke up your ass and well I think you just have most pleasurable it was too thank you how do you deal with with that pressure then and i know i know you will say well i don't really feel pressure but can i can i can i take me in the mind of of of someone like you the caliber of player like because me before you go i i was i was shitting myself all the way through i didn't think he was gonna do it i was thinking united are just gonna to win it back in 2012 and then it's going to be one of those seasons where Fergie's going to win again and we're just annoying noisy neighbours I knew we had the team to do it but me my role within that I didn't quite know if I could get it over like so so talk me through that that pressure side of things well let me first stipulate something quite important I never won a fucking league title right it doesn't matter though that's different but you don't with high pressure situations that is a different question correct I just wanted to make that clear before everyone else goes, you never won anything.

21:53So I did win. I won a few things. And I think this is genuinely what I believe. And it's easier said than done, but it's something that I did. You've got to revel in the situation. You've got to enjoy the pressure. Where do you want to be in the middle of the table? You're fighting for the glory. This is it. And if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. But by God, enjoy it. It's like amazing, like buzz of going out into big games, World Cups, League title deciders, FA Cup finals. It's like, wow, that's what you dream about. So don't be scared. I mean, it's easy to say, and we're all different.

22:33We handle things in a different way. But don't be scared of it when it arrives. That's what you've dreamed about. So, I mean, and if I were the coach, that's what I'd be saying to them all the time. You're doing amazing. You're flying. You're six points top of the league, Arsenal players. You are six points top of the league. You've done that because you're so good. This is going to be the title charge. Let's fucking relish it. I love that. But just on that, because that was, I mean, Braveheart speech and all that. Hardly. Are you saying that because of the position that you're playing, though?

23:10So when we talk about, and there's been something on social media the last couple of weeks in terms of which position has the most pressure? Do you think the striker has the most pressure or do you think it's because you was a top goal scorer that you didn't have that much pressure? Because if I'm a defender, I'm talking about me, I'm going into a game thinking, don't make a mistake. Don't be out of position. Don't get sent off. You know, all those sort of things. So is yours a different type of pressure being a forward player? Well, I can't speak for a defender, so I don't know. But I think it probably, I think as a striker, as a forward, if you're not glass half full, then you're never going to be a good striker because you've got to believe, right?

23:58You've got to be positive. You've got to believe you're going to score the goals. That's absolutely imperative. So I think firstly, the top strikers will always be half full and like full of optimism and belief. So defenders by nature, they want to stop things. Forwards want to make things happen. So we're both different. So I suspect there is a different mindset between players. But I also play with players that, you know, I know that they, real leaders like, let me say, Terry Butcher. I'm thinking defenders. Terry Butcher, Des Walker was a quiet man, but I don't think they were ever scared of it.

24:38Stuart Pearce, you know Stuart. My goodness me. Was he scared of anything? No, he wouldn't relish these situations. And I think sometimes, you know, I look at Arsenal, and they've got leaders at the back. Gabriel's a proper leader. Saliba's a top player. You know, they're the players, I think, that have got to say, right, come on, come on, let's make this happen. This is amazing. We're six points clear at the top of the Premier League. We're on the verge of being in the semi-finals of the Champions League. You've got to go positive rather than look back and go, oh, we're a little bit this and we're a little bit that.

25:11That's what I believe. Now, it is easier said than done. It's easy for us as well because we're looking from the outside. But I've played in lots of big games, as have you, Micah. And the thing is with football, you're 11 human beings that start the game. There's 11 human beings that finish the game, and they're all different in their personalities. So you can say one thing to one player, and it's different to another player. I mean, that's why I went into management. I don't think I could have dealt with it. it's a lot easier on telly it's a lot easier but I think it's a great title race and talking to mental things it takes me on to one other game I want to discuss before we go I know you you were at Chelsea so you didn't see it but I watched it but it wasn't really about the performance it's about the result for Tottenham Hotspur they're in I mean Forrest have got another point West Ham really good performance on Friday night played really well won easily against I know it's bottom club Wolves but But I mean, Spurs are two points off, two points below the safety net.

26:15And they're in trouble. I mean, it wasn't a very good game. There wasn't much in it. I'm not sure which team were better than the other. The goal was very fortuitous. Tottenham, there wasn't much created in the game. Now, if you're going to be in a nervous situation, I think Tottenham's is probably more nervous than Arsenal's in a strange way. but they were hoping obviously for a bounce from Deserby coming in but that didn't really happen. Did you see anything, any changes or any tactical tweaks? Because I saw this started with, was it Colomboane, Richarlison and Solanke, was it? Yeah, well they played, you know, those three.

26:55So I mean that's a positive start and you could see there was an energy and you could see that the players were trying their nuts off, right? There's no lack of effort there. They were running, they were trying, but they look like they're completely bereft of any kind of confidence. It's been sucked out of them. And, you know, they weren't terrible. I mean, it wasn't a great game. You know, Romero got like collided with his own goalkeeper and he's injured and he's going off in tears because he cares. And the players do. I don't believe they don't care. I just think they're instilled by fear at the moment.

27:35The fear of going down. And the absolute, I mean, for a club like Spurs to go down, that would be a humiliation. They can't go down, can they, Gaz? I mean, of course they can. There's only, what, six games left, is it? Have they got six games left? Let me get their fixtures up. Brighton home. Yeah, difficult. Brighton are in form. Wolves away. That's one they've got to win. Villa away. Tough. Leeds home. Leeds are fighting for their lives as well. That's a massive game, that, isn't it? Leeds game. Oh, my God. I mean, it's not easy for any of these teams now, and they're all fighting, but West Ham look like they've got a bit of form and belief and momentum, and we talked about that.

28:17Leeds are kind of drawing their way to safety almost. And Forrest, you know, they're fighting as well. I mean, I'm worried. I'm really, as a former Spurs man, And obviously, it's like, that'd be dreadful. Dreadful, really. Well, two of your teams play on the last day. Spurs and Everton. Yeah. On the last day of the season. Yeah, I'm not sure that means I can influence anything. Yeah, Spurs and Everton might be going for a European spot at that point. They're in a good position for that. I just can't believe what's going on. I can't either. I mean, obviously, the catalogue of injuries is huge. but I was just I mean I never I mean the clues were there last season they finished 17th Posta Coglu said that was down to I don't know he was maybe exaggerating injuries and the cup competition yeah and the cup competition yeah well it's easy to say that isn't it I didn't I didn't expect this with that squad yes no did I but they've still got enough quality yeah to be doing better than they are I mean I'm a big admirer of De Zerbe I love the way he plays football getting Brighton into Europe, wasn't it, for the first time in their history?

29:30I believe it was energetic, exciting. But has he got enough time to turn it around for what Spurs needs? I don't know. We shall find out in the coming weeks, but it's going to be a tense time for the Tottenham faithful. Okay, Mike, I've done the second half already, so I'm going to watch the golf now. You're itching to go out, you're itching. Come on, Rory. Come on, Rory. And he's just had a double bogey. He's had a shocker. But anyway, you never know. He might turn it around. Remember 12 months ago? Oh, yeah. I watched that. Do you remember? Yeah, I know. Yes. I'm going to watch it now. I'm going to put it on.