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Football Weekly
Arsenal swoop for Eze but where will he fit in? – Football Weekly Extra
00:50:47
Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Will Unwin, Seb Hutchinson and Sanny Rudravajhala as Arsenal look set to hijack Spurs’ attempts to sign Eberechi Eze. We also have a Premier League weekend preview
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- [00:00]
Seb Hutchinson
This is the Guardian.
- [00:10]
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- [01:21]
Max Rushden
Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. Ezeta Tottenham. Here we don't go. Days of fans hitting refresh and waiting for the official announcement. And then the people that actually know tell you that Arsenal have done a deal for one of the best players in the Premier League. If you had the choice, Arsenal seems the sensible one. We'll discuss Arteta's great coup and find out how excited Barry is about this bit of transfer news. Then we'll look ahead to the Premier League. Eze Le spurs at Man City and the Alexander isak Darby at St. James Park. The Swede has broken his silence. Palace played Forest, presumably for the right to play in the Europa League. Sunderland going for win two at Burnley. The other bleak performers, West Ham hosts still haven't scored. Chelsea while Everton hosts Brighton. There's disappointing European Fitbar corner as Celtic draw and Rangers lose. And we'll get the lowdown on what happened at Morecambe this week. All that plus your questions. And that's today's Guardian Football Weekly. On the panel today, Barry Glendenning. Welcome.
- [02:17]
Barry Glendenning
Hi, Max.
- [02:18]
Max Rushden
Hello. Seb Hutchinson.
- [02:19]
Will Unwin
Hello, Max.
- [02:20]
Max Rushden
And Will Unwin. Welcome.
- [02:21]
Seb Hutchinson
Hello, Max.
- [02:22]
Max Rushden
So, a great tweet from DTL Philosophy. Just saying. Put Sol in the announcement video, which I enjoyed. JJ says Max, is it possible that the witch's curse was never truly lifted? If true, and even winning a trophy failed to exorcise it, what fresh hell can we spurs fans look forward to next? Two days ago, FABRIZIO Romano tweeted essay to Tottenham Hotspur. Here we go. Deal sealed for 55 million euros plus 5 million add ons. And last night transparent he'd agreed to sign for Arsenal. Ed Aaron's confirming in the Guardian they've agreed a deal worth up to 67.5 million to sensationally hijack Tottenham's move. Kai Havertz got injured and that was part of it. But Miguel Delaney in the Independent saying that this deal was done 11 days ago by Arsenal. So it was very easy and Steve Paris was just kind of waiting for Arsenal, stalling a bit with Daniel Levy. I mean, I guess first off, I don't know, it's Seb. It's objectively hilarious. Unless you happen to be a Tottenham fan.
- [03:21]
Will Unwin
Right, well, you knew it was coming, didn't you? I think you would have sensed that. And I think with any transfer that drags on and when I say drags on, drags on in the minds of people who are constantly going on social media to get micro updates, just, you know, and I use this simply just for your own mental health a lot of the time because people get so invested in signings, especially at this time of year, you almost feel like when the window closes, that's the moment that people, some supporters, can relax. With this as Air1, it was in a. It flip flopped in the fact that there was a sense he was going to leave and then the stories were coming out that Arsenal were going to be his destination and it was always, it was a case of he's definitely going to sign for them. And then Tottenham came into the mix. Now, funnily enough, I bought into the fact, I thought, well, Tottenham are surely going to get this transfer done. But it was actually Tottenham supporters that made me doubt that would happen rather than the news I was reading. It was just simply that feeling of we are not going to be able to get this deal over the line because it's spurs. And it's the way that one signing can make people believe they've had an amazing transfer window and then a signing that makes them feel, well, you haven't done enough, we haven't done enough. As if football's is about one player. This takes me full circle back to the fact that just this time of year drives me mad in terms of this window being open. It is ridiculous. And you think Havertz injury, linking that to this signing? I don't think it's relevant at all. I actually think it's probably more relevant that Trossard improved his contract and that's more related to the Havertz because that seems more obvious that you think, right, we have to make sure a player we have at the club stays now because we've lost an injured player. So I don't think clubs operate necessarily in that state, especially some of the bigger ones. But I said I didn't like it. But as you said at the beginning, it does give people that little bit, if you're not of this Tottenham persuasion, just a little bit of humor.
- [05:21]
Max Rushden
I mean I did see Barry, a lot of palace fans saying, well you know, spurs fans have been really sort of humble about this signing. They're not like rubbing it in our faces. And I was thinking that's because they, they don't think it's going to happen. They're like, they just, they can't get there until there is like a, you know, Tottenham Hotspur unveiling social media clip. I mean I suppose Arsenal have like the key end point of this is that Arsenal have signed a brilliant footballer. Well, they haven't done it yet. I guess they have.
- [05:54]
Will Unwin
Here we go.
- [05:56]
Barry Glendenning
Yes. Until I touch the hole in his side and then in his palms, I will not believe I will be a doubting Thomas. It's brilliant signing for Arsenal. It's extra brilliant because they've put one over on Spurs. It's always a major concern with these big high profile signings that might not actually work out. Get getting the player in is just half the battle. But it's very hard to see how as they won't add to this Arsenal squad. I suppose spurs fans were very pessimistic or cautious about crowing about getting as a because they got burned with Morgan Gibbs White and that's two very high profile transfers and two really good players that Daniel Levy thought he had got in and hasn't And I expect he'll be hearing all about it at Tottenham's next home game which is no, not this weekend but yeah, at their next home game I imagine the Tottenham fans will make their displeasure known in no uncertain terms. And to be fair to Levy, he always fronts up and sits there looking sad.
- [07:20]
Max Rushden
The one question I guess Will is I think everyone as a such a. I'm sad because he's such a brilliant. Not just because he's a brilliant footballer but he's a really fun footballer. He's just great to watch. But he is a 10 like that's his best position And Arsenal do have Martin Erdogard now. It's not like, you know, it's not a Larry David spike cafe. He's not, it's not a spike signing right. He's, he's really good. But where does, where does Arteta play him?
- [07:45]
Seb Hutchinson
I've got a suspicion he'll be playing on the wing more often than not would be my suspicion. I mean Odegaard is one of the best in the game and E might be best as a number 10. But I think we could all agree he's got the skill set to beat players inside and out either wing. And he's got, you know, you've got options for different. He's different type of play to Odegaard if you want to. If you think there's a certain team where you need someone a bit more pace that can drive it opposition rather than maybe being a bit more. Have a bit more guile with the ball and as they can do that it's, you know, so many potential places to inspire. Odegaard, I'm sure has got the ability to drop a bit deeper and play as a deeper central midfielder. But at the elite level, if you can get someone like Eze and have the option where you can play him, then you, then you do it. And that's the nature of it. I mean, you look at City and the amount of wingers they've sort of stockpiled, it's like, well, we play like this so we might as well have as many options as possible. And that's the nature of football because if you've got 60 odd mini quid in the bank that you can spend, you might as well spend it on the best you can get. And that's what they've done with ez and you know, they've done the due diligence on him obviously and you know, it's not hard to do watching, you know, highlights reels of Match of the Day. But once those opportunities come up, you go, you spend and to some extent you might think about it later how many minutes he's going to get and where they go, where they're going to be on the pitch. And maybe Arteta have a little wry smile every now and again when he thinks who he beat to the punch to sign him.
- [09:13]
Max Rushden
Oh God, it's so annoying. And it's such a power play from Arsenal Seb that you know he's a brilliant like psychologically just so good, you know.
- [09:21]
Will Unwin
Will said that Odegaard is one of the best in the game, but I think Arsenal supporters see it. Ezer is somebody who does what Odegaard doesn't do at Arsenal one shoot enough and Ezra's pretty good at that one carrying the ball running with the ball prepared to take players on against deep defenses, making something happen in a way, in a similar way that Shirky's been bought by Man City. You need those chaos players, those players in the structure that just break that defence open. And that is Eze. And I think what he is is somebody who. He's a signing where with Jocherez there would have been a split in the Arsenal supporters. Is he the right striker? With Madueke there was a lot of objection to that signing. Zubamendi, people didn't know too much about him, what he's offering to the team. But I think with Eze, he's a player that probably unites the Arsenal fan base because they see him as coming home even though they let him go, essentially. And he's a. A guy from London. He's joining a group of other players who are from London. There's that feeling that he's always wanted to play for Arsenal or come back to Arsenal and that he was never going to go to spurs, even though it seemed like he was going to go to Spurs. I think that's. This is part of it. The Odegaard has been. Last season he didn't have his best season, he had an injury and he's always seen as a player, as a great link player for Arsenal, as a fabulous presser, but he's not a game changer for Arsenal, he's not a match winner for Arsenal. And I think a lot of he's. He looks great on the ball, but his effectiveness for the team, I think this is something where they could come into it whereby even though I think he will play a lot of time on the wing, unless if Arsenal don't invest in that area or don't sell players in that area, he does feel centrally a difference maker for them.
- [11:06]
Max Rushden
Now, Barry, look, I know you don't love transfers and I have to confess I was refreshing those pages to just wait for the essay announcement. I'm guilty of it. I do find the window frustrating. I just wonder if you know, in that on a wider point about your Fabrizio Romanos, et cetera, of which he is clearly the most high profile. Does it matter that they say, here we go, this player signed for this and then they don't sign for it in terms of the way we kind of view how in the know they are.
- [11:36]
Barry Glendenning
It doesn't matter to me and I don't care how in the know they are because I'm not really that interested in the transfer window, so. But it clearly matters. A great deal to other people and that's fine. But personally speaking, I. I don't care how in the know Fabrizio Romano is or if he gets things right or wrong because I don't really pay any attention to his announcements.
- [12:04]
Max Rushden
I suppose it is interesting. There's just a world where it is, you know, the person who gets the exclusive. And I suppose it's the same with news and everything. The scoop matters but I've always found, well, we will all find out what the news is. It's actually how you analyze the news rather than finding out what the news is that probably matters. But spurs go to the Etihads how encouraged were you Will by Man City's opening win at Wolves?
- [12:24]
Seb Hutchinson
Yeah, I mean completely different. Well maybe not the start of last season so really good. But that middle spell, you know Reinders in midfield looks like an absolute game changer for City. Haaland confident sort of previously mentioned an array of wingers at City and attacking, you know, Cherokee on the bench to come off come off the bench two almost proper fullbacks. Defense looks solid. You know, caveat that Wolves I think a lot of us put to go down but yeah, it just looks a bit more confident which had been lacking even when City were getting through games at periods last season and options off the bench which again wasn't always the case and so still, still Rodri prime to come back and whatnot. So yeah, really positive exciting football again and just a bit of change in dynamic which I think Pep's been planning and you know, with Pep blinders on the on the sidelines seems to freshen things up as well and those things are good, you know, to have a new voice and whatnot. So yeah I think spurs, you know obviously they beat Burnley but they'll be. They'll be slight worried and I think probably helped a little bit to alleviate any not fear maybe but the unknown of what fans at the Etihad are expecting this season. They'll be really excited to go into this prospect of a very good win against spurs if they you know, keep the momentum going. So yeah it's exciting times again after concerns of finishing third. Yeah, the upset of finishing third.
- [14:01]
Max Rushden
I suppose it'll be interesting Seb how Thomas Frank lines up and whether he starts with Gibbs White or eze in the 10 for that. But. But actually be interesting. Yeah, yeah, exactly. But it'd be interesting to see if he goes back to the PSG Super Cup 352 long throws that kind of setup.
- [14:22]
Will Unwin
Yeah, I think Thomas Frank has Shown in the few games we've had already. Actually, weirdly, even though I don't pay much attention to pre season games, I think he's also shown in pre season to be a horses for courses manager. I mean he said it when he was at Brentford that he was like that he would change his system depending on the opponent. And so tomorrow, let me get this right, where are we? Thursday night, Saturday lunchtime. It will be fascinating to see how he approaches a game against Manchester City. Last season I came away, I think I came on the podcast and it was about four or five games into City's bad run and I finally said to myself, okay, it's not happening for them. Probably the first time I felt I've really doubted City in several, several seasons. And I still, I don't doubt them now. I just think they have so many good players, they have such a great manager and it just feels like the application for the players because teams when they go to face City, I don't feel they feel they can take that gamble enough. So will spurs take the gamble enough to hurt them like they did last season? Will they play in that manner? Will they try to contain them? How will Thomas Frank approach it? Because he's had decent results against decent performances against Manchester City in the past and he's one of the yet he had with Brentford before. So how will he approach this? And I think this is important because forget the transfers. You need to see what's on the pitch to make supporters feel better. They forget transfers when things go well in Liverpool supports would have been saying we haven't signed anyone at the beginning of our season and then they had that amazing run. So that's what I'm interested to see. And I saw it. You know I did the Forest Brentford game last weekend and you do start to think such a big part that Thomas Frank played in the way they were that made them such a difficult side to play against. I just don't think I would have seen that performance from Brentford. And I think I did the previous two Forest Brentford games. I don't think I would have seen a performance like that from Brentford in those previous two matches even with all the ins and outs. So let's see on Saturday if he will go for it against City. I say go for it but play a system that will take advantage of City's small frailties.
- [16:27]
Max Rushden
On Monday, Barry Newcastle versus Liverpool. Insert jokes about Alexander Isak getting on the wrong team bus after the game, etc. But it does add something to this game which is Already a big game, isn't it?
- [16:39]
Barry Glendenning
Yeah, it's going to be a very spicy encounter. You feel Newcastle fans will be really, really up for this. One suspects their players will as well. Is anyone going to bet against a red card or two in this game? I could certainly see Joelinton and Sandro Tonali snapping into plenty of tackles. With all the stuff that's going on, all the background noise, very loud background noise. It will be important for both managers to preach caution to their players ahead of kickoff because, you know, keep your heads, lads and all that. But I'm really looking forward to this game because I just think it's gone to be a very nasty encounter between two clubs who clearly don't have much time for each other at the moment.
- [17:33]
Max Rushden
Be funny if. If Eddie Howe started Isak and he just stood still in the middle of the pit for the whole thing. Yes.
- [17:39]
Will Unwin
Didn't they say that there's a split in the camp? I want to know who would be team Isak and who would be against him of that Newcastle team, If you're doing a five a side. I feel like. I felt. I felt like Joel Linton would just be in the middle, switching his head from left to right. Who am I going to?
- [17:56]
Max Rushden
A good question. I. I just do think that it, you know, if the window closes and he's still there and he gets back on the pit and he's good, I think it's forgotten so quickly, you know, I just think, you know, we've sort of seen.
- [18:07]
Barry Glendenning
Are you suggesting football supporters are fickle?
- [18:11]
Max Rushden
Obviously suggesting nothing of the. Nothing of the thought. But I now hate Eberichies, despite loving him. Yesterday Isaac posted on social media, I have kept quiet for a long time when, while others have spoken, that silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even though they know it doesn't reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors. The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time to now act as if these issues are only emerging as misleading. When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue. That's where things are for me right now and why change is in the best interest of everyone, not just myself.
- [18:50]
Barry Glendenning
There were times reading that when I thought I was scanning the lyrics of an Olivia Rodrigo ballad.
- [18:59]
Max Rushden
It depends how you say it. It is fun to say it like that, isn't it? The more moody you get, the more fun it is. Yes.
- [19:05]
Seb Hutchinson
Well, I actually think he stole that letter from my wife when she sent it to Me.
- [19:11]
Max Rushden
That is when promises are broken and trust is lost. The relationship can't continue. Yeah, you. You're right. That's from any power ballad of the 80s. Newcastle responded slightly less melodic. We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract. Never written in a love song, was it? And that no commitment has ever been made by a club. It's a very LinkedIn love song by a club official. That Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer. We want to keep our best players. We also understand players have their own wishes. We listen to their views as explained to Alex and his representatives. We must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions. And we've been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired. We do not foresee these conditions being met. It feels seb sort of gentleman's agreement territory, doesn't it?
- [19:56]
Will Unwin
Just put it in writing. I don't. Just don't understand. You know. We know that way football industry works in terms of the loyalty elements. The sense that somebody can be at your club and then leave after a period of time. That obviously public relations just. I just think with these things if you're promised something just make sure it gets written down. I mean it's tale as old as time, isn't it? And that would have done so much for Isak and it would have solved a lot of situations.
- [20:24]
Barry Glendenning
Look, I.
- [20:25]
Will Unwin
To simplify it. He clearly wants to go to Liverpool or he wants to feel that he wants to take that next step. I think it's very much we forget that players. You know, it's not as if he sacks from Newcastle. He's not somebody who has. It has them in his blood essentially. Yeah. But I think the way this has happened it will probably. It will hurt Newcastle fans in the sense the way it's played out. They probably thought in their minds that because of the way the. The club was portraying the situation that they would hold on to him this summer and probably feel like yeah, he'll want to go next year. But the way it's accelerated and been brought forward in this manner is probably upsetting for them from Esac's point of view. I don't know why may how I think players want to keep things quiet, don't they? They don't want to be out in the public saying I want to leave. I don't want to. But if they sense that they're being portrayed in a negative light then they want to get the message out there through an agent, through an AI written Lyrical piece this one. I just. It just feels so bad because when I look at it and I think he would obviously help Liverpool. But Liverpool looked pretty good going forward without him. He then Liverpool signed a Katike who I think Newcastle were in the mix for. Who do Newcastle go and get now at this point in the window to replace him. It feels like they would then be rushing to fill it in and they need another striker even if he stays that. You know, they need more depth in that area. So it's just all a bit murky. And I agree that you know if he stays that they'll get over it. But it will just be a really boring thing. That will rear its head again in January and then rear its head again in the summer. And you feel like you want a bit of completion. I think the probably the best thing for everyone is if Newcastle are able to land a big forward signing. And then Isak goes.
- [22:09]
Barry Glendenning
He says the promises were made and broken. But why not tell us who made the promise and who broke it. Add some clarity if you want to put out this very public howl of anguish on Instagram. And he's playing this very badly. Liverpool are playing it brilliantly. I think they knew what they were doing when they put in a low ball offer that wouldn't be accepted. They knew that unsettle Isaac. If they don't get him now they won't be too concerned because they'll get him cheaper next season or next summer. It's. It's led to an awful lot of ill feeling and rancor between all the Internet crazies among both fan bases and. And ordinary fans, I guess. But a lot of Liverpool fans seem to think that Newcastle should just hand him over. You know, like they're holding him hostage. Newcastle don't need to sell him. And as you say, if they. If the window closes and he's still there, he'll either refuse to play, which is up to him and he'll get fined repeatedly one presumes. Or he will be integrated back into the squad. He'll get booed a few times. He'll issue some sort of insincere public apology which will be accepted. And then as soon as he scores a goal, you know, it's as you were.
- [23:35]
Max Rushden
Kiss the badge and everything's okay. Mo Salah by the way, won the PFA Player of the Year award on Tuesday. First player to win it three times. He was very good last year, if you didn't notice. That'll do for part one. We'll do the rest of the Premier League and some fitbar in Part two. When you're a forward thinker, you don't.
- [23:55]
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- [24:02]
Will Unwin
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- [24:05]
Max Rushden
Workday, moving business forever forward.
- [24:08]
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- [24:41]
Max Rushden
Foreign to Part two of the Guardian Football Weekly Few tickets still available on September 11th the Troxy in London My Live Insta videos are doing very well, Barry. I go hi Pod fans, Max here, Barry's here too. And then I I, I push the phone to one side and you're not there and I'm really enjoying this joke. I don't know if anyone else is.
- [25:07]
Barry Glendenning
Maybe we should arrange to meet up and or maybe you could do video where I am there.
- [25:14]
Max Rushden
Yeah, we were on a bench, me, you and Michael Gove. It wasn't arranged, but we should have done the video there anyway. The panel. No Michael Gove on the panel, I'm sorry to say. Jonathan Wilson, Nikki Bandini, Johnny Liu Cameos to come I bumped into John Bruin at the bus stop and I told him an idea that he's up for, so hopefully he'll come and do that. Tickets can be purchased by heading to theguardian.com footballweeklylive it's live streamed around the world. So all of you listening to this, you have no excuse. And if you get the online stream, you can watch it anytime that week. So you can, you know, it can be perfect. You can tailor it to all your needs. Theguardian.com FootballWeeklyLive Palace Forest in the Europa League Administrative Era Derby this could be fiery Matt Hughes writing in the Guardian Crystal palace in talks with Forrest and the Met Police over the provision of increased security for Sunday's game. Palace supporters understood to be planning a protest over Forest's perceived role in getting them demoted to the Conference League. Palace play Frederikstadt tonight in a Conference League playoff. Be interesting to see if Eze and Mark Gaye play will you saw Forest in the Flesh at the weekend. They were very good, weren't they?
- [26:22]
Seb Hutchinson
Yeah. As Seb was discussing before, Brentford were impressively awful for the first 45 minutes. But Forrest, as previously discussed about Chris Wood wondering and I spoke to a few people thinking is he really going to be able to carry on? Not the quickest, etc, quite easy to find out. It turns out if you just leave massive gaps in the defense he's really good at exploiting that. But you know Gibbs White after a summer of uncertainty was incredible. You know, drifted all over the pitch to pick up the ball and the pockets of space that were given to him and was excellent. And then Elliot Anderson I think was the other standout player for me in central midfield. He know first time pass was really good and then you look before the match they were parading Amarre Hutchinson and James McAtee who in their own ways had very good seasons last time to give them more options in the final third. I'm sure by the time the game comes around they'll be closer to signing a full back. So yeah really exciting times for them. The only problem they've got is the Europa League coming up as discussed and that is quite difficult for teams to manage when it's first time around. A lot of those players aren't used to twice a week games but if you look at what they've got available and they were a lot better on the ball than last season, kept possession better and that's part of the plan because last season playing on the counter attack that's quite energy draining, keeping the press etc so if you keep the ball more, you know, hopefully in theory you're not as tired and if you're playing twice a week that's quite a useful trait to have. And yeah they've done really good recruitment. They've not panicked in voucher. Dan and Doi looks like an excellent winger to replace Alanga. He's know say Hutchinson's a really good player so saw quite a bit of him at Ipswich and I've seen a lot of Matee and you know they're players that can play in different positions which Nuno wants. He likes his wingers. McAtee play on the right, can play as number 10. Yeah by the end of the window I think Forest will have a lot more depth because at the end of last season that's what costs than the Champions League players. I'd say very tired in the end but yeah they've managed to adapt the style a little bit different and they'll be you know, very confident going anywhere. I Think this season they can stifle teams for one and score goals for two. You know Chris Wood has got backup. I think Iwin E might go. But they got Igor Jesus and I'm pretty sure and the new lad from Rennes. So yeah, I think they'll be. They'll be pushing to. I think it'll do really well to finish seventh again. But if they can finish top 10, that's an incredible season considering the addition of the Europa League.
- [28:57]
Max Rushden
Agreed to sign Douglas Louise as well on loan from Juventus. Another good signing. If he plays like he did it for Villa.
- [29:04]
Barry Glendenning
It will be interesting to see if Evangelist Maranaklis turns up to this game. You would think the sensible option would be for the Forest owner to stay away. But given his personality, I would not be surprised if he does pitch up to inflame an already potentially incendiary situation.
- [29:28]
Max Rushden
Does he have a sensible option box to tick? I'm not sure if that's in his makeup necessarily. Arsenal, Leeds bit more of a spotlight on Yokerez I guess. I mean there'll be lots of positivity around as they providing that all goes through Seb. But like going into this game, one team played really well last week. Leeds and one team played really badly. Arsenal, I mean they both won 1 nil. But be quite interesting to see how Leeds approaches as well. Yeah.
- [29:49]
Will Unwin
And I. I think for the whole season even though Leeds won that game and you know, watched it on Monday, I did still get that itchy feeling, the football itchy feeling that it was. You thought Leeds, are they going to be able to score enough goals against Premier League size this season to win enough games. It. There was a little bit of concern about that. But Ellen Road is going to be huge. And even David Moist spoke about the atmosphere maybe with the influence of the referee's decision as well.
- [30:17]
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And.
- [30:17]
Will Unwin
And it was as many people have said it was so good to see the promoted sides get off the mark. It actually feels like a massive Saturday in terms of a lot of the teams who people are fancying to go down. And this is one of the first early tests as you can see for the 3 o' clock theory. I'm only going to say that once. It's tongue twister because it's the teams that win those three o' clock games this Saturday that I think will stay up. And I'm basing it purely on that. I'm gonna go. I think if Brentford can beat Villa, they're staying up 100, 100. It's made. It's tailor Made for Brentford. It's absolutely made for them. So I'm putting my marker down. If they win now, Burnley, Sunderland now that should finish as a draw if they're both going to go down. But if Sunderland win, win at Burnley I think I'm backing them to stay up all day long because leeds are at 5:30 and they're playing Arsenal and it's on live on telly and it's this early in the season absolutely routine Arsenal victory and it will be. It could be a situation where they where after all the doubts about Joker as last weekend considering I don't think he's fully fit and also they're playing at Old Trafford and Arsenal have never played well at Old Trafford ever. This will be the day when it all clicks. Subamendi looks amazing in midfield. He's dictating the game. I understand he was ill at the Man United game as well. And these are now this will be the thing that we really want to see about Arsenal. We know in the big games they're tough to beat and they're unbeaten on this long run. Will they in home matches, funnily enough just steamroll teams or not. It's something that Liverpool did pretty well last season and Arsenal probably need to and I think that would be the one that makes people think actually Arsenal are the real deal will be how they perform in a lot of these home matches. Are they just going to roll teams over or not or is it going to be a struggle? Are going to look like they're going to struggle to break sides down and this will be the first test of that for Mikel Arteta's side.
- [32:12]
Max Rushden
Baz, any other games pique your interest.
- [32:14]
Barry Glendenning
I suppose West Ham Chelsea play on Friday night. West Ham played diabolically badly in the second half against Sunderland last weekend. They've got some very tough fixtures coming up. This one then Forest away. SP home. Palace home. Everton away. Arsenal away. That. That. That's their fixtures before the international break. And on the evidence of what we saw last weekend, not much evidence to go on admittedly but also last season under Graham Potter you would see them struggling to take more than a couple of points from those games. I think I don't really expect them to beat Chelsea but I suppose we get more of an idea of how bad they are because they did look really slow and leggy and sluggish and.
- [33:07]
Max Rushden
Unmotivated against Sunderland onto Fitbar Barca Jim saying amazingly, I think I sound more pissed off than Ewan normally does. Fair to say there isn't A Celtic fan who's not as angry as Rangers fans were the night before. The unhappiest football city in the world, I reckon. So, yeah, Celtic do nil nil with Kyrat yesterday, Karak from Kazakhstan in the champions league. So 40 million quid in Champions League qualification. They've got to go 3,500 miles. The night before, Rangers lost 31 at home to Club Bruges. I guess that getting that consolation might actually make a big difference. But Bruges are not a bad side. I did like perfectly Cromwell and saying, should Russell Martin quit football management and go on and be a villain on Emmerdale as he has the look for it and I hadn't ever considered that, but God, he does. He looks exactly like a bad guy from Emmerdale, doesn't he? But you know another one of these press conferences from Russell Martin where he said before change there's pain. It's another song lyric, Barry. But that is. It's disastrous. You know, I think you go, oh, we got to be Club Bruges. Club Bruges are quite an experienced Champions League side, actually. I don't think it's easy, but still being 30 down after 20 minutes is not great.
- [34:15]
Barry Glendenning
I wasn't surprised Rangers were beaten by Club Bruger. Not at all. And the fact of the matter is I think Rangers would be better off in the Europa League because if they go into the Champions League. But a team that plays like that and that plays like they have been playing in most of the games so far this season, they just get slaughtered every week. The manner of this defeat was dismal. They were. They conceded the opener after three minutes. It was a mix up between the center back Nasser Giga, who's on loan at Rangers from Wolves and Jack Butland. And an exquisite finish from. From the Bruga Guy Romeo Vermont. But the, the mix up between the two Rangers players was. It's. It's the stuff of. I said yesterday the what happens next round on A Question of Sport. And no one would ever guess if, if you stopped the. The. The footage just before the. Or just after the Rangers shot the. That led to the Broger counter attack. Second goal was someone slotted home completely unmarked from a corner and the third was a soft one as well. So the three nil down after 20 minutes. They got the consolation in the second half. But there were. There was a visible stream of Rangers supporters leaving Ibrox heading for the exits. After 20 minutes of this game, they're not having Russell Martin at all. They didn't want him in the first place. He's done very little to convince them that he's a man for the job. They. They lurched and stumbled through the previous two qualifying rounds against Panasonicos and Victoria Pleasant. They got found out badly in this game. Difficult to see them turning around. And Rangers have been burning through managers quicker than Watford in recent times. Now obviously they have new owners to 49ers who took over in June. They appointed Martin. I suspect they will be patient with him. But it is difficult to see how long they can stand firm in the face of such obvious fan fury at their decision to appoint Martin. Two of their next three games are against Bruga, away and Celtic. So, yeah, let's see how those go for them, I suppose.
- [36:40]
Seb Hutchinson
Obviously you look at Club Rouge and Rangers and compare and Club Bruges have sold about 70 million quids worth of players this summer, which shows their sort of long term strategy, clever recruitment and whatnot. And then Russell Martin keeps saying it's a long term project, but three of the back four on loan, that's not very long term. So you can't come in and say, oh, we've got a big lengthy plan, this is what we're thinking. Say they'll be paying and you know, the start, whatnot, when those defenders are almost certainly going to leave because I can't see they can afford, you know, Max Aarons and whatnot, even though Max Aarons isn't pulling up any trees. Whereas Bruges have a long term strategy. They've recruited well, they build players up to sell to the next level, which what Rangers should really be doing because the Belgian Scotch League are on a, on a par. As much as that might irritate fans of certain clubs, but there's none of that. Like, you know, you look at some of the expensive signs they've made in the past, like Yanis Hadju, who's gone nowhere and done nothing. If people are trying to build up, it doesn't really happen as well as many of it as they probably should. And that's the nature of it. If you want a long term plan, you've got to make it a pretty sturdy one. Russell Martin's long term plan at Southampton was to get into the Premier League and then just keep playing the same way, get beat every week. And that was a cunning plan. Whereas I think he might need to be more adaptable than just saying he has a clever plan.
- [37:59]
Max Rushden
Meanwhile, this goalless draw with Celtic. Barry, were there any, any highlights to pick from?
- [38:05]
Barry Glendenning
I watched this game and I saw Celtic against Kyra from Kazakhstan, a team I've never heard of. I had to look up where they were from and was very toothless performance from Celtic. They had a couple of scares. Kyra, they have some teenager who's on his way to Chelsea. He was good. They sent a couple of shots whistling past the woodwork and I suppose Celtics lack of action in the transfer market is infuriating their fans. We all know how wealthy they are, they're sitting on huge amounts of cash, but they haven't really done anything to replace Nicholas Kuhn. Kyogo Furuhashi. Jota is out injured long term with another acl. So Adameh is basically their number one striker and I. He's just not very good. He's, you know, he works hard but he's. He's not, he's not very good. He has not been. He has not been in the conversation with, you know, big clubs signing elite number nines, let's put it that way. Sure. So Celtic fans are very. And Brendan Rodgers looks totally fed up and as if he almost doesn't care.
- [39:18]
Max Rushden
The Ryan Loftian qualities of Adam Eda.
- [39:22]
Will Unwin
Did Barry say a teenager on their way to Chelsea? As if that narrows it down.
- [39:27]
Max Rushden
There's just a funnel, isn't there? Just a big global funnel of teenagers just landing a blue CO drip. Yeah, I think that'll do for part two. Sandy R joins us in part three and we'll talk about more.
- [39:41]
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- [40:54]
Max Rushden
Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly. So look, we talked about Morecambe quite a lot and we mentioned Panjam warriors taking them over and saving the club. First thing they did was sack Derek Adams who had stayed with the club throughout the crisis and helped players out financially. Sanny Rudravajal has basically become the Morecambe correspondent for all football and he joins us now. Are you alright, Sanny?
- [41:13]
Sanny Rudravajal
Yeah, I'm all right, thank you. Funnily enough, not in Morecambe. I'm actually in the hotel opposite St James's park, having done Alexander Isaac Voxes yesterday and I'm off to Sunderland, the Academy of Light this afternoon. Very exciting.
- [41:26]
Max Rushden
Good stuff. Well, let's talk about Morecambe then. So the first thing I did was sack Derrick Adams. You spent some time with him and around the club and how loved he was. It seemed like. It seemed from the outside a slight misstep from new owners that we're not totally sure about.
- [41:42]
Sanny Rudravajal
Yeah, the universality of football that a new owner can come in and no matter what situation the club is in, sacking the manager and bringing in your own man appears to be the way to go. Even when it's the manager who's been working essentially for free. You know, last time I was there, one of the staff anonymously told me they'd be homeless without Derek Adams. They'd paid their rent for the past two months or so. You know, he commented all the players and said, I'll help you out if I can. So. And he's a club legend as well, you know, he's the person who guided them to the most successful period in the history and he's come back, I think four times now. So when you think that post takeover, they're essentially starting with, I think they had five players, barely any resource at all. You'd think perhaps he's the person to steer them in the right direction. No, we're going to get rid of him and bring in a new man who is his own history maker as well, in Ashvir Singh Johal.
- [42:42]
Max Rushden
Yeah, tell us about him.
- [42:44]
Sanny Rudravajal
Well, I'm going to call him the British Asian Will still.
- [42:49]
Max Rushden
That's.
- [42:49]
Sanny Rudravajal
That's what I'm going to give him. I can say that. I'm pretty sure I can. I have done now. So he's 30 years old, started his career as a volunteer at Leicester with the like, community side and then got a. Got a role there and then worked from the under 17s all the way to under 18s at Leicester.
- [43:09]
Max Rushden
That doesn't. That's not very far. Just to be under 17s.
- [43:14]
Sanny Rudravajal
Under sevens. Under sevens.
- [43:16]
Max Rushden
Okay, right, okay, right, okay.
- [43:20]
Sanny Rudravajal
Under sevens, that's GCSE to under 18s and then went to Como. And you know, it's funny how like footballers and coaches, they're all connected in ways we don't know. He says he knows Dave Cheloner at Stockport because he did the pro licence together. He's one of the youngest to have done the UEFA Pro Licence. But he went to Como to be Cesc Fabregas assistant, which sounds like the dream job. And then scourge of all Guardian Easters. Brexit meant that he had to come back because he clearly didn't have whatever he might have needed to carry on working there. So then he took over Notts County B, like an in between between the under 21s and the first team and help bring in some youth players. He left that in the summer and 99% shot. Brett Pretty was done a done deal that he was going to take over at Morecambe when Panjab Wares was supposed to in the summer. That didn't happen. He even reportedly gave an interview to the BBC saying what his plans were at Morecambe. And then Panjab warriors didn't take over Morecambe, which seems like an awkward situation to be in because Derek Adams was still there. So now he's come in, he's brought in Lee Tomlinson, technical man, a technician that he was in the efl, his first coaching job, just finished being a striker coach with Sheffield United. So he's a new manager and he's bringing in a first time assistant as well. So on paper this sounds like a huge risk. But he is the first Sikh to ever manage in professional football. He's the highest ranked British Asian manager in the top five leagues. So I suppose I've got skin in the. You know, when you get a story, you get too close to a story. I suppose that's kind of where I've got with this, especially as a Berry fan in the situation there. Like I've got lots of levels now where I want Morecambe to do well and the fact they've got a British Asian manager and being British Asian myself and, oh, you know, I hope he does well, but I am like, well, this guy, he's come from Nowhere, he's only 30 years old. Is this a huge, huge risk for a football club that essentially is starting from scratch, been suspended and I'm going into the National League? I mean like, this is, this is such a gamble. I mean he could be amazing but he could be a disaster. And my one worry particularly is he's brought in an assistant with no experience as well. I would have thought maybe a wiser head there. So I'm a little bit worried, but I am hopeful as well.
- [45:46]
Max Rushden
Do you know what? There's something quite interesting about the way football works in the sense. And I think about Ange Postecoglou and the fact that it shouldn't be that how he does or did will make a difference on future Australian coaches getting work, but it is just the way football work in the same way that if this guy is successful, more people might go, oh, you can hire a British Asian coach. And so that. So, like, you want it to be successful for that reason and that's that he shouldn't have that responsibility. Right. He should just be a bloke who is good or who isn't. And I guess actually bigger than all of that is for Morgan fans. Not necessarily bigger than all of that, but it's nice that Morgan fans can worry about who their manager is. Like, that is a stress that is totally different to will we exist.
- [46:27]
Sanny Rudravajal
Yeah. And that point you make is essentially something that we all carry. I'm sure Seb would relate to this as a commentator as well. When you are not the typical white man in any job, I suppose you've got that extra element. Like, if I mess up on air and I have done on telly, my ethnicity, my background will become a factor in the conversation around it. So Azvir Singh Johal has all that on him as well. Yeah, you're right. If he doesn't do well, rightly or wrongly, wrongly, it sets us all back, which is a horrible situation to be in because if he was white, it wouldn't make a difference. So that's. That's a huge way I missed out, by the way. He also had a spell assistant managing with Kolo Tory at Wigan, which when I saw the comments online, people asking Wigan fans, how did he do? Well, he went like, well, Kolo was one of our worst managers ever in history. So it's hard to judge him off nine games. But, yeah, it is funny what you say about talking about football, because it was really funny. I had, I had this as a scoop, right? I was sitting on this story and I've got my editors saying, can we, can we publish this? Can we say, you know, Sky Sports News understands, and all of a sudden I'm messaging like the head of media from, on the one hand, going like weeks early, going, all right, mate, can I come round today? I mean, you know, I know everything's going really badly, but, you know, we're going to be there with sky, we're going to get the cameras there. Can you get any fans there? Can we, we get anyone, blah, blah, blah. And you know, that whole like we're both together trying to do something good to then this adversarial conversation where he's like, can you please not publish this story? Can you just hold off the embargoes at 9? So it's amazing how football works like that. And yeah, the fans finally can talk about Morecambe on the pitch. They're playing altering on a Saturday. There was talk of the game not going ahead because they didn't quite have the insurance and the players were only just coming back and whether they could train or not, that seems to be resolved. Tickets are being sold at the moment, so, yes, they've got a match to look forward to. Alti are no slouches either in the National League, so it's going to be difficult for them. But yeah, when you think where my team were with Bury and the 20th of August was going to be the deadline where Morecambe were probably going to be expelled, now they're okay. I mean, we've had bigger questions about Punjab worries in the future and you know, their background there isn't. Maybe gives me as much confidence as it could do. But for now Morecambe are safe and that's an amazing thing when you think where they were and it's the best case scenario given where things were at.
- [48:55]
Max Rushden
Yeah, good reporting from you, Sammy. Well done. Sounded patronizing, didn't mean to be. There was a full round of League one and League two midweek fixtures. Stevenage the only side with maximum points after four games in League one after they beat Port Vale away. Cardiff, Barnsley, Bradford, Huddersfield, Luton, Lincoln making up the chasing pack. Plymouth look to be in real trouble, Sanny, don't. They lost all four of their games and only kept at the bottom by Peterborough, which is sort of a bit of a surprise, I think not the top 20 had Peterborough struggling, but generally people think they shouldn't be as bad as they are.
- [49:26]
Sanny Rudravajal
Did you see the Plymouth Argyll fans TV like in house TV clip that came out excruciating.
- [49:33]
Will Unwin
So good.
- [49:35]
Sanny Rudravajal
So good. Yeah, so they've got the whole like club presenter or whatever and a TV screen and then they've got Tom cleverly there ready to have a chat about the match that just happened or whatever and they think the feed isn't live. So they're just there Waiting. And he's like. And at one point he gets on his phone and he's like, hello, is the feed going? And the person who's videoed this is, like, zoomed in on cleverly. And you can just see, like, his body language is like, why am I here? I was at Manchester United. Manchester United. I was at what is going on? And eventually, after ages, and you can just tell, you know, when you've, like, upset a manager and they've got to stay there, and eventually he just unplugs his earphone and walks off. And he were live the whole time.
- [50:24]
Max Rushden
Lead two crew have 12 points for four games. Only side with that 100% record. Grimsby in second place with 10. Fan of the Pod, Harrogate keeper James Belshaw. Your mate will had another brilliant game by all accounts on Tuesday, beating Barrow 1 nil at home. So well done, James.
- [50:39]
Seb Hutchinson
No, I watched that. He did very little to be fair.
- [50:42]
Max Rushden
Oh, really? Is that right?
- [50:43]
Seb Hutchinson
Yeah, Barrow were pretty mediocre. Harrogate's front three looked quite good. Ellis Taylor, Steve and Duke McKenna and Sean Mikulski look quite lively. I mean, yeah, pretty dreadful second half to watch, I'd argue. But, yeah, they're unbeaten in four, which is incredible considering their budget, etc.
- [50:59]
Max Rushden
I tweeted out a video of Colchester's kickoff at the start of the game, where obviously a lot of teams do this is, you know, punt out for a throw in, but I only got one because I missed the first one. So the kickoff happens and he boots out for a goal kick, but the ref says, okay, no, no, sorry, I wasn't ready. So then he takes another kickoff and he boots out for a goal kick. And then after one of the Cambridge goals, he boots out for a goal kick, right? And it's not like psg, where you think the opposition might then play out short and you could press him in. All Cambridge are doing, we've got a keeper who can kick it 100 yards. We just kick it back that way. Anyway, we won two one, so I was delighted. Finally, we'll. We'll finish with an email from Nick. Nick Evans says, hi, Max, Barry and co. I've been listening to the Pod for decades. Been a great companion during some difficult times. Most recently accompanied me through a period of feverish delirium as I was laid up with Dengue Fever. However, whilst listening to the Premier League preview episodes in and out of consciousness, I had a surreal vision of Barry's disembodied head floating above me like Holly from Red Dwarf. Repeatedly insisting that Everton would get relegated. I'm a little traumatized by the incident, but have bought tickets to the live show, hoping that seeing Barry in normal human form will give me some kind of closure. Many thanks, Nick. You're so constant, Barry. You're now in people's dengue hallucinatory dreams as a floating head. Maybe that's what you'll be in 100 years time. That's what this will be. Your head floating around with hot take.
- [52:23]
Barry Glendenning
Yeah, I can only apologize. I don't think anyone needs that. Me hovering over my disembodied head, hovering over them while they're sweating and shaking. And the last thing you need is me hovering over you telling you Emberton are going to finish 19.
- [52:40]
Max Rushden
The key is that he survived, isn't it? If he died from all of this, that can't be the last thing you see.
- [52:45]
Barry Glendenning
Yeah.
- [52:46]
Max Rushden
You know, your giant head. So, you know, maybe that was the moment when he went. He saw the lot. You were the light.
- [52:51]
Barry Glendenning
That's when the fever broke.
- [52:55]
Seb Hutchinson
I mean, imagine just sort of hearing Baz just constantly talking about Kazakh football. You never guess who's going from. From Cairo Almighty to Chelsea this week.
- [53:06]
Will Unwin
Almighty.
- [53:07]
Max Rushden
Did you say thanks, everybody?
- [53:09]
Seb Hutchinson
Yeah. They're called Kyra Almighty. Are they?
- [53:11]
Max Rushden
Kyra Almighty. There we are. And the Almighty, the real Almighty Barry, actually, it turns out, is the man you see when you see the light, his floating head there saying, you know, come to the light. Come stay with me. Anyway, that'll do for today, clearly. Thank you, everybody. Thanks, Will.
- [53:30]
Seb Hutchinson
Thanks, Max. And thanks to my brother for bringing a coffee from Justin Morehouse's coffee van in the park.
- [53:34]
Max Rushden
Yeah, I loved Justin. Thank you, Seb.
- [53:37]
Barry Glendenning
Thank you.
- [53:37]
Max Rushden
Cheers, Baz.
- [53:38]
Barry Glendenning
Thank you.
- [53:39]
Max Rushden
Thanks, Danny.
- [53:40]
Sanny Rudravajal
Cheers.
- [53:40]
Max Rushden
Football Weekly is produced by Josh Old Grove. Our executive producer is Danielle Stevens. Back on Monday.
- [53:50]
Seb Hutchinson
This is the Guardian.