Arsenal’s perfect start and so many Champions League goals – Football Weekly

Summary

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Football Weekly: Arsenal’s Perfect Start & Champions League Goal-Fest

Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Max Rushden
Guests: Barry Glendenning, Archie Rhind-Tutt, Mark Langdon

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Overview

This episode dives into an extraordinary round of Champions League fixtures, in which Arsenal maintained a dream start with a 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid, and the panel sifts through a jaw-dropping 43 goals in just nine continental matches. The team also dissects notable domestic action: West Ham’s woes, Brentford’s strength, managerial changes, and vibrancy (or lack thereof) in English football stadiums. As ever, sharp analysis is blended with wit, banter, and a few existential moans about modern football.

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Champions League: Goals Galore and Standouts

Main talking point:

• Unprecedented goal-scoring: 43 goals in nine Champions League games, the second-highest per-game average in the tournament’s history.

[01:47] Champions League: "So Many Goals"

• Max Rushden: “Some real floodgates energy across Europe once the first went in.”
• [03:26] Barry Glendenning: "I have to take my hat off to you, Max. There was 43 goals last night… Even the scoreless draw was good. And you’ve managed to make it sound boring."
• Mark Langdon: Highlights that PSV’s battering of Napoli provided balance to an otherwise predictable night (04:00).
• Barry: “There were some goals of extraordinary quality as well... It was a slapstick night.” (04:41)

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Arsenal 4–0 Atletico Madrid: Set Piece Supremacy & Statement Win

[05:11] Arsenal's Ruthless Set Pieces

• Opening: Mark predicted a routine 1-0 but Arsenal demolished Atleti—the panel discusses what’s behind their set piece strengths.
  • Mark Langdon: “Rice’s quality of delivery is just exceptional. The two centre-backs attack every ball so well... The opposition just seem scared every time Arsenal get a set piece.” (05:34)
  • Barry Glendenning: “It was a really commanding performance against a very good team.” (07:27)
  • Archie: On Gyokeres’ arrival: “Madness that the guy hasn’t been given really any time... how much you get lionized before you come, and then as soon as you come to the club, it’s like you’re terrible.” (09:01)
  • Archie: “It’s a real statement when Arsenal are making a Diego Simeone side submit to them with goals, which felt quite simple.” (09:14)

[10:00] Context on Atletico Madrid

• Mark: While Atleti have had moments, this is not an Atletico firing on all cylinders: “Be very surprised if Atletico are kind of knocking around that quarterfinal, semi final stage this time.” (10:08)

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Newcastle, Man City & the English Clubs in Europe

[11:50] Newcastle United 3–0 Benfica: The Pope Launch

• Barry: “He launched this monster 70-yard throw… Harvey Barnes was away. Lovely finish… Newcastle were very impressive.” (12:13)
• Archie (on Pope): “This should be the name of a workout video…” (13:11)
• Mark: Praises Volta Marta: “His uniqueness as a footballer… reminds me of Berbatov in the grace and the way he links up play.” (14:07)
• Team note Gordon’s excellent form and Newcastle’s pressing.

[15:16] Man City 2–0 Villarreal: Businesslike Victory

• Barry: “Savinho was brilliant for City last night. Haaland got his goal but again missed several chances.” (16:26)
• Archie on Haaland: “Don’t anger him… I mean, there is of course no right way to mark Erling Haaland..." (17:28)

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Global Football, Stadium Moves & La Liga’s Miami Fiasco

[18:24] La Liga’s Miami Match Off

• La Liga have dropped plans for a Barcelona–Villarreal match in Miami, facing domestic backlash and protests.
• Mark: “I think it’s wrong... It distorts the competition when two teams are just doing that.” (19:26)
• Discussion draws comparisons to the NFL’s overseas games and football’s increasing commercialisation.

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Continental Chaos: The Rest of the Champions League

[24:13] PSG 7–2 Leverkusen: Madcap, Mayhem

• Archie: “It was mad. It was beautifully mad—the fact that in the first half alone we had five goals, two penalties, two red cards, both stupid in their own way...” (24:46)
• Discussion of Andriesch’s extraordinary “mistimed slide tackle” tattoo and Leverkusen’s youthful squad.

[29:01] PSV 6–2 Napoli: The End of Conte’s Defense?

• Mark: “First time Conte team has conceded six... Napoli lost complete control... You don’t expect that of an Antonio Conte team.” (29:04)
• On Napoli’s tactics and personnel struggles (De Bruyne’s fit, injuries).

[34:17] Copenhagen 2–4 Dortmund: Goal of the Night

• Max: “And it’s from this game that we have number one… Felix Metcher... a sort of drag back and then just absolutely hoys this thing into the roof of the net.” (34:17)
• Archie on goal aesthetics: “Aesthetically, the way goal nets are done is so important to how good a goal can look... tightly wound nets, that bounce—so much more satisfying.” (34:40)

[39:01] Around Europe

• Inter beat Union Saint-Gilloise: Mark calls USG “handicapped” by not playing at home, Inter’s strong form continuing.
• PSG's Dembele returns from injury to score, Leverkusen's young signings praised.
• Barcelona 6–1 Olympiacos: Mark Casado’s "Oscar-worthy" dive draws ire—debate on VAR’s limitations and lines between shithousery and cheating (32:29-33:38).
• Cypriot Rumble: Kairat v Paphos is “a terrific game” despite being goalless (39:18).

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Premier League Focus: West Ham Plummet, Brentford Buzz

[42:20] West Ham 0–2 Brentford: “Kids for a Quid Still Short Changed”

• Mark Langdon: “It was kids for a quid night and I still think they were short changed… It felt like the end of a managerial reign. The players looked fed up, the manager looked fed up.” (42:33)
• Barry: "It’s like they’re all running in treacle… Bereft of ideas, incredibly slow." (45:02)
• Speculation on Callum Wilson’s contract status.
• TV coverage now focuses on fans leaving rather than the match.

Brentford’s Quiet Rise

• Mark: “I was more worried about the manager (Keith Andrews) than the players… but so far, he’s done a very good job.” (46:10)

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The Fan Experience: Empty Promises and Stadium Atmosphere

[47:59] Broken Promises at West Ham

• Max: Fans are disgruntled after years of unfulfilled promises about the London Stadium: “What they have is a stadium that is really not good to watch football in and certainly not a good football team…” (47:59)
• Mark: “It was never going to be a football stadium... The money has been spent terribly and now it feels like they’ve run out.” (48:55)

Tottenham’s New Stadium: Atmosphere Problems

• Mark: “It’s too expensive for a lot of supporters… it’s just full of tourists… the atmosphere is dead, non-existent.” (50:08)

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Managerial Merry-Go-Round

Nottingham Forest: Sean Dyche Hired

• Barry: “He probably does what Sean Dyche does and keeps them up… but just a holding manager, to stabilize things.” (52:42)
• Archie: “There are so many… red flags.” (54:06)

Rangers: Danny Röhl’s Bumpy Appointment

• Barry: “Their recruitment drive… has been little short of embarrassing… Danny Röhl, I suspect, will have his work cut out for him.” (55:49)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• [03:26] Barry: “Even the scoreless draw was good. And you’ve managed to make it sound boring.”
• [07:11] Max: On Raya’s blunder: “He’s sort of apologizing as the ball’s traveling: ‘Sorry guys, I don’t know what’s going to happen.’”
• [13:45] Archie: “Imagine Nick Pope throwing it like a discus thrower… then woof! There it went.”
• [28:38] Barry: “Fariskilia’s shot to make it 3–1 was a bit special. I think it went in off two posts.”
• [42:33] Mark: “Kids for a quid night and I still think they were short changed.”

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Episode Flow & Tone

Maintaining its trademark blend of sharp analysis and entertaining banter, the episode sprints through wild European nights, big club drama, and the everyday comedy and tragedy of English football. The panel’s in-jokes (goal countdowns, long-throw obsessions, kit banter), gentle self-deprecation, and honest frustration at the game’s absurdities keep it lively and deeply listenable.

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Timestamps — Key Segments

• 01:47 – Champions League goal tally: Is there such a thing as too many goals?
• 05:11 – Arsenal 4–0 Atletico: Set pieces and statement wins.
• 11:50 – Newcastle 3–0 Benfica: Nick Pope’s “monster” throw.
• 15:16 – Man City at Villarreal: Savinho shines, Haaland’s antics.
• 18:24 – La Liga Miami match called off: Commercialisation critique.
• 24:13 – PSG 7–2 Leverkusen: Chaos, red cards, stunning goals.
• 29:01 – PSV 6–2 Napoli: Conte’s Champions League nightmare.
• 34:17 – “Goal of the Night”: Dortmund’s Felix Metcher thunderbolt.
• 39:01 – Nil-nil delirium: Kairat v Paphos.
• 42:20 – West Ham 0–2 Brentford: Dire performance, future unclear.
• 47:59 – West Ham stadium experience: “Just hasn’t worked.”
• 50:08 – Tottenham’s tourist crowd issues.
• 52:42 – Sean Dyche to Forest, Danny Röhl to Rangers.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Show

This episode is a rollicking ride through European football’s wildest week, capturing both brilliance (Arsenal’s set pieces, City’s return to form, outrageous Champions League goals) and farce (West Ham’s collapse, stadium angst). It’s peppered with panel banter, inside jokes, and on-point frustration with football’s more commercial excesses.

If you want sharp analysis punctuated by big laughs on the flood of goals, wild games, and sorry managerial sagas—plus, insight on why Arsenal look like genuine contenders and why some Premier League clubs are stuck in the mud—this one’s for you.

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Transcript

[Mark Langdon]

This is the Guardian.

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[Max]

Hi, pod fans. Max here. Barry's here too.

[Barry Glendenning]

Hello.

[Max]

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[Barry Glendenning]

Just like my work, Max.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yes, absolutely. When you're growing a business, it doesn't.

[Max]

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[Barry Glendenning]

That sounds ideal, Max.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah.

[Max]

And obviously the most important thing is the quality of the candidates. And with LinkedIn you can feel confident you're getting the best. Don't believe me, Barry? Well, based on LinkedIn data, a huge 72% of small to medium businesses using LinkedIn say that LinkedIn helped them find high quality candidates. Post your job for [e-mail] football that's LinkedIn.com football to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. So many goals. 43 in one night in the Champions League League. Is that good? Goals are good, right? Or is that too many? Some of the games were pretty tight for a while, but some real floodgates energy across Europe once the first went in. See Arsenal the better side against Atleti could have been behind when another wicked Declan Rice free kick begged to be headed home. And Gabriel obliged after that. Good for Jokers to score two terrible but confidence building goals. Long throws might be back, but no one's hurling it as far as Nick Pope to set up Harvey Barnes. A good win for Newcastle over Jose Benfica while Man City win comfortably at Villareal. Then PSG score 7, bracket 7, Barca 6 perhaps PSV bracket 6 brackets hammering Napoli is the only vaguely surprising result of the night. And then four for Inter and Dortmund. I've ranked all the goals like a top 40 countdown. It's something to do. Kaira and Paphos let us down with a goalless draw. But how there were no goals in that game nobody knows. Also how bad Are West Ham comfortably beaten by Brentford? Dyche just confirmed at Forest. Roll finally rolls into Rangers. All that plus your questions. And that's today's Guardian Football Weekly. On the panel today, Barry Glendenning.

[Archie]

Hello.

[Barry Glendenning]

Hello, Max.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Welcome, Archie. Rin Tutt.

[Archie]

Hello, Max.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

And from the Racing Post, Mark Langdon.

[Archie]

Hello.

[Mark Langdon]

Hi, Max.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

So, up to Joe saying the 43 goals scored across the nine UEFA Champions League games last night was the second highest average 4.8 on a single day in the competition brackets. Minimum of four games after this exact day nine years ago, when there were 40 goals in eight games on 21st October 2014. Spooky. They say.

[Barry Glendenning]

I have to take my hat off to you, max. There was 43 goals last night. Even the scoreless draw was good. And you've managed to make it sound boring.

[Max]

Thank you.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Well, it's not me. I'm just. I'm really the messenger here, Barry. If anything, I thought my intro was quite entertaining, but, you know.

[Barry Glendenning]

Oh, no, the intro was great. That stat was dire.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Mark, is that too many? Should we just revel in the fact there were so many?

[Mark Langdon]

I think had PSV not thumped Napoli then I think we could have said it was too many because a lot of the favorites won convincingly and, you know, we'd had Barry saying that none of it matters and, you know, there's just, yeah, just massive difference in quality and you do get that quite often in the Champions League. But I, I think actually, you know, with the Italian champions getting beat and, you know, stuffed the way that they did in Hindover, and that just made it that we. We're not only just talking about maybe the, The. The golfing quality and can just talk about the quality of which there was a lot on show. So, yeah, I, I enjoyed it. I think it's going to be very difficult for us to remember all of the goals. I'm glad you've ranked them from. From 40 down, because I can only remember about 10 of them. It was a chaotic night.

[Barry Glendenning]

The thing is, there was some goals of extraordinary quality as well. Among those 43. And then you'd red cards, penalties, shocking misses. It was a slapstick night. I didn't see the TNT goals show, but it must have been quite the event. I hope everyone involved had a nice drink afterwards.

[Archie]

Imagine being the guy responsible for the nine goal one, Barry.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah, well, we'll get to that in a second. Yeah, they must need just a real cooldown after that, you know, after that goal show. They're all doing the sprints, aren't they the shuttles up and down. Let's begin at the Emirates, then Arsenal for Atletti nil before the game. Mark, you said in the WhatsApp group there's no need to watch Arsenal's one nil win over Athletic. Gabriel scores the winner from a Rice corner. It wasn't a corner, it was a free kick. How sad were you that they went and scored three more?

[Mark Langdon]

Yeah, did ruin the prediction slightly but you know, it was a devastating 20 minutes really from Arsenal. They kept going forward and I've, you know that have been times maybe earlier on when we have. They have been criticized for, for not doing that and it is such a weapon that they've got with, with the set pieces and I was trying to work out like just why they are so much better than everyone else and Rice's quality of delivery is, is just exceptional. I can't believe that they practice any more than than other teams. It is just I think down to Rice's ability to deliver exactly what they need sort of on such a frequent basis. The two center backs attack every ball so well and you know, Gabriel a big threat from them. I do feel like they play on the edge of the laws in terms of the blocking and holding and but they, they seem to stay just on the right side of it. And I also feel that opposition teams now are just scared every time that Arsenal get a set piece in one of those areas and just feel like the inevitable goal is. It is coming. But I felt even before the Gabriel opener they were comfortably the better team. They nearly made a mess of it with the Raya sort of clearance. That.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

That was fun, wasn't it?

[Mark Langdon]

It was really fun. But thankfully for Raya, it went the wrong side of the post when the quick free kick came in. But they were on top before that. Deserve to win four. There was maybe on the harsh side, but everything seemed to go just about spot on for them in that second half.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

I like how Raya is sort of apologizing as the ball's traveling towards the guys. Like sorry guys, I don't know what's going to happen. Sorry everybody. And look good for jokers. Barry Arteta made the point that you know, like the side are better with him in the team. It's not just about scoring goals and center forwards don't just have to score goals but it's good when they do well.

[Barry Glendenning]

That tends to be what managers say when centre forwards aren't scoring goals. And I think Gyokeres have gone into this game without a goal in nine for club and country. I think the goals he got were scrappy enough, but they're the kind of goals Arsenal weren't scoring before his arrival and the kind of goals Arsenal, I guess, needed. I think he's a good player. He looks quite ungainly in that lineup, or maybe he just is ungainly, I don't know. But he played well last night. The fans love him, so there's no, no issue there. I was quite pleased for him, I have to say. I thought Martinelli was good as well. His goal was taken brilliantly and he helped set up Gar's first. I think it was, yeah, a really good performance from Arsenal. They could have gone behind Julian Alvarez banked one off the crossbar and there was the Raya Rick, but they got away with those. But a really commanding performance against a very good team.

[Archie]

Two things. One I saw the other day on Twitter and which is causing my mind to turn to mush more and more, so I can't remember who said this, that Victor Jocores looks like Kieran Starmer trying to play football. And that has stuck in my head ever since. But also just from the point of view where I'm like, but how this guy was like. It's amazing how. How much you get lionized before you come to the club. And then as soon as you come to the club, it's like you're terrible. Which is.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Is.

[Archie]

Is madness that the guy hasn't been given really any time. And the other thing, Max, I assume that you enjoyed the fact that Miles Lewis Skelly set up Martinelli for the Arsenal second.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

A rhyming goal.

[Archie]

A rhyming assistant goal scorer right up your street. I'll add a third thing while I'm at it, which is, please, what Mark was saying there about Arsenal being able to stay within the laws of the game, just on the right side of it. These are the very things you used to say about Atletico Madrid, albeit you might said that actually they weren't on the right side of it, but were managing to get away with it. And I think that it's a real statement when Arsenal are making a Diego Simeone side submit to them with goals, which felt quite simple and you wouldn't expect Atletico to be conceding them. So for them to score, what was it, four in the space of about 13 minutes, is also, I think, a real signal of Arsenal's intent.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah. And how good are athletics? You know, just for a bit of context, Mark, you know, they did hammer real the other day, is It a statement victory or not?

[Mark Langdon]

Well, I think it is still a statement victory because you know, atleticone went to Anfield a few weeks ago, nearly got a draw. I felt that they were outplayed for large parts of that game, but they were very close to getting a draw. And you, you don't want to downplay a 4 nil win over a Simeoni side, but I would say that this Atletico team hasn't been performing that well this season and probably for. For much of last season as well. They've had two outstanding results. One against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League when they won 51 and they beat Real Madrid 5 2. But I think both of those teams are flawed defensively and they were home games. This was a way against a team that is definitely not flawed defensively. Just on Joker as. You used to have a go at strikers, didn't you, when you said that their second touch was a tackle, but Yokerez's first goal was a tackle. So it's proof that you know you can score like that. But I don't want to sort of take anything away from. From Arsenal because 4 nil is a fantastic result. But be very surprised if Atletico are kind of knocking around that sort of quarterfinal, semi final stage this time around.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

If you are interested, Jose's first is at number 41 in my countdown. You can have all the others. Gabrielle's header I put at number 23. Martinelli's was good. Number nine was Martinelli's. What was the fourth goal? Yokerez's other one. Oh, that's at 38.

[Archie]

If it's in the top 10 max, you've got to do a certain.

[Barry Glendenning]

You.

[Archie]

You've got to elevate your voice a bit.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Oh, of course. Oh, I'm sorry, you know, I'm not doing the full Bruno Brooks countdown. This is just where they.

[Archie]

I know you're not, but I'm just saying going forward because otherwise how are we going to really know what's in your top 10?

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Right, I understand. Newcastle 3, Benfica nil. Lots of changes for Newcastle. Jacob Ramsey, Lewis Miley into the starting lineup. Always surprising how big Lewis Miley is. I just presume he's still 15 and like 4 foot 8. But he isn't point out the coverage. You have to be like fully fit to play. Neddy how side? Because they press all game. Ryan says an hour on Nick Pope's big launch, please. How pleasurable was this, Barry?

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah, it was very good. He got the ball, was having a scan around to See what to do next. And then launched this monster 70 yard throw into the Benfica half. I think Silva the defender went to to trap it, missed it, misjudged the bounce and Harvey Barnes was away. Lovely finish in off the post from him. I thought it had taken a deflection off the defender actually, but it didn't. It was just a really good finish that was Newcastle second. Put the game beyond Benfica. And I thought it was a really good Newcastle performance. I thought Anthony Gordon was excellent. Dan Byrne had a rough night of it. He was good going forward. Good in the set pieces, knocking down crosses and whatnot. But Luke Kabakio gave him a very random ragged. But I mean Dan Boren is playing as a makeshift left back at the moment. He's not the quickest. And Luke Cabacchio really did a number on him. But Newcastle were very impressive.

[Archie]

I'd like to go back in on Nick Pope because Nick Pope's big launch. To be honest, I think this should be the name of a workout video given the size of that guy. Also the save he makes in the first half. I need to know his core routine. How that ball does not get through from Luca Bacchio and he's still standing there and holding his position. Let alone what happened for the hurl for the. For the second goal. Where you're thinking there are discus throwers who are thinking, you know what, he's got something if he decides to go down the Olympic route. We might be screwed if Nick Pope's going for this.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

How funny. How fun if Nick Pope threw it like a discus thrower and did like a few like just doing. And then just span, span, span and then woof. There it went. Yeah. It was so good. And the. The third goal as well. Mark was lovely. It had a Volta Marta back heel in it. And I presume pretty soon all Newcastle goals will at some point have a Volta Marty back heel in them. He is one of the most fun players in the Premier League.

[Mark Langdon]

Yeah. When you know Archie would have seen more of him than any of us. But certainly since he's come to the Premier League link up play. Really enjoyed it. I think he. His uniqueness as a footballer is in a world where it just feels like, you know, everything is so, I don't know, just mechanical and. And you're trying to build what a perfect football would look like. Probably not a center forward like this really. I think he reminds me of Berbatov in. In the grace and the way that he links up play and that touch and you know Ability to play as a nine but then sort of drop off as well. A lot of that strength comes from the pace on the wings as well because that. That is where I think Newcastle are so dangerous and link up play between whichever the wingers play I think will be key. And we've seen all of them make an impact in recent weeks. Disappointing to lose at Brighton last week but this was much more like it. And agree with Barry on just the quality of Anthony Gordon and when you're thinking about that kind of England team and who plays left winger it feels like it's sort of Gordon's to. To lose at the moment. And another good performance from him.

[Archie]

I only spoke to Nick Voltimada once whilst he was in Germany and once was enough because in that he said the sentence I like to be the entertainer. He wasn't wrong.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah, yeah. And he's. I mean I guess you miss him, right? He's just so much fun and you're right. Just the thing is that you. I agree with the Berbatov comparison. There's a touch of Sheringham but because he's so big it's slightly ungate like they've had to find some shorts from him out the bottom of the kit bag and it's all a bit like. Doesn't quite work. You're looking at it going this guy shouldn't be like he shouldn't really be able to run and yet he's absolutely brilliant. So yeah, I'm a big fan man. City won 2 nil at Villarreal. Terrible camera angle on this game. Villarreal had not lost at home since March and it's a first Champions League away win for City since October last year. It was not a fascinating game, Barry. It was pretty simple. They took a lead, didn't really let Villarreal do anything until very late on. And I wonder if the more interesting question is about whether man's, you know, you know. Have they clicked? Are they starting to click? We all wrote them off after a very early poor start but now it's unbeaten in nine. Seven wins out of those nine.

[Barry Glendenning]

I think Savino was brilliant for a City last night. Haaland got his goal but again missed several chances. Was foiled in a number of occasions by the Lewis Junior, the Villarreal goalkeeper. It was City were tuned in up and had the game won. My only concern would be they let Villarreal back in the game. They had quite a few good chances. Nicola Pepe missed a few. Juan VOICE FORMERLY Spurs I think is he had a Shot that fizz narrowly wide, so people probably not happy with that, but otherwise, a pretty straightforward day at the office for City. But I did Savino. He's never made a huge impression on me in his time at City so far, but I was really impressed with him last night.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah, I was watching lots of highlights when it looked like he might be going to spurs for absolute buckets of money and trying to, you know, convince myself from YouTube that he was, you know, the next Ronaldinho. But yeah, he had a very good game, Archie.

[Archie]

Just on Haaland's latest goal, Juan Foyth gave him a little push in his face just as he's about to make his run into the box. And I'm thinking, don't anger him. That's the worst thing you should. You could be doing. And you see it when, when Haaland scores, he spins around and screams at Foith on the floor. And it just kind of gets you thinking, like, I mean, there is of course no right way to mark Erling Haaland, but I'm just wondering what the mind games that you would play Max with him were you to be in such a situation.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

What marking Harland? I mean. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Generally be quite disappointed. I. It feels, it feel, if we're being honest, Archie, despite, you know, the fact that I'm still get lacing up the Puma Kings, it feels a hypothetical question.

[Mark Langdon]

I think the answer, the answer, Max, is to point at your centre back partner and pass them on. I mean, that's. That's the way.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Also very disappointed to be played out of position and then to find out you're up against Haaland. That would be upsetting, wouldn't it? On the subject of Villarreal, on the Spanish sides, La Liga have announced that their game against Barcelona that was due to be played in Miami has been called off. There were protests across the league at the weekend. Players refused to move for the first 15 seconds of matches. Interestingly, the TV cameras focused away from that, so you didn't see the protest unless you were at the game. Xabi Alonso said, we're against the Miami match. We believe it distorts the competition. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said his players are not happy. He was not happy. A statement from La Liga said. In a context of growing global competitiveness, where leagues such as the Premier League or competitions such as the Champions League continue to increase their reach and ability to generate resources, initiatives such as this are essential to ensure the sustainability and growth of Spanish football. Giving up this type of opportunity makes it difficult to generate new income, limits the ability of clubs to invest and compete and reduces the international projection of the entire national football ecosystem. It's interesting that they have climbed down so quickly, Mark.

[Mark Langdon]

Yeah, I mean, first of all, fair play to West Ham, who joined in the not doing anything for 15 seconds and then carried on for another 90 minutes. Yeah, I think I'm surprised that they have stood down. I think Real Madrid, the pressure and power that Real Madrid have got would have helped in that way. I think had it been a Barcelona, Real Madrid game, I'm not sure how much La Liga would have backed down and cared. But, you know, we, we Real Madrid were. Were dead against it. And Laporta Barcelona president's been made to look very foolish because it was only yesterday afternoon he was saying this game will happen, and then sort of about six hours later it wasn't happening. I think it's the right thing not to happen. I am against that. I do believe it distorts the competition when you've got sort of two teams just doing that. I would much prefer, and I'll say that, and I'd rather it didn't happen, but actually a whole round somewhere else, I think is a fairer sort of way of doing it because everybody gets the opportunity to make the money. And, you know, you do get a game where it's all neutral venue. I don't believe it should happen at all by, you know what. One of the sort of arguments against it was the distorting the competition.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

I mean, you'd need to have two, wouldn't you, Mark? So you had a home and an away game.

[Max]

Right.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

You'd have. And that's really hard to.

[Mark Langdon]

You could just have one lot of neutral. And you did a draw. And so there was a sort of fairness to it. But again, I don't. I don't want that to be my stance.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Don't give them ideas.

[Mark Langdon]

Yeah, exactly. There was also some reports in Spain that actually that they were struggling to get the money to make this worthwhile and that maybe wasn't the interest in it that initially they believed. Yeah, I mean, I, I think it's wrong. I am a hypocrite. I've been to watch the NFL in, In sort of London, fully admit to that, but I don't believe it should happen in football.

[Barry Glendenning]

Do NFL fans kick off over their home games being moved? Because they have far less or far fewer home games, don't they, in a season?

[Mark Langdon]

There definitely was initially. I think there are now so many overseas matches. Brazil, there's one at the Bernabeu and had them in Germany and London and Dublin. I mean, most have just kind of accepted it's now just part of the, of the weekend or the season. And it means they get a breakfast game in the US on tv. So, you know, that goes down well with, with TV audiences. But, I mean, I think there are definitely some that would be against. Because you say they don't get anywhere near as many home matches.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

I was talking about this the other day with an NFL expert and I can't remember who it was. It might have been Will Gavin at Talksport, who's saying they added another game into the calendar so you don't lose because you don't get that many home games. So you don't lose a home game. There is just. They've found a way to create an extra fixture. And we got a good text from a Spurs fan who said, I've been to almost every spurs game and I've seen more wins in the last year and a half for the Minnesota Vikings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium than I am Tottenham. Anyway, that'll do for part one. Part two, we'll begin in Leverkusen.

[Max]

Hi, POD fans. Max here. Barry's here, too.

[Barry Glendenning]

Hello.

[Max]

Now, Barry, think about this. Small business owners don't have the luxury of clocking out early. Their work is on their mind 24 7.

[Barry Glendenning]

Just like my work, Max.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yes, absolutely. When you're growing a business, it doesn't.

[Max]

Get more crucial than finding the right people. So when you're hiring, you need a partner that works just as hard as you do. That partner is LinkedIn jobs. When you clock out, LinkedIn clocks in. They make it easy to post your job for free, share it with your network, and get qualified candidates that you can manage all in one place.

[Barry Glendenning]

That sounds ideal, Max.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah.

[Max]

And obviously, the most important thing is the quality of the candidates. And with LinkedIn, you can feel confident you're getting the best. Don't believe me, Barry? Well, based on LinkedIn data, a huge 72% of small to medium businesses using LinkedIn say that LinkedIn helped them find high quality candidates. Post your job for [e-mail] football. That's LinkedIn.com football to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply.

[Ericsson Advertiser]

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[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. If you're interested, fourth was the Nick Pope throw to Harvey Barnes in the top 40 of all the goals of last night.

[Barry Glendenning]

Wasn't even in my top 13. I only made the top 13.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

All right. No, well, it was for the Throw@ leverkusen2PSG7, John says, was this the worst time to nip to the concourse early for a halftime pint one all in the 41st minute, four one at half time. Archie, you had the, I suppose the fortune to cover this game, but you can't really. All you do is go, there's been a goal, right? It's. It's quite an easy one to cover in that way.

[Archie]

They came to me at 2:1, and I was trying to make some point about, you know, well, PSG really showing their class. And the thing is, because the speed at which the goals started to go in, then all I could say when the ball went in was, and another one. And I was like, I've gone full partridge. Oh, no, this is not good PSG. I could have 3 stabs at starting this and I'll still get it wrong. It was mad. It was beautifully mad. The fact that in the first half alone we had five goals, two penalties, two red cards, both stupid in their own way. Robert Andriesch, the Leverkusen captain, getting sent off for the second time this season is a stunning achievement. Sure. I've mentioned before that he has a mistime slide tackle tattooed on his calf. It bears mentioning again. Maybe someone should say, you know what? Probably time to tone it down. I mean, his was a var checked elbow on Desiree Due, and actually Leverkusen looked at their most dangerous when they were down. When they were down a man. But as soon as PSG got back level in terms of being down to 10 as well, then actually, that was the time when. When Leverkusen got absolutely monstered. The. The fact that the first 15 minutes Leverkusen had, like, 11 men behind the ball, and I thought, this is quite cautious. And then by the end of the half, I was thinking, you know what, this was probably quite a good approach, actually. So, yeah. Ousmane Dembele, triumphant return. Seven games out injured. First time he's played since winning the Ballon D' or, scoring three minutes after coming off the bench in your top 40 goals. Yeah, I would expect that. The goal of the night by Alex Garcia of Leverkusen. One bit of solace.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah, that's.

[Archie]

Yeah. Gotta be in the top three at.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Least it's number three. Oh, and it's a number three. It's a great goal. It had a real. Ah, sod it. I'll see what to do, you know, you know, nothing doesn't matter. I'll just absolutely whack it. But yeah, it was. There were three standout goals and I put it at three. I don't know where. Barry, you have it.

[Barry Glendenning]

Well, there was three outstanding strikes in this game. Fariskilia's shot to make it three one was a bit special. I think it went in off two posts. Yeah, post Sambar Garcia's, as Archie has mentioned, was probably the picking them. Well, it was the pick of them and Vitina's to make it 7:2 was a good strike of a ball into the bottom corner as well. And add in the red cards. Miss Penalty. What a game.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah, I mean, actually I have Dua's second at number eight in my thing and. And Kvarat Shelley is only at number 15. Perhaps I wasn't concentrating as much as I should have been. I mean, I suppose I have a Leverkusen question which we talk about PSG a lot. We don't talk about Leverkusen that much. And their sort of descent From Alonso to 10 Hag to Now, sort of how is. How are things?

[Archie]

Descent is only really correct after last night because despite the fact they shipped seven, they had been unbeaten in seven under Caspar Heule.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah, that's true.

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah.

[Archie]

Since. Since he came in, he's. He's pitched himself as not being too shouty and. And somebody who has their own way of doing things. And look, he does have a lot of young players. They made 17 new signings in the summer, which is a lot. They had to have a big turnover. Such was the exodus of players after Xavier Alonso left the club. They faced Bayern Munich away from home in 10 days or so. That I think is going to be a really interesting test of how they analyze this PSG game and go, right, what's the best approach? But look, they do have some absolutely stunning young, young signings that they've made. Christian Cafana, 19, looks, looks an excellent prospect. Claudio Echeverri as well, also a teenager who started last night was. Was very lively. But yeah, as Casper Hulman said following last night's result, he said that there's certain naivety that they showed and. And they're going to need to mop that up.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Mark psv. The saviors of football last night.

[Mark Langdon]

Remarkable game. First time Conte team has Conceded six. He's got a poor record in. In the Champions League and clearly, you know, not got any better after last night. I think the. There was a moment sort of early in the second half when it was two one, when I felt like Napoli were getting back into it and like, oh, you know, they'll score and then probably go on to win. But they lost complete control of the game. You don't expect that of a Antonio Conte team. Some of the goals were brilliant. Sabari's one. And then I don't know where you've got the. The Dennis man double as well in there. There was quite a few outstanding finishes and so that kind of, you know, from Conte's point of view, you might look at that and think that some of them goals are just brilliant finishes, but there was also some really poor performances from Napoli. I will focus on. On Napoli rather than PSV's brilliance because some questions now as to. We spoke a couple of weeks ago about De Bruyne and how good he'd been and he was setting up goals. When it goes badly. There are people saying, well, can we afford to have De Bruyne in this team? Because the formation has changed slightly. You can't replay with two wingers and De Bruyne and also a center forward. They did have a training match where they tried to play De Bruyne as a false 9, but then decided against that. The one who did play up front, Luka, got sent off for dissent. He's like. He was rowing over.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yes.

[Mark Langdon]

The award of a goalkeeper pointing his head.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Was he going, your thick ref, or something like that? I'm not sure.

[Mark Langdon]

I think it must have. Yeah, it must have been a. Your fit.

[Archie]

Did you see after that that when the referee pulled out the red card, he went, no, I was saying. I was hit on the head. I was like.

[Mark Langdon]

But they've got injuries. They've got injuries at the moment. Napoli. Leboka makes a big difference to them in midfield. He's out. Hoyland and also Lukaku out, which is why Luke was playing in the first place. But they were destroyed in that sort of last 30 minutes by PSV. And I did not know that, that they had that in them. And Peter Bosch probably would have been expecting to be. He's been on the wrong end of some six twos and various other chaotic scores in his sort of managerial career. So it'll be quite sweet for him to get one over, you know, one of what's seen as, you know, the world's best Coaches, you didn't mention the.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Goal of the night. I don't think amidst all that. Which was.

[Barry Glendenning]

Drew. Drew.

[Mark Langdon]

Osh.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah, Drew. Osh. Sorry.

[Mark Langdon]

Oh, that was the last one, wasn't it?

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah, that's at number two in my countdown. It was. It was a brilliant. It was a brilliant move and a. And a brilliant finish. And I have that at 2, Barry.

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah. Absolute rocket. It was glorious.

[Max]

Is that your.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Is that two for you as well, or did it.

[Barry Glendenning]

I'll be honest, I got to the stage where I just started writing down goals. I don't have them in any particular order.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Fair enough.

[Barry Glendenning]

Scott McTominay, obviously, I don't think we mentioned he got two in this game. Two good headers. But I did like. I gave Copenhagen player one. It wasn't a particularly good goal, but he was. He's only 17 and his team were being well beaten. But it made him the third youngest goal scorer in Champions League league history.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah, well, I'll. When we get to Copenhagen, I'll look at my chart. Barcelona 6, Olympiacos 1. Jim says, been a bad couple of weeks for Marinakis, hasn't it? Yeah, again, it's lots of great goals. Fermin Lopez got a really good hat trick. Marcus Rashford's. Both of his goals were brilliantly taken. I mean, Olympiacos had a man sent off and it's. It is Archie. An absolute outrage, isn't it?

[Barry Glendenning]

And.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

And the fact that Var can't intervene on a second yellow is a ridiculous law.

[Archie]

You've said it. You've said it. I cannot fathom how it's the sort of decision which makes you think, no, the player who's gone down like that. There needs to be an ability for retrospective action from the referee to analyze how bad their fall is. And yeah, Mark Casado, let's shame him. The Oscar goes to. Because that is outrageous. I feel so sorry for he. The. The Olympiacos player who gets sent off there. And I mean, look, it was 2:1 at the time. Would Olympiacos have gone on to do anything? Who knows? But still, like, that's one moment in time that they're not getting back. And I enjoy shithousery, but there's a line and it goes the other way of it for me.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

I think it's just. It's cheating, isn't it? So you're right. Where is the line from shithousery to cheating? And maybe it's who does it and your unconscious biases or whatever, but I totally agree with you. It was bullshit.

[Barry Glendenning]

That wasn't the only contentious Decision in this game, though, because before that, Barcelona went 2 nil up. Olympiacos scored to make it 2 1, but their goal was ruled out and they were given a penalty instead, much to their bewilderment. We've a lot to cover, so I'm not going to dig into the nitty gritty of it, but it's. It looks like it was actually the right decision.

[Max]

Okay.

[Barry Glendenning]

But they eventually scored the penalty, so it didn't matter. But if they had missed that penalty, they've had a goal ruled out, been given a penalty which they might have missed, but they didn't. They scored it. And as far as I can tell, it was actually the right decision and a brilliant bit of varying.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Okay, well done. Var to Copenhagen. Copenhagen 2, Dortmund 4. And it's from this game that we have number one. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Felix Metcher, that he dummies the ball. It's a sort of drag back, but he doesn't really touch it. And then just absolutely hoys this thing into the roof of the net. Archie. I loved it.

[Archie]

Sometimes I just. I. I miss home because someone will say a word that I've not heard anyone say in a long time. And hoy in that context is. Is precisely that. I think it's just seeing the force with which the ball comes back off the net. There is such a. Aesthetically the way that. Gotta sound like such a nerd. The way that goal nets are done is so important to how good a goal can look, because if it's kind of tightly wound like that and the way that it bounces back, it is that little bit more satisfying.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Well, this is a good point you make, but obviously it can be too tight. See that?

[Archie]

Yeah, of course, the Dell, the old.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Dell, where the nets were too tight and you can have a glorious kind of ruffling sort of. Mexico 86, USA 94 goal. That they're not tight at all. And it just sort of. It gets lost somewhere in the netting, you know, sort of like a. A turtle caught in a net in the ocean. You know, that kind of. Which is, for the record, not a beautiful thing, but that's the image that I would. That first came to mind. But yeah, it's some here.

[Max]

How.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Who is. Tell us, for people who don't know, who is this guy? And he's been about a while and does he do that a lot?

[Archie]

So he's been doing it more and he had a difficult start to his time at Dortmund. Some issues off the pitch regarding things that he'd posted on his Instagram. He has shown with his footballing ability that he can go far, which wasn't always, I think, the case. When you are the player who follows Jude Bellingham in that kind of position, it's not going to be easy to mark yourself out as a great player. And I think slowly he's doing that more and more. The thing for Dortmund is they were beaten 21 at the weekend at Bayern Munich. Nmecha missed a big chance in that, actually, with the game at 1 nil. So, look, this team is moving surprisingly in the right direction under Niko Kovacs. That wasn't to be taken for granted. Joe Bellingham, or, sorry, Mark Bellingham might not necessarily say that that is the case for Joe Bellingham right now, particularly because at the weekend, Joe Bellingham, it felt like an own goal that was scored. Such was the way that Michael Elise slid in to block his clearance on the line. But, yeah, Felix Mecher, he's the player in the Dortmund midfield who has the ability to get the ball and drive with it and conjure a little bit of magic, as we saw in Copenhagen last night.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Barry, was this the night when you found out Fabio Silva was playing for Borussia Dortmund?

[Barry Glendenning]

It was indeed, Max.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yes, yes, yes, Me too. Inter 1, Formula Union Saint Gillois. It wasn't. It was one of those games where it was quite tight, Mark, and actually USG had quite a lot of pressure until Inter ran away with it.

[Mark Langdon]

Yeah, and they did run away with it in the end. I think obviously for usg, playing games not in the home stadium is. Is a handicap for them. And they've had two difficult home matches and it feels unfair might be the wrong word because obviously if the stadium is not fit for European matches, you can't play there. But it definitely doesn't help their calls that they're not able to play in their own stadium. Lost their manager as well recently to Monaco. So they are finding it quite tough in their inverted commons home matches. I mean, once Inter got in front through Dumfries, they. They really sort of kicked on and won the game. Well, Lautaro Martinez was on target. Shalonolu and Esposito as well, who did miss. Did miss an unbelievable chance. Yeah. So a convincing wing for Inter, who were one nil winners at Roma at the weekend. They got Napoli this weekend. There was a lot of, I suppose, murmurings in, in the summer that they had a poor club World Cup. They were humiliated in the Champions League final. They lost. Their manager just seemed to be stabilizing now. And that Was an impressive win and performance. Just going very quickly back to Brussia Dortmund. There was an incredible stat I found from that game in that they only had seven shots in the entire match. Dortmund and scored four goals. I mean usually a team would you kind of score every nine or ten shots. So for. For Dortmund to score four from seven is remarkable. Really not something you see too often.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

There was another good miss from Lautaro where he was put clean through and he basically just forgot how to be a footballer for a short amount of time and just sort of ran straight into the keeper and fell over. I enjoyed that one tremendously. And then Barry, we've done all 43 goals. We go to Kairat Paphos. How this ended in Nil Nil I have absolutely no idea.

[Barry Glendenning]

This is a terrific game. As Nil Nil's goal, it was quite outstanding. Paphos from Cyprus, they had their striker horse career. Was sent off after three minutes. Going in for a challenge for a high ball with a ferociously high boot which he kicked Lewis Mata in the face with your reminder of course, that David Louise plays for Paphos. He missed a couple of good chances. Both keepers pulled off some sensational saves. Paphos thought they'd gone ahead. 10 man Paphos through a Dragon shot that came off the bar off the keeper's back and trickled over the line. But there was an offside in the build up, so that was ruled out. Then Kyrus Almaty almost won it with a Arad, I think his name was a brilliant dribble up field and curl shot which came off the post, dribbled across the face of goal and somehow didn't go in. So nil nil. If you were just looking at the scores, you think, oh, that was a real dud. But it was a very good game.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Nine games tonight. Their challenges to score more than this lot did last night. And that'll do for part two, part three we've alluded to already. We'll begin with West Ham's absolutely diabolical performance. And look a good one from Brentford too.

[Max]

Hi, POD fans. Max here. Barry's here too.

[Barry Glendenning]

Hello.

[Max]

Now, Barry, think about this. Small business owners don't have the luxury of clocking out early. Their work is on their mind 24 7.

[Barry Glendenning]

Just like my work, Max.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yes, absolutely. When you're growing a business, it doesn't.

[Max]

Get more crucial than finding the right people. So when you're hiring, you need a partner that works just as hard as you do. That partner is LinkedIn jobs. When you clock out. LinkedIn clocks in. They make it easy to post your job for free, share it with your network and get qualified candidates that you can manage all in one place.

[Barry Glendenning]

That sounds ideal, Max.

[Archie]

Yeah.

[Max]

And obviously the most important thing is the quality of the candidates. And with LinkedIn you can feel confident you're getting the best. Don't believe me, Barry? Well, based on LinkedIn data, a huge 72% of small to medium businesses using LinkedIn say that LinkedIn helped them find high quality candidates. Post your job for [e-mail] football that's LinkedIn.com football to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply.

[Ericsson Advertiser]

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[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Of the Guardian Football Weekly. West Ham nil, Brentford 2. And often you are meant to start with the winning side, at least for a bit. But you alluded to already, Mark, West Ham were so bad in this game.

[Mark Langdon]

It was. It was kids for a quid night and I still think they were short changed. It was. It felt like the end of a managerial reign. You know, the, the players look fed up, the manager looked fed up.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

No, if noon if it happened to Nuno last week, he'd be back in at Forest, wouldn't he?

[Mark Langdon]

But anyway, it was incredible to think this is supposed to be the new managerial bounce, because it's not there. There are problems off the pitch and there was not a massive boycott, but there was a boycott by a section of supporters who are unhappy with the way the club is being run, direction that it's heading. But on the pitch, you know, it could and probably should have been four or five at half time. And West Ham didn't get any better in the second half. So many gaps, just all over the pitch. The defense seemed to be about 30 yards away from the midfield. And there was one stage in the second half when Jordan Henderson got one of those really sort of dodgy passes from the goalkeeper which is straight into into you and he was just able to just flick it over whichever West Ham player was just lumbering around. And there, there was another bit. I don't know if you remember it, Max, but three players went to take a throw in when they were supposed they're chasing the game. The last 10 minutes, somebody picked it up, they passed it someone else. It was like they were running down the clock. No idea how you rate the fans so much.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

That isn't it.

[Mark Langdon]

It was. It was an abysmal performance. I thought Nuno picked the wrong team as well. It was very odd to play sort of of fullbacks on the opposite side to counteract what. What Brentford were doing. Just a really odd and terrible performance and very quick turnaround because they've got Leeds on. On Friday and yeah, if they don't wake up then. Then West Ham, you know, will be relegated on. On that type of show.

[Archie]

I saw a stat from Opta which says West Ham have spent more time winning against Nuno Espirito Santo. 16 minutes 21 seconds versus Forest in August. Then they have in three games with him as manager in the Premier League this season.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

I saw Carrick. Did you see Jimmy Carragher Barry talking about how slow they are? I mean there does have to be a slowest team, right? Like statistic, like there's like a fittest team and whatever. But that is something that I've heard before about this. You know, there are no. Somebody yelled at me. Was it Nadum saying when I said there are no legs in this team. But it really feels like there's no legs in this team apart from Bowen.

[Barry Glendenning]

No. It's like they're all running in treacle. Bereft of ID is incredibly slow. Interesting. I heard Adrian Durham on. I think it was Adrian on Talksport say Callum Wilson is at West Ham. He hasn't come off the bench in any of their last three games and Durham seemed to suggest that that might be because he's on a pay per play contract. So if he comes off the bench, it's going to cost the money. If that's the case, that is diabolical.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

It's odd. It's odd to have him. Yeah. It's odd to make that deal. That isn't.

[Mark Langdon]

Yeah.

[Barry Glendenning]

I mean it didn't look like a great move anyway. But if you're going to bring him in, you might as well. And you're chasing a game, you might as well chuck him on. But a lot of problems there. Brentford had, I think 22 shots. The scoreline of 2 nil massively flatters West Ham. I mean, Brentford pulverize them. And I'm delighted to see Keith Andrews doing pretty well at Brentford.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah. And do you have any thoughts on Brentford, Mark? Because a lot of us sort of decided, well, they would struggle. They lost a lot of players. They lost Their manager, but, you know, they're going along okay.

[Mark Langdon]

Yeah, I was more worried about the manager than the players because I feel like Brentford, you know, they know where they are, I think, and they had to a long time to prepare for the departures of those players. And Thiago was coming back and I think Charda is somebody that's really sort of grown into becoming a Premier League threat on the other side. Just like, you know, they had with Mbuemo on the right, Yama look in midfield, very good player. So I was never. It was more about the manager. I wasn't sure that Keith Andrews was. Was up to it at all. I think he, so far, you know, he has done a very good job. Coyote on the right back, he's a. Is a threat down there and he's also got the. The long throw. And yeah, they don't look like they'll be in any kind of relegation trouble, which I've. I think is where I sort of had them just about. I probably thought they'd finish about 17th and just have enough to survive, but they look sort of better than that. And then provide a tricky test for Liverpool at the weekend.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Producer Joel Writing. The TV coverage of a West Ham game increasingly just focuses on the number of fans leaving the stadium and not the actual match. Let's just stick a live stream of the turnstiles on the red button.

[Barry Glendenning]

And I mean, Monday was a really manky night in London. It was wet and cold and horrible. And if you were a West Ham fan trudging out to that Grimo Dome to watch that. Oh, God.

[Archie]

Is there any other way to get to the Olympic Stadium than to trudge?

[Mark Langdon]

It's a long old walk. And the traffic in East London and sort of Essex was horrendous due to a vehicle fire on Monday as well. So, like, you would have had to work hard to get to the game and then to turn up and watch that. Yeah, is. Well, it's funny if you don't support West Ham, I suppose.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Sure. I mean, I spoke to Stan Delaney on the radio broadcaster and West Ham fan about, you know, the protest and all the issues there are that the fans have with the current ownership. And there is a really. There is a really long list of quite serious things. And it all does go back to what they were promised when they left Upton park and how none of them wanted to leave Upton park, really. But they said, look, we will make this a real football stadium and it will make so much money and the money it makes will translate into a really Good football team. And what they have is a stadium that is really not good to watch football in and certainly not a good football team on that pitch that they're watching the game from. And so I think, I know they do have some legitimate concerns, but I think there are fan groups that say we want to build a new stadium. And you sort of think, well, this is, you know, the amount of money that costs. You can understand why they did take the London Stadium. Why not? Right? Getting a stadium for next to nothing. But it just hasn't worked.

[Mark Langdon]

No, no, it's never going to be a football stadium. Location isn't perfect. You just said they trudge through the shopping center. If you go via the most popular route, like I did. If you look at the center backs, though, they spent enough on to Debo and Kilman to. To not be embarrassed like that, I would have said. But the money has been spent terribly and now it feels like they've run out. And, you know, it would be, I think, in the interests really of Sullivan and, and the rest of those in charge at West Ham to try to look for somebody that, that wants to take the club on and try to get them further up the league. Because I'm. It feels to me like they're just looking. If we finish 17th, that's fine. We'll take the Premier League sort of handouts and, you know, no ambition. But I think most teams would expect more. And as you say, Max, they were. There were a lot of empty promises about moving to the new stadium. Just haven't been delivered.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Yeah, just on new stadiums. Mark, this is Tottenham season ticket holder. There's a lot of chat this week about how it's just too nice for teams to come and play football. And it is a nice. It is a. Definitely a football ground, right. And I, you know, and I've been a few times and it's like amazing, but I don't know if. Do you get that sense?

[Mark Langdon]

I don't think it's too nice. I think it's too expensive for a lot of kind of, I suppose, supporters, the hardcore supporters to go. And the stadium is just full of tourists. And I, again, I'm going to be a hypocrite. I'm a football tourist. I go and watch sort of, you know, Barcelona, Real Madrid, psg, Dortmund, you know, all the kind of big teams, but the stadium is there with a lot of people that are just watching a Premier League game rather than supporting Tottenham. You know, they're just there for the occasion. I remember one match last season Tottenham were getting beat by Ipswich, crowding the south stand, are going absolutely bonkers around me and then a couple just turned to me and I said, can you take a picture of us? There was about 10 minutes left and that is. And I did and I, you know, I didn't want to moan, moan at them, but that really is the type of supporter that is at the stadium at the moment. And the atmosphere against Villa was, was dead non existent. And I think there are a lot of teams in London. I don't know if it's the same outside of London, but certainly at West Ham you do get a lot of supporters that are just there and supporters in sort of loose term because they're just there to watch a game of football and that doesn't really help the atmosphere. I don't know if it's the same at Fulham but it certainly is in, in a few of the London stadiums and you know, people are coming to London and they're doing maybe two or three games in, in like a week period. But it doesn't help the actual overall atmosphere.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Well, hopefully for their sake, hope they didn't pick West Ham on Monday night anyway. Barry?

[Barry Glendenning]

No, just Nicholas. Full crew didn't play and that was Brentford for the game. But if he had, I'd say the scramble to interview after the game would have been something else. After his existential angst. I can't remember what game it was last season where he basically just threw everyone at West Ham under the bus in this. With this plaintive howl of what? What am I doing here at this bin fire of a club.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Sean Dyche. Nothing. Forest, third manager of this season, been appointed yesterday. Signed a deal until the summer of 2027. They're 18th in the league. One win in eight. First game will be at home to Porto on Thursday. Then they've got Bournemouth away. Man United at home, Sturm Gratz away. Leeds at home, Liverpool away. So lots of Thursday, Sunday, not a lot of time on the training ground. Although presumably Barry Shaundyce can go just do what you're doing. Before Ange got here would be the first thing to say.

[Barry Glendenning]

Probably I'll be interested to see how he gets on. It's. He'd probably do what Sean Dyche does and keep them up. But this is the first club he's managed at where he has. I think it is anyway. Whereas if he does quite well, he will be given loads of money to spend and I think he probably has a better class of player available to him here than he had at Everton or at Burnley. So it just. He sort of smacks as he's just a holding manager to stabilize things.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Sort of Polyfiller, is what you're saying.

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah, until. Until someone more exotic comes along and Twerks in front of angel evangelist Marinakis.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Well, actually, interestingly, Archie, you know, a lot of people say Marco Silva and Sean Dice said, I want another year. And I don't know whether Marinakis is factored in. You know, Dyche does okay, but not brilliantly. And they pay him off and they get Silva, who's out of contract at the end of this season. Is. A lot of people are suggesting if.

[Archie]

I'm Marco Silva, as much as I would want more money to work with than I've been given at Fulham, I would also be thinking, wait, I'm gonna go work for that guy.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

But he has before for Olympiacos, hasn't he? That's the point. He's done it before.

[Archie]

Yeah, I'd still be looking at it like that. I just. Just generally I cannot. Yeah, there are so many. Yeah. What's the right word? Wild.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Red flags.

[Archie]

Yeah, exactly. Red flags. Also, also Max, to be honest, I'd forgotten that. And. And you make a good point that he had worked under him at Olympiacos. But the point is I don't see. I don't see Nottingham Forest as a club where I'm going like, okay, well, that's the kind of. That's the good kind of modern leadership a la Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth. We add into that category now, I think. Right. As well. Forest, who knows? I was already skeptical last season. I know, like for large parts of it they had an amazing season, but it was screaming anomaly to me. And it feels like this season they were always going to take a step back into. Into mid table. And the question is how much was Marinakis going to accept that and indeed the fans as well, because they'd not had this level of success or felt this close to it for such a long time. And I think that that is always such a difficult thing to. To come to terms with emotionally. So, yeah, I'm interested how. How they take to Sean Dyche and. And where the the end this season because they should on the quality of the squad go far in the Europa League.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Danny Roll withdrew from the running to be Rangers manager a week ago and has now been appointed Rangers manager. Not the smoothest process, barry. And only one of the previous seven Rangers managers lasted 100 games. That's Steven Gerrard. So be interesting to see what happens.

[Barry Glendenning]

It will. I said at the start of the season that I thought hearts might split Celtic and Rangers, and it looks like I might have got that wrong because it looks like Arts might win the league because Celtic are having a very bad season by their standards, which has been completely overshadow shadowed by the absolute car crash of a season Rangers have had so far. Their recruitment of Russell Martin was a terrible idea that fans were against from the start. Their recruitment drive to replace him has been little short of embarrassing. They've been turned down by Steven Gerrard, then they were turned down by Danny Roll, then they were turned down by Kevin Moscat, and now Danny Roll has taken the job. They Their recruitment of players during the summer was similarly terrible, paying quite large sums by Scottish Premiership standards for very mediocre players who can't get in the team or have in some cases been shipped out on loan. So Danny, I suspect, will have his work cut out for him, but at least he will be a more popular appointment than Russell Martin.

[Mark Langdon]

You do wonder like you do wonder what Danny, he's gone from Sheffield Wednesday to Rangers. I mean, he likes a challenge, you've got to give him that.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Talking of Sheffield Wednesday, well, they didn't play in the championship last night. Sheffield United down there had another win out of the bottom three. Now after losing, I don't know, the first six or something, they won 31 at Blackburn. Coventry four points clear at the top after a 21 win at Portsmouth. Millwall up to third after a 20 win over Stoke City, who are down to sixth. Charlton into the playoffs. Producer Joel very excited after winning 30 at Ipswich and good win for Birmingham who haven't started the season brilliantly. They're in 12th. They won one nil at Preston. Well done to everyone else who played and I didn't mention them, just Hull who beat Leicester 2 1. So, yeah, more disappointment for Leicester. Chris says, hi, Max and Barry. I'd like to thank Barry for inspiring me to run my first full marathon in Dublin next Sunday. I said to myself that if Barry can run a half marathon, then I can surely run a full one, being a relatively fit hurdler. Your pod on Thursday the 16th will be the last one I listen to before next Sunday as I want to save 2 to 3 up to listen to. I'll also use your pod to estimate my times on my training runs. I also use your pod to estimate my times on my training runs as they're generally between 50 and 60 minutes. So I'm hoping three pods and a bit will do it. That's a quick marathon. Especially because you've inspired to be inspired by Barry. He only said he was going to do it a couple of weeks ago. And you're running it next Sunday.

[Barry Glendenning]

Well, I kind of.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Oh, that's true.

[Barry Glendenning]

It was last April. I said I do. It was only last. Last week I decided to start training for it, which may be a mistake.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Chris says. I'm hoping Liverpool have a good week. Also, because I struggle to listen to a podcast when they played shy or lost. It'll feel like a very long run if next Sunday I'm listening to you praising United for their display. Anfield.

[Barry Glendenning]

Oh, well, Chris, sorry about that, mate.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

That was last pod. Yeah, sorry about that. Anyway, hope so. You were listening to this probably about two thirds of the way in. Keep going. Hurler, not hurdler. He's Irish. Oh, hurler. I see. Not many people are hurdlers, are they? Anyway, thanks, Chris. Good luck to you. And that'll do for today. Thanks, everybody. Thank you, Barry.

[Barry Glendenning]

Thank you.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Thanks, Archie.

[Archie]

Thanks, Max.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

Thanks, Mark.

[Mark Langdon]

Thanks, Max.

[Host (likely Joe or Max)]

More of that tomorrow. Football Weekly is produced by Joel Grove. Our executive producer is Danielle Stevens.

[Archie]

This is the Guardian.