As Manchester City advance, should Eddie Howe be under pressure? Football Weekly Extra

Summary

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Football Weekly – "As Manchester City advance, should Eddie Howe be under pressure?"

Date: February 5, 2026 | Host: Max Rushden | Panel: Barry Glendenning, Dan Bardell, Sam

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Overview

This Football Weekly Extra episode dives into Manchester City’s progression to another domestic final, Newcastle’s limp performance and what it says about Eddie Howe’s tenure. The panel takes a sweeping look at the week’s football, including Carabao Cup semi-finals, Arsenal’s fortunes, Newcastle’s ongoing struggle for form and identity, and the looming pressure (or lack thereof) on Eddie Howe. Broader Premier League talking points, accessibility in football, and notable lower-table battles also feature, with lots of the podcast’s trademark humour and asides.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Manchester City 3 Newcastle 1 — Where Now For Newcastle?

[02:07 - 08:26]

• Panel’s mood: Newcastle’s collapse in the Carabao Cup semi-final is dissected, with Sam (Newcastle fan) humorously describing his experience leaving at half time:

  “I left at half time, the game was done, and I chose to have an hour on the sofa with my wife. Look, we didn't even have… we got, what did, seven minutes before?” — Sam [03:11]

• On the match:
  • Newcastle’s midfield was “hopeless” and “all those weaknesses we've seen across the course of the season, the gaps… the flat midfield three.”
  • Even as Newcastle were “torn apart in the first half,” Barry notes:

    “They did have quite a few very presentable chances that they failed to take… even if they’d scored half… they might have made a contest of this tie.” — Barry [07:22]

  • The only consolation: Anthony Elanga’s positive moment (goal) after a disappointing season.

2. The “Coffee Cake Theory” of Newcastle

[04:47 - 06:16]

• Sam offers a vivid metaphor on Newcastle’s season as “coffee cake”:

  “They always look appealing… you think, ‘I like coffee. I like cake,’ …and most of the time when you bite into a slice of coffee cake, you’re disappointed… But occasionally you get a really good coffee cake.” — Sam [05:03]

  • Last season: “entirely carrot cake” (always good).
  • This season: “ultimately bad coffee cake… that’s Newcastle United this season.”

3. Is Eddie Howe Under Pressure?

[10:11 - 13:37]

• Fans & Owners: Despite social media noise, the club’s leadership publicly claims there’s “no pressure” on Howe. Sam challenges this:

  “If that is genuinely true from the ownership, that is a fault of theirs. Because any Premier League manager… with owners coming out saying we're going to be one of the top sides in the world… they've got a big decision to make.” — Sam [11:06]

• Necessary Changes:
  • Newcastle’s “project needs a massive refresh.”
  • Howe called the squad “stale” last year; the play now is predictable.
  • “Change doesn’t necessarily mean changing the manager,” Sam argues, but the need for “oomph” is evident.
• Barry’s take: On Eddie Howe vs. Pep: “Eddie Howe is very much Pep’s bunny, isn’t he? In 21 matches… he’s lost 17 of them.” [12:17]

4. Newcastle’s Transfer Dilemma

[13:37 - 15:52]

• Few obvious saleable assets for a squad refresh; value of players like Gordon and Tonali has dropped.
• Bruno Guimarães is “definitely worth that much to Newcastle” but not necessarily a £100m midfielder to anyone else [14:09].
• Newcastle “haven’t evolved around the players they’ve ended up bringing in... it’s just a bit messy.”

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Carabao Cup Structure & Fandom

[15:52 - 18:28]

• Debate over the necessity of two-legged semis:

  • Dan: “Don’t mess with it…it’s probably fair for each team to get to play at home.”
  • Sam: “There were an awful lot of empty seats at the Etihad… that’s a supposedly major cup semi-final… people are just struggling with the pure amount of football.” [17:03]

• Rule Oddity: On players cup-tied for the final, Barry notes:

  “Rules is rules, aren’t they?” — Barry [18:28], referencing Pep Guardiola’s frustration at Marque Gay’s ineligibility.

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Football Accessibility & Club Culture

[19:17 - 21:45]

• Sam recounts a moving experience watching Arsenal with disabled fans:

  “It was a privilege to be in there with him, to see how popular he is… and how they celebrated… a wonderful celebration.” [19:17]

• Club culture: day with Wolves’ kit staff reveals “the kit room was also a bit of a sanctuary.” [21:45]

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Premier League Title Race & Key Fixtures

[22:41 - 25:42]

• Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa lead the pack. Super Sunday: Liverpool vs. Man City.
• Dan:

  “City have felt quite patchy…trying to build a new defence on the fly due to injuries.” [23:26]

• Barry:

  “I actually do think Liverpool will win this. Florian Wirtz is really hitting his straps now… he and Ekitike… an excellent partnership developing there.” [24:24]

  • (Humorous confusion over whether Barry likes being asked to make predictions [25:21].)

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Villa’s Season & Harvey Elliott Transfer Saga

[26:01 - 31:25]

• Frustrations over lost points (“must be so frustrating…”) and the January transfer window being a curse.
• Harvey Elliott’s future—caught in a contractual limbo due to loan terms:
  • “He’s too good a footballer to be in this situation and he may as well have just been sat on the bench for Liverpool.” — Dan [29:46]
• Panel laments loan/Premier League rules:

  “Rules are for little people.” — Barry (mockingly) [32:04]

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Battle at the Bottom: Burnley, West Ham, Leeds, Forest

[33:38 - 38:46]

• Burnley’s squad “just not quite at Premier League level,” with little in the way of assets for other clubs to buy if relegated—Sam [34:24].
• Leeds-Forest described as a “massive game,” particularly with injury-prone Calvert-Lewin an issue for Leeds—Barry [37:21].
• Fun on leaving matches early (“Never leave a game early, but I told you what I did last night”)—Sam [39:43].

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Top Four Race: Chelsea, United, Liverpool, Villa

[41:27 - 42:53]

• No “Europa League safety net” adds tension to the battle for Champions League spots.
• Dan:

  “Champions League is massively important for Manchester United to not be in Europe is huge…” [41:45]

  • Villa acknowledged as “the disruptors.”

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Howe’s fate: “If those that run of games doesn’t go well for them, I think Howe has to be under pressure.” — Barry [13:04]
• On transfer window: “It’s untenable really… shocked that we’ve got through January with nothing concrete happening.” — Dan, on Harvey Elliott [28:16]
• On football saturation: “I think people are just struggling with the pure amount of football that there is to go and watch and pay for these days.” — Sam [17:38]
• Sardonic banter:

  “Rules are for little people.” — Barry [32:04]
  “We’re trying to live in a society here, Max.” — Barry [31:52]

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Secondary/Other Segments

Southern Table Matches & Brighton’s Malaise

[44:34 - 46:40]

• Brighton–Palace: “If Brighton don’t beat them at home, you have to think Fabian Hurstler is on thinnish ice… one win in 11.” — Barry [44:37]
• Brighton’s fans praised for patience.

CPR Awareness & Barry’s Hero Moment

[46:40 - 47:54]

• Heart Foundation campaign for CPR awareness.
• Barry shares performing CPR on a collapsed man:

  “I cleared his airway and performed CPR and got him going again… They told me I was a great man.” [47:54]

Saudi Pro League Grievances & Newcastle’s Priorities

[48:10 - 51:50]

• Ronaldo refusing to play at Al Nassr, frustrated with lack of star signings.
  • £488k a day salary: “What are you spending it on?” — Max [49:04]
• Sam: “Do I follow the Saudi Pro League? In no way whatsoever.” [51:50]
• Newcastle fans monitor infrastructure progress to gauge PIF’s commitment more than Saudi League issues.

Community & Football

[51:50 - 54:10]

• Highlighted: Cambridge United’s initiative with WinterComfort to raise homelessness awareness.
• Kevin Nolan’s failed docusign transfer anecdote.

Humorous Ending

• Barry apologises to the Football Weekly listener who tried to talk running with him while cycling too quickly on a Lime bike [54:14].

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Man City 3–1 Newcastle & coffee cake theory: [02:07 – 08:26]
• Is Eddie Howe under pressure, Newcastle’s summer: [10:11 – 15:52]
• Carabao Cup semi format, empty stadiums: [15:52 – 18:28]
• Disabled Arsenal fans feature: [19:17 – 21:45]
• Premier League top four race, Liverpool–City preview: [22:41 – 25:42]
• Harvey Elliott/Villa transfer saga: [28:16 – 31:25]
• Battle at the bottom: [33:38 – 38:46]
• Top four race ramifications: [41:27 – 42:53]
• Brighton crisis: [44:34 – 46:40]
• Barry’s CPR story: [47:22 – 47:54]
• Saudi Pro League/PIFF priorities: [48:10 – 51:50]

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Tone & Style

• Light-hearted, humorous, occasionally self-deprecating: Banter about cake, rules, and running; metaphors and analogies for football teams/seasons; self-awareness about the panel’s pundit foibles.
• Mix of fan perspective and journalistic scrutiny: Especially on Newcastle and its project.

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Recommended Listen For…

• Fans interested in Premier League managerial pressure, the inner workings at Newcastle, or who simply enjoy Football Weekly’s balance of insight, wit, and character.
• Anyone wanting a sense of current issues in English football, with genuine debate and memorable club football analogies you won’t hear anywhere else.

Transcript

[Dan Bardell]

This is the Guardian.

[Max Rushden]

Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. So it'll be an Arsenal man, City, Carabao cup final after 97 minutes of this isn't over. So I need to keep watching on Tuesday, City put everyone out of their misery after seven minutes last night, three up at halftime and. And it really was time to stick the traitors on. But it does mean the two best teams in the country meeting at Wembley in March. If City are one of the two best teams right now, City will have to be good this Sunday. If they come up against the Liverpool side who played the last hour against Newcastle at the weekend, Arsenal have the chance to go nine points clear the day before at home to Sunderland while just about still in it. Aston Villa go to Bournemouth, big games at the bottom. Burnley West Ham in the battle to be the least miserable team in Claret. While just above them, Leeds play Forest. And there's Man United going for four in a row at home to who knows what to expect. Spurs. We'll discuss Ronaldo going on strike. Answer your questions. And that's today's Guardian Football Weekly. On the panel today, Barry Glendenning, welcome.

[Barry Glendenning]

Hi Max, good to see you very much. Have your finger on the pulse by watching Traitors. Was it two, three weeks after it ended?

[Max Rushden]

Oh, I'm. I'm not even on the current series, so.

[Barry Glendenning]

Okay.

[Max Rushden]

And annoyingly, one of the winners came on Talk Sport and I said, can I not find out what happens during this interview? And it became immediately apparent that you had to find out what would happen because the guy got to the final. Whatever. Anyway, it's mindless and I enjoy it. Dan Bardell, welcome.

[Dan Bardell]

Morning. Not got my finger on the pulse because I have only ever watched the first series of the Traitors and nothing since.

[Max Rushden]

Well, I'm voting for yourself then, Dan. And welcome Sam darling.

[Sam]

Hello, Max. I have no Traitors based contribution to make this early in the morning.

[Max Rushden]

Fine, that seems perfectly acceptable. People don't come here for that. Carl says question. Did we really need to make you guys do two Carabao podcasts this week? I blame Joel Sack producer Joel. Yeah, to the ED. He had Manchester City 3, Newcastle 1. Sam, you were there. You're a Newcastle fan. Did you have a nice.

[Sam]

Did I have a nice time? I went to a lovely brewery and tap room beforehand as all the modern football fan does and I had a really nice pizza. I think what I have to caveat with is I didn't really expect to have a nice time. I went with my eyes open. I must confess. I wasn't going to go. Nikas United have been away from home an awful lot recently and I have a very forgiving wife who allows me to go to all these games. So after the first leg I went back and thought, okay, right, well, I'm in Paris the week before and I'm at Anfield on the Saturday night, I'm out all these evenings, I have to go away from work. And I said to her, well, look, okay, I'm gonna stay in, do another bath and bedtime. I don't need to go to that semi final second leg. And she said, you what? I said, well, I'll stay at home. She said, you are not staying at home because if you get an early goal and somehow you're back in it, you will be unbearable on this sofa. So you have to go. You can leave as early as you like. And I must confess, I did leave early, quite early, actually. I did the whole. I don't know how I feel about it. I think I. Even now I'm feeling like I have to justify it to myself. But I left at half time, the game was done and I could come out of a load of excuses, but again, it's all justifications. But the old sunk cost fallacy, right, I had to do the drive home, nothing was changing and I chose to have an hour on the sofa with my wife. Look, we didn't even have. We got what did seven minutes before.

[Barry Glendenning]

Sorry, what were you doing?

[Max Rushden]

Thank you, Barry. I think watching television. You were watching?

[Sam]

We were watching Patience, a lovely channel for detective series. Thanks for that, Barry. Yeah. We didn't even get a good run, did we? We got about six and a half minutes before a dam burn tackle just sort of bounced onto Omar Mamouche. It was pretty pathetic first half. Newcastle were. There was all this talk of fight and hope would try and get back into it. And it was just like all those weaknesses we've seen across the course of the season, the gaps in midfield, the flat midfield free. It was pretty hopeless and no, it wasn't fun. But it was the second half from friends who stayed. It was one of those gallows humours away ends where you just sing and sing and sing and actually we'd be lucky enough not to have one of those for a while, but it was a pretty limp attempt at defending our Carabao cup title.

[Max Rushden]

Yeah, and it's such a contrast, Sam, between how brilliant you were against Arsenal in the semis last season, isn't it? I mean, I don't know how much you look at that and think. God. A lot has changed in this year.

[Sam]

Yeah. Masses has changed. It's not been a good season for Newcastle. There's lots of mitigation for that. And I think people still. The Alexander Isaac thing. It's just a completely different team and a completely different way of playing. And they spent a lot of money. And most of those signings aren't yet working out. But that's with the caveat. You know. A couple of years ago they had a summer where they signed Tonali hall and Liver Bento. Who didn't. I mean Tonali for different reasons. But hall and Livermento couldn't get into the side. And now they're two of Newcastle's best players. So you. You can't write them off. Newcastle this season. They're a bit. They're a bit like coffee cake. Right. They sit on the shelf. They always look appealing. Like you think, oh I like coffee. I like cake. So I'm going to have that again. Because it's going to taste really delicious and there's lots of icing on it. And most of the time when you bite into a slice of coffee cake you're pretty disappointed. Right. It's always drier than it looks like it. And you sort of regret. And you look at the carrot cake and the chocolate cake and think I. I wish I had had that. And yet next time you probably go for the coffee cake again. And occasionally you get a really good coffee cake. Right. So we had you know. Second half against PSG. First half against Chelsea. 40 minutes at Anfield. And good bits of coffee cake keep you going back for more. Ultimately bad coffee cake. And that's Newcastle United this season. Whereas last year they were entirely carrot cake. I mean that probably is all you need to know about Newcastle United.

[Max Rushden]

Right now I'm trying to think of tortured analogies that we've had on the pod. How much I enjoyed this one.

[Barry Glendenning]

Would you.

[Max Rushden]

Would you go along with that Barry? Do you see Newcastle as very much the. The coffee cake of the Premier League?

[Barry Glendenning]

I'm not a huge fan of cake so I don't have a view in that regard.

[Dan Bardell]

Exactly.

[Max Rushden]

And neither football would listen and say so. It fits perfectly in fact.

[Barry Glendenning]

I mean the funny thing about this game is Newcastle were absolutely torn apart in the first half that the third goal City scored. Where Reinders ran from deep gallop past Van Botman. Ran almost to the edge of the Newcastle box without anyone getting near him. It was just comical that this gaping hole in the middle of the pitch. But they did have quite A few very presentable chances that they failed to take. I think I counted six. And even if they'd scored half of them, they might made a contest of this tie in the second leg. But they didn't take any or sorry they took one of them. And it was kind of bit too late at this stage. I suppose it's the only consolation Newcastle fans can take from the evening is that Anthony Lange scored a really good goal. And it's the first thing I can remember him doing since night signing for Newcastle. He's been very disappointing. So he might kick on on the back of that. So they. They were talking about. I mean I guess City took their foot off the gas in the second half because the tie was done and dusted. And they tend to take their foot off the gas in the second half of games anyway even if they're not done and dusted. And that's been a weakness of theirs. Yeah. But by leaving us at halftime, Sam did miss quite a few of his team's misses.

[Max Rushden]

Yeah.

[Barry Glendenning]

No, no.

[Max Rushden]

And I mean if the first thing you can remember anti Alanga doing this season is scoring that goal, the second thing you can remember him doing is missing that basically open goal about two minutes later, isn't it? And I suppose Dan look. City away is a hard game. City is a tough team over two legs. Eddie how said it's the the hardest team to play in Europe over two legs. I don't know if that is true but I think we have the final that we expected to have.

[Dan Bardell]

It'll be a good battle. Manchester City against Arsenal. Obviously Manchester City are well versed at being in cup finals under Pep. Whereas it's been a long time since Arsenal have actually got to got to a cup finally. You felt like they might be the. Might be the favorites in a cup final. Even going back to when Wenger was there, they probably weren't the favorites in a few of the cup finals that they got to. So it is the one we expected. Probably the one that the neutrals wanted as well. Just on. Just on Newcastle. I mean I don't like coffee cake anyway but. But I do like Newcastle and every time they're on I think I'm going to watch that. I enjoy watching them but they have been a been a strange, strange watch this season. I felt team selections are always quite muddled. Almost like sometimes he's changing for change's sake. I think obviously they've got to be an element of rotation due to the. Due to the Champions League. But they just seem so far off what they were last season and the season before the other season. I've explained that terribly. The season when they. When they finished in the top four and got Champions League the first time round. Something just doesn't feel quite right. And I watch them and we talk about the evolvement of Manchester City this season and Pep's kind of moved with it and had to change certain things to get Manchester City kind of up to the modern way of playing. Newcastle have got that energy but still when I watch them I can't help but feel they've. They've always had that but they become a bit predictable and they haven't changed through. Through the seasons. The fact that they still play without a number 10 and I just think there' a genuine lack of creativity in that side. And we've seen in the Carabao cup over the last two nights the two teams that are trading I think have set up quite defensively and Rossini probably took stick. Howe probably won't take stick. But actually I think maybe the way Rossini set up was better than the way. The way how set up because you've set up defensively and the game just got completely away from you from the get go really.

[Max Rushden]

I mean we've talked about this before saying that how doesn't really get stick from, you know, the guys on the patch. Do you think. Do you think that makes any difference to whether he's under pressure from the owners or not?

[Sam]

All the noise or the fans. There's all the noise on social media which you have to sort of ignore. And there are some. There's a piece out today that says he's definitely not under any. Any pressure. Which I think if that is genuinely true from the ownership like that is a fault of theirs because any Premier League manager with. And again the. The CEO came out. He did an interview on the radio yesterday where he came out and said, yeah, by 2030 we're going to be. Newcastle United are going to be competing for all the top trophies in the globe. And you're thinking, well, it's early 2026 now and there's a realistic chance of finishing below teams like. And you always say no disrespect when you're about to say something disrespectful, but you aren't. It's a big leap from being. Finishing below the teams like Brentford and Everton and Fulham who probably don't have owners coming out saying we're going to be one of the top sides in the world and to being there in four years time. I. They've got a big decision to make in the summer. As I said there's loads of mitigation. I don't want to go over it again but it feels like the project needs a massive refresh and it. Hal talks about being stale himself last year and it is very predictable. Teams know how to play against Newcastle United they play this flat midfield, free man City. I mean Pep Reinders came out and said in his post match like I couldn't believe how much space there was in the midfield. And Villa found that a couple of years ago. But they've got a decision to make it and it sounds the decision is they're going to stick with Eddie Howe which that's okay. But things need to change. I think they're going to have to sell a couple of big players and refresh it. It feels like it needs some oomph. And there are people, myself included who are starting to question whether Eddie Howe is the right person to do that. But something has to change and change doesn't necessarily mean changing the manager.

[Max Rushden]

Yeah.

[Barry Glendenning]

I mean Eddie Howe is very much Pep's Bunny, isn't he? In 21 matches against Pep with Bournemouth and Newcastle he's lost 17 of them. Only one two. And Newcastle's record at the Yetiyad is atrocious. So probably weren't expecting much last night. I mean if you look at the fixtures Newcastle have coming up. Brentford at home at the weekend and then the four away games in a row. Spurs Villa, Carabag Man, City and then Carabag at home. If. If those that run of games doesn't go well for them, I think how has to be under pressure. I heard the CEOs interview David Hopkinson on Talk Sport yesterday and he seemed quite a charming, well spoken man. But he. He talked a lot, said very little. They haven't decided what to do with St. James's Park. They haven't moved forward with renovating the training ground. They don't seem to be much doing much with regard to generating these extra revenue streams they really need to generate if they're to compete with the elite teams in the Premier League. So it wasn't a bad listen. But I. If I was a Newcastle fan listening to him talk, I would have been seriously underwhelmed by what he had to say.

[Max Rushden]

I mean when you say that the players they've got to sell a couple of big players like I mean who's. Who's left to sell? Because like Gimme Rice that stat that. I think we were all really surprised about that. You know because just don't win if he's not there. Means that he's so essential. Of course if you're missing him and Joel Linton in your midfield it is different. Right. And. And Voltamara who started so brilliantly and is really fun and scored a couple of like really like oddly brilliant goals and was a sort of really exciting watch. It just hasn't quite clicked. Elanga hasn't clicked and that can happen with recruitment. So I don't know who you Sam. I don't know who you're off loading for lots of money.

[Sam]

The Tonali to Arsenal links. It feels like that seed has been planted and I think the two. The two assets you are Bruno Guimares I'm not sure he's £100 million midfielder objectively to the extent anyone could be worth £100 million. But to Newcastle United he's definitely worth that much money. So it feels. And there's also this sense and you never quite know. But he's got this connection and has almost settled and felt right maybe I can't go to one of the really really big elite teams. So actually I'm going to make myself an absolute hero here. And he does just bring something different to Newcastle. I think Tonali and Anthony Gordon the ones that they're probably not actively looking to sell them. I think their values aren't quite what they were at one point. The time when Gordon's head was turned by Liverpool during the euros. He just had an absolutely fantastic season. There's a big element of the fan base that are sort of fed up of watching Gordon fail to deliver at the level that he seems to hold out that he's at Antonali actually he hasn't had a. He's a wonderful runner. He hasn't had a good game of football for quite a while. He's not and. But again all their confidence is down. Like you can completely see the squad is drained.

[Dan Bardell]

Yeah.

[Sam]

So I think Villa did it really well. Right. They sold big players at. At the right time and actually Douglas Louise has ended up back there. So I think there's not many saleable assets they've got. Denali and Gordon are probably not worth as much as people might hope they are. But it feels like they have to to reinvest and damn pointed about not having a number 10 like voltimar. Voltimar is really a number 10 not a number nine. But Newcastle haven't evolved around the players they've ended up bringing in. So it's just a bit messy at the moment.

[Max Rushden]

Ted says we'd love to know the panel's thoughts on if a two legged semi final in the Carabao is truly necessary. And actually Dan, you know, like there is too much football and what we don't want is FA cup replays going, for example, because that seems like a bad thing. But losing these, this is a two legged things. I can't see any issue with it whatsoever.

[Dan Bardell]

So I don't think you can complain about the FA cup and then come out and say we should get rid of two legs in the, in, in the league Cup. Isn't that, isn't that essentially the same thing? I know the FA cup well. No, because.

[Max Rushden]

Well, no, it's not about tradition. It's about the money that, that generates for small clubs. Whereas once you get to the semi final of the Carabao cup, it's not really okay, it's money's money but it's not going to change the future of Newcastle or Man City. If, if this second leg happens, you see what I mean?

[Dan Bardell]

Would you go to a neutral ground or would you just play? One team plays at home. One team.

[Max Rushden]

That's a good question. Oh, I like a neutral. I like a Villa park semi final.

[Dan Bardell]

Yeah, I do. It was no good to me anyway. I wasn't, wasn't going to those games. But I like to like to be the park semi final as well.

[Max Rushden]

Okay, so you're, you're happy to keep it?

[Dan Bardell]

Yeah, I think, I think. Don't, don't mess with it. It's probably fair, isn't it, for each team to get to play at home in a, in the Carabao Cup? I would say that might be an unpopular opinion.

[Sam]

I don't know if it came across on tv, but there were an awful lot of empty seats at the Etihad last night. And that's not a criticism of Manchester City fans directly. It's just like this saturation of football and I think they reduced the ticket prices and the top tiers were like probably half empty and it looked like in bits that were empty there were sort of blocks of people. So it almost like they'd gone to schools or groups and given them or sold them cheap blocks of tickets. And you just think, I know they're tiny up, but that's a supposedly Major cup semi final second leg. And I think people are just struggling with the pure amount of football that there is to go and watch and pay for these days.

[Max Rushden]

Barry. That's what we should have done to fill the top tier of the troxy isn't it?

[Barry Glendenning]

Give it to school kids.

[Max Rushden]

Exactly. Mark Gay can't play in the final, but Antoine Semeno can. Competition rules dictate he had to have joined them prior to the closure of the winter transfer window or the first leg of the semi final, whichever is sooner. So Semenya signed four days before the first leg, Gay arrived after the first leg. So Semenya can play and Gay can't. Do you have strong opinions on this slightly odd law?

[Barry Glendenning]

I don't, but Pep Guardiola does. He's baffled by the fact that Marque can't play in the final. He said he's going to get the club secretary to write to Carabao or the FA or whoever is in charge and. But doesn't expect.

[Max Rushden]

Alan, Carabao, Alice, Carab.

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah, doesn't expect it to do any good. I mean, if they're the rules, they're the rules. His argument is that, look, we pay Marque's salary, he's our player, he should be allowed play. And I kind of get what he's saying, but rules is rules, aren't they? If it was, you know, it's kind of similar to that silly rule in England that says loan players can't play against their parent club. So we have a situation now at the weekend where the only player Burnley signed during the window can't play in the first game. That's Burnley game that he's available for because he's not available for James Ward Prowse and they're playing West Ham.

[Max Rushden]

Anyway, also, Sam, you watched the other semi final. You wanted to talk about the experience of watching the Arsenal game with disabled Arsenal fans.

[Sam]

Yeah, the piece coming out, I'd gone first time a while back and we did some filming this time, but had the pleasure of watching it with a chap called Thomas Clements, who's got cerebral palsy. And we went into the disability lounge again and we followed him into the ground. And it's credit to what clubs are doing in terms of trying to make football more accessible for all the things that we take for granted. And just had such a good time with him. He hasn't let his disability hold him back. He's a PE teacher down in Bromley, goes to every Arsenal game, home and away, to see. I mean, it was. It's perfect. Like right when you're doing a film, the narrative of a 97th minute goal capturing that celebration and just. It was a privilege to be in there with him, to see how popular he is in the ground and also to see how they celebrated it like, it was like the contrast between the half empty Etihad and the Emirates, which was absolutely rocking. And that goal, it was a wonderful celebration, a perfect end, really, for, as I said, for the film, but just like wonderful to see how much it meant to him and to all those Arsenal fans.

[Max Rushden]

All right, we'll look out for that piece when it comes out. Have we talked to you about the Wolves kit man? We talked to you about the piece and the day because we talked about it before. You were going to see the Wolves kit man.

[Sam]

Well, it was a fun day. You know me, Max, I like, I love football writing, but not about football. So I thought, right, what. Where can I go now? I know I'm going to go in, I'm going to go see what the kit man or the kit team does. So I spent a day down preparing with them. And to Honest, preparing involves a lot of printing shirts these days. And, you know, I gave him a few memory tests. I was like, right, number 27, who's that? He was very good, this American guy come over from the mls. I think the most fascinating bit was that like, even, even for kit teams, the Premier League is still the biggest league in the world. He's like, I want to come over and test myself in the, like, the really tough in the trenches of the Premier League in America, apparently. You turn up and the sponsors, you know, it's all the same boots. I think the whole league's got a boot sponsor and you turn up and t thousand things are already there waiting for you, like, not over here in England, so. And it was great to see that sort of. The kit room was also a bit of a sanctuary. You know, players, first team, academy popped in and just had quiet words. It was almost a way of kind of getting stuff off their chests. And then, yeah, we were there.

[Max Rushden]

I mean, with Wolves, that is a lot of the big hue, wouldn't it?

[Sam]

Yes, by appointment only on the door. But yeah, Sean Ruiz and his team, fantastic day and they won a game of football as well as it was. They'd be in West Ham and convincingly beaten West Ham. And so Nuno was sort of skulking around in the. The mix zone afterwards, like it wasn't a good vibe from them. But yeah, really nice to go behind the scenes. Great of Wolves to. To trust and journalists in to do that, because I know people don't like, particularly journalists poking around on a match day, but it was just, just fun. The kind of fun thing to see the stuff that you don't. The. The Weird ritual have I think like Sam Johnson the goalkeeper that they lay out the kit and every time he just picks up his. He checks his pair of socks are there but always wants a new pair of socks anyway even though there's already a pair of socks there for him. So just, just a little bit. So around the edges, which I really like. So that was fun.

[Max Rushden]

Yeah. No, yeah, that's fascinating. All right, well look, we'll end part one there and part two we'll start our Premier League pre. Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. So the Premier League top of it looks like this. Arsenal have 53 from 24 man. City 47 from 24. Aston Villa 46 from 24. Arsenal play Sunderland 3pm on Saturday. Villa go to Bournemouth at the same time and then Liverpool City is the Super Sunday game at 4:30. And look, I mean that's the game of the weekend on paper, Dan. And. And if Liverpool play like they did against Newcastle, then they have a really good chance of beating City and by that time City could be nine points behind.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[Dan Bardell]

Other than City demolishing Newcastle, they have felt quite patchy in recent weeks. They're obviously trying to have to kind of build a new defence on the fly at the moment due to having to make signings and having a huge amount of injuries in their defensive backlines that they do feel quite open. And if Ekatike is anywhere near the form he was in last week against Newcastle, you do feel like he might be able to. To exploit that. That Manchester City backline. It's probably not the Manchester City Liverpool game of years gone by that we've all really, really looked forward to. But it's a big game and Liverpool need to win. That race to kind of get the Champions League spots is getting quite interesting now with the emergence of Manchester United in the last few weeks as well. Chelsea winning a few games as well under Rossini said it's looking like that might be a bigger battle than actually the title race by the end of the season.

[Max Rushden]

Yeah, I think you're right. I mean, interesting to see what City do with Haaland. Right. Presumably he comes in game Barry, but they. In the games that he hasn't played, they have looked quite fluid.

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah, well, they look very fluid. Before he came on last night he hasn't been playing particularly well, Pep says puts it down to fatigue. But I would expect him to start this game. But you never know Pep. This could be one of these games he overthinks. I often get annoyed when you ask me how I think a particular game will go who will win. But I, I actually do think Liverpool will win this. Florin Verts is really hitting his straps now, isn't he? And making the Verts spec skeptics. And there were many early in the season look a little bit foolish but. And he and Ekitike have a, a wonderful or. There seems to be an excellent partnership developing there. But you asked me about City. I've wandered off on a tangent, but.

[Max Rushden]

No, that's fine.

[Barry Glendenning]

Even though he's the golden boot and will probably win it, I think by his own extremely high standards, Erling Haaland is not having a good season. Just seems to be quite a few games he's been almost. It's almost as if he might as well not have been on the pitch. He could be brilliant in this one if he plays. We will find out.

[Max Rushden]

We will. Just to clarify, you get annoyed if I ask you what's going to happen, but if I don't ask you what's going to happen, you tell me what's going to happen. So I see the, the, the key here is that I don't ask you what's gonna happen. You may volunteer the information.

[Barry Glendenning]

Well, no, it's just often I, I just don't know. But win this game.

[Max Rushden]

Fair enough. The three PMs then Arsenal, Sunderland, Bournemouth, Villa. Why don't we do Villa first, Dan? I mean we've said it when you haven't been here but, but you must be. And I think I said this, if I was a Villa fan, I would just be staring at the league table adding on six points going, we lost at home to Everton and at home to Brentford with 10 men. And if you had six more points, you will be right in there and you must be. It must be so frustrating after, you know, brilliant games where you like beat Arsenal at home and to lose those two must be so frustrating.

[Dan Bardell]

Yeah, I haven't really been looking at it like that. So thank you to alerting me to that misery. I'll make sure that I do that after, after the podcast. I'm still just.

[Barry Glendenning]

And don't forget to add on the 15 points you didn't get at the start of the season.

[Dan Bardell]

Well, yeah, I'd probably more look at that. I mean the fact that all these.

[Barry Glendenning]

Things considered my nail down.

[Dan Bardell]

Yeah, the fact that all things considered, we are a point off Manchester City in third given, you know, the fact that Manchester City spent a fortune in January as well. I just look at the league table still in absolute amazement that we are where we are. I think if you take away the transfer wind, I think the transfer window being open, disastrous for Villa because when the transfer window was open at the start of the season, we didn't win a game. And when it's been open in January, we've dropped some, some silly points at home to Everton and Brentford. I think if you take away the transfer window, we probably are top, top of the league. But you don't get any, any trophies for being top of the league outside of the transfer windows. I think we're, we're well set. This Bournemouth game that they need to bounce back. But then when they lost to Everton, they did then go and win at Newcastle. Sorry, Sam. The week after, which was probably an unexpected result because Villa have an awful, horrible record at St. James's Park. So they need to bounce back. But I think, I think they've done a decent job in January in trying to reshape the squad a little bit given the injuries that they've picked up in the month of January as well. January just, just hasn't been a nice month for Villa, so hopefully February will be a little bit. It feels like it's not a great time to play Bournemouth because it feels like they've kind of come back into form over the last few weeks.

[Max Rushden]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. They're the form team having, you know, been however many it was without a win until our good friend Dr. Tottenham turned up. What's. Dan, what's happening with Harvey Elliott? I was sort of surprised and pleased to see him on the pitch because I think like a lot of people, I thought it was a brilliant signing. Like I really did at the start of the season. Think this is a, this is an absolutely brilliant signing.

[Dan Bardell]

Yeah. At the end of the summer window, that was the signing that I was looking at and thinking, well, that's a, that that's made that a, a good window. It's been. Been a tough watch, a tough listen throughout the whole of the transfer window, but that, that saved it. That's a, that's a really good signing. The fact is, Villa's summer window actually wasn't very good. The. The best two signings have been Lindelof on a free and the backup goalkeeper Marco Bizop for 2 million. And Sancho's been up, up and down as you'd expect. But the Harvey Elliott situation, it's untenable really. Now I'm shocked that we've got through January without something concrete happening with it. Villa and Liverpool have, have had discussions if you. Depending on which, which local Journalist, you believe, and they can't really come to come to an agreement, but they're going to have to do something because they can do it outside of the transfer window. Change. Change this stipulation because it's no good for Villa in the. In the current situation. I don't think Villa come out of it smelling it smelling of roses. I think it's not right for Harvey Elliott that his career is completely stagnating, which there must have been certain assurances given to him when he arrived at Villa. There's no way he did. He'd have thought that he'd have played this little.

[Max Rushden]

So. Sorry, what do you mean by change the stipulation? As in either. So Villa have to make it a permanent signing if he plays 10 games or something like that. So.

[Dan Bardell]

And Villa aren't going to do that.

[Max Rushden]

Right. So you think Liverpool should drop that or there should be some sort of agreement. What's. What should happen?

[Barry Glendenning]

Well, I think Liverpool have to pay a couple of million quid to end the loan deal early and they don't want to do that.

[Dan Bardell]

Yeah, Villa.

[Barry Glendenning]

Harvey Elliott is basically at a club who doesn't want him and he's owned by a club who don't want him.

[Dan Bardell]

I think if ellie. If the 10, 10 games was to be dropped or put to 20, Harvey Elliott would. Would be involved. Emery has said. And I think Harvey Elliott knows this and there's been conversations. Emery said that they've had conversations. I don't think he necessarily fits. I'm not. I don't think the club can spend 30 or 35 million pounds on. On Harvey Elliott to make this permanent. But I think if the 10. If the 10 games was to be dropped, Villa would definitely use him and I think would probably benefit Liverpool as well because they've just got a player that's. That's completely stagnating right now. It was again, it was great to see him come on the pitch at the weekend against Brentford. He's too good a footballer to be in this situation and he may as well have just been sat on the bench for Liverpool for the season and stayed where he was because he would have got more football if he stayed at Liverpool, ironically. So something needs to give somewhere at the moment. Barry's right. Villa didn't want to pay the loan cancellation fee. Liverpool are saying that they've kind of book that 30 to 35 million and they've looked at it as a player that they've traded and a player that's not going to be there anymore. And they didn't want, didn't want to take him back and make him part of their squad. So you just feel sorry for the player. There's something awry somewhere because the sporting director Monchi left as soon as the transfer window shut. And as I say, Villa's summer business was not great. 35 million on Evan Gason, who's now on loan at Crystal Palace. And I'm going to be honest, he was one of the worst footballers I've ever seen play at Villa Park. And then Harvey Elliott who was due to to go for 30, 35 million. Again, they weren't playing because they don't want to spend that 35 million. So you can't afford to make those mistakes in the transfer market. In Villa's position, albeit we've made those mistakes and we're still brilliantly placed in the league table.

[Max Rushden]

Yeah, he was player of the tournament for the under 21 Euros in the summer. He's only 22 and. And yeah, I don't know why anyone would care if you know, it's another rules than rules. Like would any fan care if he was allowed to sign for another Premier League team? Like that rule seems odd to me. Like if he suddenly went and played for Brighton, would people be up in arms?

[Dan Bardell]

You're such a renegade, Max. You just hate rules. And any kind of rule today, you've not liked it.

[Barry Glendenning]

We're trying to live in a society here, Max.

[Max Rushden]

Listen, I can't help being a maverick in every sense of the word. You know me, just a non conformist in every sense.

[Barry Glendenning]

Anarchist.

[Max Rushden]

Yeah, yeah.

[Barry Glendenning]

Rules are for little people.

[Max Rushden]

That's Arsenal. Sunderland. How do you see this going? Who do you think will win? Tell me the exact score.

[Barry Glendenning]

I think Arsenal will win. 3, 4, 1. Okay, I am hopeful. But Sunderland have won once in their last 28 league games against Arsenal. I appreciate some of those games might be played in the 19th century. They have never won a Premier League game away at Arsenal. And Arsenal are nicely stat. I picked up here from the BBC. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 43 matches at home against promoted sides. 138 drew five. Out of curiosity, I had a look yesterday to see what what the odds were on sunderland winning this game 14 1. And I think I'm slightly insulted by that. But I can see why there's such outsiders. So basically saying if Arsenal Sunderland played 15 times, Sunderland would only win one of those games. The draw is about 94 to 19 2. Look, Sunderland G. Arsenal. A really good game at the stadium alight should have beaten them. I think it was a two all draw. I don't think Arsenal will be taking this game lightly. I think their fans would be a bit nervous about how good Sunderland are because they would have looked at this as three points, you know, foregone conclusion at the start of the season. So I think Arsenal win but I'd say they might have to work hard to win.

[Max Rushden]

Is Xhaka injured? Silver Savage?

[Barry Glendenning]

He is still injured I think yes. He's missed the last two games and I think he's out for for a while longer.

[Max Rushden]

Yeah, that's a pity. Been good to see him back at the Emirates, wouldn't it? Anyway, that'll do for part two, Part three. We'll go down to the bottom of the table. Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly. So Sam at the bottom these two big games, Burnley, West Ham, Leeds, Forest. It's a a bit of a shame it's not more bunched up than it is. Burnley have 15 points, West Ham 20 and then Forest and Leeds both have 26. You sort of feel with, with Burnley, West Ham like Burnley have to win this game if they want to have any chance.

[Barry Glendenning]

Right?

[Sam]

Yeah. And we've been saying this for a while about Burnley I think was it on Monday's pod that Barney was talking about Kevin at Fulham and saying how almost every team in the Premier League now has a player who is actually properly quality and might have been competing for a title in the 1990s. And I agree almost every team with the exception of Burnley and they're just not quite there in terms of being at Premier League level. I saw them twice, I saw them against Newcastle against Man United and they had moments in the game but there was both times every time they got in those promising areas they just had that lack of quality and War Prowse obviously has been brought in for set piece quality but as Barry said, he can't play. Yeah, they do have to win it. Right. It closes the gap. It's the old six pointer but I think that old test of right, if this team goes down, who are you going to buy? And there's barely anyone in that Burnley squad. Maybe Marcus Edwards who's probably that little number 10 but again hasn't quite there. I mean they're just not. They've given it a good go and it was. Was it on Monday they put that social media clip out, I don't know if you saw it, of Scott Parker and their media manager is taken from their documentary doing a kind of pre press conference briefing and this little bit was. It was almost like a bit like the office. And it's like, well, you're gonna get asked about transfers. Like, what are you gonna say? Not really much going on there, so not much I can say. And just thinking who signed that off on deadline day when all the fans are crying out, you need to sign a striker and your club social media has put has chosen that as the clip to use. Yeah, not much going on on transfer. So I think, although to be fair, they're.

[Max Rushden]

James Prowse reveal video was absolutely bright. It was a Pulp Fiction ripoff where Samuel L. Jackson opens the suitcase and it's just James was Prowse in there going, all right, and it was. It was very good. So, you know, maybe they were focusing on that and not quite so much on releasing bits of the documentary. How do you see Leeds Forest, Dan? And I suppose both of them thinking we're probably okay, but like, West Ham have shown a bit of life recently.

[Dan Bardell]

Yeah, I think. I think Leeds deserve a huge amount of credit. It feels like they've lost a few games recently. I haven't got the stats in front of me, but they were on a great run. And it came at a time when Farker was under real pressure. And not only did they navigate those kind of first few games that they turned it into something bigger that really steered them away from trouble. I've enjoyed watching Leeds this season. I think they've got some good players. I expect them to win at home against Forest. I would say so, yeah. I've done a Barry there. I've done a reverse Barry there. Sorry. Where you've asked me what's going to happen and I've given you.

[Max Rushden]

What. What all panelists but Barry do is just answer the question they're asked rather than complaining about it. Like, it's a novel way to treat podcast, but, you know, I'm. I'm happy that everyone else does that.

[Barry Glendenning]

I don't. I disagree with you, Max, that these two teams will both think they're okay. I think this is a massive game. They're both on 26 points. If either of them can win it, it's huge result for them. I think Leeds fans are quite frustrated by their lack of activity in the transfer market. They went first Jorgen Strand Larsen, and then when it became apparent he was going to be too pricey, they didn't target anyone else. And they need. If Dominic Calvert Lewin gets injured there, they could be in big trouble. And Dominic Calvert Lewin is quite injury prone. He's he seems to be unscathed so far this season, but the sight of Dominic Calvert Lewin limping disconsolately towards the tunnel mid game is, is not a rare one. So if anything was to happen to him, I think they, they could be in a real bother.

[Max Rushden]

Wolves home to Chelsea, you know, while we're talking about teams at the bottom, but they are on eight points, so, yeah, it is bleak for them. Manchester United, Spurs, Mansion are the opportunity to make it four wins in a row as everyone looks towards that man with all his hair and, you know, and do we want him. Do we want them to get five in a row, Sam? So that's no longer a thing or is it still kind of quite charming?

[Sam]

Do we ever want Manchester United to win games of football full stop? I mean, we, a lot of us are children of the 90s. Yes. I would actually quite like to see them win four in a row. It's nice to see what Michael Carrick is doing there. It's felt like they're. They've had a squad of players that are better than the way they'd been performing previously and Carrot's gone in and changed something. Whether it's. These are the whole Man United values, whether he's texting or whatsapping Sir Alex Ferguson for every decision, I don't know. But I quite like seeing someone like Michael Carrick do well. So, yeah, I hope they win. I think they will win. I hope that their supporters stay right until the end. Like I was laughing last weekend because I've been to Old Trafford a few times and having no stake in it, do tend to leave early and I've never seen a ground busier outside on 85 minutes than old Trafford. And I was trying to work out like if you left on. If you left at 2 nil last weekend, at least you have the reassurance that the results stayed the same even though you left and missed massive bits of it. It's the one when that Fulham equalizer went in, who went, oh, yeah, nah, not for me, this. And walked out at that point and then heard the winner go in. I would say never leave a game early, but I told you what I did last night, so.

[Max Rushden]

No, absolutely. Well, I would never leave a game early. But at Cambridge it's slightly different. There is no. You're not beating the rush. There is no rush. Even if the stadium is full, it's not a rush to leave. It's quite leisurely.

[Barry Glendenning]

I remember when Sunderland were really in the doldrums and a couple of fans were being interviewed outside the stadium alike and they quite openly admitted that the only reason they still turned up was so that they could show their dissatisfaction by leaving early.

[Max Rushden]

I remember being in the. I think I've told this story before, been the away end, the Man United away and Cluj for soccer. And we started following Cluj for some. We'd followed Gank one year and we were just finding a word that sounded quite funny and we went to Cluj and it wasn't someone leaving early because they were upset with the result. It was just this guy was so drunk and his wife was following him and she said sort of discontinuately, could we at least make it to half time in one of these European games? As they walked out of the ground, like all this money and this is the thing you're going for. But, you know, sometimes that isn't the thing. I, I can't remember who mentioned it, but this, this race for the, the Champions League spot. If we presume, Dan, that, you know, Villa keep going and it's Villa, City and Arsenal, the top three that you have at the moment, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United competing for these final two spots. That is really interesting.

[Dan Bardell]

Yeah. And there's no Europa League to fall back on for teams this year to get a spot through the Europa League. I can't remember what happens if Villa were to win the Europa League. It doesn't go to six in the prem in the Premier League, does it? If Villa or. Yeah, if Villa were to win the Europa.

[Max Rushden]

Yeah, it does.

[Dan Bardell]

Yeah.

[Max Rushden]

Well, it did last year, didn't it? Yeah, there are six this year.

[Dan Bardell]

There'd still be six, but I don't know, there wouldn't be six because I think Villa would win the Europa League and finish in the top five, but then it wouldn't go to, to sixth place in the, in the league. That's what I was trying to explain, but I think, I think I explained it badly. So there's no teams that are in this race really, other than Villa, if they were to have a disaster in the league, that if they win the Europa League, they've kind of got that safety net now. So that makes it a really exciting battle between. I, I'm not going to discount Villa because it will make me seem cocky and arrogant and then that might look bad for me come the end of the season. But those are the three teams fighting against each other. Champions League is massively important for Manchester United to not be in Europe is huge. And to be in the Champions League would be. I think they Wouldn't have expected that maybe at the start of the season. So to get back into the Premier competition for them is massive. Chelsea with all the money that they've spent and their ambitions, they absolutely have to be in the Champions League as well. And Liverpool would have expected to qualify quite comfortably this season I would imagine given the. The players that they bought in in this. In the summer in the season they've had before. So like I said earlier I actually think come the end of the season that will be more exciting than the. Than the title race potentially. There's some. Some big teams in and amongst it and Villa the Villa are the disruptors.

[Max Rushden]

Right now maybe spurs can do to Chelsea what Chelsea did to spurs in 2012. Was it. I can't remember where because Chelsea won the Champions League spurs fell out of the Champions League. So spurs have to win the Champions League which I think I you know firmly believe is almost certainty. And then whoever comes fifth I think drops out anyway. Who knows what spurs will turn up at Old Trafford. Newcastle, Brentford. Sam, how do you see that?

[Sam]

How do I see it going? Well it's weirdly become probably of all the fixtures we've talked about all these away trips Newcastle have got. Brentford at home is arguably the biggest one of all. It's become the sort of in adverted commas must win game. Brentford having this wonderful season. I don't. I don't think many of us predicted under Keith Andrews and it worries me actually as a Newcastle fan. The former home it has been pretty good. They've lost a couple of games to the bigger sides but Brentford coming. Well maybe it's the game. Johan Visser finally shows up in a Newcastle shirt. Doesn't look like there'll be any Anthony Gordon but as Barry said Elanga has done something and he maybe just needed that confidence boost because he's got to be a better player than he showed for the first time four or five months of the season. Maybe he just needs something to go his way. But Brentford and every time I see Igor Thiago up front for them are just more and more impressed. He feels like this hybrid old school center forward but also able to play with pace and play the modern way. So him against that Newcastle we don't know if it'll be a back four or back five yet. It's been playing back five in recent weeks. Brentford worries me. I could quite easily see them taking three points at St. James's Park.

[Max Rushden]

Barry, any strong thoughts on Fulham, Everton or Brighton Palace?

[Barry Glendenning]

Well Brighton palace obviously is a big needle Match palace are in something of a crisis and I think if Brighton don't beat them at home, you have to think Fabian Hurstler is on thinnish ice. I mean in. I think it's their last 11 Premier League games, Brighton have only won one, but they've drawn six of them. Is that good enough? Probably not. And it hurts that are, you know, they've drawn games they should have won, they've drawn games they could have easily have lost. But all those draws has to be getting pretty tedious for Brighton fans.

[Max Rushden]

Maybe.

[Barry Glendenning]

I don't know if it's because they're, they're so nice, but Brighton fans, you don't tend to hear them complaining very often compared to fans of other teams. Yeah, I think if Brighton were to lose this game, there might be murmurings of discontent about Hurstler, if there haven't been already. I thought I predicted Brighton would break into the Champions League places at the start of the season.

[Max Rushden]

You did.

[Barry Glendenning]

So I've been very disappointed with them so far and they did some interesting slash weird business during the January window. Brajan Grud has gone out on loan to RB Leipzig week and I thought he was a decent player. He seemed to get quite a lot of game time. Maybe I'm mistaken. Tommy Watson, that young fella who, who scored the playoff final winner that got Sunderland promoted, hasn't worked out for him so far. Brighton, he's gone on loan to Millwall. I think I'd say Palace fans are dreading this game but if they can get something from it and there's every chance they could because Brighton aren't playing particularly well, I, I do think, I think Tony Bloom, I, I reckon he has maybe a lot on his mind at the moment with these investigations into potential shenanigans. But yeah, he, he might start losing patience with Herzler.

[Max Rushden]

Jim says not a question. Kudos to the AFL for their Every Minute matters campaign. It's subtle enough not to make any practical difference, but significant enough to make you wonder why games kicking off a minute late and then look up the reason. 36 EFL fixtures from today to 9 February across all three EFL divisions will kick off a minute late in the scheduled as this is from their website, a stark reminder that every minute matters when it comes to performing life saving cpr. The kickoff times are designed to raise awareness of the British Heart Foundation's transformative Every Minute Matters campaign which with the support of the EFL has already inspired over 400,000 people to start learning CPR since the campaign launched in May 2024. So go and learn CPR, everybody.

[Barry Glendenning]

I once saved a man's life by performing CPR.

[Max Rushden]

Give us the circumstances.

[Barry Glendenning]

An old man collapsed on a street in Clapham south, just outside of William Hill, and he cracked his head off the pavement and started to turn blue. So, which is not never a good sight. I cleared his airway and performed CPR and got him going again. And then someone in the bookies called the ambulance and they, they told me I was a great man.

[Max Rushden]

Well done, Barry.

[Barry Glendenning]

I was assisted as well by a fellow concerned citizen.

[Max Rushden]

Right.

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah. And the police came and I asked the police to let me know what happened and they never did. So hopefully he's. He was all right.

[Max Rushden]

Well done to you. Speaking of old men, Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Al Nass at risk. He's refused to play in their last two games. He's thought to be unhappy with the lack of recruitment there. He's apparently frustrated that other PIFF owned clubs, particularly Al Hilal, are favored by PIFF and are investing more into those squads. Particularly Ronaldo was angry when they signed Karin Benzema. Where would Benzema fit into the Al Nassr front four of Ronaldo? Sadio Mane, Jo Felix and Kingsley Coman. It does feel like he's throwing a bit of a tantrum, says producer Joel, about them not spending any money while they spend all their money on him. £177 million a year. I read somewhere that is £488,000 a day.

[Barry Glendenning]

I, I read that and presumed it must be a mistake that it had to be a week. But no, it is actually. Right, a day. A day, every day.

[Max Rushden]

What are you spending it on? It's a bit like that rumor that me and Charlie Baker were talking about this on the radio, that this idea that two people want to buy Daniel Levy steak in Tottenham for a billion pounds and you get 30 of Tottenham, which gives you no power over Tottenham, no control at all. And we were thinking, is that just a drunk ebay? A really rich person's drunk ebay purchase at midnight, buying 30 of Tottenham for a billion pounds. And what's Daniel Levy gonna do with a billion pounds? A thousand million pounds. It's so many pounds.

[Barry Glendenning]

There does seem to be quite a lot of dissatisfaction in the Saudi pro league because I, I read some the of were Angolo Kante, who I'd completely forgotten about. I'd got, I had. Who's that name? Sounds familiar. Oh, yeah, Angolo Kante. Little Chelsea pocket rocket. But he forced to move away from whatever club he was at. I think he spat the dummy and he's always been like the very epitome of a modern model professional.

[Max Rushden]

Yeah. How do you feel? S like. Like, you know, he's gone to Fenerbache, I think. I think Fenerbache in their social media post praised President Erdogan for helping n' Golo Kante leave the Saudi Pro League and head to Fenerbache. But anyway, I just wonder, you know, how do Newcastle fans view what happens in the set? Do they. Do they have. Do they. You don't link it on a. When you're at the game, you don't think about it, I guess. Do you don't see this link of where Piff are putting their money?

[Sam]

No, you don't. I mean, I think there's a feeling that people are wondering where Newcastle United lies in the priority list and I don't think that's necessary in terms of transfers because people understand the constraints of the various financial regulations. But it's the stuff again. Going back to keep wanting to call him Carl Hopkinson, but I think he batted in the middle order for Sussex in the 90s. David Hopkinson was talking about it's up about the training ground and the stadium and he said, we still haven't decided what we're going to do. And I think those are the bits that people assume they would act quite quickly on and I think those are the things that. So there was some leaks about the training ground, this new facility. It's those kind of infrastructure things which I think Newcastle fans look to as the markers as to how committed PIF are to the entire project, as opposed to transfer signings, because people know that they can't necessarily move as freely as their financial clout would allow them to in other circles because of the rules. But do I follow the Saudi pro league? Absolutely. In no way whatsoever. Like broadly, no. There's a lot of big names there, but could tell you very little other than that I've learned quite a lot in the last couple of minutes, put it that way.

[Max Rushden]

Fine.

[Dan Bardell]

Good.

[Max Rushden]

It's nice that someone's learned something from this podcast. Finally, Jim says, hi Max, the team. I wanted to blatantly add to the discussion you had before Christmas regarding poverty chances and Max's response to not being really aware of these issues while on the terraces at Cambridge. Cambridge is one of the most unequal cities in the country, has huge homeless community. Last year a local homeless charity, winter comfort, supported 800 individuals in the city who are either homeless or at risk. Of homelessness later this month Winter Comfort joining forces with Cambridge United and the Cambridge United foundation for the Sleep out for Cambridge a Sleep out challenge at the Abbey Stadium Use Director of football Mark Bonner is taking part. Fans are invited to join in. Registration still open. Open Both the great fundraising and awareness event an opportunity to shed light on the homeless situation in Cambridge and the community coming together. Thank you. James, the fundraising manager at Winter Comfort and a Barnett fan who is getting a bit fed up with all the Cambridge bias on the party at My apologies for that and Neil's been in touch to say the triangle that is just brilliantly coincidental. Kevin Nolan's transfer history communication strategy gets discussed on the pod as in I've just signed for Newcastle Slamming the door on the same day Kevin Nolan's current transfer strategy fails due to a docusign mishap Wouldn't happen to the LinkedIn Liam. Yes. So on transfer deadline day, two of Northampton's targets, Kev Nolan, the manager of Northampton. Two forwards slipped through his grasp apparently they'd agreed a deal. One of the players in question wasn't able to travel to the club's training ground in time so was sent forms via docusign to complete which he forgot to do. We were gutted One was because a Premier League club didn't want to let their lad out and one forgot to sign the DocuSign. We said he told BBC Radio Northampton following Tuesday's to all drop Barnsley. I mean, you know, basically send anyone a docusign they will just click okay, okay, okay, okay, okay. Without reading anything.

[Dan Bardell]

They always go to junk mail in my experience so it might be a case of he didn't check his junk mail.

[Barry Glendenning]

Right.

[Dan Bardell]

Obviously killed him at the death there.

[Max Rushden]

Sure. But I guess if you're Surely his agent has said have you got the docusign from Northampton Town? Maybe check the junk folder. Maybe if we all check our junk folder. Kevin Nolan's tried to sign all of us and. And none of us know and now we have to get a new link. Send us a new link. Gavin.

[Barry Glendenning]

I saw his offer but I just don't want to go to North Hammond.

[Max Rushden]

It's fair enough. Anyway, that'll do for today. Thanks everybody. Thanks, Dan.

[Dan Bardell]

Thank you, Max.

[Max Rushden]

Cheers, Barry.

[Barry Glendenning]

Thanks. Oh, could I formally apologize? I was out running yesterday and Football Weekly Listener on a lime bike recognized me and cycled alongside me for a couple of hundred meters is having a chat about how well Sunderland are doing in the Premier League. I have to say I didn't really get given my full attention and was slightly annoyed because he was cycling just a little bit too fast for me to be able to keep up with him. So if, if I was in any way rude and I tried not to be, I am sorry.

[Max Rushden]

It's actually quite hard to cycle, as I imagine, as slowly as you run on a line bike because they're just propelling you forward. He actually probably did quite well to go as slowly as you can. Did. But anyway, yes, thanks for your support. Thank you, Sam.

[Sam]

You're welcome.

[Max Rushden]

Football Weekly is produced by Joel Grove. Our executive producer is Daniel Stevens. We'll be back on Monday.

[Sam]

This is the Guardian.

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