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Football Weekly
Manchester City rip control of Premier League title race away from Arsenal: Football Weekly
01:02:31
Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Barney Ronay and John Brewin to discuss a wild weekend in the Premier League
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- [00:00]
Barney Ronay
This is the Guardian. We're lost and kickoff's coming up. I don't want to miss the lineup. I'm gonna ask that man for directions.
- [00:18]
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Hi there. We're trying to get to the stadium. Well, you're gonna take a left at the old oak tree at this here road.
- [00:25]
Barney Ronay
Nah, I'm just kidding.
- [00:26]
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Let me get my phone out.
- [00:27]
John Brewin
How is their signal out here?
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Barney Ronay
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- [00:39]
Max Rushden
Okay, here's the turn.
- [00:41]
John Brewin
Actually, can you pull up the way to a T Mobile store?
- [00:44]
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- [01:37]
Max Rushden
Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. Some job to squeeze all this into an hour. Man City win the kind of title decider in a great game at the Etihads. Well done to all of us if we avoid saying fine margins. Eze off the post could have won it for Arsenal. Gabriel too. Then Havertz inches over for a point in injury time. All would make this conversation very different. But as it is, City have the momentum. Haaland with the key goal holding off Gabriel. That was a great battle. And Arsenal attacked like we all wanted them to. Maybe they should have just stayed being boring. From there to the bottom. An absolute gut punch for spurs in injury time. The sad, sad eyes of Xavi Simmons Leed had already hammered Wolves. They're surely safe. Forest must be close too after beating Burnley. All eyes on West Ham who go to a Palace side still out after winning in Europe on Thursday in the Champions League race. Villa beat Sunderland in one of the games of the season. The Liverpool win the first Merseyside Derby at the Hill. Dickinson and Manchester United have one shot on target and it's enough to win at Chelsea. Eddie Howe still under pressure. Bert Leno with the save of the season. Some lovely emails, your questions, and that's today's Guardian Football Week. Cleave. On the panel today, Barry Glendenning. Welcome.
- [02:42]
Barry Glendenning
Hi, Max.
- [02:43]
Max Rushden
Hello. John Bruin. Hello and good morning. Barney, Ronne.
- [02:46]
Barney Ronay
Hi, Max. Hi, everyone.
- [02:48]
Max Rushden
Let's start then at the Etihad. Man City 2, Arsenal 1. You were there, Barney. Probably the biggest game of the season. How was it for you?
- [02:56]
Barney Ronay
Well, it was. It was really surprising. It was a surprising occasion. You know, sport shocks us yet again because it was a really good open game. I mean, it was actually great. It was kind of thrilling, like you couldn't take your eyes off it. And it was just an occasion of paradoxes as well. Just as a kind of trigger warning, I will use the phrase fine margins. You're very welcome to, but only in a kind of. In an interesting. There are fine margins in my use of the phrase fine margins, that there are so many sort of paradoxes around this game because obviously everyone in Manchester, the train driver on the way up was talking about Arsenal bottling the League.
- [03:42]
Max Rushden
What in his. Sort of like, the next stop is Stockport, you know, that kind of thing.
- [03:47]
Barney Ronay
Yes. As we arrived in Manchester, he said, and on. I'm not going to do an accent on your left, you'll see the Etihad Stadium. Understand tickets still available on the door, ten pounds. And there was a kind of. And then he said, and Arsenal fans, on your way home, please just remember to be nice to our staff after you've bowled the League again. And it was like, stuff. It was banter, sphere. It was. Oi, oi. It was, you know, it was great. You know, the whole train was involved in the banter and that was good. But even as I was walking to the ground, there was an Uber driver driving along. Well, he's a taxi driver. He shouted Bottlers out the window. Like a group of. And I mean, I caught the brunt of it. And I, I said, yeah, I mean, fair enough. I, I probably. It's probably fair, but. So that was the kind of vibe. But did Arsenal bottle it? And the answer is that they didn't bottle it because they played well and they attacked and all that kind of stuff, but they kind of did because where against Bournemouth will be the take from that? And then you say, well, it was a game of really fine margins as a. Hitting the post just before City score and Havertz at the end. But it's also structural, isn't it? Those are not elements of luck. Like, the hard facts are that those margins are kind of financial. It's not chance. Harland is a much better player than Victor Jocherez, even though they basically cost the same. But Holland has paid a great deal more. And this is a financial game. It's about wage bills. City squad and management is the best thing they could possibly buy. And they're charged with breaking financial rules at the same time, which they might get away with it, but, you know, come on. So it's a financial game, there are fine margins, but football is entirely dominated by money. So this nation state project is going to win the league again, but at the same time, it's a beautiful thing. And the best player was Nico O'Reilly, who's an Academy player who's been coached into this really interesting role by Pep. And he was fantastic yesterday. And the is good, but it doesn't really matter because without $2 billion in a nation state, all that doesn't exist. I'm spinning in a world of paradox. I mean, if you steal a Picasso, it's still a Picasso and you've still stolen it, but it's still really beautiful and cities still deserve to win. So I'm just talking and talking about Para. And the paradox is that I thought this was probably going to be a really interesting point to make, but paradoxically it's not. But that is why the game is endless and why we'll talk about endlessly. And why football, you try to destroy it. People have been trying to destroy it for a really long time, but you sort of can't kill the spirit because something about it remains endlessly fascinating and beautiful and you will never get to the end of what the truth really is. But yeah, yeah, Max was a good game.
- [06:39]
Max Rushden
Thank you, Barney. And that's all we have time for today. The executive producer is. I mean, you talk about that, and I suppose that that beauty is totally encapsulated by John, by the feet of Ray and Cherky there. Because in that moment, you're not thinking about all of the million paradoxes we've just heard of. You're just going, wow, somebody with that balance and grace who can move like this. That is astonishing.
- [07:04]
John Brewin
Cherky provides a fig leaf over a lot of things because of the beauty of what he provides. But if we're going down Barney's commercial route, he was picked up in a fire sale from Leon who were going bust and they got him for A relatively cheap price for 21 year old player who is one of the most talented players in France and Manchester City get the use of him and. But brilliant player, brilliant goal and Nico O'Reilly is just as good a player. You know, local Manchester lad and Arsenal played their part by playing football in a fashion that perhaps wasn't that comfortable for them. Wasn't how they've done it this season. Did they pay the price for that? Perhaps a little. The game was perhaps more chaotic than Mikel Arteta wanted. And if we're talking images of the season after the Havertz miss.
- [07:58]
Max Rushden
Yeah.
- [07:59]
John Brewin
The fact that Arteta couldn't even stand his feet just sort of fell to the floor and those, those gray chinos just you know, up in the camera. And then of course you know Declan Rice who I think he's a guy who's aware the cameras are on him so says, you know, it's not done, it's not done as he picks himself up the floor and it isn't done. And the funny thing about this game was it was billed as the title decider but actually it isn't decided at all yet, is it? And now we have the run in. So the hype machine rolls on and now we've got the shoot out to the end of the season. So all the better for it. All the better for us to talk about. Arsenal and Manchester City are supplying a great title race. All, all the better for business to follow Barney's run of thinking.
- [08:50]
Max Rushden
I mean, I suppose the point being that had Arsenal got something out of this game, it really does change the title race, Barry. But right now it's so close and I was surprised, I think like a lot of people, by how open and how good a game it was.
- [09:02]
Barry Glendenning
I think Arsenal deserve credit for what they did yesterday. We've criticized them at great length this season for being risk averse, overly cautious, playing belt and braces football. And they didn't do that yesterday. They were brave, they were aggressive, they got men forward in droves. They even when the score was one all and a scoreline which suited them, they continued to play front foot football and ultimately they're finishing. Let them down that shot Eberichie as they cracked off the post that goes in could have been an entirely different result. I think a draw would have been fair. I, I find myself this morning feeling an emotion I, I don't think I've ever felt before, which is a mild sympathy for Arsenal fans and I hope it doesn't last. I'll probably go and have have a shower after this podcast. But I. I thought they were terrific and like Barney says, City just have better players. But I was surprised by the approach yesterday and impressed by it, and I thought they were a little bit unlucky.
- [10:17]
Barney Ronay
I agree. I think Arsenal will be really glad this game is out of the way because there's been lots of branding chat and kind of like talk about fire and let's come up with a good slogan to suggest that we're feeling positive in the really difficult, tense time. But actually there is life there. They played well and they will look at the games they've got left and think, we can actually win all those if we play like that. So, oddly, it was an encourag, encouraging defeat against their main rivals who can overhaul them at the top of the table. I think that you'll be feeling relief in a way, if you're an Arsenal fan, because even though you didn't win, the team played well and had heart and played with some soul and that's good. It didn't look like an institution that's crumbling, choking, dying and all the rest of it. So I noticed on Match of the Day too, that both Waza and Danny Murphy had Arsenal as title favorites, which I think is a bit odd. Arsenal have lost four of their last six games, two of those against Bournemouth, Southampton and two against their biggest rivals, which is not, you know, it's not title form, is it? But there will be an odd sense of relief about it in that it's clarified things in a way, and you just have the games left. But I would say, I wanted to say also, I think maybe a goal that might ultimately win City the title is not Harlan's goal last night, but Harlan's goal at the Emirates in the Autumn, which was a breakaway goal. It was an incredible breakaway goal. The length of the pitch when City not in their best state. And Arsenal actually had a relatively, I think, open team that day and they got really caught. And since then they've gone massively, they've gone pretty cautious. In a lot of games, there's been obsession with not being caught on the transition, with being kind of gatherers rather than hunters. You know, they're kind of going to make a massive store of nuts and seeds and they're going to win the league that way, rather than by going out and killing a coyote every two
- [12:13]
Max Rushden
squirrel, they're going to squirrel their way.
- [12:15]
Barney Ronay
Yeah, they've been squirreling points, squirrel in goals, squirreling clean sheets, and that's the way we'll do it. Because we can win that way because City are not that good and we'll win. And I think that goal had an effect on the way they've played and I think that experience and Mikola Test is in his first job, even though they've come second three times. It's, you know, he is learning, he's quite young and Pep Guardiola is his mentor. And I think that was a bruising goal. And if it had not happened, there may have been games where they played slightly differently or moments where they played slightly differently. And I think that goal was probably as important as the goal. I don't know. As important as the goal. Yes, they may be in terms of ultimate points to. To where they've gone this season and if they'd played with the elan that they played with yesterday at times, even quite early on in, in other games, I think they probably have more points now. But that's a learning thing. So oddly, an encouraging crushing defeat. Another paradox there, Max. That's a paradox.
- [13:12]
Max Rushden
Yes, right, I understand. I wish I remembered that goal because I would have. I would have sort of been thinking about it.
- [13:17]
Barney Ronay
Oh, can you not remember? It was really good. He basically, the length of the pitch, it was brilliant. He basically ran through the whole team. It was a fantastic goal in a one all draw. And I think it bruised Arteta a bit and bruised his thinking a bit and affected what he did tactically from there.
- [13:32]
Max Rushden
No, still don't. But I completely take your word for it. There's no reason not to believe you on this, Barney, on, on this goal, John, this Harland one. I mean, it was him holding off Gabrielle, which was. It was a really good fun. Two strong people just pushing each other around for 90 minutes.
- [13:48]
John Brewin
Yes. And afterwards Haaland said, you know, he enjoyed playing against him, thinks he's a great player. There was respect, you know. You know, you know after boxing matches when the players hug each other in that sort of manly embrace of respect. That's pretty much what he said. And then of course, obviously there's the headbutt incident, which, you know, it looked to me like a red card, you know, at that point fans of other clubs claim, well, how come that can't be a red card when this thing happened to my club or whatever. But as Harlan said, if he'd gone to the floor, then it probably would have been a red car. But he saved him. And maybe there was an element of respect within him not doing that. Harlan said, I saw an interview with Peter Schmeichel where he said, Oh, I don't normally do that type of thing. The wind up and then Schmeichel looked at him and he said actually yeah, I do sometimes, but not this time, you know. And it was almost as if they love going up against each other and that was, that was the key battle. Unfortunately for Arsenal at the key moment the winning goal was when Haaland got away. And this is a Haaland that since the turn of the year hasn't been the player he was when he was scoring the goal that Barney talked about. He's been a little bit off it. There has been a suspicion that maybe he doesn't fit together with Semenya as much as he'd like. But this is it, isn't it? The big moments. You mentioned Joker as Jocherez came on and did not touch the ball and this is the gap in quality. And I think if Arsenal get to the end of the season, haven't won the title, they might wonder whether they could have saved some of the money and put the money towards a top, top striker rather than go for Jocherez who was a cheaper option I suppose a ready made option because he was 27. Because I don't think Joker is, has been as bad as some of the, of the press of certain people have said that, you know, he's been a total flop. I think he's, he's done his job. But the player was going to say was that they could have signed Alexander Isaac but maybe that wouldn't have worked out either. But you know, but that's the sort of, that's the level of player that maybe they should have signed. And if there's one thing that I felt are select in this game and that's evidenced by the Havertz miss, it's the killer instinct, isn't it, that once Arteta decided that his team could have that freedom of expression, you've got to have an end product to it and it wasn't quite there.
- [16:17]
Barry Glendenning
It crossed my mind that that show of respect and sportsmanship by Haaland towards Gabrielle could come back to bite City because if Haaland goes down, Gabrielle goes, gets sent off, I think it's definitely. He's going to have to serve a band. He scores quite a lot of important goals for Arsenal and he's now going to have whatever it is, an extra two games. He might not have had to score in potentially title deciding goals for Arsenal. But it, you know, I'm, I may be overthinking, I may be going full pep.
- [16:54]
Max Rushden
No, I think It's a, actually a good point I hadn't thought of. Bob says should head on head rutting just be codified and allowed in the game. As long as there isn't a. But just let the players do it. Perhaps award possession to the winner like they'd won a scrum in rugby. I mean, I, I've always liked the heads attached to pushing each other's head. Yeah, that's just a bit of, a bit of the game to see who, you know, who bluffs first and you know, Gabrielle, I, I don't know. I've never been in that position, so I've never known. Are you, are you both tempted to like force your head forward? Like, like what's the. I mean, I'm looking at this call, I can't see that many head rushes.
- [17:29]
Barney Ronay
Well, Max, you know, if you want to, if you want to go deep into the technique of headbutting, you're talking to the right people.
- [17:36]
Max Rushden
Okay. Millwall's finest.
- [17:38]
Barney Ronay
Yeah, yeah, of course, yeah.
- [17:40]
John Brewin
They had, they had in the sky studio, didn't they? Had Vieira and Keane, didn't they? You know, there's a classic image of a game from 1999, 2000, of Keane and Vieira, just their faces pressed up against each other as I suppose a signifier of that being the ultimate man on man rivalry of when men were men and the Premier League was full of real men. And I, I think sky dropped drop one really by not showing that footage and saying, lads, is this actually how you do it? You know, is this is the game gone here? You know, because we always talk about that, that the forward in that head butting, rutting situation, it's always about the forward movement, isn't it? It's like, you know, you go back the river. What was the forward movement? What? Oh, oh, I'm not seeing forward movement there. Oh, are we seeing. Forward? Yeah, it's.
- [18:29]
Barney Ronay
I mean, like, like me, most of you probably yearn for a time when men were men.
- [18:34]
John Brewin
Yes.
- [18:36]
Max Rushden
And there was a headbutting each other out on the street, left, right and center.
- [18:40]
Barney Ronay
But I thought that yesterday men, men were actually men.
- [18:43]
John Brewin
Yeah.
- [18:44]
Barney Ronay
Because the, the Harland Gabrielle thing was nice. I thought. You're right. There was a respect. I like the way Harlan. Didn't even occur to him to fall over. And it was a good battle and the finish was incredible because he was doing something with his arm, which was really important, which was holding off Gabrielle at the same time, he was doing a really precise thing with his left foot, right arm, left foot there's the whole thing about Phil Collins, obviously is that he can drum and sing at the same time. Which is drummers tell me is really, really hard. It's really, really hard to drum and sing to drum in that way. Where he does like the break in. In the air tonight and he's singing at the same time or he comes in on it. That's apparently really, really difficult. And there are live performances where there are drummers kind of marveling at the fact that he can do that. And I would put being able to hold off Gabrielle, feeling respect for Gabrielle at that moment and also slotting the ball into the corner with your left foot up there with that kind of.
- [19:45]
Max Rushden
Right.
- [19:46]
Barney Ronay
That kind of level of coordination. Moment of the season, max.
- [19:49]
Max Rushden
So. So who has the more natural talent? Erling Harland or Phil Collins? Which is a talk sport phone in I have done in the past.
- [20:00]
John Brewin
Phil's not a bad actor either, you know.
- [20:02]
Max Rushden
Okay. Yeah, Buster.
- [20:03]
Barry Glendenning
Yeah.
- [20:04]
Max Rushden
Not a bad movie, eh?
- [20:05]
John Brewin
Don Henley of the Eagles was also a singing drummer of course, and would sing Hotel California while playing the. Knocking out the drum beat to that suppose. Singing drummer. I suppose it isn't as hard as singing and playing the bass, supposedly the. One of the hardest disciplines.
- [20:20]
Barney Ronay
Is that right?
- [20:21]
John Brewin
Yeah, which is why Paul McCartney is, you know, the king of. Of music in many people's respects. Phil Linnet and people like that. It's you sort of singing against yourself.
- [20:33]
Barney Ronay
Ringo did not drum when he sung. He sang, did he? Paul McCartney would drum on.
- [20:38]
John Brewin
I believe McCartney plays.
- [20:42]
Max Rushden
Feel like this is a different podcast.
- [20:43]
John Brewin
Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is the word podcast. Yeah.
- [20:47]
Max Rushden
If I can. If I can take you to the running, Barry, man. City have Burnley away midweek, their game in hand. Everton away. Brentford home. Bournemouth away. Palace home. Villa home. Arsenal have Newcastle at home. Fulham at home. West Ham away. Burnley at home. Palace away. So who wins the title for you, Baz?
- [21:04]
Barry Glendenning
Oh, man, I don't know. The presumption is that City will go to Burnley on Wednesday and absolutely batter them and goal trop on goal difference. And it's difficult to see any other outcome of that game. But after that there's so many factors to take into account, you know, will palace have a European final to contend with? Will they have just won a European trophy and all be drunk? I haven't looked at the dates for that yet. How bad will Newcastle be when they go to Arsenal next weekend? Will Eddie Howe get reaction? Fulham are up and down. You don't know what you're going to get from them. I don't know. So it's coin toss, but it's not over.
- [21:51]
John Brewin
I was going to say. Do you remember this? I think it was the 20023 Scottish Premier League season or when Celtic and Rangers went to a final day turkey shoot when it was about who scored the most goals in the game.
- [22:05]
Max Rushden
Oh, yeah.
- [22:06]
John Brewin
I think that's what. That would be the ultimate Premier League content driver, wouldn't it just, you know, you've got to score six, they've scored, they've scored a fourth and then it cuts to the other game and they've got to score five. Yeah, that's what we want, isn't it? That's what we want.
- [22:22]
Barney Ronay
That would be good if they were continually cutting to Arsenal, scoring from corners like they score seven goals. Identical corner. Well, Cherokee's. I mean, isn't it just obvious though? I mean, City are in really good form and Arsenal are not in good form. And so you have to say that City are favorites and they do have very, very experienced manager who knows that he's won 12 league titles. So I've also, I've been in City's last two games, Chelsea and. No, maybe their last three games, whatever it is. And I thought they just have that energy about them now that they feel good. And Pep is playing it really well. He's leaning into being super relaxed. Pep, like non robot Pep. He's up. He's found someone more robotic than him and it makes him good. He's. He's, he's wearing slightly looser trousers. He. He's joking in press conference. He seems really. And he, he knows what he's doing with that. He talks about not. I'm not really telling the players what to do. I'm just telling them to feel good and go for it. I don't believe that for a second. No, but it, it's almost like a deliberate kind of. It's like a Fergie style, very subtle mind games with someone you know. Really? Really. I mean, he knows Mikola Teta so well. It's like the way you can. You can annoy your spouse by saying something that nobody from the outside would even know was like, oh, oh, this milk semi skimmed and that, you know, that's just like the most brutal jab into the. Oh, my God.
- [23:52]
Max Rushden
It's.
- [23:52]
Barney Ronay
I feel it's like that when he says things in press conferences and it's like, it's like he's just come out with the most. They know what they're doing and I think Pep feels very much in control of who's on top of the kind of mutual spouse guilt register today.
- [24:05]
Max Rushden
This aubergine is slightly undercooked. Bang, it all starts.
- [24:09]
Barney Ronay
We're going to go to your mum's again, okay? And that's just like, whoa.
- [24:14]
Max Rushden
Anyway, that's the title race. We'll go to the bottom of the table in just a second.
- [24:23]
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- [24:55]
John Brewin
Foreign.
- [25:01]
Max Rushden
To part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. So the bottom of the Premier League looks like this. Wolves 17, Burnley 20 and then Tottenham 31 points from 33. After that draw with Brighton West Ham 32 from 32. They go to palace tonight. Forest 36 from 33 and Leeds 39 from 33. Let's begin at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. Dave says what are the chances of city getting an 80 point deduction for the 115 charges before the end of the season? Yours and nervous Spurs F fan Sweetie says, is anyone in world football able to look more sad than Javi Simmons? Maybe he's taken that title from Gabrielle. Jesus. I've got to say, John, that is the most deflated I've been by a goal, perhaps since Croatia England. I mean, I just, I felt bereft. I didn't really believe it had gone in. I watched it. I was like, that can't have gone in. I'd been rehearsing the kind of Look Tottenham are 16. It's fine. The Deserbi bounce is here. They've won a football match. This is extraordinary. Like, it all looks different. The players are hugging and then just this. There's something about that. Football can do this. And we did it on the radio yesterday about just, there is just a goal that just sucks the wind out of you. And most people messaging the show said were West Ham fans saying that Gerard's goal in the FA cup final, they just, you know, it's just unbearable. But that was for Tottenham. That was absolutely disastrous, Barry. Meanwhile, John burst out laughing. But I'm interested to know what your reaction was.
- [26:27]
John Brewin
Okay, I'll refrain from laughing. Though I did confess at the time, I watched it in the Chelsea press room. And as soon as the, you know, seven minutes of added time went on, Sam Wallace from the Telegraph turned to me and said, you know what's going to happen, don't you? And, yes, that it happened. And we all knew that this was going to happen, that this goal was going to come in. And we also knew that Xavi Simmons celebration of the winner that he scored, it was too much on 70 minutes, which means that there's 20 minutes plus, plus a lot more to go. It just. Oh, I mean, yes. Is it a killer blow? I mean, the results were not great for Tottenham. It was. I just, you know, and de Zerbi is almost as helpless. It's a bit better, but it's still not enough. And back to Javi Simmons, you know, it was cramping up. And then he. Then he. Then there's that. That. The. Still. The picture. I sent it to you, of his face. And we get sometimes a bit too much. We get criticism for social media, but it's the fact that on social media, he puts up the picture of his goal celebration. We're still fighting, and it's like, oh, but do you remember the bit where I scored this? And, you know, and the celebration with the fans, and it's like. It's like. I mean, clearly he himself didn't do that. There's someone else who's done that for him. It's like, maybe judge your moment a little better, mate. It's. Oh, Tottenham, wow. I mean, we've said this before. Tottenham, as much as the, you know, Barney was at the Grand Slam Sunday of all Grand Slams, and there's. Tottenham are the story this season. It's just amazing. And we're being treated to this. This horror story, and I just can't get enough of it. I just want to watch Top the whole time. I just. I just love it.
- [28:24]
Max Rushden
Oh, yeah. And Barney, like, I mean, I know it's not luck if you're there, but how's your luck? You know, Matoma turned into Van Basten. Rootez finish isn't easy. Meanwhile, Morgan Gibbs White, who you almost. You basically signed, scores a hat trick somewhere else. You know, Crystal palace are out on the piss on Thursday night and they're playing West Ham. You're like, oh, for God's. You know, it's
- [28:47]
Barney Ronay
Max. Luck's got nothing to do with it.
- [28:49]
Max Rushden
Okay, okay, fine.
- [28:50]
Barney Ronay
You're right. I mean, shall we go through the managerial appointments and sackings?
- [28:55]
Max Rushden
No, you don't know I know, I know, I know.
- [28:58]
Barney Ronay
What was the luck like there?
- [28:59]
Max Rushden
Yeah, I know.
- [29:00]
Barney Ronay
I mean, the good news for people who like to consume spurs content and who, who can only nourish themselves on spurs spurs tears, you know, bottles stock preppers stockpiling enormous bottles of plastic maxi packs of spurs tears in their garages is that many more games are now becoming spurs games. So tonight West Ham play Crystal palace and that's a, that's an ultimate spurs game, isn't it? Because I think if West Ham win that, you know, I might start to believe like it really is a problem then because spurs will be four points off safety and that's fine. But when you don't really look like getting any points, four points is quite a lot of points. And I, I feel that relegation might, might be a good thing in some ways. I mean, not a good thing in commercially terrible but you know, we've done commercially. That really work out. Did it? It might be like a baptism, a cleansing. Cleanse yourself in the fire. Maybe there's a. That's the arc here, I think. I do think Deserbi is a really good manager and he sort of looks good in the stadium. The stadium looks good on him. I can see that. I mean, he looks like a caterpillar, but he also looks good in the stadium. Does he look like a caterpillar? A bit, yeah. A nice caterpillar. Like quite.
- [30:17]
Max Rushden
Okay, fine. Yeah. Like a big furry one. Or the hungry caterpillar.
- [30:21]
Barney Ronay
Like a cartoon caterpillar.
- [30:23]
John Brewin
Okay.
- [30:25]
Barney Ronay
He actually looks a lot. Have you ever seen that the world stare out competition? He really, really looks like the Italian champion of stare out.
- [30:34]
Max Rushden
Check it out.
- [30:35]
Barney Ronay
But he's a really good manager and I believe in his kind of passion for the game and his innovative. If you just scorched earth, just burn it all down, give it to Deserby, go and play Lincoln and come back. That might be what spurs need in some ways because it's not working at the moment. Being commercial project's not really working, is it?
- [30:55]
Max Rushden
No, they were slightly better, Barry. I mean that's a. That's a. That's something to cling to.
- [31:00]
Barry Glendenning
Yeah, it's not much. It's like that door Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet were clinging to after the Titanic. Spurs haven't quite gone down yet, but it was their best performance in a while. The press, the Harris they tried to force or they did force Bart for broken into mistakes. I still think they'll be okay. Obviously the Wolves game is massive and if they don't Beat Wolves comfortably. They deserve to be relegated, but I think they'll go to Wolves, beat them and that will be the catalyst for maybe another couple of wins, which should be enough. I'm like John and everyone else. I can't get enough of this. Absolutely. Car crash. It's. It's just hilarious.
- [31:54]
John Brewin
It feels. It feels to me like somewhere perhaps in Britain or perhaps it's. They're stuck already on the Straits of Hormuz. There's a. There's a consignment of spurs tears at bottles that are being readied for when this
- [32:11]
Max Rushden
is it. Like, is it. Is this a North London? It's a boat that's going to North London and it's got half spurs tears and half Arsenal. Spurs tears in Arsenal bottles?
- [32:20]
Barney Ronay
Yeah. I mean, which do you prefer it is the new still or sparkling? Isn't it like. I don't know. I don't know. Maybe we need to. Maybe the real message here is we need to transition away from Northland reliance on North London tears. Maybe. Maybe we need to think about alternative tier sources of. Of hydration.
- [32:39]
Max Rushden
Well, I mean, I suppose there will be no. If Arsenal win the league and spurs stay up, then suddenly it's like a joint parade that they'll have around North London.
- [32:48]
Barney Ronay
It is interesting that this is what powering the kind of Premier League. That's like the story of the season, isn't it? It's kind of more about the kind of agony and failure. These are two sort of incredible narrative arcs. That's sort of how the Premier League is entertaining us this season. That's what the story has become. This kind of bantersphere inverse entertainment stuff where you enjoy everything around. Football seems so much bigger than football these days. The kind of endless game that happens between the games. Like you only need to watch the games, do you? I mean you just need to see the pictures afterwards. And Xavi Simon's eyes, are they more important than his goal?
- [33:31]
Max Rushden
You should listen to the podcasts afterwards, I think. I think that feels like an important part of consuming this whole thing. But yes, I'm just really upsetting. Anyway, look, Kevin Dancer obviously should have put it in Rose Zed. I thought actually Williams was quite interesting on that goal about Pedro Poro being in completely the wrong place. And that is how it led to. To. To Dancer making the mistake. But then obviously non white player makes mistake, gets a lot of racist abuse. It's so depressing. In a statement the club said they've reported the significant and abhorrent abuse to the police. And the authorities, we will push for the strongest possible action against each and every person we identify. Kevin Danso said, the abuse doesn't define me, won't distract me from what's important. I know who I am, what I stand for and why I play. The Premier League. Said discriminatory abuse is absolutely no place in football or wider society and it is, you know, as depressing as it is unsurprising. And Dancer actually had a really, not that it is relevant, but had a really good game in for Romero until that moment. So that the other results didn't go for Tottenham, but they did go for Forest and Leeds forest beat Burnie 4:1. I don't know at half time, Barry, if you thought, oh, this might not work out for Forest.
- [34:39]
Barry Glendenning
Well, at half time I was watching a different game, so I didn't really have an opinion on whether it would work out for Forest. But it did work out for Forest Forest and it was very much the Morgan Gibbs White show. He scored an excellent hat trick. Igor Jesus wrapped it up far Forest in the end. Burnley were pretty pathetic even though they did take the lead. That goal they scored was quite funny actually because the Hartman Cross seemed to take an absolute eternity to trundle its way through this very narrow gap and into the path of ZN Fleming. And he scored. I. I would imagine Forest Hearts were in mouths at that point, but they ran out very straightforward and easy winners in the end.
- [35:30]
Max Rushden
Gibbs White was brilliant in this game, John. And like they'd obviously beaten Fiorentina on Thursday night to set up this Europa League semi final with Aston Villa, you know, which feels very early 80s as a European fixture to me. But it will be interesting to see like Vito Pereira's done a really, actually a really good job since being the 15th manager that Forest have had this season.
- [35:50]
John Brewin
He has and he's repeated the job he did at Wils last season. And obviously we've talked quite a bit on this part about who are the new, you know, Red Adair Modern Reference there. Who are the new rescue? The ferryman. Vitor Pereira is going to be that guy, isn't he? Because he's not going to be at Forest for a long time. We know that. Just look at his cv. But next season there will be a club struggling towards the bottom of the table. Let's say it's. It's West Ham. Who's the call going into Vitor, you know, nice to see perhaps be shaking Vitor's hand again and wishing him luck, which. And, and he will be. And that's that. That's what he does. And, and I suppose it actually is similar to what he did with Wolves last season. The best players get to shine and Morgan Gibbs White probably is not in Forest's best player give or take a couple of the defenders. He's the player Tottenham really could do with this season. But that deal didn't happen quite famously and he's a hell of a player and he's a real asset to that club. And yeah, Nottingham Forest, the Aston Villa. I'm seeing Cloughy, I'm seeing Ron Saunders, I'm seeing some off offhand remarks about each other. It's got it all, hasn't it? Unfortunately we're in 2026.
- [37:13]
Barney Ronay
Yeah.
- [37:14]
Max Rushden
That header from Gibbs White was absolutely brilliant as well for, for the hat trick, wasn't it? Meanwhile, leeds beat Wolves 3 nil. And that barney is an amazing week for Leeds to to win at Manchester United. Then to okay, Wolves are obviously bottom but to dispatch them so early in that game and relax them to get on to 39 points. It's probably enough.
- [37:31]
Barney Ronay
Oh, I think so. Yeah. I think they're okay now. And I'm really pleased with Daniel Farker who you know sometimes feels a bit like he is fortunes full, kind of born to suffer in this league. But he's so pleased and he's so happy with what's happened there. And Leeds are a good club in the Premier League. I was talking to Dave Heitner who was actually at the Man United Leeds game and he said that the atmosphere of the whole game was really good. He'd almost forgotten because Dave spent his time following spurs at Arsenal. He forgot about the sort of joy of being in some of those stadium. This was Old Trafford. But he said the Stratford End even when they were losing was really good. The away fans were really good. And he did a kind of northern propaganda rant about those kind of games and those kind of teams playing each other. I mean I love watching Leeds and the. The atmosphere they generate feels big. It feels like it belongs in, in the league. And I think Falker's done a really good job of staying cool in the second half of the season. I certainly thought they were going to be the people who saved spurs. But unfortunately not.
- [38:36]
Max Rushden
No. 5 and 5 for no Okafor as well. The pass from Aronson was absolutely beautiful for that goal. Wolves relegation could be confirmed tonight if West Ham beat Crystal palace or when West Ham beat Crystal Palace. So the run ins then spurs go to Wolves go to Villa home to Leeds Away to Chelsea, home to Everton. West Ham are away to palace tonight. They'll have Everton at home, Brentford away. Arsenal at home, Newcastle at home, Leeds at home. What do you reckon, John?
- [39:05]
John Brewin
I. I want the Tottenham. I don't necessarily want something to go down, but I want the Tottenham drama to. You know, it would have been disappointing if they beaten Brighton and we've got this sort of. Oh, actually going to be safe now. That would be really disappointing. I want this to go.
- [39:18]
Max Rushden
You want last day. You want sort of last day, sort of Barry Horn Everton type as it stands.
- [39:24]
John Brewin
Yeah, I want that. I want that. I want. I want tickers. I want. Yeah, I just want total excitement. I want phone to be buzzing and all. Oh, Tottenham losing, you know. Yeah. WhatsApp message. I want that. I think that's. I think that's what, that's what we need. That's what I mean. I'm into the content, you know, we're in a content world. We want a content driver of a final day, don't we?
- [39:45]
Barney Ronay
Yeah. Can I agree with that? Sorry. At first I probably think that, like, we want them to go down or something. Or something. Not. Not at all. I just. I just love the drama. I don't care if it goes to the final moment.
- [39:56]
Barry Glendenning
I would like.
- [39:56]
Barney Ronay
I just.
- [39:57]
Barry Glendenning
I want them to go down.
- [40:00]
Barney Ronay
I'll be okay if they don't. I just want to feel something, you know, some kind of feeling to happen and, and, and right now that's happening.
- [40:09]
Max Rushden
So you've got this last day where, where City and Arsenal are just having this goal out. Meanwhile, there's just sort of agony at, at the London Stadium and, and good that West Ham and Tottenham are both at home. Like, that's perfect, isn't it? Because their fans are both just absolutely desperate. These, you know, these two miserable stadiums.
- [40:27]
Barry Glendenning
If I, if I peer into the future, I'm seeing a topless James Madison in the crowd being hugged by deliriously excited spurs fans. And unlike savvy Simmons, it's not. There aren't 20 minutes left. It's. It's the last minute of added time. The last of 11 minutes of added time. And they just about stay up by the skin of their teeth.
- [40:54]
Max Rushden
Then what happens is it cuts to the London Stadium and Thomas Suchek scores a header. Anyway, I just want to say that
- [41:07]
Barney Ronay
tears of tears of joy are just as nourishing as tears of tears of agony. I will also drink your tears of joy. North London clubs.
- [41:16]
Max Rushden
Fine, fine. Okay, that'll do for part two. Part three. We'll do the Champions League round price.
- [41:24]
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- [42:10]
Max Rushden
Welcome to Part three of the Guardian Football Weekly. We are live in New York on 16 July, desperately trying not to say New York in a New York to do our cod New York accents this. We're playing the Bowery Ballroom. We will have lived with each other for six weeks, me and Barry. So I mean, one of us, I might be dead because I can wind up Barry in a way that gives me such incredible joy that I think depending on how the World Cup's gone, there may be Fleetwood Max style tension on stage. Panel has yet to be confirmed, but I'm pretty sure, John, you're in New York with us, so it'd be disappointing for you if you didn't get the call. Since you're in the hotel.
- [42:47]
John Brewin
You're just gonna leave me at home? See you lads.
- [42:51]
Barry Glendenning
We're off.
- [42:52]
John Brewin
We're to the Bowery Ballroom. And what about you? What are you going to do tonight?
- [42:55]
Barney Ronay
Yeah, what, what is the Bowery Ballroom like? Is, is it a, is it a ballroom? Is it called Barry at the Bowery?
- [43:02]
Barry Glendenning
It's a very famous venue that has played host to the Beatles, among many stellar acts. Patty Smith, I think, plays a New Year's Eve residency there every year and it holds about 500 people standing, so it's quite, quite intimate.
- [43:20]
Max Rushden
All right. And terracing. We got, we got terracing for this.
- [43:24]
Barry Glendenning
Well, I was rather presuming they'd put chairs in, but I don't know.
- [43:29]
Max Rushden
Oh yeah, it's not really a, you know, it's not a mosh pit. You know, Barry's not going to crowd surf. Is he in the honor? Okay, well, let's see how it goes.
- [43:38]
Barry Glendenning
Nothing is off the table.
- [43:40]
Max Rushden
Go to theguardian.comfootballweekly live to get your tickets. Let's do the race for the Champions League spots. Then we which Feels pretty much sewn up after the weekend. Manchester United won at Chelsea. They're on 58 points. Villa on 58 after being Sunderland. Liverpool on 55 after winning at Everton late on and then there's a gap to 48 points. Chelsea another defeat. Brentford on 48 as well. Let's begin. Barry at Villa Park Villa 4, Sunderland 3. Absolutely brilliant finish to this game and that, you know within 40 seconds Sunderland could win this game unbelievably. Diaras through goes for the dink and if he squares it his mate as a tap in and then it goes down the other end and Tammy Abraham wins it. It was a brilliant game.
- [44:27]
Barry Glendenning
Yeah, a sensational game that probably, well, definitely isn't going to get the attention it deserves because there were more important games played over the weekend. But I, I didn't mind Sunderland losing this to be honest. They look dead and buried Then they came at 31 down, they got it back to 3 all then they should have made it 43 and ultimately lost 4 3. Brilliantly. See sawing game, some great performances from players on both sides. I thought John McGinn was excellent. Morgan Rogers good. Ollie Watkins obviously hitting for him at the right time. Sunderland, they let Villa score within two minutes of the start of each half. Didn't do themselves any favor in that regard. Cold start but a fantastic game. Probably just about deserved to win it. And I've no problem with with Sunderland losing really. It was disappointing when you see how close they came to actually snatching victory from the jaws of what looked like certain defeat. But as far as I'm concerned, those lads can put their feet up for the rest of the season. I'm not sure I'm particularly want them to qualify for Europe but then last season I thought they weren't ready for the Premier League. So you know, don't listen to me
- [45:49]
Max Rushden
Regis, I mean Jaden Sancho would be delighted because he had a nightmare two minutes where he gave it away twice. Sunderland scored twice, the poor bloke. And then Barney the. That, that one on one moment is quite interesting when you're a player that doesn't have many one on ones and I don't think Diara does and there is just. You can just see a million thoughts going through your head and like it isn't as easy as I think it, as I think we think it is.
- [46:15]
Barney Ronay
Yeah, it's like when defenders used to take penalties in shootouts and they've never really taken one before. Everyone likes to see that though, don't they? It's kind of it's. It's one of those moments where sport makes people do like a number 11 batting against you know a world class opening bow. You like to see it. I mean in my mind if I were presented with a one on one I would probably do the pele dummy where I run this way around the goalie. But I wouldn't miss. He misses but you know he does miss.
- [46:44]
Max Rushden
It's harder for. But I mean Diarra is running straight at Martinez so if he runs around the ball then Martinez will just probably
- [46:50]
Barney Ronay
look bad, wouldn't it?
- [46:51]
Max Rushden
Yeah.
- [46:51]
Barney Ronay
Can I say there was another moment. Can I just bring back to Arsenal. There was a moment. The goal, the winning goal came from Dondaruma throwing the ball up. Yes. Really well. And that felt transgressive. It's like you're not meant to. That was. He's really also. He's the only person on that pitch he looks like. Not really like a football athlete and he threw the ball. It was almost like a guilty little moment where you know you're meant to do midfielder things. You're meant to be part. But it really works. It was a brilliant throw and it was like the. It did feel transgressive the hands and. And that was kind of nice. That was a reclaiming of. Of normal people.
- [47:25]
Barry Glendenning
In Diara's defense I would say he. It's not like he made a total dog's breakfast of the dink. He did actually executed well. It was just a very, very good save. But yeah, he should have squared it. But it's easy to say that with the benefit of 2020 hindsight.
- [47:44]
Max Rushden
It is. Meanwhile Liverpool one at Everton. I mean this is a sickening for Everton, isn't it John? They could have gone within two points of Liverpool. They certainly deserved a point. You know they were so dominant until Salah scored and then to lose it like that. Oh yeah.
- [48:01]
John Brewin
And we've seen all the, you know the footage of Steven Gerrard jumping around a working man's club or whatever. Yes. In celebration and yeah. Evertonian tears, you know they'll be bottled up this week on in a factory on Merseyside somewhere, won't they? Because that was the one that got away. The old Goodison Derbys always seem to me to be a draw. And it felt like the hill Dickinson was headed in the same direction. And then Van Dijk just does this, doesn't he? He scores important goals and Liverpool again were grinding it out. It wasn't a great performance. Isaac who we mentioned before, you know, I think 16 touches on the ball or something like that. It just wasn't happening. Everton when I was watching the game Dewsbury hall just such an enjoyable player to watch and play some really nice stuff and they had that goal dislodged in the undoubted goal and it everson will feel this really did get away from them and all season it's a bit of pressure on Arne Slot. If they'd have drawn or lost this game the pressure would have piled right on. But it buys him some credibility doesn't it? And winning a derby game can. Can really draw a veil over a lot of sins, can't it? So great win for Liverpool. They will enjoy the weekend.
- [49:21]
Barry Glendenning
Bad I think what was interesting about this was that most of Liverpool's best performances came from players who have been much maligned this season. Salah, Gakpo, Virgil. But yeah I ever let this one get away from them. They should have drawn it at least.
- [49:44]
Max Rushden
Do you think. Do you think Barney if Liverpool get in the Champions League that will save slot or not?
- [49:48]
Barry Glendenning
Not.
- [49:48]
Barney Ronay
Yes I do because of the kind of club it is what has been. I mean there's a. You know there's no actual guarantee of that but I think winning. Winning a league title quite a big deal really isn't it? I know there's a lot of. There's a no to kind of discredit that and suggest that he was just picking. It was the end of the clock era. But I think if they get in the Champions League in the end they are run by a financial entity and that is all that really matters is that you keep that income coming in. So he'll have done that job and he probably deserves another go. The problem he's got is obviously that Xabi Alonso is sort of lurking unattached and would be spiritually appealing to Liverpool's fans. Although perhaps not necessarily in terms of the kind of football he likes to play which is quite patient and possession based and maybe not maybe closer to slots football than. Than some people might realize. But he's also more charismatic person and kind of has that feeling of big time about him which people and he's connected to the club but I think if they get in the Champions League I think it will. It will probably save him for now.
- [50:57]
Max Rushden
Yeah. Speaking of DNA to Stamford Bridge Chelsea nil Manchester United 1. A terrible weekend for Chelsea but you were there John to see Manchester United's one shot on target. But it's a big result for Carrick this isn't it?
- [51:10]
John Brewin
Yeah, huge result. Particularly after that Leeds performance. Which brought about much speculation that Big Sir Jim was not minded to turn to Carrick. But like Barney says with Liverpool, if United get into the Champions League and it is about the money, and let's face it, it's about the money, then Carrick, you'd have to say, has such a strong candidacy for a more permanent contract. United scored on the counter. They did so because Alejandro Garnacho did what he often did for Manchester United, which was to forget that there are other parts of the game that than showing off your bits of skill. Gerald Harto, similarly lax. Bruno Fernandes is such a brilliant player and you can't give him an inch like that. But I suppose my take from this game and the piece I wrote from the game is just the sheer emptiness of the Chelsea experience these days. You know, the hollowing out of that club. Barney will know this in particular, that. But Chelsea always had that sort of upwardly mobile, sort of yuppie image, sort of the early 2000s through to the Abramovich era. But now it's who are these people hanging around before the game? You know, this sort of tunnel club. Barney, you know, when you sat there and you're just watching these people sort of taking videos of themselves on, you know, for insta and just hanging around and paint through the nose for this nonsense, there would always be this sort of of rumble of Chelsea proper ch that you get at the game. I would feel that a game, particularly against Manchester United, a club that Chelsea hold an enmity towards, Manchester United, they see them as a rival, but I just didn't feel it. And you've got. Racinha is a guy that's taken a lot of flack, and rightly so, for the performance of his team. But you have to feed off something. And there's nothing to feed off within the club. It's just a series of. Of sums being done. The fact that Garnacho is in the team, they bought garnacho for 40 million because they thought, oh, that's a deal that we could make a lot of money on the way through because we can resell, we can short the market. Chelsea is not a team, it's not a club. And if you're a Chelsea fan, you would feel, what is this? And if they don't get into the Champions League, then the financial figures that we know from, the figures that keep escaping the club are disastrous, are going to get worse. And, you know, we talk. Barney talked before about the cleansing that Tottenham need. What type of cleansing do Chelsea need? It's even More. I mean, it's, you know, it's a full out bleaching to become.
- [53:52]
Barney Ronay
Chelsea need a different ownership. I mean, what's really startling about them is not so much that they've adopted this model, but that they've applied it so incompetently, like it's not even a good talent clearinghouse. Todd Bodie was talking recently on a podcast about the period where he was sporting for some reason, I mean, literally a guy who knew nothing like, knows less than, than anyone here about football, which is really not very much.
- [54:19]
John Brewin
And he was char.
- [54:20]
Barney Ronay
And he, and he said, basically, I recruited players if other clubs wanted them, that told me there was value in that player, so I would go after them. Which is the most insane model for recruiting a sports team imaginable. And they're still suffering from that initial splurge where he's obviously not, not so involved anymore. But that period was utterly disastrous. And it's just amazing that. Not so much that they would adopt this strange model that's not really been tried before. They would do it so badly, it's astonishing. And they, they really have no place in this sport. And I, I would, I would really hope they just decided, well, this asset's no longer delivering for us and we need to sell it to a, I don't know, as a Baijani arms dealer or something like that. Whoever's up for it, that'll be fine. Fine.
- [55:07]
Max Rushden
I mean, I thought that said Barry, I thought they were quite unlucky in this game. Chelsea, you know, they, they created chances match didn't create a lot, you know.
- [55:17]
Barry Glendenning
Yeah, they, they weren't terrible. They've played a lot worse. And this was one of their better performances under Lemur Senior. They hit the woodwork a few times, had chances, ko, had a, a shot that was, went very narrowly wide. But yeah, I was a Chelsea fan, I'd be quite fed up with what my club has become because it doesn't really feel seem to be a football club. But I'm only repeating what the lads have already said more eloquently than I can.
- [55:53]
Max Rushden
Yeah. So, yeah, no goals, four defeats in a row. No goals in those. Seven defeats in ten in all competitions. I, I heard somewhere that I think they're on the worst run of all clubs in the big five leagues at the moment, which, I mean, seems unlikely, but, but maybe it is the case.
- [56:09]
John Brewin
I was just gonna say you're listening to Liam Rossini after. And listen, I, I'm with you, Max. I think on this. I, I really want this Guy to succeed. But sometimes you hear him say stuff and you think what. What message is this?
- [56:21]
Barry Glendenning
And.
- [56:21]
John Brewin
And, and this was. Jacob did the quotes piece and this was something that he said. Said he said. There are many elements actually the process of underlying things that we're looking into suggests that if you stay in this process, we will win games of football. What I mean, sorry, mate.
- [56:37]
Max Rushden
Yeah, that is a bit that. I would have written that in a. A level history essay in A1 is my guess. I remember a mate who hadn't really. I can't remember what the question was. It was like, you know, to what extent, you know how important was, I don't know, crop rotation in the Anglo Saxon world. And he went to answer his question, it's important, important. And he went ah, fuck in the tutorial. And maybe so he's not wrong. I mean you do actually have to define important before you can decide what is important or not. To St James Park. Newcastle 1 Bournemouth 2 so Iriola's farewell tour starts well. Good win for them. But the story is Eddie Howe, Barney, what would you think will happen to him?
- [57:19]
Barney Ronay
Well, you know, his reserves of energy seem to be rapidly ebbing away and you do end up just having change at places because sometimes you just need change. I feel like what's happened in Newcastle probably not really. I know if you're a Newcastle fan, you could easily pick apart mistakes, made selections. He's often accused of being slightly overly loyal to certain players, which I always think is a hard accusation to make because he is managing individuals, he's managing a billion things that you can't kind of see in how you make those players want to play for your club and so on. And also he understands which of these players actually wants to do this more more profoundly. But it seems to me he's a really good manager and will flourish somewhere. And possibly the issues at Newcastle are not to do with him and again to do with the club's ownership, which is not the same thing that it was when it came in like that. There are some really profound problems in Saudi ownership of sport. There's some really profound problems in Saudi trying to build a space city in the middle of the desert. You know, I mean things are. The world has massively changed in that respect and so has Vision 2030 or whatever it is. Even the success of the Saudi pro league was a really bad thing for Newcastle because this is all speculative. It's like which of these things are we going to get most behind? Which is going to fly? Clearly it's the one with Ronaldo in it. And I just think maybe Eddie Howe is not the cause of a certain degree of uncertainty and entropy around that project. You've still got Dan Byrne playing every game, who is a very worthy of good, honest footballer. But, you know. But I think Eddie Howe, I'm there might be coming to a close from what I see. Read, pick up. But I feel he'll go somewhere else and do very well because he's a really good football manager.
- [59:16]
Max Rushden
Brentford, Neil. Fulham.
- [59:17]
Barry Glendenning
Nell.
- [59:17]
Max Rushden
Richie says is Brentford still being seventh after five draws in a row and one winning eight, a sad indictment of the quality of the Premier League this season? Or a demonstration of the strength of the middle classes? Or is this incredibly difficult, dull and can we just skip straight to a vasectomy? Very little happened in this game. But Barry, that burnt Leno save was absolutely extraordinary.
- [59:36]
Barry Glendenning
Yeah. I'll be honest, I give up watching this game at half time because it was so bad and I had things to do. I have since seen the burnt Leno save. Definitely one of the saves of the season. But not the save of the weekend, Max, because I saw some footage on Instagram where I. Where. Oh yeah, an Australian goalkeeper pulled off a remarkable save from an incredibly weakly struck volley hit by yourself?
- [60:07]
Max Rushden
Yeah, a left foot volley. It's a. It's not a scissor kick. It's just a sort of. I've really got my left foot up high and considering I have a hip problem to the point where I can't actually get on my bike from that side, I have to go around to the other side of my bike. I thought. I was quite pleased to make some contact. Content contact rather. And I was surprised he saved it. But it's funny, during the game, you think I've rattled that and that is. That is like Gordon Banks. And then when you watch it back, it seems to be in slow motion.
- [60:36]
Barney Ronay
Seeing yourself play football is. It's really disturbing, isn't it? Really disturbed.
- [60:40]
Max Rushden
I think I play like Berbatov.
- [60:41]
Barney Ronay
Yes.
- [60:42]
Max Rushden
Yeah.
- [60:42]
Barry Glendenning
But I. I would steer listeners in the direction of Max's Instagram account to. To see this travesty of justice cruelly denied by some Aussie cat. And there's a great profanity from someone in the buildup as well, which really adds a chef kiss to it.
- [61:03]
Max Rushden
Chris says a couple of emails to finish Max Baz and team Thomas Frank was accused of breaking cover at the weekend when he chatted to my granddad at the gtech. He was in the fancy seats which we were near due to a combination of my granddad's 70 years of support and his wheelchair. My dad apologetically approached Thomas Frank and said it would mean a lot to my soon to be 90 year old granddad if he said hi. Frank came over for a photo, but also had a proper chat with Granddad Dad David biggest smile we've seen from him all year. My dad isn't usually one for celeb hunting. In my childhood I was fuming when he'd been in a lift with Anton Deck and did not even take a covert selfie. Anyway, on this occasion he asked and Thomas Frank obliged without hesitation, which really made their day. It also made the rest of the family's day that the Daily Mail spun it into a takedown piece about Frank breaking cover with Granddad the Grinning co conspirator. See link to article featuring Grinning Deck Granddad dad and Graying dad. Love the show Chris. Well, I love to your granddad and well done to Thomas Frank for being a nice person. We'll do EFL tomorrow, so we'll talk about Coventry. We'll talk about Palace, West Ham as well. I just wanted to finish and the National League, which is extraordinary at the top, but Ishan writes Evening guys. I'm not normally one to write into podcasts that I listen to, but the events of the last two years have somewhat compelled me to. I've been listening to you guys since around 2009. Used to be desperate for any mentions of my beloved Swansea City. Over the years my interest in the game has somewhat waned due to all the the greedy corporateness of it. However, I carry on listening to you guys to keep my fingers on the footballing pulse and have some sort of go to small talk at weddings, etc. I like to know what our role is in this. One feature I always find quite amusing is the live vasectomy reporting from other listeners. This is why I'm writing in. Tomorrow morning I'll be on the chopping block myself. However, it's for something quite the opposite. After trying for kids for a long old time and nothing happening, my wife and I went for tests which revealed that my testicles are actually Fernando Torres at Chelsea shooting blanks after After a horrific two and a half years of IVF related sadness, we're now at a final where a surgeon will take biopsies of my balls and hope to find gold and make some babies in a lab. More importantly, I can finally be part of the testicular surgery related content of this pod, the diagnosis, the stigmas attached to it, and the IVF journey have been truly horrific, especially in a world of ever increasing toxic masculinity. However, I wanted to share my story to express my gratitude to the pod that's given me such great joy and escapism over the last few years. And for that, I'd like to thank Three Bean Cells Salad, which is a different podcast, but there you go.
- [63:28]
Barry Glendenning
Lots of love.
- [63:29]
Max Rushden
Carry on the great work. Ish, can you give a shout out to my chronically single friend Aqib, who is getting married next month to an avid spurs fan? Their wedding is on the final day of the season. Wow. Split screens for that Madison celebration at Suchek header. Well, Ish, we wish you the best of luck, of course, and they hope. We hope they find gold in your balls, my friend.
- [63:50]
Barney Ronay
Yeah, can I just say, good luck with all that, but as someone who describes himself as not someone who regularly writes into podcasts, you. You've really gone straight for the. Just go for the jugular. Just go straight. Just 100% straight in there ball stuff. And why not?
- [64:07]
Max Rushden
He didn't start with, why'd you never mention Swansea? But he went straight in at the deep end.
- [64:11]
Barney Ronay
Yeah. No, I respect it. You know, all in.
- [64:14]
Max Rushden
Good luck to you. We send you our love. And, yeah, best of luck with all of that. And that'll do for today. Thank you, everybody. Thank you, John.
- [64:20]
John Brewin
Thank you.
- [64:22]
Max Rushden
Thanks, Baz.
- [64:23]
Barry Glendenning
Thank you. That. That mail's given me an awful lot to unpick. It's a lot. A lot going on in that mail. And simultaneously, not a lot going on. It's true.
- [64:38]
Max Rushden
Fortunately for him, you don't have to unpick it. And thank you, Barney.
- [64:41]
Barney Ronay
Cheers, everyone.
- [64:43]
Max Rushden
Football Weekly is produced by Silas Gray, and our executive executive producer is Joel Grove. We will be back tomorrow.
- [65:01]
Barney Ronay
This is the Guardian.