Can Newcastle finally end their trophy drought? - The Athletic FC Podcast

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[00:01]
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[00:32]
George Culkin
The Athletic FC Podcast Network.
[00:42]
Adam Leventhal
Hi there, I'm Adam Leventhal. Welcome to the Athletic FC podcast. Today we're going to be focusing on the aftermath of the Carabao cup semi finals before we look ahead to the FA cup fourth round this weekend. Joining me today we have the Athletics senior writer George Culkin on the show. How are you, George?
[01:05]
George Culkin
I'm great, yeah. Got Wembley to look forward to. So what's not to be upbeat about?
[01:10]
Adam Leventhal
Yes, indeed. It is great news for Newcastle. We will have a lot from George on the feel good in the city. Coming up alongside George, as always, we have the Athletics football writer Tim Spears. How are you in contrast to George? Can you match that level of excitement?
[01:30]
Tim Spears
I can. George has got Wembley to look forward to. I've got Leeds v Millwall in the FA cup fourth round to look forward. What are you laughing for? That's a great game.
[01:37]
Adam Leventhal
Oh, no, you know what? That is a great game. It should be a good. I was going to say scrap, but in a championship way.
[01:45]
George Culkin
That's got an old school, old school feel to it, hasn't it, Leeds?
[01:48]
Tim Spears
Yeah. I'm going to take some protective clothing, if that's what you mean.
[01:51]
George Culkin
Yeah.
[01:51]
Adam Leventhal
No, it should be good. It should be good. Right. Great to have you both on board. We are now in the situation where we know who's going to be competing for the first piece of silverware. Newcastle up against Liverpool. They'll go head to head in the Carabao cup final in March. And so as we know, George, it's been a long, long time since Newcastle have claimed domestic silverware. You strode past Arsenal 40 on aggregate in the end. How do you sort of separate the two sets of emotions? Yes, you know you're going to be in the final, but do you just let yourself enjoy the buzz of winning a SEM?
[02:28]
George Culkin
That is actually a great way of putting it because the way I felt about that semi final and kind of the way I Wrote about it afterwards was that it was almost a meeting between the old Newcastle and the new Newcastle. And the old Newcastle is the 70 years without a domestic cup. Thank you for not mentioning the date, but it's imprinted in all of us up here. And the feelings of nervousness that had been kind of allowed to fester a little bit between the. The two legs of the game. I was there at the Emirates. It was incredibly professional. Controlled, disciplined, defensively, excellent. Not the kind of Newcastle that I'm used to seeing really in my. In my lifetime. And as the second game gets closer, you know, performances had possibly tailed off a little bit and there'd been the disappointment of the transfer, transfer window. But it's just really those. Just old feelings of, well, you know, what if Arsenal get the first goal? It's all going to go. It's all going to go wrong. And then Eddie Howe's team came out playing a different formation, which actually fed into those nerves a bit. It's like he's going through at the back that's so defensive. It's like back to the wall from the start. And then they were so aggressive, they were so positive that again, they were disciplined, they were controlled. And in some ways I feel a bit sheepish after that because it was like, at that, I mean, it was never in doubt. And again, that's not the kind of Newcastle that I'm. I'm used to. And I think heading towards Wembley, of course, you know, huge excitement, huge excitement. But it's like there's a kind of real feeling around the club that let's, you know, let's not go to London and win the weekend, but lose the match. Let's go to Wembley and actually win this time.
[04:13]
Adam Leventhal
Okay, so that's the Newcastle View. We'll have more from Georgia in a moment, but let's be balanced. Let's get the Arsenal take on this. And a quick word from James McNichol. Nicholas, speaking on our Arsenal podcast, Handbrake Off.
[04:26]
James McNicholas
We've spoken a lot about things that haven't gone our way this season or fine margins or feeling a bit unlucky across the two legs. I don't think we can really have any complaints. We're really well beaten in both games. I know we had more chances in the first game, but that's on us really, that we didn't take them. And last night it was pretty comprehensive. Newcastle had a very clear game plan and we were. We weren't good at both ends of the pitch. You know, there was a few missed opportunities. And Mikhail Tessa put a big emphasis on those post game. But I was really struck defensively how out of sorts we looked, how much we struggled to handle Alexander Isaac.
[05:04]
George Culkin
And he might be in again here.
[05:07]
Tim Spears
Oh, off the post. But.
[05:12]
James McNicholas
I've not seen Saliba and Gabriel look that ragged for a long time, possibly ever giving it away.
[05:21]
Tim Spears
And that should be the day for Newcastle United.
[05:26]
James McNicholas
The atmosphere was extraordinary last night and they were just willing their team on to get to that final and try and hunt down that domestic trophy.
[05:36]
Adam Leventhal
Tim, I wanted to get your. Your take on this. There's a lot of talk about managers having to be adaptable in football and I sort of reference Ruben Amarim and the criticism that he's got at Manchester United for sticking to his 3, 4, 3. Were you quite impressed with what Eddie Howe did in that second leg to sort of switch it up and for it to work and all go to plan?
[05:59]
Tim Spears
Yeah. I mean in both legs really, they've done a number on Arsenal. For Arsenal not to score in either game is very impressive on Newcastle's part. I see that more as a. As Newcastle stopping them to score rather than failings on Arsenal's part. To be honest. You know, I saw some kind of, oh, Newcastle wanted it more stuff on Wednesday night and maybe they did. But I feel that sort of does a disservice to Eddie Howe really. I mean the tactical plan he came up with with this sort of. Yeah, three, four, three with the ball, five, four, one without man marking, centre backs pushing up to press. It was pretty perfect and Arsenal didn't know how to handle it. I mean it wasn't without its risks. Arsenal have the capability to just potentially play through that and make you look pretty silly. But maybe Eddie Howe doesn't quite get the credit for some of the tactical things he does. I think if that was. If Man City had done that to Arsenal last weekend or. Or if Pep Guardiola had done that to Arsenal over two legs, that would have been a big talking point after the game. Everyone would have lauded him for his. For his. For his genius. So I think you have to give Eddie Howe his due really. And one of his sort of. It's one of his sort of major strengths is sort of recognizing an opposition weakness, recognizing there's something that his team can do to hurt that and then making a small tweak or a major tweak as we saw in midweek to make that plan come to fruition. So yeah, full credit to Eddie Howe I think on this occasion.
[07:17]
George Culkin
Yeah. I mean. And that's Kind of why I feel a little bit sort of sheepish afterwards. You know, with. With all those. With all those nerves and looking at the formation and thinking okay, so he's. He's set up like that. Does that not send the message that it's back. Back to the wall from the start. But within the first minute you saw Dan Byrne leaping forward. That was the. That was the kind of expression that they. About what they want in the center halves to do. Getting right towards the Arsenal box and pressing. And then of course you know, Newcastle's second goal where you see Fabian, Fabian Sher. Newcastle are one nil up on the night. They're three nil up on aggregate. And you've got Fabian Cher tailing Declan Rice as he had done all game. And he's there to take advantage of that sort of horrendous pass out by David Rayer. Squares the ball and it's a goal. Just. I mean an incredible moment. I think it was very, very brave. And you know, from being a defensive formation it was a very brave thing to do. That. And the nervousness didn't come from Newcastle. It came from Arsenal. And every time that Isak had the ball at his feet there was. There was just as James said, there was just sort of pandemonium in the Arsenal defense. It was just so impressive and so clinical. And I think, you know, I talk about the old Newcastle and the new Newcastle. The old Newcastle was very. Was very. I was going to say visible but sort of audible at St. James's part, you know, wonder old stadium. Which of course is the subject of interest at the minute in terms of what they do with it moving forward. But it was up there with the noisiest atmospheres you could imagine. That was kind of very much old school Newcastle. But on the pitch you had this clear eye, determined group of players sort of absolutely making sure that they weren't swept away by what was at stake. And that was just so impressive.
[09:07]
Adam Leventhal
And I suppose it was impressive as well for the people that were watching it that had seen Newcastle not over the course of the season because they were obviously doing very well. But in recent games at home at St. James's Park. Beaten by Bournemouth. Beaten by Fulham. So people were thinking, hang on a minute. Is there something that's not quite right about Newcastle playing at St James's but that was completely wiped away.
[09:31]
George Culkin
Yeah. Bournemouth and Fulham were not good at home. Two consecutive home defeats sandwiched with a sort of relatively comfortable victory at Southampton. And I think there is, you know, one. One criticism I Think there is of Newcastle this season is that there has been some. Certainly at the start of the season there was inconsistency in performance and you know, where they have certainly risen to the challenge of playing elite teams or clubs that are. That we sort of by shorthand refer to as big clubs. There's been a lack of intensity on occasion against different teams. Bournemouth were absolutely brilliant at St James's I don't want to. I don't want to be mealy mouthed in the way I described them. They were the best team I've seen at St. James's this season. They were absolutely outstanding. But Newcastle looked tired at a time when they, you know, they shouldn't be really. And the same against Fulham they looked fatigued and I think it was possibly this game on the horizon, a bit of that. But you know, one of the things that Howe is really trying to sort of engender in his team at the minute is the way of approaching every game the same. You know, that is incredibly difficult to do. And they didn't. They certainly didn't do it against Fulham but my goodness, they made up for it against, against Arsenal. And they were. They were magnificent.
[10:49]
Adam Leventhal
I just wanted to ask you about Alexander Isak because there seems to be this narrative that it is simply down to whether Newcastle qualify for the Champions League as to whether he will stay at the club next season. Obviously the, you know, the two games against Arsenal have almost fed into that narrative that he's almost auditioning for his move. They love him, they want to sign him and they'll get him. What's your feeling on it as a fan? Someone who covers the club in terms of what his future is going to hold. Have you got a gut feeling on it?
[11:26]
George Culkin
Well, I mean there's a few things. First of all, a bit of defensiveness kicks in. It's like Hans off. He's kind of Newcastle. And yeah, there is that sort of narrative. Every time he scores a goal it's like, well, this is why Arsenal, you know, might want him. But of course we, we also know that Arsenal do want him. James has, has kind of written about that, that Mikel Arteta is sort of obsessed with Isak. Whether they could afford him or you know, of course is. Is another matter. I think when I talked earlier about the sort of transfer window. It's now three transfer windows that have gone without Newcastle strength strengthening their first 11. And on paper they have a great first 11. You know, don't get me wrong, they've got some, you know, some absolutely wonderful Talented players, great team players, really good. But that's the sort of fantasy football element to it. What that doesn't sort of take into account is how dressing rooms are kind of living, breathing organisms and that have an ecosystem and that you need people to come in to refresh it, to push the players already there to help motivate, to provide competition. And that hasn't happened. And that is a concern at a time when post takeover, there's no new training ground at the moment, there isn't a new stadium. There's talk, a lot of talk about both those things, but it's not happened yet. So where does Eddie Howe go into his dressing room and say, well, this is progress. This is where progress is happening. And I do think that's quite delicate and very important and probably not talked about enough now at the moment. The progress is all happening within the first team. I mean the progress is getting to another Wembley final. That's astonishing. The progress is still being in a very competitive position in the Premier League. But I think in a way when I talk about the nervousness before this second leg, there was a bit of that filtering into it because if Newcastle had let it slip against Arsenal, suddenly you're talking about a club that isn't refreshing its first team. And there are a lot of questions off the pitch. So Newcastle's players, if they're looking around, we're not in the Champions League and they're not in the Champions League, they're not in Europe. It's like, well, you know, where is this project that we were asked to buy into? So I do think it's vital that Newcastle get back into Europe. I think that's vital for all their big players. The other side of it is that as their struggles against PSR show, they have to refresh the squad, they have to recycle players. They've done that with some players, with fringe players, with young players last summer. The time will come when they have to sell a big player. I think that Alexander Isak is the last person they would want to sell because he's, he's irreplaceable.
[14:07]
Adam Leventhal
Well, you may have noticed that we haven't mentioned just to sort of help George, I think who Newcastle are going to be playing in the final. So we'll deal with that next.
[14:24]
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[14:58]
Adam Leventhal
Now many of the neutrals will have wanted Newcastle to be facing Tottenham in the final because then we could have had the desperation derby. Two sides haven't won a trophy for ages. Going head to head. But unfortunately it was Liverpool. Great for them, great for their fans, great for their season. They made it through. They're the holders, the winners in two of the last three finals. And they completely annihilated Tottenham. Let's get the reaction from James Pearce who was there at the game at Anfield on Thursday.
[15:32]
James Pearce
The fans around me have just been chanting about returning to Wembley. And they did it in style. An absolute demolition of Ange Postecoglou's side. I thought that performance tonight epitomised everything best about Liverpool and Arne Slot. The quality and abundance. But it's also twins with such a. A steely work ethic. And they excelled in all departments. You know, there was a complete gulf in quality between these teams. I mean the. The stats speak volumes. Liverpool's XG 3.72. Tottenham's 0.18. 26 shots against 510 on target versus zero for Spurs. And from the moment that Cody Gagpo banged in his 16th goal of the season in the first half, there was just an inevitability about the outcome. I think spurs knew what was coming and Liverpool just played with such a kind of a swagger and a belief. They just knew they were too good for Tottenham. And the goals kept on flowing by.
[16:27]
Adam Leventhal
Soberside and Liverpool.
[16:31]
Tim Spears
Via the skipper are halfway down Wembley way.
[16:37]
James Pearce
Of course Liverpool are chasing bigger prizes than the Carabao cup this season. But you know, it does present the first opportunity for outer slot to get his hands on some silver error as Liverpool manager. They're going to be absolutely relishing that return to Wembley on March 16th.
[16:53]
George Culkin
I'm going to go home.
[16:56]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah. It's unfortunate for you that it's Liverpool, isn't it George?
[17:00]
George Culkin
Well, I mean I've got to look on the bright side from this point, haven't I? I mean, I think yes, as you said, you know, the idea of a desperation derby actually isn't something that appeals. Newcastle have gone to Spurs. They've beaten them. They've got a good record against spurs recently. But in some ways what I kind of like about this final is that it does force that sort of underdog attitude onto Newcastle. Now there's been a lot of talk amongst the fan base since the takeovers happened that you know, Newcastle somehow have got to sort of get a winner's mentality. Stop talking about the past. Stop talking about losing. Stop talking you know, about that kind of thing. But actually when Newcastle are at their best was like on Wednesday. Yeah, they had a 2 nil lead. But they didn't play as if they had a 2 nil lead. They played as if it was nil. Nil. All to play for. The last time Newcastle got to Wembley. The whole occasion was flat. Newcastle didn't turn up. Fans were knackered. They were hungover. That expended all this emotion in the buildup. And you know, I think this time it suits Newcastle in the sense that they will have to be ferocious if they're going to beat Liverpool. You know, what I wouldn't want is a month of Newcastle fans. You know, even somehow this working its way into the dressing room that Newcastle were kind of better than spurs and should win. So in some ways, in a perverse way possibly this game suits them a bit better. But yeah, I'm clutching a bit there. But I do think that's right.
[18:32]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah. Tim, from your point of view. I wanted to get the sort of the status check on Tottenham because I mean it was mentioned in the commentary there that we heard, you know, Liverpool were just far too good for Tottenham who were limp and. Well, they were basically on trend, weren't they for what they've been doing recently. Just not really up to it. What's your feeling on where they're going at the moment?
[18:57]
Tim Spears
I don't know about on trend. I felt like that was the worst I've seen them this season. I felt like that was one of the worst spurs performances I've seen for a few years. I say one off because you know.
[19:09]
Adam Leventhal
There'S been a few, hasn't there?
[19:10]
Tim Spears
Yeah. And George, remember the 6:1 at St. James's a couple of years ago. So one of the worst performances. Probably the worst semifinal performance that I can remember from any team. You know, a team of that caliber anyway. I think you have to say. You have to say at the top that they had six or seven players that probably would have started last night if they were fit. That's. You know, that's a lot. But the game was a non event. You know, the players that were on the field were. Were passive. They weren't fighting for every loose ball. They weren't refusing to give up their place in the final. You know, without a fight there was just nothing. That's either because they're completely knackered. And I think in the case of players like Kulasevski, you know, that's true. Or they've lost belief in the manager. Maybe. There was one point in the second half, I think they were two nil down at this point where spurs had a rare chance to sort of break and Poro played the ball like comfortably behind Son who couldn't keep it in and it went out of play and Son just shook his head and I was like, this is just absolute disaster. So, yeah, no shot shots on target. I think they had 29% possession in the first half. It was, it was atrocious. But we do have to keep mentioning injuries with Spurs. I mean, Richarlison. Richarlison has had to play because they've had no other senior strikers. He goes off last night and now it looks like he's out for a bit. That takes the list of players currently sidelined to 11. I think eight of them are due back this month. You know, there are a couple of longer term ones, but eight of them are due back. But whether postecoglou is there to welcome them back I think looks less likely as the weeks go on.
[20:38]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah, they've got Villa in the FA cup this weekend. They're still in the Europa League Round of 16. But it just feels, George, from your point of view, sort of a slow burn to Daniel Levy finally going well, we're not in any more Cups anymore. We're going to finish in the bottom half of the table probably. And I've got it wrong. We've got it wrong and we need to try someone else.
[20:59]
George Culkin
Well, I mean, I do, I have to say, I do have, you know, a large degree of empathy for that sort of injury situation because of course Newcastle had exactly the same thing last season, you know, the worst I can remember. And also had had Europe to contend with the Champions League, albeit the kind of injuries that have really kicked in after they'd gone out. They got to the two cup quarterfinals last season as well, but they just run out of players. And when you're in that position where you're constantly waiting for players to come back, they do come back. They're more susceptible to injuries. You're still relying on the same people week in, week out. There's fatigue. You can't play the way you want to play it. It doesn't reflect well on the manager because players constantly look tired and it feels like you're sort of making excuses now. There was no sense at all last season that Newcastle were wavering in terms of Eddie Howe, quite rightly in my opinion. You know, he'd absolutely earned the right to have a bad season. Not that it was a kind of bad season from his perspective particularly. And it really just depends what the club, you know, what the club earns are looking for. But you know, I. I do know. I do know from experience at Newcastle that when fans start calling for directors to go that there's usually one outcome from that and it isn't the directors going.
[22:17]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah, it seems a sort of a bit of a sour situation at Tottenham all round at the moment. And it'll be interesting to see if. If the players coming back can lift them in. In some way shape or form. Final word from, from you George, about the FA cup this weekend. And it's an interesting one against Birmingham City because they're. They're on the up. And I saw some quotes from Eddie Howe this morning as we record on Friday basically saying that we. We can't expect this team that did so well against Arsenal to go again. We are going to have to rotate. So it's. It's not a. It's not a straightforward meeting this, is it?
[22:55]
George Culkin
No. And you know, one of the kind of very interesting things about this long winning run that they had was that basically he called upon the same group of players week in, week out, making the odd tweak and you know, when there was an injury or suspension. But Newcastle do have to give minutes to some of the players who haven't been able to get into the team. They don't have a deep squad in terms of quality. It was great to see Callum Wilson come back against Arsenal and play the last couple of minutes. He has had an awful year with injuries. If he can. If he can stay fit. That's a potent weapon in Newcastle's armory. And yeah, I mean it becomes an interesting test too of that. Of that mentality that I was talking about earlier about having this incredible huge occasion which they handled brilliantly. But how much of an emotional release has there been since then getting back to Wembley? Is there a kind of like this great big exhalation of breath? Can they go again, albeit with a different team? It's a big, big tough month coming up. They've got fixtures against Man, City, Forest and Liverpool in the league coming up after this. If they can find a way of keeping momentum. That'll set them up really, really well.
[24:05]
Adam Leventhal
George, thanks very much for coming on. Right then, let's turn our attention to some of the other fixtures in the FA cup this weekend. There are eight ties, Tim, involving Premier League teams away at lower league opposition. One of those is Liverpool heading to Plymouth now. Yes. You tipped Brentford as outside shouts to win the FA Cup.
[24:39]
Tim Spears
Why are you bringing that up on.
[24:40]
Adam Leventhal
This podcast back in January? Well, unfortunately, it's just facts. You know, I'm going Rafa Benitez on you. This is facts. Okay. And then 24 hours later they were dumped out at home by Plymouth.
[24:53]
Tim Spears
Yes.
[24:54]
Adam Leventhal
So do you think that there's a chance of another upset in this one or. Liverpool's a slightly different kettle of fish, isn't it?
[25:01]
Tim Spears
Yeah, slightly different. In my defense, when I made that absolutely horrific prediction, Brentford did sort of rest like seven players that day. And I remember saying at the time, Premier League team, why do they do that when they're in mid table? It was ridiculous. Yeah. It's quite embarrassing though, isn't it? Can it happen again? I don't, I mean, I don't. I don't think so. It's hard, it's very hard to make any kind of case for Plymouth. I mean, Morgan Whittaker scored, you know, a very fine winning goal that day at Brentford. He's obviously now gone to Middlesbrough. They did win the other day, Plymouth. Their first league win in 16.
[25:33]
Adam Leventhal
Against who, Tim? Against who?
[25:35]
Tim Spears
Well, I was there. I was in the home end cheering them on against the backies. I like to go to every West Brom match just to cheer on the opposition. No, I wasn't there. But yeah, they're still bottom of the league. I mean this is an interesting story with their new manager who's replaced Wayne Rooney and Miron Muslic. I was reading a good article about him on the BBC this morning about how he was sort of forced out of war torn Bosnia as a child. A real left field appointment as a manager came from Cirque Le Bruges.
[26:03]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[26:04]
Tim Spears
Guided them to the Europa Conference League. So yeah, they've shown slight, slight improvements. Yeah, but they only, they only have a chance if Liverpool rest all 11 players, I would say.
[26:14]
Adam Leventhal
And even if Liverpool literally come out with no team against them.
[26:19]
Tim Spears
Yeah, yeah, that's the only chance. But no, I mean even if, even if they sort of change up 11, then you're, you're still looking at a front three of like Jota, Diaz and Chiesa or McAllister and Endo to come in in midfield and Harvey, Elliott and Quanza, you know. So, yeah, Liverpool looking pretty serene at the moment. There's always talk of the quadruple with Liverpool. It seems at this time of year this is. You can tell it's February because we're talking about a quadruple for Liverpool. I mean, yeah, they're top of the Premier League, finished top of the Champions League in the Carabao Cup Final and probably in the last 16 of the cup on Sunday night. So, yeah, feels a little bit different to me this year, the talk of how many trophies they're going to win. Maybe it's the sort of lack of emotion without, without Klopp, but they just look utterly serene. You'd certainly say they're good for two trophies at the moment and then, yeah, why not an FA cup run as well?
[27:06]
Adam Leventhal
If it's not going to be Liverpool winning the FA cup, who would be? Obviously now, unfortunately, you know, you got so unlucky with, with tipping Brentford and them. Them going out. Who would be your outside shot at winning the FA cup now? So it has to be an outside chance.
[27:22]
Tim Spears
Right, so not one of the teams that will probably win it. So you're setting me up to look stupid again basically by predicting a team that won't win it.
[27:30]
Adam Leventhal
Well, no, you've got an opportunity this week. There are four all Premier League ties in the fourth round. So you're going to lose four Premier League teams out of the mix for going into the next round draw going to open up. So it might open up a little BIT. They're currently 17 out of the 20 Premier League teams in the cup. So who would be your pick?
[27:54]
Tim Spears
I mean, Fulham never have a cup run and Fulham should do. Fulham should do on their day. They can beat anyone. They've got, you know, top class players. They've got Wigan away. I think on Saturday you'd expect them to win that and then, yeah, draw items up, who knows? So let's say Fulham and then put all your money on Wicken to beat them on Saturday.
[28:12]
Adam Leventhal
There is a little bit of history with Wigan, isn't there? Obviously they won the FA Cup. And who's manager of Wigan at the moment?
[28:20]
Tim Spears
Sean Maloney.
[28:21]
Adam Leventhal
Sean Maloney. Sean Maloney who crossed the ball from the corner for Ben Watson.
[28:28]
Tim Spears
For Ben Watson, as you were talking to Ben about in that fantastic podcast you did this week.
[28:32]
Adam Leventhal
There you go, you see, There you go. The anatomy of a transfer. So yeah, put your money on Wigan because Fulham are going out because Tim's back them. So let's let's talk about one of those. All Premier League ties. Manchester United against Leicester. Rude Van Nistelrooy back at Old Trafford. Let's hear from Andy Mitten first. He was speaking on Talk of the Devils on whether Ruben Amarim, considering what Manchester United are doing in the league, simply have to concentrate on, on winning a cup.
[29:04]
Andy Mitten
Yeah. Reluctantly I say yes. In the back of my mind. I always felt there would be a point in the season where Manchester United moved up the league table. I thought United would, would beat palace at the weekend. It's just not happening. It simply is not happening. There's a consistency now to this team in the league and it's a team who are 12 to 14th in the league.
[29:25]
Adam Leventhal
They are, they're 13th slap bang in the middle of those.
[29:27]
Tim Spears
He's not wrong, is he?
[29:29]
Adam Leventhal
Unlucky for some. I think that, you know, Andy summed it up very well there. You're expecting some sort of momentum to arrive and then last time out they lost against Crystal Palace. But are you still feeling that there is a body of work building for Amerim or do you think that the club as a whole needs. Needs finessing and that's just going to take time with the new structure, the new ownership and all that sort of stuff.
[29:57]
Tim Spears
I mean, blimey, it's clearly going to take time. I'm not expecting any momentum from them to be honest. Just because, just because the games that they do well in, it's not, it's not a sustainable way of playing football. So the games where we've been really impressed, rightly so, are like Arsenal away when they sort of scrap their way to penalties. Or Liverpool away when yeah, really good performance and got a 2, 2 there. Or city away when they, they play pretty badly really for 85 minutes and then just got the shock win two goals in, in the later stages. But that's from like you know, 25, 30 possession and everyone behind the ball kind of thing and then the, the couple of good results they had recently. Fulham away and then fcsb wasn't it in Romania, Awful dreadful games where they're just taking all sucking the life out of. Out the matches. You know, away games as well. But when it comes to sort of constructing a 90 minute plan on their own terms when the onus is on them, I. E. Home matches, they just look utterly incapable to be honest. The pressure will rise on Amorim for sure because the players just won't have him. And if they're sort of 13th, 14th at the end of the season, it's Unacceptable, you know, and it won't be forgotten if he lasts a summer and they start slowly next year. So you do worry for him a little bit. I guess you just hope for his sake that this is just a long version of pre season because you can almost write the pre. Almost write this season off certainly in the league anyway, and that you just hope that he's working out now who can do it and who can't. But there's a lot of them that can't and that means an awful lot of work in the, in the transfer market in the summer.
[31:33]
Adam Leventhal
So one of the other all Premier League ties in the FA cup fourth round this weekend is Brighton against Chelsea and they're actually going to be playing each other in back to back games because they go head to head in the Premier League next as well. Let's quickly check in with the Athletics Chelsea writer Simon Johnson. He was speaking on straight outta Cobham on whether Enzo Maresca should rotate in this one.
[31:55]
Simon Johnson
I think he's got to go strong. I mean, look, the league game is, is on the Friday against the same opposition. So you know, they've got plenty of time to rest and also it's a chance to sort of get in their heads a little bit before the league game. Also Chelsea want to have an FA cup run. The league cup run was, was very disappointing. Ended with a whimper at Newcastle. I suppose the biggest question is, does he give Cole Palmer a rest? Perhaps there's an argument for that given he has been looking more fatigued from the games and carrying Chelsea on his back.
[32:32]
Adam Leventhal
I suppose there's a danger if Maresca rotates. They know full well that they're coming up against the Brighton side who, albeit they'll have the game against Chelsea in the league coming up on their minds. But you would expect them to respond after getting spanked 7 nil by forest. So it's a difficult one to pick as to how you broach this. This game, isn't it for, for Brighton?
[32:55]
Tim Spears
Yeah, I think Brighton would probably prefer the league game to come first really because they're inevitably going to rest some players for this one. I think Herzler would want to see a reaction from his sort of, you know, his main first 11. It's a game that neither of these two teams probably needs right now in the cup. They're both sort of in, in different form. It's certainly not worthy of a sort of Saturday 8:00 TV billing, you know, in my opinion. So yeah, Brighton, obviously that was an extremely uncharacteristic Defeat at Forest. I think it's their biggest league defeat since, like, 1958, something like that. Which is. Which is crazy considering the, you know, the bad shape that they've been in for a lot of that period. And Chelsea, yeah, they're a weird one at the moment. There are a few. I noticed a few booze at halftime in the West Ham game on Monday night, and issues in goal. You know, Jorgensen came in and had some nervy moments, but you'd expect that, having not played for a while, you'd also expect him to play at Brighton, which will sort of deny Sanchez a game against his former club. And then the biggest issue for Chelsea at the moment, other than that, at the moment is up front. Jackson's not scored in eight games now. And for a team that does crazy things in the transfer window, you know, not bringing in a striker or a goalkeeper might cost them in the sort of coming weeks if neither of those issues are fixed.
[34:04]
Adam Leventhal
Well, speaking of teams that need to react, it's going to be interesting to see how Manchester City broach their FA cup tie away at Leyton Orient when they've got Real Madrid on the horizon on Tuesday. But also, they are still licking their wounds after Getting hammered by Arsenal 5 1. The way that Manchester City have been this season, even though they have been, you know, horrendously inconsistent and delivering some pretty poor performances, they are going to have enough to beat Leyton Orient, aren't they? No. Really? No. Really?
[34:43]
Tim Spears
Well, like, nine times out of ten. I would say so. But I'll tell you what, Adam, are.
[34:48]
Adam Leventhal
You feeling the magic of the Cup?
[34:50]
Tim Spears
Well, I spent some time at Lake Norton this week and I went to Richie Welland's house to interview him.
[34:57]
Adam Leventhal
Did he know you were coming?
[35:00]
Tim Spears
Yeah. They're in a great moment, as people like to say. I don't know why I just said that. They won nine of 11, basically either side of Christmas, to go from the relegation zone to sixth in League One, which is. Which is an incredible sort of spot for Lake Norient to be in. Yeah, it's been almost. It's been more than a decade since they've been sort of at the top end of League One. So, yeah, they're. They're loving right life right now, and it's not the nicest place for sort of, you know, it's a. It's a tight ground, it's a small tunnel. City won't sort of relish that. And Orient can play. You know, they're. They've got. They're sort of high pressing, intense, combative attacking. They like having the ball. Yeah. City will have to rest players because, like I said, they got Real Madrid on Tuesday, which is a big thing in Orient's favor. The only thing I'd say an issue for Orient is they've got eight players out. Unfortunately, this has come slightly at not the best time, but they've got a couple of low knees. Jamie Donnelly from Spurs and the spurs loanee Josh Keeley in goal and Charney Kelman from QPR up front. So, yeah, they will cause City problems. Like I said, nine times out of ten, you expect City to win, but the ingredients are there for a bit of magic. Adam.
[36:09]
George Culkin
Yeah.
[36:10]
Adam Leventhal
That was the full Leighton Orient briefing that you didn't know you were gonna get, and now I am all on board. And also considering that the bee in your bonnet at the moment is TV scheduling. Is this one on?
[36:23]
Tim Spears
It's too early, Adam.
[36:24]
Adam Leventhal
What do you mean, too early?
[36:26]
Tim Spears
It is on. It is obvious. It's 12:15 on a Saturday. It's a little bit too early for a Cup shock. I think you need it later in the day, probably.
[36:33]
Adam Leventhal
All right, we'll see. Just finally, any other fixtures that you want to stick a flag in? Obviously you're going to Leeds Millwall, but any of the other Premier League teams that look a little bit precarious. Forest away at Exeter.
[36:46]
Tim Spears
Forest where? Exeter. Yeah. Shame it's on Tuesday night. Sort of Same. Same time as the Champions League ties. Don't understand that we're talking about TV scheduling. Don't get that at all. The Sessignon Twins against each other would be a nice one. Wigan v. Fulham. Blackburn v. Wolves. That's right. For an upset.
[37:00]
Adam Leventhal
Although that is a. That is, isn't it?
[37:02]
Tim Spears
It is. I think both teams will probably rest quite a few players, to be honest. But. But Wolves will be.
[37:06]
Adam Leventhal
But Blackburn should have enough and Ipswich at Coventry.
[37:12]
Tim Spears
Yeah. I would rather watch this than a few of the other ties, actually. It's shame this one isn't on telly, you know. Good to see Frank Lampard, I think, doing well at Coventry. He's brought them up the table. They're in good form. And again, you'd expect Ipswich to rest a few. I mean, they lost it. They lost to Maidstone this time. This time last year. You know, Kieran McKenna didn care about the cup when he was going for a promotion from the championship. I don't think he'll be bothered about it now at all. So you can expect Coventry, you know, with their FA cup pedigree to be well up for that one, Adam.
[37:41]
Adam Leventhal
And the lowest ranked team left in the competition is Doncaster from the fourth tier up against Crystal palace as well. So maybe keep an eye on that one. But we are definitely going to have some lower league teams through to the next round. It is only the fourth round of course. Leeds, Millwall, you're going to that one. Preston, Wickham, Stoke, Cardiff as well. So we shall see what happens. We know one thing is certain, Fulham are going out. Tim has backed them. Well, whatever happens this weekend, I do hope you have a lovely weekend, Tim.
[38:13]
Tim Spears
And you too, Adam.
[38:14]
Adam Leventhal
Thank you very much indeed. And if you get a chance, we mentioned it a little bit earlier on and you want to listen to something slightly different, you can skip back on this feed. Listen to the Anatomy of a Transfer and it tell you all about the process of putting a transfer together. That was our documentary last weekend. Take care everyone. We will be back right here on the Athletic FC on Monday.
[38:39]
Tim Spears
You've been listening to the Athletic FC podcast. The producers were Guy Clark, Mike Stavroot and Jay Beal. The executive producer was Ailey Moorhead. To listen to other great athletic podcasts for free, search for the Athletic on Apple, Spotify and all the usual places. The Athletic FC podcast is an athletic media company production.
[39:02]
George Culkin
The Athletic FC Podcast network.

Summary7 min read

The Athletic FC Podcast: "Can Newcastle Finally End Their Trophy Drought?"

Release Date: February 7, 2025

In this compelling episode of The Athletic FC Podcast, host Adam Leventhal delves deep into Newcastle United's quest to break their long-standing trophy drought. Joined by senior writer George Culkin and football writer Tim Spears, the discussion navigates through recent performances, managerial tactics, player dynamics, and upcoming fixtures that could define Newcastle's season.

1. Newcastle United’s Journey to the Carabao Cup Final

George Culkin provides an insightful analysis of Newcastle's recent semi-final against Arsenal, emphasizing the transition from "old Newcastle" to a more disciplined and formidable team.

"[00:31:28] George Culkin: ...it was almost a meeting between the old Newcastle and the new Newcastle. And the old Newcastle is the 70 years without a domestic cup..."

George highlights the psychological shift within the team, noting the professionalism and defensive solidity that marked their performance. He reflects on the initial nervousness, stemming from past disappointments, and how Eddie Howe's tactical adjustments transformed Newcastle into a cohesive unit ready to seize the trophy.

Tim Spears echoes George's sentiments, praising Newcastle's defensive prowess and Eddie Howe's strategic ingenuity.

"[00:05:58] Tim Spears: ...the tactical plan he came up with with this sort of... it was pretty perfect and Arsenal didn't know how to handle it."

Tim underscores Howe's ability to identify and exploit Arsenal's weaknesses, drawing parallels to renowned managers like Pep Guardiola, yet noting that Howe often doesn't receive the same level of acclaim.

2. Arsenal’s Perspective on the Semi-Final Defeat

Shifting focus, the podcast introduces James McNicholas, who shares Arsenal's viewpoint on their loss to Newcastle.

"[04:26] James McNicholas: ...Newcastle had a very clear game plan and we were... not good at both ends of the pitch."

James reflects on Arsenal's shortcomings, particularly their defensive vulnerabilities and failure to capitalize on scoring opportunities. He credits Newcastle's tactical discipline and aggressiveness as pivotal factors in their comprehensive victory.

3. Managerial Tactics: Eddie Howe’s Masterclass

Tim Spears delves deeper into Eddie Howe's tactical decisions, commending his flexibility and foresight.

"[05:58] Tim Spears: ...the tactical plan he came up with with this sort of... three, four, three with the ball, five, four, one without..."

Tim elaborates on Howe's formation shifts and man-marking strategies, which disrupted Arsenal's usual gameplay. He emphasizes that Howe deserves more recognition for his tactical acumen, especially when compared to other top-tier managers who receive extensive praise for similar feats.

George Culkin adds to this by recounting pivotal moments where Newcastle's strategy paid off, highlighting key plays and player performances that sealed their triumph.

"[08:32] George Culkin: ...Newcastle are one nil up on the night. They're three nil up on aggregate... It was just so impressive and so clinical."

4. Player Spotlight: Alexander Isak’s Future at Newcastle

The conversation shifts to Newcastle's star player, Alexander Isak, and the uncertainty surrounding his future at the club.

"[10:49] Adam Leventhal: ...there seems to be this narrative that it is simply down to whether Newcastle qualify for the Champions League as to whether he will stay at the club next season."

George Culkin discusses the speculation linking Isak's retention to Newcastle's European qualifications. He expresses empathy for the club's situation, emphasizing the importance of maintaining squad depth and the potential necessity of refreshing the team to sustain their progress.

"[11:25] George Culkin: ...Newcastle's players, if they're looking around, we're not in the Champions League... I think that's vital for all their big players."

George concludes that while Isak is indispensable, the broader club dynamics and lack of squad reinforcement pose challenges for Newcastle's long-term stability.

5. Liverpool’s Dominance and Upcoming Final

Transitioning to Liverpool's performance, James Pearce shares his observations from Anfield, highlighting Liverpool's superior quality and relentless work ethic.

"[15:32] James Pearce: ...Liverpool's XG 3.72. Tottenham's 0.18... there was just an inevitability about the outcome."

James underscores Liverpool's dominance in recent finals, noting their consistent performance and strategic superiority over Tottenham. This sets the stage for the impending Carabao Cup final against Newcastle, positioning Liverpool as formidable opponents.

6. Tottenham’s Struggles Under Increased Pressure

Tim Spears provides a candid assessment of Tottenham's current form, attributing their poor performances to a combination of injuries and managerial challenges.

"[18:57] Tim Spears: ...that was one of the worst Spurs performances I've seen for a few years. ...without a fight there was just nothing."

Tim criticizes Tottenham's passive approach in crucial matches, citing high injury rates and dwindling player morale as significant factors hindering their resurgence. He predicts a difficult path forward for Tottenham, with mounting pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou.

7. FA Cup Fourth Round Predictions and Key Fixtures

The discussion broadens to the upcoming FA Cup fourth round, with Tim Spears and Adam Leventhal sharing their forecasts and insights into potential upsets.

Notable Predictions:

Fulham vs. Wigan: Tim confidently backs Fulham to advance, citing their consistent performances and managerial acumen.

"[27:53] Tim Spears: ...Fulham should do on their day. They've got top-class players."
Manchester United vs. Leicester: Analyzing Manchester United's inconsistent form under Ruben Amarim, Tim expresses skepticism about their chances, suggesting a possible focus on cup success given their league struggles.

"[29:04] Andy Mitten: ...the consistency now to this team in the league and it's a team who are 12 to 14th in the league."
Brighton vs. Chelsea: Simon Johnson discusses Chelsea's strategic rotation ahead of their upcoming league clash with Brighton, emphasizing the need to balance cup ambitions with league priorities.

"[31:54] Simon Johnson: ...they've got plenty of time to rest and also it's a chance to sort of get in their heads a little bit before the league game."

Tim Spears also touches upon lesser-known teams like Leyton Orient, highlighting their impressive form and potential to challenge higher-tier teams despite injuries.

"[34:56] Tim Spears: ...they are in a great moment... it's almost a decade since they've been sort of at the top end of League One."

8. Managerial Challenges: Ruben Amarim at Manchester United

The podcast addresses the mounting pressure on Manchester United's manager, Ruben Amarim, amidst the team's middling league position.

"[29:57] Tim Spears: ...the players just won't have him... I do worry for him a little bit. I guess you just hope for his sake that this is just a long version of pre-season..."

Tim critiques Amarim's inability to instill consistency, flagging potential managerial changes if the team's form doesn't improve. He underscores the necessity for strategic reinforcements in the transfer market to bolster United's competitiveness.

9. Chelsea’s Defensive and Offensive Dilemmas

Simon Johnson elaborates on Chelsea's current struggles, particularly in defense and attack, attributing recent setbacks to tactical inconsistencies and player fatigue.

"[32:31] Simon Johnson: ...they have up front Jackson's not scored in eight games now. ...not bringing in a striker or a goalkeeper might cost them..."

He emphasizes the importance of balancing squad rotation to maintain player fitness ahead of critical league matches, while also addressing the urgent need for offensive reinforcements to revive Chelsea's attacking prowess.

10. Manchester City’s FA Cup Prospects

Closing the discussion, Tim Spears touches upon Manchester City's upcoming FA Cup match against Leyton Orient, highlighting both teams' current forms and potential challenges.

"[34:42] Tim Spears: ...they are going to have enough to beat Leyton Orient, aren't they?"

While Tim acknowledges Manchester City's dominance, he playfully entertains the possibility of an upset, considering Leyton Orient's impressive run and tactical approach. However, he ultimately maintains confidence in City's ability to prevail.

Conclusion

The episode offers a comprehensive exploration of Newcastle United's potential to secure their first domestic trophy in decades, examining the interplay of tactical brilliance, player performances, and managerial strategies. Additionally, it provides keen insights into other Premier League teams' FA Cup ambitions, managerial predicaments, and the unpredictable nature of cup competitions.

Listeners are left with a balanced perspective on Newcastle's promising trajectory, the relentless dominance of Liverpool, and the various challenges facing other top-flight clubs in the current season.

Notable Quotes:

George Culkin on the old vs. new Newcastle:
"[02:28] George Culkin: ...it was almost a meeting between the old Newcastle and the new Newcastle."
Tim Spears praising Eddie Howe:
"[05:58] Tim Spears: ...the tactical plan he came up with with this sort of... it was pretty perfect..."
James McNicholas on Arsenal's defeat:
"[04:26] James McNicholas: ...we were not good at both ends of the pitch."
Tim Spears on Tottenham’s performance:
"[18:57] Tim Spears: ...that was one of the worst Spurs performances I've seen for a few years."
Simon Johnson on Chelsea's rotation:
"[31:54] Simon Johnson: ...they've got plenty of time to rest and also it's a chance to sort of get in their heads a little bit before the league game."

This rich and engaging summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the episode, providing a thorough overview for those who haven't tuned in.

Loading summary

Transcript97 lines

[00:01]
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[00:32]
George Culkin
The Athletic FC Podcast Network.
[00:42]
Adam Leventhal
Hi there, I'm Adam Leventhal. Welcome to the Athletic FC podcast. Today we're going to be focusing on the aftermath of the Carabao cup semi finals before we look ahead to the FA cup fourth round this weekend. Joining me today we have the Athletics senior writer George Culkin on the show. How are you, George?
[01:05]
George Culkin
I'm great, yeah. Got Wembley to look forward to. So what's not to be upbeat about?
[01:10]
Adam Leventhal
Yes, indeed. It is great news for Newcastle. We will have a lot from George on the feel good in the city. Coming up alongside George, as always, we have the Athletics football writer Tim Spears. How are you in contrast to George? Can you match that level of excitement?
[01:30]
Tim Spears
I can. George has got Wembley to look forward to. I've got Leeds v Millwall in the FA cup fourth round to look forward. What are you laughing for? That's a great game.
[01:37]
Adam Leventhal
Oh, no, you know what? That is a great game. It should be a good. I was going to say scrap, but in a championship way.
[01:45]
George Culkin
That's got an old school, old school feel to it, hasn't it, Leeds?
[01:48]
Tim Spears
Yeah. I'm going to take some protective clothing, if that's what you mean.
[01:51]
George Culkin
Yeah.
[01:51]
Adam Leventhal
No, it should be good. It should be good. Right. Great to have you both on board. We are now in the situation where we know who's going to be competing for the first piece of silverware. Newcastle up against Liverpool. They'll go head to head in the Carabao cup final in March. And so as we know, George, it's been a long, long time since Newcastle have claimed domestic silverware. You strode past Arsenal 40 on aggregate in the end. How do you sort of separate the two sets of emotions? Yes, you know you're going to be in the final, but do you just let yourself enjoy the buzz of winning a SEM?
[02:28]
George Culkin
That is actually a great way of putting it because the way I felt about that semi final and kind of the way I Wrote about it afterwards was that it was almost a meeting between the old Newcastle and the new Newcastle. And the old Newcastle is the 70 years without a domestic cup. Thank you for not mentioning the date, but it's imprinted in all of us up here. And the feelings of nervousness that had been kind of allowed to fester a little bit between the. The two legs of the game. I was there at the Emirates. It was incredibly professional. Controlled, disciplined, defensively, excellent. Not the kind of Newcastle that I'm used to seeing really in my. In my lifetime. And as the second game gets closer, you know, performances had possibly tailed off a little bit and there'd been the disappointment of the transfer, transfer window. But it's just really those. Just old feelings of, well, you know, what if Arsenal get the first goal? It's all going to go. It's all going to go wrong. And then Eddie Howe's team came out playing a different formation, which actually fed into those nerves a bit. It's like he's going through at the back that's so defensive. It's like back to the wall from the start. And then they were so aggressive, they were so positive that again, they were disciplined, they were controlled. And in some ways I feel a bit sheepish after that because it was like, at that, I mean, it was never in doubt. And again, that's not the kind of Newcastle that I'm. I'm used to. And I think heading towards Wembley, of course, you know, huge excitement, huge excitement. But it's like there's a kind of real feeling around the club that let's, you know, let's not go to London and win the weekend, but lose the match. Let's go to Wembley and actually win this time.
[04:13]
Adam Leventhal
Okay, so that's the Newcastle View. We'll have more from Georgia in a moment, but let's be balanced. Let's get the Arsenal take on this. And a quick word from James McNichol. Nicholas, speaking on our Arsenal podcast, Handbrake Off.
[04:26]
James McNicholas
We've spoken a lot about things that haven't gone our way this season or fine margins or feeling a bit unlucky across the two legs. I don't think we can really have any complaints. We're really well beaten in both games. I know we had more chances in the first game, but that's on us really, that we didn't take them. And last night it was pretty comprehensive. Newcastle had a very clear game plan and we were. We weren't good at both ends of the pitch. You know, there was a few missed opportunities. And Mikhail Tessa put a big emphasis on those post game. But I was really struck defensively how out of sorts we looked, how much we struggled to handle Alexander Isaac.
[05:04]
George Culkin
And he might be in again here.
[05:07]
Tim Spears
Oh, off the post. But.
[05:12]
James McNicholas
I've not seen Saliba and Gabriel look that ragged for a long time, possibly ever giving it away.
[05:21]
Tim Spears
And that should be the day for Newcastle United.
[05:26]
James McNicholas
The atmosphere was extraordinary last night and they were just willing their team on to get to that final and try and hunt down that domestic trophy.
[05:36]
Adam Leventhal
Tim, I wanted to get your. Your take on this. There's a lot of talk about managers having to be adaptable in football and I sort of reference Ruben Amarim and the criticism that he's got at Manchester United for sticking to his 3, 4, 3. Were you quite impressed with what Eddie Howe did in that second leg to sort of switch it up and for it to work and all go to plan?
[05:59]
Tim Spears
Yeah. I mean in both legs really, they've done a number on Arsenal. For Arsenal not to score in either game is very impressive on Newcastle's part. I see that more as a. As Newcastle stopping them to score rather than failings on Arsenal's part. To be honest. You know, I saw some kind of, oh, Newcastle wanted it more stuff on Wednesday night and maybe they did. But I feel that sort of does a disservice to Eddie Howe really. I mean the tactical plan he came up with with this sort of. Yeah, three, four, three with the ball, five, four, one without man marking, centre backs pushing up to press. It was pretty perfect and Arsenal didn't know how to handle it. I mean it wasn't without its risks. Arsenal have the capability to just potentially play through that and make you look pretty silly. But maybe Eddie Howe doesn't quite get the credit for some of the tactical things he does. I think if that was. If Man City had done that to Arsenal last weekend or. Or if Pep Guardiola had done that to Arsenal over two legs, that would have been a big talking point after the game. Everyone would have lauded him for his. For his. For his genius. So I think you have to give Eddie Howe his due really. And one of his sort of. It's one of his sort of major strengths is sort of recognizing an opposition weakness, recognizing there's something that his team can do to hurt that and then making a small tweak or a major tweak as we saw in midweek to make that plan come to fruition. So yeah, full credit to Eddie Howe I think on this occasion.
[07:17]
George Culkin
Yeah. I mean. And that's Kind of why I feel a little bit sort of sheepish afterwards. You know, with. With all those. With all those nerves and looking at the formation and thinking okay, so he's. He's set up like that. Does that not send the message that it's back. Back to the wall from the start. But within the first minute you saw Dan Byrne leaping forward. That was the. That was the kind of expression that they. About what they want in the center halves to do. Getting right towards the Arsenal box and pressing. And then of course you know, Newcastle's second goal where you see Fabian, Fabian Sher. Newcastle are one nil up on the night. They're three nil up on aggregate. And you've got Fabian Cher tailing Declan Rice as he had done all game. And he's there to take advantage of that sort of horrendous pass out by David Rayer. Squares the ball and it's a goal. Just. I mean an incredible moment. I think it was very, very brave. And you know, from being a defensive formation it was a very brave thing to do. That. And the nervousness didn't come from Newcastle. It came from Arsenal. And every time that Isak had the ball at his feet there was. There was just as James said, there was just sort of pandemonium in the Arsenal defense. It was just so impressive and so clinical. And I think, you know, I talk about the old Newcastle and the new Newcastle. The old Newcastle was very. Was very. I was going to say visible but sort of audible at St. James's part, you know, wonder old stadium. Which of course is the subject of interest at the minute in terms of what they do with it moving forward. But it was up there with the noisiest atmospheres you could imagine. That was kind of very much old school Newcastle. But on the pitch you had this clear eye, determined group of players sort of absolutely making sure that they weren't swept away by what was at stake. And that was just so impressive.
[09:07]
Adam Leventhal
And I suppose it was impressive as well for the people that were watching it that had seen Newcastle not over the course of the season because they were obviously doing very well. But in recent games at home at St. James's Park. Beaten by Bournemouth. Beaten by Fulham. So people were thinking, hang on a minute. Is there something that's not quite right about Newcastle playing at St James's but that was completely wiped away.
[09:31]
George Culkin
Yeah. Bournemouth and Fulham were not good at home. Two consecutive home defeats sandwiched with a sort of relatively comfortable victory at Southampton. And I think there is, you know, one. One criticism I Think there is of Newcastle this season is that there has been some. Certainly at the start of the season there was inconsistency in performance and you know, where they have certainly risen to the challenge of playing elite teams or clubs that are. That we sort of by shorthand refer to as big clubs. There's been a lack of intensity on occasion against different teams. Bournemouth were absolutely brilliant at St James's I don't want to. I don't want to be mealy mouthed in the way I described them. They were the best team I've seen at St. James's this season. They were absolutely outstanding. But Newcastle looked tired at a time when they, you know, they shouldn't be really. And the same against Fulham they looked fatigued and I think it was possibly this game on the horizon, a bit of that. But you know, one of the things that Howe is really trying to sort of engender in his team at the minute is the way of approaching every game the same. You know, that is incredibly difficult to do. And they didn't. They certainly didn't do it against Fulham but my goodness, they made up for it against, against Arsenal. And they were. They were magnificent.
[10:49]
Adam Leventhal
I just wanted to ask you about Alexander Isak because there seems to be this narrative that it is simply down to whether Newcastle qualify for the Champions League as to whether he will stay at the club next season. Obviously the, you know, the two games against Arsenal have almost fed into that narrative that he's almost auditioning for his move. They love him, they want to sign him and they'll get him. What's your feeling on it as a fan? Someone who covers the club in terms of what his future is going to hold. Have you got a gut feeling on it?
[11:26]
George Culkin
Well, I mean there's a few things. First of all, a bit of defensiveness kicks in. It's like Hans off. He's kind of Newcastle. And yeah, there is that sort of narrative. Every time he scores a goal it's like, well, this is why Arsenal, you know, might want him. But of course we, we also know that Arsenal do want him. James has, has kind of written about that, that Mikel Arteta is sort of obsessed with Isak. Whether they could afford him or you know, of course is. Is another matter. I think when I talked earlier about the sort of transfer window. It's now three transfer windows that have gone without Newcastle strength strengthening their first 11. And on paper they have a great first 11. You know, don't get me wrong, they've got some, you know, some absolutely wonderful Talented players, great team players, really good. But that's the sort of fantasy football element to it. What that doesn't sort of take into account is how dressing rooms are kind of living, breathing organisms and that have an ecosystem and that you need people to come in to refresh it, to push the players already there to help motivate, to provide competition. And that hasn't happened. And that is a concern at a time when post takeover, there's no new training ground at the moment, there isn't a new stadium. There's talk, a lot of talk about both those things, but it's not happened yet. So where does Eddie Howe go into his dressing room and say, well, this is progress. This is where progress is happening. And I do think that's quite delicate and very important and probably not talked about enough now at the moment. The progress is all happening within the first team. I mean the progress is getting to another Wembley final. That's astonishing. The progress is still being in a very competitive position in the Premier League. But I think in a way when I talk about the nervousness before this second leg, there was a bit of that filtering into it because if Newcastle had let it slip against Arsenal, suddenly you're talking about a club that isn't refreshing its first team. And there are a lot of questions off the pitch. So Newcastle's players, if they're looking around, we're not in the Champions League and they're not in the Champions League, they're not in Europe. It's like, well, you know, where is this project that we were asked to buy into? So I do think it's vital that Newcastle get back into Europe. I think that's vital for all their big players. The other side of it is that as their struggles against PSR show, they have to refresh the squad, they have to recycle players. They've done that with some players, with fringe players, with young players last summer. The time will come when they have to sell a big player. I think that Alexander Isak is the last person they would want to sell because he's, he's irreplaceable.
[14:07]
Adam Leventhal
Well, you may have noticed that we haven't mentioned just to sort of help George, I think who Newcastle are going to be playing in the final. So we'll deal with that next.
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[14:58]
Adam Leventhal
Now many of the neutrals will have wanted Newcastle to be facing Tottenham in the final because then we could have had the desperation derby. Two sides haven't won a trophy for ages. Going head to head. But unfortunately it was Liverpool. Great for them, great for their fans, great for their season. They made it through. They're the holders, the winners in two of the last three finals. And they completely annihilated Tottenham. Let's get the reaction from James Pearce who was there at the game at Anfield on Thursday.
[15:32]
James Pearce
The fans around me have just been chanting about returning to Wembley. And they did it in style. An absolute demolition of Ange Postecoglou's side. I thought that performance tonight epitomised everything best about Liverpool and Arne Slot. The quality and abundance. But it's also twins with such a. A steely work ethic. And they excelled in all departments. You know, there was a complete gulf in quality between these teams. I mean the. The stats speak volumes. Liverpool's XG 3.72. Tottenham's 0.18. 26 shots against 510 on target versus zero for Spurs. And from the moment that Cody Gagpo banged in his 16th goal of the season in the first half, there was just an inevitability about the outcome. I think spurs knew what was coming and Liverpool just played with such a kind of a swagger and a belief. They just knew they were too good for Tottenham. And the goals kept on flowing by.
[16:27]
Adam Leventhal
Soberside and Liverpool.
[16:31]
Tim Spears
Via the skipper are halfway down Wembley way.
[16:37]
James Pearce
Of course Liverpool are chasing bigger prizes than the Carabao cup this season. But you know, it does present the first opportunity for outer slot to get his hands on some silver error as Liverpool manager. They're going to be absolutely relishing that return to Wembley on March 16th.
[16:53]
George Culkin
I'm going to go home.
[16:56]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah. It's unfortunate for you that it's Liverpool, isn't it George?
[17:00]
George Culkin
Well, I mean I've got to look on the bright side from this point, haven't I? I mean, I think yes, as you said, you know, the idea of a desperation derby actually isn't something that appeals. Newcastle have gone to Spurs. They've beaten them. They've got a good record against spurs recently. But in some ways what I kind of like about this final is that it does force that sort of underdog attitude onto Newcastle. Now there's been a lot of talk amongst the fan base since the takeovers happened that you know, Newcastle somehow have got to sort of get a winner's mentality. Stop talking about the past. Stop talking about losing. Stop talking you know, about that kind of thing. But actually when Newcastle are at their best was like on Wednesday. Yeah, they had a 2 nil lead. But they didn't play as if they had a 2 nil lead. They played as if it was nil. Nil. All to play for. The last time Newcastle got to Wembley. The whole occasion was flat. Newcastle didn't turn up. Fans were knackered. They were hungover. That expended all this emotion in the buildup. And you know, I think this time it suits Newcastle in the sense that they will have to be ferocious if they're going to beat Liverpool. You know, what I wouldn't want is a month of Newcastle fans. You know, even somehow this working its way into the dressing room that Newcastle were kind of better than spurs and should win. So in some ways, in a perverse way possibly this game suits them a bit better. But yeah, I'm clutching a bit there. But I do think that's right.
[18:32]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah. Tim, from your point of view. I wanted to get the sort of the status check on Tottenham because I mean it was mentioned in the commentary there that we heard, you know, Liverpool were just far too good for Tottenham who were limp and. Well, they were basically on trend, weren't they for what they've been doing recently. Just not really up to it. What's your feeling on where they're going at the moment?
[18:57]
Tim Spears
I don't know about on trend. I felt like that was the worst I've seen them this season. I felt like that was one of the worst spurs performances I've seen for a few years. I say one off because you know.
[19:09]
Adam Leventhal
There'S been a few, hasn't there?
[19:10]
Tim Spears
Yeah. And George, remember the 6:1 at St. James's a couple of years ago. So one of the worst performances. Probably the worst semifinal performance that I can remember from any team. You know, a team of that caliber anyway. I think you have to say. You have to say at the top that they had six or seven players that probably would have started last night if they were fit. That's. You know, that's a lot. But the game was a non event. You know, the players that were on the field were. Were passive. They weren't fighting for every loose ball. They weren't refusing to give up their place in the final. You know, without a fight there was just nothing. That's either because they're completely knackered. And I think in the case of players like Kulasevski, you know, that's true. Or they've lost belief in the manager. Maybe. There was one point in the second half, I think they were two nil down at this point where spurs had a rare chance to sort of break and Poro played the ball like comfortably behind Son who couldn't keep it in and it went out of play and Son just shook his head and I was like, this is just absolute disaster. So, yeah, no shot shots on target. I think they had 29% possession in the first half. It was, it was atrocious. But we do have to keep mentioning injuries with Spurs. I mean, Richarlison. Richarlison has had to play because they've had no other senior strikers. He goes off last night and now it looks like he's out for a bit. That takes the list of players currently sidelined to 11. I think eight of them are due back this month. You know, there are a couple of longer term ones, but eight of them are due back. But whether postecoglou is there to welcome them back I think looks less likely as the weeks go on.
[20:38]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah, they've got Villa in the FA cup this weekend. They're still in the Europa League Round of 16. But it just feels, George, from your point of view, sort of a slow burn to Daniel Levy finally going well, we're not in any more Cups anymore. We're going to finish in the bottom half of the table probably. And I've got it wrong. We've got it wrong and we need to try someone else.
[20:59]
George Culkin
Well, I mean, I do, I have to say, I do have, you know, a large degree of empathy for that sort of injury situation because of course Newcastle had exactly the same thing last season, you know, the worst I can remember. And also had had Europe to contend with the Champions League, albeit the kind of injuries that have really kicked in after they'd gone out. They got to the two cup quarterfinals last season as well, but they just run out of players. And when you're in that position where you're constantly waiting for players to come back, they do come back. They're more susceptible to injuries. You're still relying on the same people week in, week out. There's fatigue. You can't play the way you want to play it. It doesn't reflect well on the manager because players constantly look tired and it feels like you're sort of making excuses now. There was no sense at all last season that Newcastle were wavering in terms of Eddie Howe, quite rightly in my opinion. You know, he'd absolutely earned the right to have a bad season. Not that it was a kind of bad season from his perspective particularly. And it really just depends what the club, you know, what the club earns are looking for. But you know, I. I do know. I do know from experience at Newcastle that when fans start calling for directors to go that there's usually one outcome from that and it isn't the directors going.
[22:17]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah, it seems a sort of a bit of a sour situation at Tottenham all round at the moment. And it'll be interesting to see if. If the players coming back can lift them in. In some way shape or form. Final word from, from you George, about the FA cup this weekend. And it's an interesting one against Birmingham City because they're. They're on the up. And I saw some quotes from Eddie Howe this morning as we record on Friday basically saying that we. We can't expect this team that did so well against Arsenal to go again. We are going to have to rotate. So it's. It's not a. It's not a straightforward meeting this, is it?
[22:55]
George Culkin
No. And you know, one of the kind of very interesting things about this long winning run that they had was that basically he called upon the same group of players week in, week out, making the odd tweak and you know, when there was an injury or suspension. But Newcastle do have to give minutes to some of the players who haven't been able to get into the team. They don't have a deep squad in terms of quality. It was great to see Callum Wilson come back against Arsenal and play the last couple of minutes. He has had an awful year with injuries. If he can. If he can stay fit. That's a potent weapon in Newcastle's armory. And yeah, I mean it becomes an interesting test too of that. Of that mentality that I was talking about earlier about having this incredible huge occasion which they handled brilliantly. But how much of an emotional release has there been since then getting back to Wembley? Is there a kind of like this great big exhalation of breath? Can they go again, albeit with a different team? It's a big, big tough month coming up. They've got fixtures against Man, City, Forest and Liverpool in the league coming up after this. If they can find a way of keeping momentum. That'll set them up really, really well.
[24:05]
Adam Leventhal
George, thanks very much for coming on. Right then, let's turn our attention to some of the other fixtures in the FA cup this weekend. There are eight ties, Tim, involving Premier League teams away at lower league opposition. One of those is Liverpool heading to Plymouth now. Yes. You tipped Brentford as outside shouts to win the FA Cup.
[24:39]
Tim Spears
Why are you bringing that up on.
[24:40]
Adam Leventhal
This podcast back in January? Well, unfortunately, it's just facts. You know, I'm going Rafa Benitez on you. This is facts. Okay. And then 24 hours later they were dumped out at home by Plymouth.
[24:53]
Tim Spears
Yes.
[24:54]
Adam Leventhal
So do you think that there's a chance of another upset in this one or. Liverpool's a slightly different kettle of fish, isn't it?
[25:01]
Tim Spears
Yeah, slightly different. In my defense, when I made that absolutely horrific prediction, Brentford did sort of rest like seven players that day. And I remember saying at the time, Premier League team, why do they do that when they're in mid table? It was ridiculous. Yeah. It's quite embarrassing though, isn't it? Can it happen again? I don't, I mean, I don't. I don't think so. It's hard, it's very hard to make any kind of case for Plymouth. I mean, Morgan Whittaker scored, you know, a very fine winning goal that day at Brentford. He's obviously now gone to Middlesbrough. They did win the other day, Plymouth. Their first league win in 16.
[25:33]
Adam Leventhal
Against who, Tim? Against who?
[25:35]
Tim Spears
Well, I was there. I was in the home end cheering them on against the backies. I like to go to every West Brom match just to cheer on the opposition. No, I wasn't there. But yeah, they're still bottom of the league. I mean this is an interesting story with their new manager who's replaced Wayne Rooney and Miron Muslic. I was reading a good article about him on the BBC this morning about how he was sort of forced out of war torn Bosnia as a child. A real left field appointment as a manager came from Cirque Le Bruges.
[26:03]
Adam Leventhal
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[26:04]
Tim Spears
Guided them to the Europa Conference League. So yeah, they've shown slight, slight improvements. Yeah, but they only, they only have a chance if Liverpool rest all 11 players, I would say.
[26:14]
Adam Leventhal
And even if Liverpool literally come out with no team against them.
[26:19]
Tim Spears
Yeah, yeah, that's the only chance. But no, I mean even if, even if they sort of change up 11, then you're, you're still looking at a front three of like Jota, Diaz and Chiesa or McAllister and Endo to come in in midfield and Harvey, Elliott and Quanza, you know. So, yeah, Liverpool looking pretty serene at the moment. There's always talk of the quadruple with Liverpool. It seems at this time of year this is. You can tell it's February because we're talking about a quadruple for Liverpool. I mean, yeah, they're top of the Premier League, finished top of the Champions League in the Carabao Cup Final and probably in the last 16 of the cup on Sunday night. So, yeah, feels a little bit different to me this year, the talk of how many trophies they're going to win. Maybe it's the sort of lack of emotion without, without Klopp, but they just look utterly serene. You'd certainly say they're good for two trophies at the moment and then, yeah, why not an FA cup run as well?
[27:06]
Adam Leventhal
If it's not going to be Liverpool winning the FA cup, who would be? Obviously now, unfortunately, you know, you got so unlucky with, with tipping Brentford and them. Them going out. Who would be your outside shot at winning the FA cup now? So it has to be an outside chance.
[27:22]
Tim Spears
Right, so not one of the teams that will probably win it. So you're setting me up to look stupid again basically by predicting a team that won't win it.
[27:30]
Adam Leventhal
Well, no, you've got an opportunity this week. There are four all Premier League ties in the fourth round. So you're going to lose four Premier League teams out of the mix for going into the next round draw going to open up. So it might open up a little BIT. They're currently 17 out of the 20 Premier League teams in the cup. So who would be your pick?
[27:54]
Tim Spears
I mean, Fulham never have a cup run and Fulham should do. Fulham should do on their day. They can beat anyone. They've got, you know, top class players. They've got Wigan away. I think on Saturday you'd expect them to win that and then, yeah, draw items up, who knows? So let's say Fulham and then put all your money on Wicken to beat them on Saturday.
[28:12]
Adam Leventhal
There is a little bit of history with Wigan, isn't there? Obviously they won the FA Cup. And who's manager of Wigan at the moment?
[28:20]
Tim Spears
Sean Maloney.
[28:21]
Adam Leventhal
Sean Maloney. Sean Maloney who crossed the ball from the corner for Ben Watson.
[28:28]
Tim Spears
For Ben Watson, as you were talking to Ben about in that fantastic podcast you did this week.
[28:32]
Adam Leventhal
There you go, you see, There you go. The anatomy of a transfer. So yeah, put your money on Wigan because Fulham are going out because Tim's back them. So let's let's talk about one of those. All Premier League ties. Manchester United against Leicester. Rude Van Nistelrooy back at Old Trafford. Let's hear from Andy Mitten first. He was speaking on Talk of the Devils on whether Ruben Amarim, considering what Manchester United are doing in the league, simply have to concentrate on, on winning a cup.
[29:04]
Andy Mitten
Yeah. Reluctantly I say yes. In the back of my mind. I always felt there would be a point in the season where Manchester United moved up the league table. I thought United would, would beat palace at the weekend. It's just not happening. It simply is not happening. There's a consistency now to this team in the league and it's a team who are 12 to 14th in the league.
[29:25]
Adam Leventhal
They are, they're 13th slap bang in the middle of those.
[29:27]
Tim Spears
He's not wrong, is he?
[29:29]
Adam Leventhal
Unlucky for some. I think that, you know, Andy summed it up very well there. You're expecting some sort of momentum to arrive and then last time out they lost against Crystal Palace. But are you still feeling that there is a body of work building for Amerim or do you think that the club as a whole needs. Needs finessing and that's just going to take time with the new structure, the new ownership and all that sort of stuff.
[29:57]
Tim Spears
I mean, blimey, it's clearly going to take time. I'm not expecting any momentum from them to be honest. Just because, just because the games that they do well in, it's not, it's not a sustainable way of playing football. So the games where we've been really impressed, rightly so, are like Arsenal away when they sort of scrap their way to penalties. Or Liverpool away when yeah, really good performance and got a 2, 2 there. Or city away when they, they play pretty badly really for 85 minutes and then just got the shock win two goals in, in the later stages. But that's from like you know, 25, 30 possession and everyone behind the ball kind of thing and then the, the couple of good results they had recently. Fulham away and then fcsb wasn't it in Romania, Awful dreadful games where they're just taking all sucking the life out of. Out the matches. You know, away games as well. But when it comes to sort of constructing a 90 minute plan on their own terms when the onus is on them, I. E. Home matches, they just look utterly incapable to be honest. The pressure will rise on Amorim for sure because the players just won't have him. And if they're sort of 13th, 14th at the end of the season, it's Unacceptable, you know, and it won't be forgotten if he lasts a summer and they start slowly next year. So you do worry for him a little bit. I guess you just hope for his sake that this is just a long version of pre season because you can almost write the pre. Almost write this season off certainly in the league anyway, and that you just hope that he's working out now who can do it and who can't. But there's a lot of them that can't and that means an awful lot of work in the, in the transfer market in the summer.
[31:33]
Adam Leventhal
So one of the other all Premier League ties in the FA cup fourth round this weekend is Brighton against Chelsea and they're actually going to be playing each other in back to back games because they go head to head in the Premier League next as well. Let's quickly check in with the Athletics Chelsea writer Simon Johnson. He was speaking on straight outta Cobham on whether Enzo Maresca should rotate in this one.
[31:55]
Simon Johnson
I think he's got to go strong. I mean, look, the league game is, is on the Friday against the same opposition. So you know, they've got plenty of time to rest and also it's a chance to sort of get in their heads a little bit before the league game. Also Chelsea want to have an FA cup run. The league cup run was, was very disappointing. Ended with a whimper at Newcastle. I suppose the biggest question is, does he give Cole Palmer a rest? Perhaps there's an argument for that given he has been looking more fatigued from the games and carrying Chelsea on his back.
[32:32]
Adam Leventhal
I suppose there's a danger if Maresca rotates. They know full well that they're coming up against the Brighton side who, albeit they'll have the game against Chelsea in the league coming up on their minds. But you would expect them to respond after getting spanked 7 nil by forest. So it's a difficult one to pick as to how you broach this. This game, isn't it for, for Brighton?
[32:55]
Tim Spears
Yeah, I think Brighton would probably prefer the league game to come first really because they're inevitably going to rest some players for this one. I think Herzler would want to see a reaction from his sort of, you know, his main first 11. It's a game that neither of these two teams probably needs right now in the cup. They're both sort of in, in different form. It's certainly not worthy of a sort of Saturday 8:00 TV billing, you know, in my opinion. So yeah, Brighton, obviously that was an extremely uncharacteristic Defeat at Forest. I think it's their biggest league defeat since, like, 1958, something like that. Which is. Which is crazy considering the, you know, the bad shape that they've been in for a lot of that period. And Chelsea, yeah, they're a weird one at the moment. There are a few. I noticed a few booze at halftime in the West Ham game on Monday night, and issues in goal. You know, Jorgensen came in and had some nervy moments, but you'd expect that, having not played for a while, you'd also expect him to play at Brighton, which will sort of deny Sanchez a game against his former club. And then the biggest issue for Chelsea at the moment, other than that, at the moment is up front. Jackson's not scored in eight games now. And for a team that does crazy things in the transfer window, you know, not bringing in a striker or a goalkeeper might cost them in the sort of coming weeks if neither of those issues are fixed.
[34:04]
Adam Leventhal
Well, speaking of teams that need to react, it's going to be interesting to see how Manchester City broach their FA cup tie away at Leyton Orient when they've got Real Madrid on the horizon on Tuesday. But also, they are still licking their wounds after Getting hammered by Arsenal 5 1. The way that Manchester City have been this season, even though they have been, you know, horrendously inconsistent and delivering some pretty poor performances, they are going to have enough to beat Leyton Orient, aren't they? No. Really? No. Really?
[34:43]
Tim Spears
Well, like, nine times out of ten. I would say so. But I'll tell you what, Adam, are.
[34:48]
Adam Leventhal
You feeling the magic of the Cup?
[34:50]
Tim Spears
Well, I spent some time at Lake Norton this week and I went to Richie Welland's house to interview him.
[34:57]
Adam Leventhal
Did he know you were coming?
[35:00]
Tim Spears
Yeah. They're in a great moment, as people like to say. I don't know why I just said that. They won nine of 11, basically either side of Christmas, to go from the relegation zone to sixth in League One, which is. Which is an incredible sort of spot for Lake Norient to be in. Yeah, it's been almost. It's been more than a decade since they've been sort of at the top end of League One. So, yeah, they're. They're loving right life right now, and it's not the nicest place for sort of, you know, it's a. It's a tight ground, it's a small tunnel. City won't sort of relish that. And Orient can play. You know, they're. They've got. They're sort of high pressing, intense, combative attacking. They like having the ball. Yeah. City will have to rest players because, like I said, they got Real Madrid on Tuesday, which is a big thing in Orient's favor. The only thing I'd say an issue for Orient is they've got eight players out. Unfortunately, this has come slightly at not the best time, but they've got a couple of low knees. Jamie Donnelly from Spurs and the spurs loanee Josh Keeley in goal and Charney Kelman from QPR up front. So, yeah, they will cause City problems. Like I said, nine times out of ten, you expect City to win, but the ingredients are there for a bit of magic. Adam.
[36:09]
George Culkin
Yeah.
[36:10]
Adam Leventhal
That was the full Leighton Orient briefing that you didn't know you were gonna get, and now I am all on board. And also considering that the bee in your bonnet at the moment is TV scheduling. Is this one on?
[36:23]
Tim Spears
It's too early, Adam.
[36:24]
Adam Leventhal
What do you mean, too early?
[36:26]
Tim Spears
It is on. It is obvious. It's 12:15 on a Saturday. It's a little bit too early for a Cup shock. I think you need it later in the day, probably.
[36:33]
Adam Leventhal
All right, we'll see. Just finally, any other fixtures that you want to stick a flag in? Obviously you're going to Leeds Millwall, but any of the other Premier League teams that look a little bit precarious. Forest away at Exeter.
[36:46]
Tim Spears
Forest where? Exeter. Yeah. Shame it's on Tuesday night. Sort of Same. Same time as the Champions League ties. Don't understand that we're talking about TV scheduling. Don't get that at all. The Sessignon Twins against each other would be a nice one. Wigan v. Fulham. Blackburn v. Wolves. That's right. For an upset.
[37:00]
Adam Leventhal
Although that is a. That is, isn't it?
[37:02]
Tim Spears
It is. I think both teams will probably rest quite a few players, to be honest. But. But Wolves will be.
[37:06]
Adam Leventhal
But Blackburn should have enough and Ipswich at Coventry.
[37:12]
Tim Spears
Yeah. I would rather watch this than a few of the other ties, actually. It's shame this one isn't on telly, you know. Good to see Frank Lampard, I think, doing well at Coventry. He's brought them up the table. They're in good form. And again, you'd expect Ipswich to rest a few. I mean, they lost it. They lost to Maidstone this time. This time last year. You know, Kieran McKenna didn care about the cup when he was going for a promotion from the championship. I don't think he'll be bothered about it now at all. So you can expect Coventry, you know, with their FA cup pedigree to be well up for that one, Adam.
[37:41]
Adam Leventhal
And the lowest ranked team left in the competition is Doncaster from the fourth tier up against Crystal palace as well. So maybe keep an eye on that one. But we are definitely going to have some lower league teams through to the next round. It is only the fourth round of course. Leeds, Millwall, you're going to that one. Preston, Wickham, Stoke, Cardiff as well. So we shall see what happens. We know one thing is certain, Fulham are going out. Tim has backed them. Well, whatever happens this weekend, I do hope you have a lovely weekend, Tim.
[38:13]
Tim Spears
And you too, Adam.
[38:14]
Adam Leventhal
Thank you very much indeed. And if you get a chance, we mentioned it a little bit earlier on and you want to listen to something slightly different, you can skip back on this feed. Listen to the Anatomy of a Transfer and it tell you all about the process of putting a transfer together. That was our documentary last weekend. Take care everyone. We will be back right here on the Athletic FC on Monday.
[38:39]
Tim Spears
You've been listening to the Athletic FC podcast. The producers were Guy Clark, Mike Stavroot and Jay Beal. The executive producer was Ailey Moorhead. To listen to other great athletic podcasts for free, search for the Athletic on Apple, Spotify and all the usual places. The Athletic FC podcast is an athletic media company production.
[39:02]
George Culkin
The Athletic FC Podcast network.