The Preview - Tottenham vs Man United

Summary

The Athletic FC Podcast: Episode Summary – "The Preview - Tottenham vs Man United"

Release Date: February 14, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of The Athletic FC Podcast, host Adam Leventhal, alongside co-hosts Tim Spears, Karl Anker, Jack Pitt-Brook, and Brook, delves deep into the highly anticipated Premier League clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. The discussion not only previews the upcoming match but also examines the current form, managerial strategies, injury concerns, and broader implications for both clubs as the season progresses.

Nicknaming the Derby

The episode kicks off with a creative brainstorming session on what to aptly name the Tottenham vs Manchester United fixture, given the absence of a traditional derby rivalry between them.

• Karl Anker suggests "El Calamitico" ([02:33]), a playful nod to the dramatic nature of their encounters.
• Jack Pitt-Brook proposes "The Derby of Disappointment" ([02:43]), reflecting the underwhelming performances both teams have delivered.
• Tim Spears adds "The Banter Derby" ([02:53]), highlighting the off-field exchanges and playful rivalry.

Ultimately, "The Derby of Disappointment" gains traction among the hosts for its resonant depiction of the match's anticipated intensity.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Struggles

The discussion shifts to Tottenham's dismal season. Currently languishing 14th in the Premier League, Spurs have exited both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, leaving their Europa League hopes as their sole consolation.

• Jack Pitt-Brook remarks, "[05:01]... Spurs are better than the teams in the relegation zone. But to really get anything positive out of the season it's going to have to be the Europa League."

The injury crisis plaguing Tottenham is a recurrent theme. Manager Ange Postecoglou has been grappling with a thin squad, exacerbated by frequent fixtures over the past two and a half months. Postecoglou’s recent comments about injuries have sparked debate:

• Adam Leventhal queries whether Postecoglou is "absolving himself of all responsibility" ([05:22]).
• Jack Pitt-Brook defends Postecoglou, acknowledging the manager's difficulties: "[06:30]... Spurs do not have a big squad. They have never lost league games at this rate before."

The hosts agree that the combination of a slim squad, a demanding fixture list, and a high injury toll has severely hampered Tottenham's performance. Jack emphasizes the need for Spurs to prioritize the Europa League to salvage their season.

Manchester United’s Plight

Turning to Manchester United, the conversation highlights the club's turbulent season, marked by poor performances, financial strain, and managerial challenges under Ruben Amarino.

• Karl Anker paints a bleak picture: "[07:01]... This is a football squad that is bad. It is one of the worst assembled squads I've seen in modern European football history."

Amarino's handling of the team has come under scrutiny, especially following a lackluster victory against Leicester City and questionable managerial statements:

• Karl Anker notes Amarino's sometimes confusing tactical choices and his public demeanor, saying, "[09:24]... Amarin is making some personnel selection details in there that are a bit confusing."

The discussion also touches on key player absences, notably Lisandro Martinez's prolonged injury, forcing Amarino to adapt his backline strategy. Karl suggests maintaining Marcos Rojo in the defensive lineup could provide stability: "[25:40]... Mazraui in the back three with other defenders is probably best."

Player Highlights: Alejandro Garnacho

A spotlight is cast on Manchester United’s young talent, Alejandro Garnacho. Despite being heavily linked with a transfer, Garnacho has emerged as a crucial player when coming off the bench.

• Karl Anker commends Garnacho’s tenacity: "[20:27]... He's Manchester United's highest goal scorer out of all their current attackers."
• Tim Spears echoes the sentiment, hoping United retains him: "[23:05]... If Amarin thinks he can fit into his system and his style, then, yeah, I think they'd be crazy to sell him."

Garnacho's relentless energy and ability to challenge defenders make him a valuable asset, even as his development continues.

Match Predictions and Tactical Insights

As the episode progresses towards predictions, the hosts offer varied insights:

• Karl Anker predicts a high-scoring draw: "[27:39]... this is going to be two drunk men fighting outside a nightclub for the last cab home. Two, two draw."
• Jack Pitt-Brook foresees a one-sided outcome: "[27:47]... the self-destruction derby. Somebody is just going to go home humiliated."
• Tim Spears offers a more measured outlook, suggesting the game will be entertaining despite both teams' struggles: "[27:10]... it’s going to be fun, actually."

Other Premier League Highlights

Beyond the main fixture, the hosts touch upon other significant matches and developments:

• Liverpool vs Everton (Merseyside Derby): Reflecting on the chaotic encounter, they discuss the contentious moments and the implications for Liverpool's title ambitions. Tim praises Liverpool's recent form and strategic focus: "[30:33]... they can purely concentrate on potentially winning the league."

• Arsenal's Challenges: With key players like Kai Havertz sidelined due to injury, Arsenal faces offensive difficulties. Tim critiques Arsenal's squad depth and attacking options: "[33:30]... without a striker, it's going to need some creativity."

• Fulham and Nottingham Forest: Both teams are excelling in their campaigns, with Fulham advancing in the FA Cup and Forest maintaining a strong league position. Tim highlights Forest manager Nuno’s effective squad management: "[37:57]... he's managed to sort of fashion a tight-knit group out of what was probably the biggest squad in the Premier League."

European Football and Championship Implications

The discussion broadens to the European race, emphasizing the opportunities for clubs like Bournemouth, Fulham, and Nottingham Forest to secure European spots, potentially shaking up traditional power dynamics.

• Tim Spears reflects on the broader European landscape: "[39:06]... it's better than usual suspects, of course."

Manchester City’s Decline

Attention is also given to Manchester City’s declining performance and internal issues, suggesting a possible end to their era of dominance.

• Tim Spears describes City's vulnerabilities: "[40:31]... this is like now sort of the end of an era."

The conversation underscores the club's financial burdens and the departure of key players, hinting at a tumultuous future.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, the hosts engage in lighter banter and recap key points, reinforcing the anticipation for the Tottenham vs Manchester United showdown. They also touch upon other upcoming fixtures, including Fulham's continued FA Cup journey and Manchester City's impending clash with Newcastle.

Notable Quotes

• Jack Pitt-Brook: "Spurs do not have a big squad. They have never lost league games at this rate before." ([05:01])
• Karl Anker: "This is a football squad that is bad. It is one of the worst assembled squads I've seen in modern European football history." ([07:01])
• Karl Anker: "He's Manchester United's highest goal scorer out of all their current attackers." ([20:27])

Final Predictions

• Karl Anker: 2-2 Draw ([27:39])
• Jack Pitt-Brook: Potentially a one-sided game ([27:47])
• Tim Spears: An entertaining, albeit flawed match ([27:10])

Closing Remarks

Adam Leventhal concludes the episode by thanking the guests and urging listeners to stay tuned for more in-depth football analysis and previews. The hosts sign off with enthusiasm for the upcoming football weekend, signaling another engaging episode of The Athletic FC Podcast to come.

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For more insights and detailed coverage of football's biggest stories, subscribe to The Athletic FC Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred listening platform.

Transcript

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[Adam Leventhal]

Hello, I'm Adam Leventhal. Welcome to the preview on the Athletic fc. Focusing this week on the big one of sorts on Sunday. Tottenham against Manchester United. And we'll also set you up for the big fixtures elsewhere. Well, joining me are the Athletics, football writer Tim Spears, Manchester United reporter Karl Anker, and our Tottenham reporter, Jack Pitt. Brook here as well. I wanted to start with a little bit of a question for you. Last week we were discussing the desperation derby, which we didn't get. Spurs against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup Final. Spurs against Manchester United. Now, what do we call this? If it was a derby, I would quite like it to be alliterative as well. Karl, can I start with you?

[Karl Anker]

Someone vouched earlier this week. El Calamitico.

[Adam Leventhal]

Yeah, that's a good one. I'm having that. El Calamitico. Jack, what have you got?

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

I'm just gonna call it the Derby of disappointment.

[Karl Anker]

Ooh, yeah, that's good.

[Adam Leventhal]

The derby. Yeah, that's good.

[Tim Spears]

Tim, I've heard the banter derby. I think it doesn't get any better than that.

[Adam Leventhal]

Does it banter derby. That's good. To be honest, I was thinking the demolition derby, that felt quite sort of apt for me. It was 10th against 11th the last time that these sides met in the Premier League back in September. And in the preview for that game our producer Jay has obviously listened back. We were basically saying, oh this is the game that they're going to turn it around and kick on and everything will be shiny and happy and hunky dory. It wasn't. It's now 13th against 14th Jack spurs out of the Carabao cup obviously at the semi final stage. Out of the FA cup last two games. Ange is still clinging on because the, the Europa League adventure is, is still alive. It must be because it's not down to the league, is it?

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

No, I mean if you, if you judge on the percentage of league games which have been defeated, this is the worst Tottenham season ever. You know they are, they have never lost league games at this rate before. I think all season really people have kind of put up with it on the basis that it'll all be okay in the cups. We're going to turn everything around in the cups. And so, you know, a week or two ago people would say, you know, don't worry about it, we've got the Carabao cup semi final second against Liverpool, we've got the FA cup fourth round game, Aston Villa, but they lost both of those and now really the season is hanging by a thread. You know, I think they will probably stay in the Premier League. They've got a 10 point cushion at the moment. They are better than the teams in the relegation zone. But I think to really get anything positive out of the season it's going to have to be the, the Europa League. And I do feel like their next three league games which are Manchester United, then Ipswich Town and Manchester City, it's kind of, it's almost a sort of run out before that. Europa League last 16, first leg in the first week of March, which I think is now the focus.

[Adam Leventhal]

And Jack an went on the excuse offensive after the Aston Villa game about the injuries. He was sp biting back at a journalist. He had his hands on his face. Look, I don't know how else to explain it right?

[Tim Spears]

So I really don't know how else.

[Adam Leventhal]

To explain it other than if you.

[Tim Spears]

Can'T see that this team is just.

[Adam Leventhal]

Trying its hardest to play under the.

[Tim Spears]

Most extreme two and a half months of asking 18 year olds and 17.

[Adam Leventhal]

Year olds and senior players with no rest to play. Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Thursday Sunday, Thursday, Sunday.

[Karl Anker]

I'll keep going for three, two and a half months.

[Tim Spears]

And if you think that that is not at all a factor of how this team is performing right now, then.

[Adam Leventhal]

There'S nothing else I can say. I don't want to say that he was, but some people might say that he was absolving himself of all responsibility and pointing the finger on the injuries. Is that fair or am I being unfair?

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

I think he has spoken a lot about taking responsibility and I think he will know deep down that he will pay the price ultimately for the bad form. His managers are the ones who get sacke when seasons don't go to plan. That said, I do accept his argument that it is impossible to play the football that he wants to play given the injury crisis they've had. You know this spurs do not have a big squad. They do not have a deep squad they've had. You know, this is. They went into the season with a thin squad. They went into season with a slashed wage. Bill and he's like he's not had his best goalkeeper for three months. He's not had his best two center backs for months. He's not had. Almost every attacking player has been injured at various points. A doggy's been out, you know, he's a very important player as well for a long time. So I accept his arg that his job has become incredibly difficult because of the injury crisis. I just think that is the reality of the situation and it's impossible to avoid.

[Adam Leventhal]

And Karl, it's a similar story for United that the cups are the sticking plaster for the season, really. But even last week Ruben Amarim looked almost embarrassed and disappointed to have actually beaten Leicester because they didn't deserve to. And it was wildly offside when Maguire scored and all. What's the sort of. Just give us a sense check on how it's feeling at United at the moment.

[Karl Anker]

Wildly offside. What a vibe he was was.

[Adam Leventhal]

He was, wasn't he?

[Karl Anker]

Well, Multiple Man United players looked offside to me. But hey, look, you take him how you can take him. I will say that first half against Leicester City is one of the worst performances I've seen from Manchester United in, I don't want to say a while because Manchester United had a lot of bad performances this season. Vibe check in Manchester, the weather is bitterly cold. The manager is constantly talking about a need for suffering from his football players. The higher ups are going to announce another round of redundancies around the club. So it will be more than 100 after a summer where they announced or after they made 250 people redundant. And we've had two or three articles on the athletic. One fantastic article from Mark Critchley outlining the financial situation at the club. So this is a football squad that is bad. It is one of the worst assembled squads I've seen in modern European football history. Unfortunately, even though it's a horribly assembled squad, it's incredibly expensive and put together. And Manchester United owe 319 million in outstanding transfer fees. So it's bad, it's expensive. And how you go about sorting out that squad is you've got very little financial wiggle room. So, yeah, it's tighten your belt time, it's tighten your actual belt in your trousers, put on your seatbelt, put on a big helmet, because this is going to be a real bumpy ride. If you're a Manchester United fan, are.

[Adam Leventhal]

You on board with Ruben Amarim still? But, you know, for people that aren't listening to every word that he's saying, which Man United fans will be, Is he still banging the I've got my way, I'm not changing my way. Do it my way drum?

[Karl Anker]

I think it's very important that you listen to what Amarin is saying. Amarin's press conference demeanor, he's a very confident, very charismatic speaker. He likes to tell jokes and he likes to respond to jokes. And I think there have been two or three times recently where he has said something in what's meant to be a jovial or tongue in cheek manner and it's been read as utterly sincere, picked up by former United pros or other people, and it's been been a bit spicy. So you may remember partway through a couple weeks ago, he said, we are.

[Adam Leventhal]

Being the, the worst team maybe in history of Manchester United.

[Karl Anker]

Now that's the quote. And even after he says that, he goes, so there you go, there's your headline. Because he's trying to be tongue in cheek. Now, of course, you say that and then everyone's going, oh, my God, is this actually the worst Manchester United team in history? Amren? I think he wears his heart on his sleeve a little bit too much in press conferences now as a journalist. Wonderful, Fantastic. I need an extra 150 words of copy. He's given me a very loquacious answer. I'm delighted with it. I think if you're a Manchester United fan, you're probably going, why does he keep telling me how bad this team is? Why does he keep telling me that we're about to suffer? Could you please Give me something positive to hang my hat on. One of the difficulties with Manchester United right now is that you probably should be a glass half empty person. And that is probably, if you're staying the course on understanding the reality of the situation and how far up you are, the proverbial creek is going to figure out how you get out of here. However, part of being a Manchester United manager is also to in air quotes, play the game and be like, no, you know, history Ferguson. Don't worry, things will get better eventually. Aaron's really honest and I think that has got two or three fans going, oh, come off it, mate. I also think there's probably too much of a fixation on the fact that he's playing 343 because even though it's the starting formation, it very often changes shape. And on top of that, Amren is making some personnel selection details in there that are a bit confusing. Just a bit. Why are you doing that? And he hasn't quite explained some of that yet. It's only 20 games in his Man United career. Hopefully things will be more clear after another 20 matches.

[Adam Leventhal]

Tim, you've got two managers who are coming up with explanations. You know, reflecting on what Karl said there, what Jack said, who's playing it the best at the moment.

[Tim Spears]

Crikey, yeah, probably Amarim. You know, I agree with everything Carl said and yeah, it's still Amarim. I guess he can blame things on Ten Hag and the club and things that have gone before. Whereas, you know, Postecoglou, sort of more than 18 months into the job, doesn't really have that excuse. I mean, Postcodoly's just at least Anne Rim's like, nice to watch because he smiles and he's friendly and he's lovely, but Postcoglie is just horrible to watch at the moment. Also, I think the way that he sort of speaks to reporters and journalists does is just is accepted a little bit too much. You know, it sort of borders on appalling at times and certainly sort of, you know, disrespectful. He can't even watch it himself. He looks at the floor, but at least he's very consistent in his messages. It's the injuries. It's the injuries. I mean, he does put pressure on himself because when those players start to come back in the next few weeks, if results don't turn quickly and they're potentially, you know, maybe if they're out of Europe, for example, and still 15th in the league, then it's almost impossible to see him survive in that, that position.

[Karl Anker]

Now, I'm sorry people who go to the spurs press conferences, but this sounds eerily familiar to Erik 10 HAG press conferences last season. So Manchester United last season finished 8th, huge injury crisis, lot of, lot of muscular injuries, a lot of when is this player returning, going, ooh, I don't know, players coming back, playing two or three games and then getting injured again. And speaking as a Manchester United reporter and a fan who watched Erik ten Hag football last season, at some point someone has to ask the manager, what do you think your style of football is contributing to these injuries? Because Jack says this is a thin squad and he can't play his style of football, then you have to play a different style of football. Surely if your style of football relies on running up and down and up and down and up and down, and you have two or three players who have a history of hamstring injuries having to cover a huge space, large spaces of the field, surely that's on you. Right? This is what. And I find some of these Ange press conferences infuriating because to use the meme, brother, you made the sandwich. You can't complain about the injury crisis when you're relying on Mickey Van De Ven's hamstrings to be in perfect condition, where hamstrings are a very, very delicate issue. What are you playing at?

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

Yeah, I mean, I agree that I think it's really a combination of the style of play, the thin squad, the fixture calendar like spurs got. Spurs only played 41 games last season. They had an incredibly brief season, whereas this year they've obviously come into the eight game Europa League league phase. And it's the combination, I think of the style, the thin squad, the fixture calendar there is obviously there's going to be a bit of luck and a bit of variance. We've seen, you know, other clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea, like lots of teams have suffered with this. Manchester City have suffered with these kind of spate of muscle injuries this season. So I do think it's a combination of factors. And you know, I think it's also worth saying Postecoglou has changed the style of play, but he's only changed the side of play because he's had to like, because he's had to really. I don't think they played anderspool for about two months. I think certainly after they, when they lost 63 at home to Liverpool around Christmas, that was really the end of any kind of distinctly Ange Bull style football, I think. And since then they've played you know, Fairly generic, conventional 4, 2, 3, 1. You know, like most other teams in the Premier League frankly. So I do think there has been a bit of pragmatism but I think that, I mean like I think attributing blame for what's happened is quite difficult but I do think that it's kind of a combination of factors ultimately.

[Adam Leventhal]

Well, it'll be interesting to see what happens against Manchester United because. And this is something that Ange referenced in that news conference, you know, playing Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, etc, etc for the last few months. They haven't had to do that this week for the first time since November. So they should tim be able to play with a little bit more oomph this week and they might have a few more players coming back or at least in the next couple of weeks. So we should see more of a. Of a postecoglou style game, shouldn't we?

[Tim Spears]

That feels quite optimistic really.

[Adam Leventhal]

Well why not? Let's be optimistic. Come on. They need some help just, just from me spiritually. Come on.

[Tim Spears]

I don't know. I've seen their last, their last couple of games. Liverpool and Villa, wasn't it last weekend. They have, they have opportunities to attack and sort of be themselves but sometimes they'll just, they'll just play a basic pass out of play when they've got a decent opportunity to counter with four players going forward. And yeah, they've seemed like they've gone so far beyond the red zone that they're capable of doing like they're their basics sometimes now as well. So yeah, I don't know. I think if Man United get their way this will be a horrible game and it'll be, it'll be pretty boring because they've, they've managed to sort of garner some results really when they've been at their most boring. Fulham away for example. And United do have a good record on the. On the road against you know, big teams recently obviously they won away at City, draw at Liverpool, won Arsenal on penalties. You know, if they can come and sort of ruin the game then they've got a decent chance of getting a result. Whereas if they come and open up it's potentially playing into spurs hands.

[Adam Leventhal]

So Karl has basically said we all need to put on body armor and a helmet. You've said that this is going to be a horrible game and it needs to be ruined. Destruction Derby is. I think this is probably. This is the one that we need to stick with and both sides particularly poor at home. You've alluded to it. There Tim spurs haven't won at home since November in the league, five defeats in seven United, five defeats in six at Old Trafford. So Karl United will be looking forward to this game. They'll escape the leaky roofed Old Trafford and this should be their opportunity to shine, shouldn't it?

[Karl Anker]

I hate using the word should when talking about Manchester United because they always find a way to embarrass you. Harry Maguire is among two or three people in and around United who have made allusions to it's being quite difficult to play at Old Trafford and they haven't clarified as to whether or not it's a crowd thing or a pressure thing or if it's the fact that when you play away from home team, when you're playing away from home, teams tend to open up a bit more because they want to take the initiative and then you can counter attack. But there's something's going on with Manchester United right now where they seem to prefer playing away from home. And the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, as far as I'm concerned, is an architectural masterpiece. The pitch is a joy. I've played on it once and no bubbles, no defects. It's just delightful. So that could be nice. I find it hilarious that you've also just talked to Tim about a squad that has had loads of injuries, but there's been no Thursday Sunday treadmill, so maybe things will be better. And I heard that said about 10 HAG last season as well. This is, it's so weird looking at this Tottenham squad and this Tottenham season because they've just ticked so many of the boxes that Manchester United horribly stumbled through last season. These two are the if you've seen succession, you know the joke. Disgusting brothers. That's, that's what I feel when I'm looking at now United spurs this season, the terrible twins at New Balance.

[Adam Leventhal]

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[Karl Anker]

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[Adam Leventhal]

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[Karl Anker]

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[Adam Leventhal]

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[Karl Anker]

That one filled with show tunes. More of you finding Geminis because you know you always like them. More of you dating with intention because.

[Adam Leventhal]

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[Tim Spears]

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[Karl Anker]

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[Adam Leventhal]

So we know about Tottenham's defensive injury woes Only four teams have scored fewer goals than Manchester United, Everton, Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton. Alejandro Garnacho, who was heavily linked with a move away from United during January. He came on and made an impact against Leicester. He should be starting, should he not?

[Karl Anker]

He's an interesting player. Garnacho coming off the bench against tired legs is a much better player and has been historically a much better player than Garnacho starting. He's in a very interesting point in his young career where he's just for some reason just a lot more potent coming off the bench. He's Manchester United's highest goal scorer out of all their current attackers, which shows the thinness of their current squad now that Marcus Rashid has gone on loan to Aston Villa and his ability to generate shots is incredibly important for a team that just doesn't have enough players making near post runs. One big thing in that lesser second half was he just kept running and running and running and running and running. I heard one person not at Manchester United but working at a Premier League club refer to him as and they meant it as a compliment. They said he has a goldfish brain so he can take the ball on, run down the wing, defender tackles him and then he immediately forgets what happened. So the next time he gets the ball he does the same thing so he does not get discouraged by negative feedback which if you just want a wide player, just repeatedly run at someone that's good. That's why Garnacho is appealing. He's not the finished product. Absolutely not. Certainly things he needs to work on partway through the second half against Leicester, he gets the ball, absolutely burns a defender for pace, cuts inside and hand's made a near post run. But rather than shoot, rather than square it to Hojlund for a chance, he tries to shoot from a really acute angle and you could see Hojlund teared, strips off him when the ball went out of play. And it got so bad that Bruno Fernandes had to come over and one calm down Hojlund. But also to explain to Garnacho, in that situation, you do need to square it. He's a fascinating football player. He absolutely adores Cristiano Ronaldo. And there are times when you're watching him when you're like, that's a bit Cristiano Ronaldo esque, albeit Ronaldo from 2004, 2005. I'm not saying he's ever going to be Cristiano Ronaldo level, but there's a similar when he gets on the ball.

[Tim Spears]

Ooh, what can you do?

[Adam Leventhal]

That said, Tim, were you surprised that he was so sort of strongly linked with a move away? And I know that the subplot to that. David Ornstein spoke about it quite a lot, covering transfers for the Athletic, that there was a sort of a young player and everyone has a sort of price, so sort of everyone tentatively was available if someone were to come in for them. But I mean, if he's someone that is you can pin hope towards, it's weird that he should be discussed as an exit possible.

[Tim Spears]

Yeah. I think it'd be pretty tragic if Man United sort of felt like they had to sell him for financial reasons. I mean, you know, he's a player they should be looking to build their attack around for many years to come, really. I mean, as Carl sort of hinted at, he's nowhere near the finished product. I think just three goals and one assist in 23 Premier League games this season. But, you know, if Amram thinks he can fit into his system and his style, then, yeah, I think they'd be crazy to sell him. You know, he's unpredictable, but in a good way, not in an Anthony way. So, yeah, I'd be surprised. But PSR is so important these days. It's one of the scourges of the modern game, Adam. But, yeah, I'd like to think that they'll keep him for quite a few years to come.

[Adam Leventhal]

You just mentioned Anthony there, didn't you, Tim? Is that the Anthony that scored two goals in his last two games and is looking quite a player.

[Karl Anker]

He has scored two goals in his last two games on loan at Real Betis. He's not looking like a completely different player. He's looking at like the same player, but in an environment that is able to get a little bit more time and space on the ball for him. I hope he does very well. And for you, my friend, for you, my friend, real Betis 30 million. No problem.

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

No problem.

[Adam Leventhal]

Excellent. A word on Tottenham and obviously their injury problems. Jack do we know if there are going to be significant returnees against Manchester United?

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

Postecoglou will be talking right now. In his press conference around Friday lunchtime he said there were a few players who he was expecting to come back either this week or next week. I think the nearest ones would be Brendan Johnson, James Madison, Guillaume over the Vicario, maybe Wilson. Odebell has been up for a long time after hamstring surgery. I think he will have to err on the side of caution. I think Tottenham have maybe had their fingers burnt a little bit with bringing players back who have then broken down again. And like I said, even though this game feels like a big game really, I think they've just got to make sure they've got as close to a full strength squad for the resumption of that Europa League campaign in the first week of March. So I think he will be cautious this week and then Chinese players back in next week. And of course we're also excited to see a bit more of the new signings in the end of the January window. Dan Ser and tell he played a little bit so far, but they're going to have to get fully integrated too.

[Adam Leventhal]

Carl from Manchester United's point of view, obviously having to get over the loss of Lisandro Martinez for the rest of the season, has that significantly changed his approach for the remainder of the campaign in terms of what he does or what he might try and evolve in that back three or four?

[Karl Anker]

Yeah, that's a big, big question. I did a piece in the same week where it was confirmed Martinez would be out for the remainder of the season, if not the entire calendar year and I looked at a number of tactical options Amering could have. What was interesting against Leicester is that he went with two options. So in the first half it was Mazraoui at left sided centre back and then second half he swapped and then the young French center back Lenny Yoro played there as well. I think going forward it will be better if he continues with Mazraui as one of the defenders in his back three. I think Mazraui's ability in build up play, he's got a quicker release on his pass than Lenny Euro even though Yoro is by far the best center back in terms of covering larger areas of ground and he's got the best recovery pace out of all the defenders at United right now. But I think in games where you want Manchester United to take the initiative which this one should be one of them. Mazraui in the back three with other defenders is probably best.

[Adam Leventhal]

Tim, final word to you on this one. Before we get your all important predictions, could you just get your crystal ball out of your little bowling ball bag that you carry around with you and just place it on the desk in front of you and just tell me exactly where this game is going to be won and lost. Just like predict what sort of game this is going to be boring as hell or chaotic like the game in the Carabao Cup?

[Tim Spears]

It's a good question. I mean, you know, we try and predict things every week on this show and spurs and Man United are obviously the hardest teams to predict. So that makes this one pretty hard to predict. I think it's going to be fun, actually. I think, I think we've confirmed that in this podcast. We're all excited about it. We're all using, you know, fruity language and it's sort of got a 2, 2, a 2, 2 feel about it with lots of mistakes.

[Adam Leventhal]

Okay, good. So you've gone straight in with two, two, that's fine. Carl, your score prediction.

[Karl Anker]

Yep, I'm going high scoring draw. This is going to be two drunk men fighting outside a nightclub for the last cab home. Two, two draw.

[Adam Leventhal]

Excellent, Jack.

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

I think it's going to be the self destruction derby. I think whoever concedes first will then just dissolve and the other team will find that they can run up a sort of 4 nil, 5 nil scoreline without even having to try.

[Karl Anker]

Wow.

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

So I just think, I think it will be, I think it will be low quality, high drama and somebody. Yeah. And one of these teams is just going to go home humiliated.

[Karl Anker]

Duncan Alexander has this great tweet of every weekend. There is one crisis club in the Premier League and the trick is to never be it. The loser of this game is going to be holding that crisis baton for the entire week. So I wish you good fortune in the wars to come.

[Adam Leventhal]

Excellent. It is certainly one to tune into in a sort of rubbernecker sort of way. So enjoy it, everyone. And Carl and Jack, thanks very much for coming on. Since you're new to H and R.

[Tim Spears]

Block, we'll look at your returns from.

[Karl Anker]

The last three years for any money your last guy might have missed for free.

[Adam Leventhal]

I could get money back from last year. You could.

[Karl Anker]

We'll find any mistakes.

[Adam Leventhal]

Could have really used that two years ago when I dated that mistake for five months.

[Tim Spears]

Don't leave money on the table. Switch to H and R block and get a free second look review. Second look is included at no additional.

[Adam Leventhal]

Cost with the purchase of tax preparation.

[Tim Spears]

Results vary. All tax situations are different. Fees apply if you have us file an amended return.

[Adam Leventhal]

So the early kickoff on Sunday sees the league leaders Liverpool host Tim Spears Wolves. The final Merseyside derby at Goodison park didn't disappoint. Bit of a rough and tumble at the end. Let's get the thoughts of James Pearce who was speaking after that. Two, two on, on walk on.

[Karl Anker]

It was absolute mayhem, wasn't it with.

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

The manner of Tarkowski's finish and then.

[Karl Anker]

Fans on the pitch and Liverpool's protests.

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

And what was it, the 3 minute.

[Karl Anker]

VAR check and then Decore deciding he.

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

Was going to celebrate by goading the away end which then triggered that melee with both sets of players with stewards.

[Karl Anker]

And police wading in to try and restore some order. And then you had you know, four.

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

Red cards shown after the final whistle.

[Karl Anker]

Yeah.

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

When you think of the chaos that has been thrown up at Goodison in these games over the years, you'd say it was probably a fitting final chapter.

[Adam Leventhal]

So there's a seven point gap to Arsenal now. Obviously it could have been more if Tarkovsky hadn't scored in the last minute. And we'll come on to Arsenal in a bit. Were you, were you surprised with the way that Liverpool reacted at full time or was it just in line with that crazy atmosphere? Tim?

[Tim Spears]

I mean it was in line. Yeah. I don't think it was sort of indicative of like, you know, they're worried about losing the title or anything like that. It was just a crazy one off Derby. That's what Derby's all about. I absolutely loved it, to be honest. I thought it's fantastic. And then there's. I wrote a piece about it on the Athletic yesterday about how, you know, people like Rhea Ferdinand sort of quick to jump in and say oh, you know decorate shouldn't do that. That was very naughty. Shouldn't celebrate for any way end. And then old Kurt Jones you shouldn't weighed in like that. You can't, you can't, you can't tell people after the fact to calm down in that highly charged atmosphere. So yeah, I thought considering, considering the States, considering what happened there last season, Liverpool might have taken a point before this one. Anyway. You can look at Everton's league position and say that's nonsense. But in that one off Derby, Everton's biggest game of the season, I thought it's a pretty decent point. Even though they lost it so late so yeah, a huge sort of few weeks for Liverpool really. Obviously Wolves at the weekend, you'd expect them to pick up three points. But after that it's Villa away, it's Man City away and it's Newcastle at. I feel like this, this is the month. It's good for them that they're having an extra Champions League game in this time and now they're at the FA cup, which I've seen some people say might be a good thing to clear their schedule. There's only one game left in the Carabao cup obviously. But anyway, for the rest of this month they can purely concentrate on potentially winning the league to be honest, because if they come out of those three games, Villa, Man City, Newcastle, pretty unscathed with like, I don't know, five points, seven points, then I don't see Arsenal, particularly with their current injury problems, being able to catch them.

[Adam Leventhal]

Let's move on to Leicester, Tim hosting Arsenal in the early kickoff on Saturday. Let's just quickly check in with James McNicholas speaking on handbrake off. After the injury problems arose from the most unlikely warm weather, lovely little midweek holiday to Dubai. I mean, I do think as bad as this feels now, and we do have a really tricky period to navigate in about a month's time, you know, we'll be in a position where we'll be within a week or two hopefully of having Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka back available again. Now who knows what version of those.

[Karl Anker]

Players we get and how ready they are to contribute.

[Adam Leventhal]

But with them back, even without Kai Havertz we can have a functioning dangerous attack. But I know that feels a long way away right now and, and the damage that could be done to our.

[Karl Anker]

Season in that intervening period I accept is considerable.

[Adam Leventhal]

So the situation is with Havertz going down after that trip to, to Dubai, out for the rest of the season, that it is Trossard Sterling and Nwanieri who are the only fit senior forwards, albeit Nuanieri's not Senior, he's only 17. Do you think it's too much to ask for Arsenal to, to close that gap on Liverpool now considering what you said earlier on, that this next period is almost the period that Liverpool will maybe win the league in.

[Tim Spears]

Yeah, I mean James makes a good point about Martinelli and Saka not being too far away, but obviously they're not going to come back in, certainly Saka and 100% and start playing every minute again, you'd hope. You know, I think there's a lesson For Arteta to learn there in terms of overplaying some of these players. Yeah, I think. But even with those guys back fit and firing, you know, with no striker, it's going to need some creativity, put it that way. It's going to need a bit of a change of approach, you know, due to the sort of the profile of their. Of their different attacking players. It might need a change of formation. It might need more youngsters coming through. You know, you can't expect Nwanieri to play sort of full 90 minutes now as well. It's also going to need others to step up. You know, Odegaard and Rice not scoring enough goals for me this season. You'd hope Arteta will sort of relish, you know, having to solve this difficult puzzle. That's what management's all about in terms of how they're going to approach this weekend's game. I mean, it is a problem of their own making. Let's. Let's not beat around the bush. You know, we remember we said on this podcast in the summer that they needed another attacker and then they sort of desperately got in Raheem Sterling at the end of August, which hasn't worked out. They've had another opportunity in January. And, you know, you can talk about January being a difficult month, and. Yes, it is, but you look at someone like Villa having a fantastic month and bringing in five players who they, you know, really needed in those. In those a lot of minute attacking areas as well. So, yeah, they've also gone from quite a. I guess a chunky. A chunky forward line to a. To a slimline one. I guess it's a bit like going, you know about this, Adam? It's a lot. It's like going vegan. You know, there's. There's less meats. Where am I going with this? There's sort of. There's sort of not as many ingredients, but you can still, like, make a nice meal with it. You know, you'd advocate that, wouldn't you? It's still doable.

[Adam Leventhal]

So are you saying that Arsenal have got a vegan squad?

[Tim Spears]

Correct. At the moment.

[Adam Leventhal]

Okay, yeah.

[Tim Spears]

Might just leave it at that.

[Adam Leventhal]

Just leave it. Leave it at that. But Villa are basically at a sort of a man versus food meat.

[Tim Spears]

Yeah, Villa are like good local butchers. You know, they know exactly what they're doing.

[Adam Leventhal]

Brilliant. Hey, it's Noah Chestnut from the Athletic. If you're into games and sports, pay attention. I'm gonna give you four sports terms. You tell me the common thread.

[Karl Anker]

Ready?

[Adam Leventhal]

Axel Loop. Lutz Sow cow. That's Axel Loop, Lutz Salchow. This one's like medium hard. The answer is figure skating jumps. Now, what if I gave you 16 different terms and you figure out how they come together into four different groups? If you're up for the challenge, you'll want to check out Connections Sports Edition. It's a new daily game for sports fans. There'll be some that are going to.

[Karl Anker]

Stump you, some that make you laugh.

[Adam Leventhal]

And some that remind you when you.

[Karl Anker]

Were a kid watching sports for the first time. Connections Sports Edition.

[Adam Leventhal]

To play today's puzzle, go to theathletic.com.

[Karl Anker]

Connections.

[Adam Leventhal]

Tim, I wanted to have a quick word on another important game when it comes to European football. Fulham still going strong in the FA Cup. Well done on your prediction against Wigan.

[Tim Spears]

Yeah, got through, didn't they? I was a bit worried when Wigan equalised, but yeah, they sort of powered through pretty easy. They got Man United away, I think next round Fulham. But if you're going to play Man United, you want to play them away from home, don't you?

[Adam Leventhal]

So they're up for the cup.

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

Yeah.

[Tim Spears]

So am I.

[Adam Leventhal]

Very good. And then they'd beaten Newcastle in the Premier League last time out. They're taking on Nottingham Forest, who are just three points behind Arsenal in third. And Forest aren't really getting enough airtime for what they're doing. And the fact that they just. They've stuck in that top three and it's fantastic.

[Tim Spears]

Yeah, you're right. Well, they were sort of flavor of the month a few weeks ago, weren't they, when they. Before that Liverpool game and you know, are they in the title race, etc. And now they've gone back to maybe being a little bit under the radar. But yeah, this is what happens when you've got a manager who sort of implements a very consistent style of play, a very consistent formation, consistent 11. They will just keep picking up results and I don't really. It's hard to see them dropping down now, really. They're not suffering injuries like their sort of rivals are around them, which is so crucial. It's probably one of the keys to the season. One of the reasons Liverpool are doing.

[Adam Leventhal]

So well, they've used the least amount of players, Nottingham Forest in the Premier League this season. Only 23 players. So that shows.

[Tim Spears]

Again, it doesn't surprise me in terms of like, Nuno did exactly the same thing at Wolves. Even when they had Europa League week after week, he still. He's a very small squad. He doesn't like a big Squad. I thought that would be one of the issues at Forest, but he's obviously sort of been given free rein to whittle that enormous squad down to the size that he wants. He's happy leaving players off the bench and yeah, he's got a. He somehow managed to sort of fashion a tight knit group out of what was probably the biggest squad in the Premier League.

[Adam Leventhal]

So Forest going well, Fulham going well. The other European chasers may well have an impact on the bottom this weekend. Bournemouth in seventh, still doing brilliantly. They might even get up into the, into the Champions League places. They take on Southampton Villa who we spoke about a few moments ago. They're in eighth. They welcome Ipswich and that chase for Europe with what, 14 games to go with some of the bigger guns like spurs, like Manchester United out of the way and then others less predictable. Manchester City, even Chelsea in that bracket as well. It's making this fun, isn't it? It is genuinely open this season for someone to really make a charge for it and have a season to remember getting to Europe.

[Tim Spears]

Yeah, definitely. Especially now it looks almost guaranteed, I think that England will get that fifth Champions League spot this year. Obviously sort of a year ago that was will it, won't it? And obviously didn't end up happening. But yeah, you look at it now, Bournemouth basically one point off Champions League. If Champions League is fifth and their goal differences is the same as man City, same as Newcastle, it's nice to have different teams in there. Chelsea in the Conference League is good for nobody. It's not good for Chelsea. It's not good for neutrals to enjoy a decent game. They're basically strolling through that competition with their reserve team. So you want to see different names in there. West Ham, I'm no West Ham fan, but I loved watching them win the Conference League. So to see Bournemouth in Europe for what would be I think the first time in their history, Fulham not far off. Forest obviously up there, almost guaranteed to be in Europe next season. Yeah, it's great. It's better than usual suspects, of course.

[Adam Leventhal]

Well, let's reflect on one of those other big guns who've not been themselves this season and that's Manchester City. They're hosting Newcastle on Saturday and it was a great game against Real Madrid midweek for the neutral. But then City just returned to that theme of a couple of months ago of just throwing away another lead. Are you still enjoying seeing them vulnerable, Tim? And at the same time, are you surprised that that's. That sort of, that vulnerability has returned?

[Tim Spears]

I don't think it ever went away, really. They had a good run of fixtures, didn't they, in the Premier League against teams like Ipswich and Leicester and picked up some points to sort of steady their league position. But as we said last week, whenever they come up against decent opposition, those vulnerabilities are sort of exposed. You know, every single time, you know, they've got this soft centres just not going away. I mean, they've looked to try and rectify that a little bit in January, but, you know, you look at the way that Jude Bellingham sort of was tearing through the midfield at the end of that game, it's like, wow, it feels like it's over to me. I think, you know, Sam Lee, City correspondent, basically said that in his piece this week that this is like, this is now sort of the end of an era. I think you can say that definitively that they're not, they're not going to return to their levels this season, are they? You know, it's not like it's suddenly going to click and they're going to go on a run of 10 wins like they've always been capable of in the past. It does, it does look sort of terminal for this, for this team. And certain players are now coming to the end of their, you know, sort of City days. You know, players like Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Carl Walker's already gone, obviously. So, yeah, I don't know what a good season is for City now. What top, top five finish and FA Cup. I don't see them overturning that second leg at all in, in Madrid, the signs just aren't there that they're capable of doing it. So, yeah, it's remarkable really. You know, when you take. If even six months ago, if you'd say that this would happen, I don't think many people would, would have predicted it. So. Yeah. And now, now we wait the news of the charges and what's next for City. You know, this, they might not have hit the bottom yet.

[Adam Leventhal]

You mentioned about, you know, what makes a good season for City now. It really does up the ante on this game because it is fifth against sixth. You've mentioned about the fact that that coefficient is looking as if fifth will get us a Champions League place from, from the Premier League, but they're both level on 41 points. This is a real opportunity for either of those sides to just put a little bit of breathing space in between them when it is going to be tight and a bit tit for tat, isn't it?

[Tim Spears]

Yeah, interesting. To see how sort of Newcastle approach it. I was expecting a bit of a dip from them, to be honest. I was expecting them to lose at Birmingham last week, given the fact they've gotten the Carabao Cup Final. But you'd hope that they're not just going to nurse themselves through for the next few weeks and all be fit for that game. You know, you'd want a sort of a bigger club attitude from Newcastle here and that they've got an opportunity to perhaps win the FA cup as well. The draw is opening up. They've got an opportunity to finish top five. As always. Adam, I'm disappointed that this game is not on TV because it's. It's, it's. It's possibly the game of the weekend. You know, Newcastle are in such. Such good form. It's a terrible time for Man City to play them. And Isaac, probably the former striker in the league. Yeah, I mean, would you make them favorites for this one? I think. I think you probably would do given, given City's vulnerabilities, given Newcastle's form, given recent results. I mean, City even struggled to beat Leighton Orient last week. You know, they're just. They're in such a quagmire at the moment.

[Jack Pitt-Brook]

So.

[Tim Spears]

Yeah, should be a good game.

[Adam Leventhal]

It should indeed. And Tim's going to go off and write his CV to various TV organizations so he can get his job as a TV executive and select all the games for future weekends. Tim, thank you very much indeed. Enjoy your footballing weekend, everyone. The Athletic FC will be back on Monday. Take care. Till then, you've been listening to the Athletic FC Podcast.

[Tim Spears]

The producers were Guy Clark, Mike Stavroo and Jay Beal. The executive producer was Aidy Moorhead. To listen to other great athletic podcasts.

[Adam Leventhal]

From free search for the Athletic on.

[Tim Spears]

Apple, Spotify and all the usual places.

[Adam Leventhal]

The Athletic FC Podcast is an athletic media company production. The Athletic FC Podcast Network.