Liverpool’s title delight – Football Weekly

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Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly.

Liverpool win the title with a perfect day at Anfield.

Mo Salah taking selfies with the cop mid-match.

Why not?

They were celebrating in the streets before kickoff and in the ground and back out on the streets afterwards.

Some effort from Ana Slot.

Only a madman would have predicted they'd win the league after the departure of Jürgen Klopp.

And then to the FA Cup semi-finals, Crystal Palace Hammer Villa to set up a final with Manchester City.

Ezza and two from Ismaila Saar.

Villa were nowhere.

Meanwhile, once Forrest hit the woodwork for the third time, it was probably time to realise it wasn't going to be their day.

City were good for 50 odd minutes and that was just about enough.

We'll cover the race for fifth place, Iperswich's relegation, Arsenal's women's brilliant win in Leon and all the EFL stuff.

Heartbreaking sheds up and down Melbourne well this shed as Cambridge United are relegated for the first time in about a decade all that plus your questions and that's today's Guardian Football Weekly

on the panel today Barry Glendenning welcome hello Max

John Bruin hello hello Max and welcome Robin Cowan hi Max

So let's start at Anfield.

Seems the right place.

Liverpool 5 Spurs 1.

Who thought when Solanke put that goal away?

Could this be different?

Oh, no, of course not.

So their second Premier League title

takes it to 20 top flight titles level with Manchester United, 124 years after their first one in 1901.

Arna Slott, the fifth manager ever to win the Premier League in his first season after Mourinho Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini and Antonio Conte.

Arna Slott the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League.

Virgil van Dyke, the first Dutch captain to win the Premier League.

And the scenes, John, like in the ground and outside, before and after, were pretty special.

And I know so many people have said it but the fact there were no fans to the grounds last time does make a difference to this title and this that day yesterday of course it does of course it does and you know what I it kept being referenced didn't it by the players by Virgil Van Dyke by Mosala by Andy Robertson all of them saying you know that last time just wasn't the same

And you know,

let's take it from

our own personal points of view.

where were you when they won the title five years ago well everybody else you were sat at home

but I remember when Liverpool last celebrated a title at a time when celebrating a title was a matter of course for Liverpool

I remember I was in the back of the car driving back from South Park Macclesfield having played tennis.

Now I haven't played tennis for about 25 years.

So

yeah, it was a long, long time ago that they were able to celebrate like that.

Did you vow that day you would never play tennis again?

Something like that.

My dad's quite good at tennis, actually.

So

he can probably still beat me now.

Actually, I cast my mind back from another

point of view when

I went to a lot of the games when Liverpool were going to win the title in 2013, 14 and didn't.

I remember those orgiastic scenes outside the ground when they nearly did it.

So for them actually to do it, well, it must have been an absolute explosion last night.

And I was at Bournemouth yesterday.

You have our sympathies.

Yeah, so yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, well, we can get to that later if we really need to.

But Spurs went 1-0 up as I walked into the press room.

By the time Reuben Amramid finished his press conference, Liverpool were cruising to their 20th title.

And it was just, oh, here we go.

And so...

And then I was just driving back, listening to the radio phone-ins, and it was a guy saying that he actually lived in Anfield, but

he needed some bread for the house.

But he said the streets were so packed

that there was actually no point in him going outside because it would have taken him ages to get to the bread shop.

And actually, Robin, I mean, Danny Murphy made this point a match the day that there are generations of Liverpool fans who've never been in the ground when Liverpool won the title.

I'm sure there were some people, and there were outside who shouldn't have been outside.

I can't remember what the rules were, but you know, and those fans would have been been bored rigid by their families, like going on and on and on about the 70s and 80s.

And so to have this moment for them is just, well, it's just lovely.

Oh, it is great.

I mean, I don't think you can, you know, you just look on in sort of jealousy, can't you?

It just looked amazing the whole day out,

beautiful weather.

And the fact that they

they won it by playing a football match.

I think that makes it slightly better as well.

Because even though, you know,

just thinking back to like Leicester, you know, know they're great scenes at jamie bardy's house obviously but it was because chelsea you know drew with spurs um that you kind of you kind of want to win don't you want to go out there and play a football game and then and then win um and yeah could that have been more spurs at you know taking the lead and then

and then go no of course not of course not um and yeah it was um Yeah,

it's just very, very impressive.

I keep reading articles saying no one called this.

And I just think, where's the respect?

Where's the respect for Barry Glendenning?

There we are, Barry.

Take the respect.

Here you are.

Oh, look, stop clock is right once a day.

Twice a day, I believe.

Unless it's digital.

Of course, yeah.

Anyway, yeah, I was kind of curious to, because as far as I can tell, I am the only person who thought Liverpool would have win the league.

And I

some people have said, oh, I just said that to be contrary.

I didn't think it was contrary.

So I listened back to the Premier League preview in question.

And

during that, I made the point that they had spent more time on top of the league than anyone else last season.

And they were still favourites to win the title in April last season.

And I was thinking, well, Slot has inherited a brilliant group of players.

I presumed he might get a couple in.

but he didn't and yeah so I thought they would finish first.

I can't take Arsenal seriously as title contenders at all.

And I didn't think, I thought it was probably time Manchester City had a bit of a drop-off.

So that's pretty much why I went for them.

I have this weird fetish where I like to watch.

If a manager comes in to manage a top-flight team, I'm not particularly familiar with him.

I watch his get-to-know you interview with the club TV channel or whatever.

I was very impressed by Slot.

And I have been very impressed with him all season.

He's charismatic, he's modest, he's charming, he's quite funny and affable, but he has this undercurrent of steeliness which suggests that if you displease him or cross him, that won't end well for you.

And

so it has proved.

But

with the greatest of respect to Slot, I think he was given the tools to do the job.

It was made quite easy for him, but it could have gone horribly wrong.

But they've really

got that appointment right.

Yeah, I mean, they've got it right.

And I think it's true, John, isn't it?

Jürgen Klopp did everything right.

You know, up to the point, even to the point of singing that song for Arna Slot.

You know, there aren't many managers that would do that.

And Slot was good because he just had...

He feels ego-free.

No manager is ego-free, but to the point where he went, this is good.

I don't need to do masses.

I just need to do a little bit.

I went to Liverpool's first game of the season.

It it was at ipswich uh and you could say that liverpool probably won the title from arna slot's half-time team talk at ipswich because they were terrible in that first half ipswich were all over them uh and then the second half they just stepped it up uh slott talked then about how liverpool needed to win duels all over the field and actually at his press conference cross-referenced jürgen klop uh talking about how liverpool didn't like playing at 1230 kickoffs He was relaxed with the legacy of Jürgen Klopp.

And we've seen at other clubs managers try their best to not mention the previous manager.

Remember, Sir Alex Ferguson, your job now is to support our new manager.

David Moyes tried everything to try and deflect the fact that from the fact that Alex Ferguson had given him the job.

Unite Emery to Arsen Wenger was a slightly, you know, disjointed succession.

Klopp and Slot obviously have a lot of respect.

Slot talks about how he'd exchanged messages with Jung Klopp.

That's worked very well for Liverpool.

As if we're talking managed succession, it's gone really, really well.

Congratulations.

What a choice of Slot as well.

Totally out of left field for most of us, it has to be said.

I think Richard Hughes is the guy that takes the credit for that at the club, the sporting director.

Someone was telling me that within the game he had Slot had a very, very good reputation as one of the best coaches around.

But to take that gamble

when you know the Jabby Alonso and you know various others would have would have would have seemed like a good selection.

Well done Liverpool.

Well done Liverpool, you know, two times over.

And now we get to see Slot rebuild a team, which may be a bit more difficult.

But yeah, Jürgen Klopp's legacy lives on.

And And do you know what?

Those love, those

slot realizes that the Liverpool fans still love Jürgen Klopp.

Uh, and sometimes you've just got to admit that there is another love, yeah.

It would have been a boring series of succession, wouldn't it?

It's not, it's just it wouldn't really have you know all the ups and downs that succession had.

I think about a year ago before they appointed him, I was like, Oh, don't steal Ange, they might come in and poach Ange,

would have been great coming today.

But um, let's talk about some of the players Robin and we'll start with Mo Sala right I mean he's got a beautiful goal here he took that selfie which is a really nice moment um 28th goal of the season 18 assists so that is modern parlance 46 goal involvements which is just one behind the Premier League record of Andy Cole and Alan Shearer both in 93 94 and 94 95 47 so he'll probably get that

the highest international goal scorer in Premier League history he became 185 goals overtaking Sergio Aguero He has just been.

And actually, he sort of slowed down a bit towards the end of the season, but there was a few months where he was unbelievable.

We were considering whether that was just because, you know, it's kind of this is end of contract, Mo Sala, but he signed a new one.

So clearly he feels motivated.

He looks really happy.

I've never seen him speak to the press so much.

You know, just watch Match the Day and he had a really nice interview with Steve Wilson.

And yeah, I mean, he's been unbelievable.

And I also think they managed that well.

Because that's the other thing.

I think

we need to also give praise for Slot that he had one of those situations that managers hate where he is asked about the same thing every single press conference before and after every single game contracts with three players.

And he handled that really well too, because you know, understandably, a lot of other managers get really pissed off because they just almost apologetically have to go, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you again.

So yeah, most Salah, I mean, yeah,

I think that's

what John said there.

He's clearly a very good coach because

he didn't bring anyone in.

Chiesa is the one, and he hasn't really played a lot.

And he was humble enough to kind of take on Klopp's team and made them sort of square pegs in square holes.

And yeah, they've honestly been fantastic.

And the other thing I was just going to say is that you can't level the fact that, yes, Man City have had a drop-off, but they've lost two games all season.

They've done this themselves, haven't they?

It's not been like, oh, they've been relying on other people um on other teams it's they've been magnificent yeah and actually those contract disputes barry i think you know

this the noise began but it was very much you know people like us it was never you know the the the the performances of salah van dijk and trent pretty much have been excellent for the whole time that they've been umming and ahing about whether to stay or leave I'm not sure how much umming and ahing there was necessarily.

I think Trent was hell-bent on leaving unless he does some dramatic U-turn and the other two seem happy enough there.

Van Dijk has always said he wanted to stay.

But that was a talking point before a ball was kicked this season and it continued to be a talking point until a couple of weeks ago.

But they've just got on with it.

It was presumed he would need a central midfielder, but Ryan Gravenberch has really come into his own this season.

Allison's been brilliant when he wasn't available.

Quevine Kelleher was excellent, didn't really let anyone down at all.

And

keeping Salah fit was obviously a huge thing as well.

But they're more than worthy winners, and I get annoyed with this.

Well, I don't not annoy, but I just find it funny.

People are saying well, it was too easy for them, and because everyone else was rubbish,

they lost two games.

That's sensational.

There are so many players who've played well this season.

I think, you know, Cody Gakpo, for example, John's one where you just think, actually, he's really stepped up, hasn't he?

Well, yeah, actually,

Robin mentioned that Slot's coaching is that he's moved position around

and that Slot is good at repurposing players

because you know,

when he was over in Holland, I don't remember him being a player that played in that sort of number 10 position.

Then he was then Klot played.

He was a centre-forward.

Then he's played on the wing, and then he's been a successful centre-forward as well.

Slots added adaptability to quite a few of those players.

And successfully so.

You see, even Salah has actually changed his position a little bit, you know, the way that he operates.

And

he's almost had his game streamlined, hasn't he?

So he doesn't have to press.

He doesn't have to chase.

Your job, mate is to just slot the ball in the back of the net which he's very good at and that's again

uh

it

here's a question is it easier to arrive at a group of players that are play together uh and then switch them around and make a better team than it is when you have a deluge of new players coming in and you're the new manager it it's it's

with scouting and stats and analysis it it might be a little bit easier to just repurpose those players to start off with.

I don't know.

I don't know the answer to that.

I suspect nobody will ever know the answer to that question.

But

he's done a hell of a job, however, he's done it.

That's all we need to say.

Yeah, I mean, I think anyone's, I think you're right.

Anyone saying, well, everyone else is rubbish, that's not true.

Anyone saying, oh, it was all served on a plate for him, that's also not true.

Like, anyone could have been, you know, you give anyone that level job, they wouldn't have done it.

But, like, the situation turned out to be good, but he could have easily screwed it up.

Like, Klopp was good, he was good, they've been very good.

Do you envisage a dynasty, Robin?

Oh, that's a difficult one.

I guess we'll get onto it, but it looks like

you know, you can hear the Jaws music for Manchester City.

Seem to be

sort of having another resurgence.

Yeah, I think, I mean, just in terms of sheer investment, and well, unless

unless um they get a bigger boat and they manage to relegate manchester state

um they're kind of really the only team capable of uh getting a dynasty um i don't want a dynasty really i'd prefer a more competitive league um but you know i think we just gotta they've just got to enjoy this and and and as john said i think this is it's going to be really interesting to see how they do do next season and gosh they're going to be they're going to be partying for weeks they've got no fa cup final no champions League final.

They've won the league.

I mean, this is going to be proper Sunday league throwing up in a hedge before kickoff.

It's like they're football, isn't it?

Doing great.

It's nice to see Alan Hanson there looking well.

That was

good, wasn't it?

There was a sort of classic Darwin Nunes moment, you know, in injury time, Barry.

It sort of felt right that Darwin Nunes was cleaned through and then sort of squared it to nobody.

You know, this might be, and like he's been great fun for the Premier League.

But, you know, if Liverpool swap him him for an elite elite centre-forward, that will improve them.

You would imagine so, yes.

I'm a big Darwin Nunes fan.

It looks like he will leave during the summer.

I think he can leave with his head held high, and I think he'll always be welcome back at Anfield.

I think fans will remember his somewhat chaotic contributions very fondly.

I certainly would if I was a Liverpool fan.

Oliver says, have you ever been Miss Solder Flare?

This is a great story, isn't it?

On Blue Sky or maybe on X.

And I

Tony Blue Blood, who is obviously an Evertonian.

My mates just texted me.

He bought 10,000 blue flares and spent the last four weeks taking the blue labels off them and putting red labels on them.

I hope he sells the fucking lot, he says.

And there were, you know, plumes of blue smoke.

You just imagine a Liverpool fan going, poof.

Oh, you bastard.

I mean, it's absolute, it's genius, John, isn't it?

It's absolute genius.

That is very, very good.

The Liverpool fan would call it bitter, but let's call it inventive.

All part of the richness of rivalry, isn't it?

All that.

Let's have more pleas of that type of thing.

Let's see how far his reach is if they appoint a new pulp and blue smoke

when he's billowing out of the machine.

Very good, very good.

Barney writing about Tottenham.

Tottenham weren't simply spectres at this feast.

They were here just to service the feast, to the extent you half expected the players to turn out for the second half in name badges and catering aprons.

May I assist you with your feast, sir?

More gravy, perhaps.

But they made eight changes, Robin.

It's not about them this day.

You know, I don't know if the writing is on the wall for Angel.

I don't suspect it's any more on the wall than it was or it wasn't.

It's all about Bodo Glimp for them.

It is, yeah.

That's 19 Premier League games lost this season, season though that is quite a lot isn't it that that's really bad and yeah just a just the small matter of the trip to the arctic circle

next or great preparation i think they're home on thursday well home on thursday yeah i mean that that's going to be it's going to be tricky and i just these these when

when a team's season rests on one or two games it's just it's

Not good, not good.

I agree with you.

I just feel it's so

every Spurs fan is saying it.

It's just so set up to lose to Manchester United slightly unluckily in the final.

Dodgy penalty decision, yeah.

Yeah, could well easily just get blown out of the water by Bodo Glimpt.

Home and away, we'll find out.

All right, that'll do for part one.

Part two, we'll do the FA Cup semifinals.

HiPod fans of America, Max here.

Barry's here, too.

Hello.

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The remarkable paper pro move.

Remarkable, a brand name and an adjective, man.

Yeah, it's their most portable paper tablet yet.

It holds all your notes, to-dos, and documents, but it's smaller than a paperback and an incredible 0.26 inches thin, so it slips easily into a bag or jacket pocket.

Perfect for working professionals whose jobs take them out of the office.

Like maybe a football journalist, Barry.

Although, not like you.

A proper football journalist, man.

Exactly.

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Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly.

Let's start then with Crystal Palace's 3-0 demolition of Aston Villa.

I mean, Barry,

they were absolutely brilliant in this game.

They really blew Villa away.

They scored three goals.

They had one Matetta goal, which I thought was perfectly fine.

Disallowed.

They missed a penalty, and Tyreek Mitchell missed a very easy chance.

So it could have been way more than three.

Villa did have their chances, but I thought Villa's approach was far too cautious and controlled.

And they've blown a very good opportunity to get into the an FA Cup final,

which is not to say if they'd played better, they would have won, but they made life quite easy for Crystal Palace.

And

Palace fans seem way more up for this game than their Villa counterparts.

They are among the louder Premier League fans in a quite quiet competition, but

yeah, I was hugely impressed.

And

Eberichieze scored a brilliant goal, as Ebericieze tends to do.

Ishmael Islar

was really good.

Matetta Reek Havoc in the villa defence.

He didn't get his goal, but he probably should have, as I've already alluded to.

And Dean Henderson in gold played quite well without having to pull anything out of the top drawer, particularly in terms of saves.

So, a really good win for Palace.

And I don't know if they'd have preferred Forrest or City in the final, but they're in the final, and I think they have a very good chance of winning it.

I think I know who they'd have preferred, but obviously, they say, Yes,

we'll play whoever, we don't mind.

Look, we talked, John, about Liverpool fans and what the title means, and the energy from those Palace fans.

The kind of it sort of felt like a sort of disbelief when Saar scored his first and their second.

Another brilliant goal, you know, to the to the point where I think you sent this to me,

the guy clapping his head because his arm was in a sling.

It's like an absolutely amazing super slow-mo of him going, what do I hit?

Oh, you know, don't slap the thigh.

I'll just hit my own head.

I'm that happy.

Well done, Crystal Palace.

And yeah, that's

the FA Cup semifinal

is

I think it's something devalued by being at Wembley.

Hard agree, but that, yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

And we'll get probably get on some Manchester City's issues there, which I'm on the City fans side there, too.

But it's South London's day out at Wembley, and they absolutely went for it, enjoyed it.

When you've got Eze scoring goals like that, when you've got Saar scoring goals like that, come on, enjoy it.

The South Crystal Palace will probably be glad that they're not facing Manchester United.

Yeah.

But, you know, they previously lost in the final to Manchester United.

But well done, Palace.

Oliver Glasner has impressed hugely since he's come

to English football.

And, you know, a player that both you and I are big fans of Adam Wharton came to the fore.

He's such a classy player.

And, you know, he's had that injury, hasn't he?

And he'd struggled since the Euros.

And then Kamada,

a player they signed, who is a Glasnar favourite, who's struggled as well this season, played a very good game as well.

He's their best played player because he joined under Bosman.

A few Palace fans have been griping about this fact.

But well done, Palace.

Well done, Glasnar.

I think it's fair to say that they'll be the neutral's choice in the final.

And that's no slight on Manchester City.

It is probably a slight,

but I think

we're all Palace if we're not city.

Yeah, come on.

We're all palace, Robin.

Of course, like they've never won a trophy.

I mean, oh, well, I said this to Kevin Day on Saturday on the radio.

It's like, well,

the Kent Cup, they've won that a few times, but a major trophy.

So imagine what it would mean to Crystal Palace just to have their players walking up those steps and lifting that cup.

Oh, have they won the Kent Cup this season?

Because that'll be a great double.

You'd buy a t-shirt of that, wouldn't it?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The DVD.

Yeah, exactly.

What do we lead on?

Do we lead on the Cape Cup?

Do we lead on the FA Cup?

I'm not sure.

No, they were magnificent.

And yeah, Oliver Glaser deserves a lot of credit, as do Palace, for appointing him.

And because it seems like they really, they do have an identity, don't they, Crystal Palace?

And they lost Michael Elise in the summer, another sort of really exciting winger.

And then Ismaila Saz come in.

And I think he had, like Palace themselves, a bit of a slow start.

But I remember when he played for Watford and it was really being talked up as kind of, you know, maybe Liverpool being linked with him.

But he was fantastic.

And yeah, Villa were just a bit flat, I think.

You know, didn't have the best preparation, did they?

Wasn't, you know, they had that really gut-wrenching defeat midweek to Man City.

But Palace won this with 30% possession.

This is proper.

proper football heritage, isn't it?

And yeah,

they were fantastic.

I guess the only positive for Palace, for Villa, I'd say, is Emi Martinez psyching out Mateta

to miss the penalty which I'm sure will mean just as much to him as winning the FA Cup it's a big moment for him that is a joke by the way yeah Dan Bardell will be filing for divorce Barry ever since he got married someone got wrong I think Glasner may have worked Emery out right I think you know Oliver Glasner's faced Una Emery five times hasn't lost once four wins and a draw but in this game they just kept pressing and Villa just couldn't I mean I think it's the sago where Wharton just comes in and you know straight in on I forget who it is.

Tielemans.

Yeah, Telemann's just Villa's midfield, which has been brilliant this season, just could not get a footing.

Yeah, I think Tielemans got caught in the ball twice for two of the goals.

And

I left Adam Orton out of the list of players, Palace players I was lauding, which is a conspicuous absence because he was outstanding.

But

Villa's approach just seemed too

they were

more concerned about not losing the game than winning, I think.

And once they went behind,

yeah, things didn't go well for them at all, really.

La Palace's record runners-up in 1990, where they shouldn't have been there because they robbed Cambridge in the quarter-finals, although they did quite well against Liverpool in the semi-finals of that FA Cup, if you remember.

And actually, the final

before the replay, Ian Wright was pretty sensational.

I was there.

I was there, and I was thinking about about the other day because there was a big discussion of ian right obviously in the news i was thinking my memory of ian right is just him getting the ball and setting off and me thinking oh

he was so good he was so good wasn't he yeah so good uh 2016 as well as you mentioned john they lost to uh manchester united if they win will they all do the pardo dance oh oh they should they absolutely should shouldn't they you're absolutely right sometimes at my lowest ebb i think about that, and that I just...

I wish I could...

Men in black erase that from my memory.

I mean, just all of it was so bad.

This is the first FA Cup final they'll have contested that Alan Paradise wasn't involved in directly.

Because he played in the two against Manchester United.

That one, you know, one went to a replay.

And then he managed Palace, did his body popping on the touchline.

Another personal memory, that was actually on my 40th birthday.

And when United scored the winner, I did my own Alan Pardew dance.

Oh, dear.

Yeah.

That's got live show written all over it, John, hasn't it?

Ladies and gentlemen, doing the Pardew, it's John Bruin.

I can absolutely see it.

They will play Manchester City, who beat Nottingham Forest 2-0, sitting into their third successive FA Cup final.

They've won it seven times, have a chance to claim their eighth, which would bring them level with Chelsea Spurs and Liverpool.

They probably deserved it, Robin.

What do you think?

Oh, yeah, with regret, as Alex Sugar would say, before he fires someone.

Yeah,

they, you know, they, City were much better.

And, you know, I'll quote John Bruin just from a couple of minutes ago.

When they scored after two minutes, oh, shit.

You know, because that's

Barry said this actually, I think, on last week's pod for the preview.

You want Forrest to score first because they are, you know, that's, but when City score first, I mean, Forrest started so slowly, didn't they?

and it was a really they were analyzing that first goal rico lewis just had way too much space to to pick his spot um you know they had some chances i mean that a langam miss just after the break that was big big big and then guardiol's header and that was about it wasn't it um so yeah the cup of dreams we had high hopes for it but uh if city end up winning it um I'm not sure it's going to be too dreamy, but yeah, no, they definitely deserved it.

It was quite a disappointing display from Forrest, who actually we should mention had quite a few injuries particularly defensively didn't they yeah yeah uh zach abbott uh his second senior start playing at right back and you know and ain't has been so good for forrest this season i mean it's worth saying barry pep mixed it up here today i was we were talking to simon bykowski from the manchester evening news before the game saying that he's just going to pick an old midfield and then in came greelish who i guess isn't young but feels young rico lewis and who scored that lovely goal and so we have to give pep some credit for that starting 11 and how they played, especially in the first half.

Yeah, they totally dominated the first half.

Forrest didn't really turn up until the second half, which was probably their undoing.

But

he had

Savino and Maramouche playing in wider positions.

Well, Maramouche playing wider than you'd expect.

Grealish and Lewis more central.

Lewis, I don't think anyone was expecting him to play because he hasn't featured too often for City recently, as far as I can remember.

And in the first half, Forrest

didn't have a single shot on goal.

You wonder if things might have been different if Alanga had scored that

chance that was created for him by Callum Hudson Adoy just after the break.

And then they hit the woodwork three times.

The Morgan Gibbs White smashed off the crossbar.

Yeah, if that had gone in, you know, who knows?

But it didn't.

And

I think Forest were so poor in the first half.

They they had chances to get back into it, but City were worthy winners, probably.

It's like when they say, you know, your name is on the trophy.

I mean, sort of like your name is not on the trophy.

If you just keep hitting the woodwork, we just needed one of those to go in, John.

Either the Elanga chance, it's one nil and the Elanga chance.

Matt Sells makes that brilliant save, goes out for a corner, it's 2-0.

But then if one of those Gibbs White chances goes in, or the Iwania one,

you get a different game, a different last 20 minutes, 10 minutes, whatever.

I think so, but

I think we've got to say this is a new no-gunner new no game.

He set out, obviously, with a plan.

Leaving a Langer on a bench was a question.

I heard a lot of Forest fans question,

considering how Alanga has been so useful this year.

He's done it before.

He has done this before successfully.

Yeah,

he did it at Anfield.

He did it at Ghost Brighton, didn't he?

Yeah, I think so.

And he did it at Anfield, didn't he?

Yeah, you introduced the quick player to pick off the game that you've locked down.

And I heard a Wolves fan say that he attempted the same in the 2019 FA Cup semi-final with similar results.

Remember, they lost to Watford.

Ridiculous game, actually.

It feels like Forrest just let the chance slip.

Gibbs White is interesting.

He's been linked with City, hasn't he?

I saw him and Pep have a sort of little

embrace.

Yeah, and I thought, oh, if you're a Forest fan, you wouldn't like that very much.

But actually, I mentioned it before, there was this issue, wasn't there, of there not being many City fans there.

Well, I understand.

I'll say this.

The statistic was, and I heard this, Mark Chapman said this, but since April 2011, they've had 30 trips to Wembley, right?

30 trips to Wembley.

Now, the first one was in April 2011, which is probably the key game in the turn of Manchester City into the Manchester City we know, which is that FA Cup semi-final with United.

The one where Scholes is sent off, Yaya Torre scores the winning goal, and then you also see Liam Gallagher celebrate, and Clive goes for the in the sunshine commentary,

but backs out of it sort of halfway through, and it sounds terrible.

Check it out

on your internet, it's absolutely amazing.

But they've had

30 times since then, and they've had to go to Wembley.

That's so much money, but how much does it cost?

If you're going on your own and you might be taking your family, right?

Say it's 90 quid a ticket, yeah.

Yeah.

If you're traveling from Piccadilly, you know,

it's 90 quid a ticket and 100 pound or whatever.

If you go and you, if you're going on coaches, if you're driving, I think there was a lady on the radio saying it costs her 250 quid.

She was saying, you know, lady of means, you know, she's she's a grandma she had family down in london it still costs 250 quid uh you know and i don't think she would spend like all day on the bevy you know so it's a it's a hugely expensive and um

manchester city aren't liverpool and manchester united that can take fans from all over the world or whatever um it's

I was at Wembley recently where Birmingham, you know, went to Wembley and took 50,000 there because they can because they don't go there often.

But if you go there all the time, this is the problem with having the semifinals at Wembley.

I'm told that the Wembley debt is paid off by the FA.

Let's release this.

Let's go back to Villa Park.

Let's go back to using Old Trafford as a semi-final venue.

Let's make it easier for fans.

Remember, we're in an era where we're supposed to watch petrol consumption and all that type of thing.

Let's make tickets cheaper.

Let's do something like that, F.A.

Come on.

John Bruin for president of FIFA.

Here we go.

But I'm totally with you.

I'm totally with you.

It doesn't make sense.

And you make a really good point.

If Cambridge gets to Wembley, I would fly back for it.

Yeah.

Like, I just would, I just couldn't not.

Whereas if I was a Man City fan, I'd be like, well, that's ridiculous.

Well, you know, they'll get there again.

You know, you just wouldn't, you just wouldn't do it.

Because, you know, a lot of being a football fan is about your expectations, right?

I mean, that changes how you love the game because if you win every year, you expect to win every year, and if you don't, then you really don't.

And so, yeah, I totally agree with you.

Any other big thoughts on

this game?

Come on, Palace.

Anyway, that'll do for part two.

Part three, we'll do the rest of the Premier League, the EFL, the Women's Champions League.

We won't have time for all of it, but we'll do our very best.

Hi, Pod fans of America.

Max here.

Barry's here, too.

Hello.

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Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly.

As so, look, there were some Premier League games mainly on Saturday, the Bournemouth Many Night game on Sunday.

The race for fifth place looks as follows.

Newcastle have 62, Mancidi 61, Chelsea 60, Forrest 60 with a game in hand, Aston Villa 57.

Let's start at St.

James's Park.

Newcastle 3, Ipswich 0.

Let's start actually with Ipswich's relegation.

Brian says, Hi, Max.

Of Ipswich had a bit of an an easy ride from the media this year, obviously, success with back-to-back promotions and arguably have come up a season or two early.

However, beyond a few decent performances early on and a bit of help from our old pal, Dr.

Tottenham, four wins all season.

They could finish below Leicester, who've been absolutely abysmal.

Is it because folk like what Kieran McKenna has done, so they've been given the benefit of the doubt?

Or maybe I'm being a complete bastard.

Sorry to see Cambridge went down today.

Also, take it easy.

What do you think, Baz?

I do think they've had an easy ride.

I've said it before.

Ipswich fans don't necessarily agree with me.

I don't think there's any shame in them getting relegated.

I think they could have made a much better effort to stay up.

They started the season with a bad goalkeeper.

That didn't help.

And they've gone down with four games to go.

And if they finish below Leicester, I am convinced, even though Leicester have more points than Southampton, I am convinced Leicester are the worst team I've ever seen in the top flight in 40 years watching football or more.

So,

yeah, I do.

To answer your question, we don't have much time.

I do think they have got an easy ride.

Meanwhile,

I mean,

do we add to anything with it?

I suppose

it's interesting with Kieran McKenna, John, isn't it?

That managers who come up on a wave, we talked about this with Daniel Farker coming up and going, oh, do you actually sort of jump off that boat now?

I mean, it seems ridiculous that you get there.

And what Kieran McKenna did to go from League One, there are League One players in this Ipswich team or players that certainly were in League One two years ago.

Like, that's astonishing to be in the Premier League, yeah, yeah.

And

listen, I went to quite a few of the early Ipswich games, uh, and they

the feeling there of being in the Premier League was just so exciting for them.

It perhaps overwhelmed the club, uh,

and then they just fat, and you know, McKenna tried to play the same football that had got them up through the leagues.

I think he's had to go a bit more pragmatic recently, that's not really worked either.

And

the thing is, it's difficult, isn't it, when a manager who's been so inspiring, they sort of revert back into the shell.

And I picked this out last night when we were chatting on the WhatsApp between us, where they asked him, you know, how's it feel to be relegated?

And he said, you know, oh, we've just, we just consider this the mathematical completion.

What?

I mean, you know,

you're veering into bullshit, aren't you?

And it's a bit of a shame because it's not worked out for them.

The thing that I pointed out, actually, was:

is this appropriate a football game?

When Ben Johnson is sent off, the ambulance worker behind the goal at St.

James's Park, his celebration was so wild.

I think it's fair.

Are they supposed to

a goal?

Okay, but sendings off.

Is that appropriate for an ambulance worker?

Does an ambulance worker have to be neutral?

Don't you think they have to be impartial?

I think they only have to be impartial if they're doing paramedic work.

Well, you'd hope they would be.

Yeah, I'm not resuscitating that Birmingham Planeman Villa fan.

I think

that would be a stretch, wouldn't it?

What of Newcastle, Robin?

I mean, another good.

Eddie Howard's back.

Obviously, we all expected him to win.

They're in a really, really great position.

And actually have really kicked on since winning the Carabao Cup.

And I think perhaps could have been forgiven for just going, ah, we've had a good season, we're done.

Oh, definitely.

No,

they look in pole position, don't they?

I mean, the Eddie Howell thing, I think,

slightly off topic, but he still doesn't look that well.

And I think this kind of culture of,

you know, being the first there and the last to leave and, you know, having to, I don't think it's very helpful.

I thought Jürgen Klopp last season saying that he was tired helped a lot.

We need to accept that we're tired.

Have a nap.

It's It's all right.

You know, it doesn't matter.

And this, I just feel like this sort of, he's a bit high performance, isn't he?

He got pneumonia.

That's really serious.

And yeah, I mean, I'm sure he wouldn't be there if he was, you know, still ill.

But that's just what went through my mind.

When always they talk about players going, oh, he was always the last on the training ground.

I'm going, what happens if you accidentally get two players at a squad who were the last on the training ground?

They're there till midnight every night going, just one more free kick and you're like, oh, knackered.

But just for when they talk about me after I finish my career, I have to be last off the training ground.

They're just like, oh, can you go home?

It's like a reality show, isn't it?

Anyway, well on to Newcastle.

Chelsea also there.

Despite their having a terrible season, they're still there or thereabouts.

Fifth, Nicholas Jackson with the only goal against Everton.

It is strange, isn't it?

You know, Cole Palmer's got this huge drought.

There's loads of doubts about Mareska John.

And yet they're still in the mix.

I think they're just so boring that we just don't notice them being adequately decent.

Yeah, no, no, that's fine.

Brighton West Ham was a good game, wasn't it, Barrig?

Two late goals for Brighton.

Carlos Balabas was a brilliant finish.

Yeah, their first and last goal were both superb.

Iyari's strike was wonderful.

Baliba's was

brilliant as well.

I thought this was one of West Ham's better performances.

It's quite a low bar, but I think a draw probably would have been fair.

Nicholas Fulkrug was on the bench.

Apparently, that was not because of his existential post-match rant last time out.

If you haven't seen David Squires' cartoon about that, go and find it.

It's brilliant.

And West Ham seemed to have a big problem with conceding late goals.

That's four

after the 89th minute in their last three games.

So that's a problem.

Graeme Potter was very ratty afterwards, but I think Brighton needed this win, not just because

to keep them on track for a European qualification, but because things haven't been going so well for old Fabian Herzl or young Fabian Herzler in recent weeks.

I really rate him.

His was one of those get-to-know-you interviews I particularly enjoyed.

And

I think he'll

I expect big things from brighton next season um presuming he's still in charge and there's no real reason why he wouldn't be but uh

yeah they needed that win because i think they hadn't won in five and west ham now haven't won in six or seven so they're averaging less than a point a game under potter i think i think graham potter is under a bit not not pressure we're not saying he's going to lose his job um and i'd say he didn't get a preseason with chelsea or west ham but it's been really poor.

Um,

and

yeah, what I really liked about this, I didn't see it, but I've seen a lot of people saying that, um, when that third goal, the winning goal went in, the West Ham fans were chanting the Germans right with fucking shite, which I think is brilliant.

Um,

so it's like all is not well in West Ham, I'd say.

Bowen's their shining light, he was again brilliant, brilliant player, but he can't leave because um, Danny Dyer's father-in-law, who's a big

fan.

So, yeah.

His head in a car door.

Bang.

Bournemouth Man United.

Very funny question from Chapers on Match of the Day 2.

Exasperated at just one point.

Why can't they just pass to each other about Manchester United?

You were there, John.

Yeah, and I slammed into them in the match report, and I've been accused of being too harsh, but I think I probably wasn't harsh enough.

This passing around from the back business when you can't actually pass and a goalkeeper can't kick the ball properly, it's not working for them, is it?

I think the only thing you would say is that there is some element of spirit there, like against Leon, that they managed to find a way back into the game.

It does require the opposition having a ropey sending off for them to find that spirit.

That archie on that sending off, John, like, because we always, you know, we are always careful to point out that intent doesn't matter.

But if you slip, is that so unintentional?

It doesn't matter.

Is that, I don't know what, I actually don't know the laws.

No, no.

I felt, I mean, there was an earlier incident with Tyler Adams on Garnacho, which was like almost

an orange.

I felt it was unlucky because he slipped.

But if you end up smashing into them, then probably you're going to get sent off.

It was unlucky for Evan Nielsen.

Bournemouth, it's sort of slipping away for them, and I go there quite a lot, as you know, and here Iola every week is sort of having to say that little margins are slipping away from them.

But you know, that's a bad day for Man United because you're hoping Liverpool's title is delayed.

Unlucky.

You're hoping City don't get to the FA Cup final.

Nope.

And you hope your team plays well.

Well, absolutely nope.

But so you a late goal, a bit of a celebration to get yourself send you 250 miles home.

So, yeah, oh dear.

It will be interesting to see if that red card is overturned or if they even appeal it.

Because it was a total accident.

But

like you say, Max, I don't actually know how

much

it straights.

You know,

intent doesn't matter, but that was so unintentional.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

I know what you mean.

I mean, it's pretty tight then between, you know, Fulham, Brighton Brighton and Bournemouth

for the sort of Conference League position.

I was going to say, Bournemouth have won one game since February.

It was against Fulham, actually.

The six points in that battle.

Sounds

very much like Spurs will get Irayola just when he goes shit, doesn't it?

You can just feel it a mile off.

Oh, my God.

Look, Fulham at Southampton.

Great late header from Ryan Sessignon.

He's had a really nice sort of renaissance.

Nice to see him back

playing and scoring goals and being involved.

Southampton have lost 27 games, the most Premier League defeats in the season, 29 games,

a record shared by Ipswich, Sunderland, Derby, and Sheffield United.

So they could do that.

Wolves won six in a row now after that 3-0 defeat

of Leicester City.

So

well done to them.

Does anyone have any strong thoughts on either of those games?

I was going to say Cunha has been linked with Manchester United, and I had some of the Man United reporters asking me what they thought of him.

So obviously it feels like that one's a link.

I think it's a buyout clause, so it's a doable deal.

63 million, I think it is.

Yeah, yeah.

He is a great player.

But I did think someone is going to get, you know, he's a bit of a firebrand and someone's going to push the Cansenar cliché button at some point.

I don't think he's Eric Cansena.

No.

I mean, you can see Cunya going to Man United and it being an absolute disaster.

disaster yes yes yes despite his brilliance

and Wolves are City next and

through no fault of their own the six teams they have beaten in a row are the six bottom teams in the league

but what a job Vittor Pereira has done there and

I'm looking forward to see how they go on against City who will give them probably more of a game than the six teams they have beaten in a row.

That's a good question, Barry.

If you look at Vittor

Wikipedia, how many clubs has he been at?

And it's about 47.

How come he's never lasted more than a season?

What is he doing?

What will happen next year?

That's so exciting, isn't it?

We're going to find out, aren't we?

He's going to be gone by October.

There's a pocket rocket implosion there.

You could feel it, can't you?

Yeah, when he says points before points, does he really mean it?

You know, is it?

In the AFL,

lots to round up.

If you don't really follow it, but you're vaguely interested.

Leeds and Burney up from the championship, of course.

The title's still on the line.

Leeds played Bristol City tonight.

A win for Bristol City would guarantee them a playoff place.

Coventry, Millwall, Blackburn, Middlesbrough all still getting the playoffs.

Coventry lost to Luton.

More of Luton in just a second.

Hammed at Forever Preston says, with Preston beige end now locked in a relegation battle.

I'm not sure this was the...

excitement that our supporters were begging for after nine years of mid-table finishes.

I blame Johnny Lou.

David says, how thrilling must it be to be a Preston fan next week?

Finally, a game that matters.

Hashtag butterpie curse.

So

Luton's win at Coventry means that the Hatters are out of the relegation zone.

What a time for three wins in a row.

Hull slip into it.

Leapfrog by Derby, who beat them.

Plymouth won at Preston, which means Preston are not safe.

Plymouth need to win about 13-0 and hope Luton lose to stay up.

Cardiffer down and Robin Oxford are safe.

Congratulations.

Safe with a game to spare.

Yeah, wonderful.

Yeah, a really great achievement.

And yeah, Gary Rowatt ran the marathon the day after.

So hopefully he's having

a nice pike now.

And I think he basically said we got Swansea away final day of the season, which will be a great party atmosphere.

But I think he was honestly saying, do I have to go to that one?

But no, wonderful, wonderful stuff.

Yeah,

would he have run it if they were still in danger?

Well,

I think so.

It's like he's playing, is it?

Yeah, that's true.

Players aren't allowed to smile.

You know, managers aren't allowed to run marathons.

We should credit producer Joel, who's off today, because he ran the Manchester Marathon in what, Barry?

Three hours, one?

Three hours, one minute and something,

which is good.

Yeah, amazing.

Is that a sort of benchmark for you for your half-marathon?

Three hours,

three minutes.

I've got to say three

hours, one minute.

I take that at the minute.

In League One, Wrexham joined Birmingham

going up after beating Charlton.

The Alex definitely in the playoffs with Stockport Wickham and one of Reading and Leighton Orient.

Fraser says, Max, are you looking forward to barrow away?

A moment of silence for Cambridge United.

Robbed of their League One status by a mixture of being pretty shit all season and being pretty shit all season.

I love Division IV, so it's okay with me.

Burton beat us, which means they're pretty much safe.

And it also means Crawley and Bristol Rovers, along with Cambridge and Shrewsbury, are down.

You look primed, Robin.

It was very

Guardian Football Weekly

you know, complete as they would be pleased to hear that Ryan Loft was involved, wasn't he?

He did get sent off, yes.

He did get sent off.

Yes.

I've yet to see somewhat harshly, I would say.

I saw the incident.

I'm not sure what he did to get a red card, but

maybe I missed something particularly egregious by Lofty.

I think League Two might be his level.

I've got high hopes for him next year.

People have a go at me for supporting two teams, right?

But between Cambridge and Spurs, 44 league defeats this season I've had had to endure.

I mean, that's pretty stunning, isn't it?

In league two, Donnie and Port Val are up.

Donnie beat Bradford, who are third between them and Walsall, who are now 13 without a win for automatic.

Walsall lost home to Accrington.

Not to County could sneak it.

Five teams still battling out for the last two playoff places.

The Women's Champions League, Robin, I was certain that neither Chelsea or Arsenal would get through.

Chelsea got battered by Barcelona in both legs.

I guess there's no shame in that.

But for Arsenal to go to Leon and win 4-1,

what an absolutely...

I mean, Leon were very generous, I thought, in this game defensively, but still

amazing.

But what a victory for Arsenal.

It was great, but you're right.

I mean, I think we've got to say there was some very,

that was comical defending for most of them.

Cal Dente strike aside, all of them were...

pretty appalling to watch in terms of Arsenal.

Barson were brilliant, you know, going away.

I think that was Leon's first home defeat in about two years.

They were fantastic.

And yeah, I think what was lovely, I saw on social media, Leah Williamson of Arsenal, of course,

she posted a photo of

herself 18 years ago.

She was the mascot when Arsenal women last won the Champions League.

So that was lovely.

But you say no shame.

No shame in losing to Barcelona, but the way Chelsea lost was, this was an annihilation, you know, 4-1, 4-1.

It was pretty bad.

And I think questions asked about Sonia von Pastor's approach

because last season under Emma Hayes, they only lost 2-1 on aggregate.

Ian's entered the chat again.

So, yeah, it's

a bit humbling for Chelsea.

And yeah, but they've still got a domestic

treble on the line.

Mark says, with Truro City getting promotion and Carla being relegated, which member of Guardian staff will we volunteer to travel on the away fans coach?

Yes, Barry, we mentioned at the the National League South, Lars Pod and Truro were top and they did it.

Yes,

what could have been a day of unbelievable drama in the National League South with six teams vying for the title on the final day of the season ended up being a little bit of a damn squib for everyone except Truro

who beat

St.

Albans City, I think, and beat them comfortably.

So they were on top going into the final day and they won the title with the minimum of bus.

Yeah, well done, Truro.

John says a word for Horsham FC winning the Ithmian League by a hair's breadth plus one goal difference after a 5-1 win.

Secured promotion to the National League South, the highest level in their 144-year history.

Having not led the table all season, Billerici's 4-2 was only enough for the playoffs.

Yes, well done to Horsham, too.

And that'll do for today's podcast.

Thank you, Barry.

Thank you.

Thank you, John.

Cheers, Max.

Cheers, Robin.

Cheers, Max.

Football Weekly was produced by James Hurley.

Our executive producer is Phil Maynard.

This is The Guardian.