Fantastic Foden and an easy night for Arsenal – Football Weekly Extra

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Speaker 5 Hello, and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. Straightforward wins at the top of the Premier League as Arsenal go top, however, briefly.
And is that a statement performance from Manchester City?

Speaker 5 Is this the moment where they just decide to win all the rest of the football matches? Phil Foden's hat-trick, where does his left foot rank in world football?

Speaker 5 Left feet right now, a supreme performance for a player who might end up winning 100 Premier Leagues before he's 30.

Speaker 5 Arsenal make a lot of changes, but find it pretty easy against a depleted Luton town. Nice to see Emile Smith Row and Rhys Nelson, while Gabrielle and Saliva meant Luton barely got a sniff.

Speaker 5 We'll take a look at the run-ins for the top three, and then there's Brentford Nil, Brighton Nil. Wish us luck with that one.
We'll explain why the Swedish league is or isn't interesting.

Speaker 5 We'll confirm how sleepy Barry looked in yesterday's selfie. Answer your questions, and that's today's Guardian Football Weekly.

Speaker 5 On the panel today. Jonathan Faduba, welcome.
Good morning, Max. Good morning, Jonathan.
Hello, Robin Cowan.

Speaker 6 Good morning, Max.

Speaker 5 And hello, Barry Glendenning.

Speaker 1 Hello, very worried about this selfie revelation. No, you needn't be too worried.

Speaker 5 We'll get to it. Alex says, not a question just to say, what a great lineup.
Can't wait.

Speaker 5 So it's up to you three not to ruin it then with this vote of confidence from Alex. Let's start the Etihad, shall we? Man City four, Aston Villa one.

Speaker 5 I mean, the way Phil Foden moves, Robin, the way he strikes a book, it's also just effortlessly natural, isn't it?

Speaker 6 Yeah,

Speaker 6 it's infuriating.

Speaker 6 He's just so he's so talented. Just the grace, the poise, and the end product.
I think that's the big thing. I think my favourite goal was

Speaker 6 his secret. Well,

Speaker 6 the first one was the wall, clearly parting for him. So that shouldn't have gone in.
But the second one, he doesn't even look, does he?

Speaker 6 He just knows where the goal is, swipes at it into the, in off the post. No, he's, he's been superb this season.
It's his best return of goals.

Speaker 6 And yeah, I really, really enjoyed that Harlan was dropped than thinking that Roy Keene is now actually in Pep Guardiola's head.

Speaker 5 Yeah, well, we get onto Harlan, but I mean, that's an interesting point that he wasn't there and De Bruyne wasn't there, Jonathan. And you sort of wonder,

Speaker 5 is Phil Foden better when they're not there? Or do we just notice him more? Or does he, do you think he sort of goes, actually,

Speaker 5 I've got to seize the moment now, these other big guns, I mean, they're all big guns around him. But I just wonder if he's, you know, that helps him.
He has more space.

Speaker 5 He's more central to everything.

Speaker 7 I think the fact that obviously De Bruyne and Foden, they occupy similar positions, or they like to anyway.

Speaker 7 Foden obviously has gone on record and prefers to play down the middle as a 10, more centrally. And he's kind of better, he's a better player there, really, to be honest.
So I think that that helps.

Speaker 7 I think partly is the fact that he's maturing as well.

Speaker 7 he's you know he's really coming into his own now and and there's always been that you know in the early part of his career there was that dynamic where pep was maybe hesitant to play him in his position or play him in games and he's now starting to take control of of the of the team really in a way and um i mean i'm probably de Bruyne's biggest fan or one of the biggest fans but I wonder if this is like a turning point from the transition from De Bruyne to Foden as sort of the main creator in the city team because De Bruyne is starting to pick up those injuries and you know he's been an amazing player but I wonder if he's quite as reliable just with age and injuries as as as he has been in previous seasons which would be really sad because i love him but foden i think he you know he's outstanding i think it's partly maturity the third goal it reminded me of um in a weird way the when rooney goal against newcastle where he sort of gets fouled he's like it's a free kick and then he just gets up and bangs one into the you know into the net like from 20 yards or so and yeah it's less maybe sort of animalistic than Rooney, but it was more aesthetic.

Speaker 7 But it kind of did remind me of that goal.

Speaker 5 But he's just such a class player um and a joy to watch really does this form barry send shivers up your spine ahead of the the euros or just make it all the sweeter when we've got a player of this quality when we go out to spain on penalties i suppose it's it's

Speaker 1 just raises questions of where where do you play him in the england team i mean there is a chance garrison southgate won't start him which i think would be insanity uh because he's just such such a good player he's just he's like a bloke out there playing with his mates on the street just having a kick around you know but he's so so good

Speaker 1 I think I'd have him

Speaker 1 yeah he hasn't performed brilliantly for England and people say'cause it's not in his best position or we raised the point

Speaker 1 last week, you know, is it'cause he's not playing with players who are as good as the ones he plays with City.

Speaker 1 But then when he plays for City and De Bruyne, who is arguably city's best creative player doesn't play foden gets his chance to shine and invariably takes it so i think if

Speaker 1 i was gareth southgate i'd have him as a number 10 and play dude bellingham further back with right alongside rice but uh other opinions are available but

Speaker 1 Just a virtuoso performance last night. And I mean, this was a tricky game for City.
Well, it could have been because

Speaker 1 Phillip beat them last time at Villa Park. It was only 1-0, but Villa really dominated that game, and the scoreline didn't do them justice.
So

Speaker 1 it was quite, I suppose, brave of Guardiola to leave Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland out, but yeah, they had won this game with a minimum of fuss.

Speaker 5 I mean, other opinions are available on where Foden should play for England. I feel like we've got quite a few months

Speaker 5 to have that conversation. Ali McCoy said, look,

Speaker 5 England just needs Foden and 10 other players, any old 10, get the fence posts of

Speaker 5 West Ham.

Speaker 1 Is Joel Ward available?

Speaker 1 I think he probably is.

Speaker 5 Yeah, I mean, at the risk of

Speaker 5 hyperbole, Robin, which we try to avoid, you know, is Phil Foden's left foot the best left foot in world football? I was trying to go, I was thinking about, I mean, Messi is still playing, right?

Speaker 5 So, you know,

Speaker 5 and Salah has quite quite a good left foot, but there aren't that many, I don't think.

Speaker 6 No, I think it's more aesthetically pleasing being left-footed, and I would say that because I am left-footed as well.

Speaker 1 Right, of course.

Speaker 6 I think the true test is we need to, it's who can open a can with their left foot.

Speaker 6 That's how we will settle this. I'm not sure how we can organize it, but yeah, the way he manipulates it, the ball.
I remember, I mean, David Silver was extremely left-footed, wasn't he?

Speaker 6 I can't remember. When he touched the ball with his right, it was a real like, whoa.

Speaker 6 I i think phil phone's a bit more you know um ambi padil if that's the word but yeah i mean superb i think martin oddegaard also the sort of that uh the left foot but uh but yeah we need we need the can opening competition in my opinion right

Speaker 5 the can opening thing is trickier now that

Speaker 5 i mean they're not automatic they're not automate we're talking about ai before this jonathan i mean soon they'll just open themselves the cans um but you know what was that was the opening a can before the ring pull came in even still would be tricky to do with your left foot i mean have have you got any others i i thought you meant opening a can using a can opener

Speaker 5 because i'm left-footed and i there's no way i could even begin to attempt that that is the uh that's but that's the phrase isn't it you know uh um i uh i mean back to the actual footballing question jonathan but is there anyone we're missing i mean it is so i think um aesthetically it's nicer than salads i think andy hinchcliffe yeah andy hinchcliffe julian dix fine

Speaker 5 i'm happy with those chris waddle but what anyone anyone from the modern times, John?

Speaker 7 Well, Harlan's left-wood, isn't he? And I suppose we haven't mentioned him.

Speaker 1 I think he's left-wood, right? Yeah.

Speaker 5 That's not a can opener, though, is it? That is just a can exploder type thing.

Speaker 6 Chopped tomatoes everywhere.

Speaker 1 Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 7 But I think Foden's definitely got an argument. I mean, there is a, like you just said, there is a guy called Leon O'Messi who hasn't retired yet.
And until that day, I think he probably wins it.

Speaker 1 But

Speaker 7 you know, in the Premier League at the moment, I think it's just, as Ron mentioned, that athletic side of Foden, like the touch and the ability, the grace he plays with on that left foot.

Speaker 7 And I love the way he sort of seems to sort of push the ball as if it's like on a carpet, you know, like he has this sort of trick of his where he's able to sort of push the ball and then go around someone or shift it and shoot.

Speaker 7 So I am struggling to think of someone with a better left foot, but I'm probably... missing a lot of people.

Speaker 5 But it's like an ice hockey puck, isn't it? Some sort of way he sort of pushes it. Yeah, you're right.

Speaker 5 He's already got five Premier League titles at 23, you know, and lots of other, you know, Champions League and NFA Cup, whatever.

Speaker 5 He could end up needing an enormous table when someone asked him to lay his medals on the table when he's in that, when he's a pundit and someone says, come on, get your medals out, Phil.

Speaker 5 Do any other city players deserve a mention Barry in this? Roderick getting his eighth of the season? Docu's fun.

Speaker 1 Roderick, yeah, Roderick's just top drawer. And Phil Foden was singing his praises after the game, saying there's nothing you can't do.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 yeah, I suppose a lot of his good work goes unseen, and I think we had the discussion recently, you know, what is it that makes him so good and no one could quite put their finger on it but he can he can just do things other players can't and he's he's sensational bernardo silver looks

Speaker 1 city don't have any bad players you know they just they don't uh jack grealish he played last night he he played well docu was good

Speaker 1 they're all

Speaker 1 you know, it's it's not fair really. No.

Speaker 5 They also had a reserve keeper called True Grant.

Speaker 5 Sounds like the most honest Hugh Grant you could meet, doesn't it?

Speaker 5 And as Barry mentioned, Robin, like, this was a potential banana. Like, Villa did really beat them well, but they were missing Martinez, McGinn, and Watkins, right?

Speaker 5 And, you know, once that happens against this kind of side, then... It's going to be a struggle.
And they actually played okay that first half. You know, they played okay.
No, they did.

Speaker 6 And I think it possibly would have been slightly different had they gone in a half-time one-all, because that was just a real, real blow to them.

Speaker 6 No, I don't think, I think, you know, they're still definitely, you know, in the box suit for the top four if they keep going this was always going to be a tricky game especially without ollie watkins um

Speaker 6 so no i i it can happen against man city especially away from home you know they're pretty imperious at the eti hands at the best of times so i think you know i did i did it did really like their goal though a perfectly executed one two still really works doesn't it john durant yeah love that and some really impressive not interfering with oh yeah love that the awareness because i definitely would have touched it

Speaker 5 some some really some top draw not interfering and look i suppose like in the in the race for look the good thing for villa jonathan is they've got this one out of the way because like villa and spurs both have to play until yesterday city liverpool and arsenal right and i guess fifth will probably get champions league and barring something extraordinary from manchester united those two will make it you imagine yeah i think it's it's i don't think manchester united are in it really with the run of games they've got of course could be proven wrong if they get a result against chelsea um but obviously they've got liverpool as well this weekend so they've got a tough run of fixtures.

Speaker 7 Villa kind of wobbled slightly in recent weeks, but they've had quite a lot of injuries. You know, they had

Speaker 7 some French players in this side last night. I thought Joan looked okay,

Speaker 7 seemed to get a head injury every sort of 10 minutes, but besides that, he was, you know, he looked solid and sort of led the line quite well, I thought, in Watkins' absence. But

Speaker 7 I think Villa's,

Speaker 7 I think they will get there, but

Speaker 7 they just need to maybe up the up that form a little bit slightly.

Speaker 7 But, you know, they're playing the Man City team.

Speaker 7 They did actually have some good chances on the break. And I still think with Man City, in transition phases, they do play quite a high-risk game.
There was quite a few times where

Speaker 7 Villa broke on them and had maybe a 3v2 or a 4v3 and that kind of thing, but just didn't capitalize on it. And that was a downfall, really, in the end.

Speaker 1 Yeah, because Villa did have quite a few chances when it was still 2-1.

Speaker 1 And obviously that free kick,

Speaker 1 that was criminal.

Speaker 1 Zaniola and Ezra Consa just turned their backs to the ball.

Speaker 1 I would say Una Emery was furious.

Speaker 5 Yeah, I mean, turning your back is the biggest crime a footballer can commit, isn't it? You know, whatever you do, you don't turn your back. Let it hit you flush in the face.
Just take it like a man.

Speaker 5 Joey says, was Barry aware of who Callum Chambers was playing for? I presumed he was in the A-League by now.

Speaker 1 Yes.

Speaker 5 Didn't Callum Chambers turn up? What game was that in? Was that in this game? Yeah.

Speaker 1 He plays for Villa. He's a Villain player.
Yeah, but you knew that? I knew he was at Villa, yeah.

Speaker 1 I think I just presumed he was injured or something. Isn't he always injured?

Speaker 5 Quite often. He did kick someone over.

Speaker 5 Did he kick Foden out? There was like a really good...

Speaker 5 This is just somebody kicking someone over because that's all they can do.

Speaker 5 It was Jack Greedish who kicked over. Yeah, that's right, isn't it? Sam Lee in the Athletic.
Good writer on Man City said,

Speaker 5 the 1894 groups, a City Supporters group. They had that banner up last week about season ticket prices.

Speaker 5 They didn't have a display at the Etihad last last night after members had accreditations removed following Sunday's record profits record prices protest banner accreditations not yet returned without them the group cannot set up the displays pre-match

Speaker 5 we've seen this Jonathan haven't we with with season ticket price we've seen it at Fulham and at Spurs as well at City they're up by an average of five percent despite these record profits just doesn't feel quite right but it does seem it seems wrong Jonathan yeah I mean I think it seems wrong for a lot of teams there's the issues at Spurs at the moment as well is that you know the fans aren't too happy with the situation there and the ticket prices and concessions.

Speaker 7 And I think that is an ongoing debate. I suppose if you look at the sad, cold, hard economic realities of it, match day income

Speaker 7 is not as significant to Premier League clubs as it is clubs lower down the pyramid.

Speaker 7 Broadcast income and commercial income is like the main drivers really of income in the Premier League these days.

Speaker 7 From that perspective, fans have

Speaker 7 slightly less of a voice when it comes to the decision makers

Speaker 7 at the big clubs because they don't contribute as much revenue I guess in in a way and and that is a sad thing and that's a debate that probably needs to happen at some point in terms of how how that's managed because

Speaker 7 no one wants to see a spectacle with with empty empty and you know no one in the stadiums but at the same time they're not they're not the economic drivers of clubs at the moment it's it's more the tv money and the commercial deal so it is an issue and i guess i don't know the city i don't know the full context of the city situation so it's hard to comment on that individually but i guess there is this kind of underlying discontent with some fans that a a lot of the clubs in the top league at the moment in the Premier League.

Speaker 5 Yeah, but I mean, I suppose if they're not the economic driver, Barry, then you don't need to raise the prices, right? Because the prices don't matter as much.

Speaker 1 Just before I come back to that, I should say that, according to Sam Lee's Twitter, City did tell him that the 1894 group didn't apply for accreditation for the Villa game, but would have been given it if they had applied.

Speaker 1 That's something the 1894's own account denied. But back to your question, it is just gouging, isn't it?

Speaker 1 I've seen it recently firsthand at the Cheltenham Festival.

Speaker 1 Everything is too dear, and the one thing that used to guarantee the good crowds in at Cheltenham was the competitiveness of the racing, but now there's too much racing.

Speaker 1 So trainers are picking and choosing which races to put their horses in so they can avoid other horses. So even the racing now isn't as good.
And that really affected Cheltenham this year.

Speaker 1 It only sold out one day out of the four. And the other three, the crowds were way, way down, like worryingly down.

Speaker 1 Cheltenham always attracts big crowds from Ireland. A lot of them didn't travel because people are skinned, people can't afford it.
The difference between horse racing and football is

Speaker 1 fans love their football clubs, but their football clubs don't love them back. And,

Speaker 1 you know, if fans are priced out of going to games, there are other people there to take their place. There are waiting lists.

Speaker 1 There are tourists who would like to go and watch Phil Folden play or Kevin De Bruyne player. I think the only Premier League club, certainly London, that

Speaker 1 there are always tickets available is Fulham. And they're one of the most expensive games to go to.
But they usually sell out because people are in London. They want to go and see a game.

Speaker 1 They don't really care who they go to see. So, you know, you can get into Fulham.
So, yeah, we'll go there.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 Manchester City are owned by an autocratic state, and autocratic states do not like protest.

Speaker 1 So that's why the banner was taken down, I reckon.

Speaker 1 It was initially explained that it was taken down because the banner was hanging over an advertising hoarding, but later clarified as not having been checked to have a fire safety certificate.

Speaker 1 So, oh, make of that what you will.

Speaker 1 They will gouge every penny they can out of fans because they don't,

Speaker 1 as I said, the fans love them. they don't love the fans, they're just customers.

Speaker 5 Bit like us and the listeners, they love us, but we don't give a shit.

Speaker 1 I love the listeners,

Speaker 1 most of them.

Speaker 5 Actually, on those advertising boards at City, those double height ones are terrible, aren't they? It's a giant bottle of a sahi that's bigger than Erling Haaland.

Speaker 1 You just can't really see them, but you know, anyway, perhaps that's just that's just my issue.

Speaker 5 Uh, anyway, of course, I love you all very much, and uh, we'll be back in a second to talk about Arsenal Luton.

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Speaker 5 Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. The Emirates Arsenal 2 Luton 0.
I mean, pretty straightforward, Robin. Puts them top for now.
Obviously, Liverpool plays Sheffield United tonight.

Speaker 5 And I guess Luton have proved tricky for lots of other sides. And they played okay.

Speaker 5 And even with lots of rotation, Arsenal were totally fine.

Speaker 6 Yeah, this was the perfect night, as you said. Lots of rotation.
Saka,

Speaker 6 I mean, rested, but also perhaps slightly injured. Rice on the bench, very easy.
Didn't really have to get out of second gear. Top of the league, really good goal difference, and yet

Speaker 6 they still might just finish third. It's,

Speaker 6 yeah, that just might happen. I mean, Luton didn't really lay a glove on them.
I think Rob Edwards said after the game, Arsenal just don't give up any chances.

Speaker 6 They have the best defence in the league.

Speaker 6 Yeah, as I say, they're in a really good spot, but it's just...

Speaker 6 Yeah, it's going to be tough, isn't it? It's going to be very, very tough. If Liverpool win all their games, then they've won the league.

Speaker 5 What did you make of this one, Jonathan?

Speaker 7 I thought that email smith row had a quite a good game uh you know obviously arsenal played a fringe side uh not fringe side but you know arrested a lot of people and saka wasn't there um as mentioned rice but i thought smith row kind of showed glimpses of remember that original song the saka and email smith row song that arsenal fans enjoyed a few years back when that sort of the youth started to emerge and and the feel-good factor came back to the club and and smith row was part of that and there's the song but he's not really been playing as much so now you know it's good to see him sort of playing and and contributing odegaard was in fantastic form again luton had injuries themselves and so they were weakened as well so from from a spectacle point of view it wasn't the most thrilling game kind of a routine win i think they were something like 30 to 1 or i read something ridiculous like that a looting to win so um that sums up kind of how big of an underdog they were but yeah comfortable win really for for arsenal and i think one thing that strikes me about how about them is that they are I feel that they're quite different to City in the sense that

Speaker 7 they don't give up many transition chances. They don't give up many chances at all.

Speaker 7 They're very good at winning the second balls winning duels and i think that is a a real factor that they've improved it uh improved in they seem very hard to kind of create chances against consistently um whereas city i always feel that they as i mentioned before they play a kind of high-risk game where you can get at them at times but then they still manage to pull out results so i think arsenal are very strong this season and um i think they're going to take some stopping to be honest that's interesting because

Speaker 5 I still find Arsenal perhaps more interesting to watch and that, you know, they shouldn't be.

Speaker 5 Like, if City are sort of a bit more vulnerable, and I don't know if I'm just watching with this kind of, I don't think City are vulnerable, even when I'm watching vulnerability in front of me, and it's all relative with these top three sides, that actually Arsenal are the least interesting, Barry, because they're the most solid.

Speaker 5 And what you want is teams that might concede.

Speaker 1 Yeah, but I think we all, in the back of our minds, still have this feeling, nagging doubt, that Arsenal can arsenal things up. And

Speaker 1 like,

Speaker 1 I had no concerns that they would lose this game last night but there's there's still the worry that there's this inherent lack of backbone in in arsenal even though it hasn't been there for quite some time uh but i i was worried for looting last night i thought they might get absolutely battered and i'd say if you'd offered rob edwards 2-0 defeat before kickoff he'd have taken it because

Speaker 1 and you know luton have given quite a few elite teams a good game this season but they've also shipped a few hidings and uh but yeah this this was just an absolutely routine win for Arsenal and whereas

Speaker 1 before you might have been worried oh yeah it's Arsenal they could they could mess this up but and I think it Arteta showed how confident he is that his team does have backbone that he was able to make the five changes and and still send out a team that ran out comfortable winners.

Speaker 1 Yeah, I mean, look, Luton are sort of decimated.

Speaker 5 And if Luton are decimated, then it's a problem.

Speaker 5 They had a guy on the bench who's in year 11 and three other teenagers. They had two sub-goalkeepers.
On the pits, they had a right-back at centre-back and a right-winger at right-back.

Speaker 5 And that right-winger who was at right back on your Dinma was meant to be on loan in league one and got injured. So came back and only got a squad number last week.
So,

Speaker 5 you know, you sort of sense Robin they're running out of puff a bit. I mean, they're still in touch, right? They are still definitely in touch, but

Speaker 5 you know when they're missing La Conga and Adabayo and you know

Speaker 5 just they need everybody, right?

Speaker 6 Yeah, no, I think I think that's exactly the phrase I would have said it just seems like running out of steam a little bit and the defeats and the and the tough games and not getting results.

Speaker 6 It looks like it's just starting to get on top of them a little bit.

Speaker 6 That's no one in 10 now. But as you say, they're still in touch.
They kind of need to get that belief back. And it's the home games that could do it.

Speaker 6 So they've got Bournemouth, Brentford, Everton, and Fulham, those home games. So those are, those feel like really key games.
So they can still do it, especially as

Speaker 6 there are still asterisks to come. I believe, you know, Everton

Speaker 6 might get more points deducted. I mean, it's not great for anyone, including Luton that.
I'm sure they don't want to stay up just because

Speaker 6 some other teams got points deductions. Although they'll take it.

Speaker 1 They'll take it. They won't give a shit, Robert.

Speaker 5 I think they say out loud. This is not how we want to stay up, but inside, they'll stay up any which way, right? Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 5 Was I the only person that found the sort of weird camera angle that TNT kept going?

Speaker 5 So they had the normal wide shot, and I don't know if something had gone wrong with it occasionally, but they're on this kind of weird, like it was like a really enormous person had a steady cam and was just running around.

Speaker 6 It's like a computer game.

Speaker 5 Yeah, it was like Striker on the Amiga, I think. But I don't know what you think, Baz.
It really.

Speaker 1 No, you mentioned this in the WhatsApp. I didn't really notice if I'm

Speaker 1 until you mentioned it and then I didn't really have an opinion on it one way or the other so Jonathan did you care or was this just me I definitely noticed it it's kind of like a

Speaker 5 wide lens it felt like a FIFA kind of thing but yeah it's quite fifa-y I don't I didn't really have an opinion on it like it's kind of just there didn't really see I don't play video games so I don't really understand the reference no neither do I anymore you know no I know the reference is fine, but it's just I know how I want to watch football, which is a big wide shot and occasionally I go close in, but don't be close in when there's actual football playing because I want to see the football.

Speaker 5 You know,

Speaker 5 I watched this game with my friend Matt, who is a Luton fan.

Speaker 5 That's why I got so much information on, you know, Luton's injury crisis because I actually, you know, it's the most research I'd done on Luton this season and his son Isaac and some other

Speaker 5 three other 11-year-olds, around 11,

Speaker 5 Leo, Enzo, and and Milo, right? And they kept referring to players as sweaty ballers, right? Now,

Speaker 5 that's obviously important that we get the parlance that the youngsters are using.

Speaker 5 But my understanding was that they had kind of constructed this from gaming, but actually, sweaty is now actually a positive thing.

Speaker 5 Like, to me, if you were a sweaty baller, it just sounds you're quite sinister, really. But, like,

Speaker 5 but apparently, being sweaty these days is quite a good.

Speaker 1 Yeah, it means you're sick, Matt.

Speaker 5 Yes, what?

Speaker 1 You're a sick baller.

Speaker 5 Has anyone else heard sweat used in a sort of positive sense?

Speaker 1 I mean,

Speaker 6 Jonathan, you're the come on.

Speaker 7 I'm afraid that 11-year-olds are not my

Speaker 5 own you. Obviously, you know,

Speaker 7 not my target audience.

Speaker 5 Ah, producer Joel thought it meant you were trying too hard if you were sweaty. But maybe it's gone full circle now, and it just shows you're really putting it in.
Anyway, if there are anyone.

Speaker 1 It sounds like one you need to look up in the urban dictionary.

Speaker 5 Yes,

Speaker 5 maybe they were just taking me for a ride, these chaps.

Speaker 5 But anyway, well done to all the sweaty ballers at the Emirates. There weren't any sweaty ballers at the G-Tech, were there, Robin? Brentford, nil, Brighton, nil.

Speaker 1 You got the big gig for much of the day last night.

Speaker 6 I certainly did.

Speaker 6 Yeah, and I buzzed through afterwards and said, you really, you could just tell Gary to say, listen, no one needs to see any of this. We got nothing.

Speaker 6 They did a really good job of editing it, I've got to say. They made it look a lot more exciting than it was.
My goodness. My goodness.
Yeah, no, it was not good. Not good.
I think two teams.

Speaker 6 This was proper cliché cancelling each other out. Like, there was no mistakes from either side.
Brighton had all of the ball, Brentford behind the ball.

Speaker 6 Brighton had a lot of shots from distance.

Speaker 6 And then when Brentford got in behind, Brighton recovered.

Speaker 1 And that was it.

Speaker 6 The highlights were

Speaker 6 guy dressed in full beekeeper's outfit. That was tremendous.

Speaker 6 With net as well. Like, he was going to catch some.

Speaker 1 Well, I noticed, Robin, that the man dressed as a beekeeper was standing beside a woman who was dressed as a bee.

Speaker 1 And

Speaker 1 the camera cut to them, and you said the G-Tech community stayed in not exactly a buzz so far.

Speaker 1 I think you should have been fired on the spot for that.

Speaker 5 Yeah, you could have gone with hive of activity.

Speaker 1 Nice.

Speaker 5 So many options there. Professionally, when you're watching a game that's terrible, Robin, obviously, you've still got a job to do.

Speaker 5 Like, you know, halfway through, because if you're a fan, you just start talking to the person next to you about, you know, going on your phone.

Speaker 5 Yeah, their marriage or their next holiday or just, you know,

Speaker 5 something else. But you can't really do that in your position.

Speaker 5 Do you like, do you find your mind wandering, or are you just such an elite pro that commentating is quite hard, it's quite an involved part of football broadcasting that you're just sort of, I guess, you in your moment.

Speaker 6 No, I was on my phone.

Speaker 6 No, it's really hard it is it's hard because it it really was very very dull um

Speaker 6 yeah as i said the uh

Speaker 6 it is funny watching deserby though he looked in physical pain every time they they missed a chance and there was a bit where he he was wearing like a zip-up fleece and he disappeared into it um well that that that was quite good um no it was it's it's it's that's as someone said to me that's where you earn your money um i didn't really felt feel like i did really because usually usually, yeah, in my

Speaker 6 because of my disposition, usually I drive home and I think, why you should have said that? Why didn't you say that? Why did you do that? As Barry has brought up there.

Speaker 6 But you know, yesterday I slept like a baby because nothing happened.

Speaker 6 Nothing happened. The only thing I would say is that's quite interesting is that off the pitch, you know, Brighton have posted this enormous profit.

Speaker 6 And there's a lot of talk about Deserby, you know, not, you know, sort of angling for maybe a bit more investment in the playing squad or something.

Speaker 6 I do an Oxford United podcast, and we had an ex-we have an ex-player on, and he said when he once was a player and a club posted a profit, the players were furious.

Speaker 6 So it's just, yeah, it's interesting because it's very eye-catching, isn't it? Because it's very rare, especially for a Premier League team. It's 122.8 million.

Speaker 6 I mean, it's all player sales for Bryant.

Speaker 1 And that doesn't include the 115 million they got from Moyes Kaisedo. So that that hasn't so it's 122 million and

Speaker 1 plus 115 million.

Speaker 5 How great when they check their balance and it says pending plus 115 million. That's not really what you get, is it you go pending going, oh shit, that's coming out.
That's got to come out.

Speaker 5 That balance isn't what my balance is.

Speaker 5 I mean, the question for Deserbian, he's in quite a good position like any young sort of up-and-coming manager, if that's the right way to describe him, Jonathan, is that there are so many jobs going this summer that like he might end up getting a better job than perhaps he would normally expect to get on the next step of his career trajectory.

Speaker 7 There's a lot of jobs. I don't know where he might want to go next.
He definitely

Speaker 7 regularly talks about wanting more ambition at the club.

Speaker 1 So

Speaker 7 I think he mentioned in his press conference last night that he doesn't want to create a polemic, but he just wants to do the best for the club, which involves wanting more investment and that kind of thing.

Speaker 7 And I think he has created a polemic there because

Speaker 7 there does seem to be a bit of tension

Speaker 7 in the way that he continuously talks about it. I mean, you could look at it from two ways.

Speaker 7 Maybe he just thinks that they can elevate their level and there's nothing wrong with that, I suppose, from some point of view.

Speaker 7 But I don't know if it does come across as maybe giving a little bit of a feeling that maybe he might be more satisfied elsewhere, somewhere with a bigger, bigger budget. I think he

Speaker 7 could well deserve a I'm hesitant to say a bigger job because that's a bit unfair on Brighton.

Speaker 5 I mean, no, it's the literal reality of bigger clubs, right? I mean, that is true. We all know it.

Speaker 7 Yeah, potentially. But has he done enough to get sort of a Liverpool job or sort of buy a Munich? I'm, I'm not entirely sure.
But there are going to be a lot of jobs available.

Speaker 7 So, yeah, potentially he's got options.

Speaker 1 He's been extremely non-committal about his future. And

Speaker 1 I'm pretty sure it was Paul Barber, the Brighton's chief exec. I heard on Talksport yesterday.
I missed the start, so but I'm pretty sure it was him.

Speaker 1 He was being interviewed and he didn't seem hugely confident that Deserby would stay. But the thing is, Tony Bloom, the owner of Brighton, he's quite a,

Speaker 1 you know,

Speaker 1 very single-minded, successful, obviously, individual.

Speaker 1 Very good poker player. That's where he made his money first.

Speaker 1 And if you're going to get in a game of poker with

Speaker 1 Tony Bloom, you know,

Speaker 1 I could see Deserby talk himself out of a job at Brighton and then possibly get sacked.

Speaker 1 I'm going to put that out there as

Speaker 1 a long shot. But yeah,

Speaker 1 I think

Speaker 1 Deserby might get a bit too clever and Tony Bloom will be well able for him, I'd say.

Speaker 6 I'm sure they have a plan, don't they? They always have who's next after Deserby.

Speaker 6 They seem to always have someone in mind because he was brought in so quickly after Graham Potter left.

Speaker 5 Tonight Liverpool Sheffield United and Chelsea Manchester United so we presume Liverpool will will win that game.

Speaker 7 Chelsea Manchester United it's it's hard Jonathan can you remember a Chelsea Manu game with less at stake than probably the last time they played I guess but um but also a more impossible to cool Chelsea Manchester United game I mean literally no idea what either of these sides will do I'm not sure if I agree with you Max I think there is quite a lot of stake still and I think Eric Zenhag needs to keep his job for one and i think there's he's he's on an extended job interview between now and the end of the season i know what you mean in terms of european football and titles and obviously those days have gone for both those teams at this moment in time but i think even even pochatino i think there's a sort of sense that you know chelsea are in 12th place which is it just baffles me how sort of how bad they are and how accepted it is that all that investment it's kind of just it's almost been normalized how terrible they have been for the last two years no matter what they've tried um So I still feel like there's things to play for, but I get what you mean.

Speaker 7 And in terms of predicting it, I think the first game they played, the old Trafford game, it was an entertaining match, but it was, I thought from a spectacle, in terms of quality, I thought it was really poor.

Speaker 7 Both sides,

Speaker 7 it was like a basketball match, sort of end-to-end, because both sides don't know how to defend, can't compete in transitions.

Speaker 7 So from that point of view, it was fun to watch, but from the point of view of quality, it was quite poor. So I think

Speaker 7 I couldn't predict it, but

Speaker 7 I suppose Manchester United go into it with more to play for and so therefore need to win. But whether they will or not, I'm not sure, Max.

Speaker 5 Well, we'll cover those games on Monday if they are fascinating. If not, we'll have forgotten about them.
But

Speaker 5 the weekend's Premier League fixture list, I mean, Manchester United Liverpool is the standout fixture, Barry. And if we look at the run-ins of Liverpool, Arsenal, and

Speaker 5 City,

Speaker 5 this game for Liverpool, it feels to me like in terms of sort of form goes out of the window games for Liverpool, it's this one and Everton away that you sort of feel might decide if they get every point from their remaining games, Liverpool.

Speaker 1 I don't think Everton away is going to be any problem whatsoever for Liverpool.

Speaker 1 Fair enough. I really don't.
This one's weird.

Speaker 1 Obviously, Manchester, both sides have to play tonight.

Speaker 1 You presume Liverpool and SWAT, Sheffield United decide, like yourself, I haven't a clue what's going to happen happen at Samford Bridge.

Speaker 1 Between Chelsea and Manchester United, probably a draw because it's it's just so hard to call that one.

Speaker 1 If Manchester United, like the performance they put in against Brentford at the the weekend was shocking, it was a diabolical, really, really, really bad.

Speaker 1 If they play anything like that, Liverpool will hammer them. But then Manchester United beat them last time in the Cup, didn't they?

Speaker 1 No one saw that one coming, so

Speaker 1 but

Speaker 1 i i just oh god yeah that that performance against brentford was

Speaker 1 if it was just a one-off anomaly you know you'd go out fair enough a collective bad day at the office but manchester united have played so bad badly so often this season i i think liverpool would beat them no i mean you they should do that's what you imagine if you i mean liverpool have also got to play villaran spurs in a row like like so that's quite a tricky bit i'd say they're a lot tougher propositions than

Speaker 1 Liverpool. I think so.

Speaker 5 But I was that their form in the window, aren't they? Their form in the window games or in the room games is a form out, you know, sort of the ones that wouldn't be,

Speaker 5 you know, Liverpool playing Man United, I think, is different for

Speaker 5 maybe City, Man United, and Arsenal United also quite big, but it feels slightly different. Everton, certainly.
Arsenal go to Brighton, Robin.

Speaker 5 And looking at their running, they've got this week where they play Chelsea at home and Spurs away, which sort of feels like the decisive bit for them. I'm sort of with you.

Speaker 5 They could win every game and still not win the league, right?

Speaker 6 Yeah, yeah,

Speaker 6 I think it, well, it depends what the others do, obviously.

Speaker 6 But yeah, if it's kind of in Liverpool's hands, but I think you said on the last pod, Max, there's still a lot of games, a lot of games to be played.

Speaker 6 Obviously, they're all still in Europe as well.

Speaker 6 So that could play a factor. But yeah, I think that the the Man United game this weekend, I think Liverpool will be extra motivated because of the manner in which they lost that FA Cup game.

Speaker 6 And, you know that that would have really hurt so yeah and as Barry mentioned I mean my god it was that that Brentford game was an absolute robbery even though they only got a point from it so it's um yeah it's yeah I Liverpool just look like

Speaker 6 I think a bit like City as Jonathan said they do give up chances they do so they're quite fun to watch but they just seem to know how to get over the line. They're on that roll now.

Speaker 6 And I can't really see them dropping points.

Speaker 6 Although, as you say like Spurs Spurs definitely give them a game and Villa of course so those are those are the ones that could be potential stumbling blocks but even then Spurs and Villa aren't quite in the same

Speaker 6 their best form as they were in the reverse fixtures I'd say and also Spurs yeah that's

Speaker 6 that's still um yeah that the whole narrative around that's going to be the um the VAR cock-up isn't it from the last one yeah totally oh yeah who's going to be on VAR for Liverpool Spurs that's going to be be a big

Speaker 5 they should get the same team back together that's what they should do the pgmol meanwhile for city jonathan they go to palace and obviously they've got rail madrid in europe that's still in the fa cup as well but if you listen if i list their league games i can't see where they're dropping a point palace away luton at home brighton away forest away

Speaker 5 wolves at home fulham away west ham at home like that running for man city is winning every game isn't it did they drop points against forest last season away?

Speaker 1 I might be wrong. Might have to cut.

Speaker 5 I did write that. That is the only...
Because Forest will be fighting and the City Ground can be quite, you know, noisy.

Speaker 5 Even still, if that's your hardest game left, Forest away, you're in a good spot, right?

Speaker 6 Brighton can be awkward, can't they?

Speaker 7 It can be. City always seems to defy me because I always feel like they've got a sort of a game where they'll throw it

Speaker 7 in a sense, but they never sort of do. They're just so open and

Speaker 7 I feel like maybe in the Champions League they might, someone might give them a bit of a beating, but i've said this before about peps teams and he just the high-risk game he plays he always pays off so yeah they have a decent running but i think the spurs arsenal game is as close to a title decider as as as it's not quite a title decider but i think i think that's a i think that's a huge game i really think that is going to be maybe one of the best games of we have left of the season i think that's going to be a fantastic match spurs can spurs stop arsenal winning the title essentially that's going to be brilliant oh that feels really painful when you put it like that i sort of think i think intellectually I don't mind Arsenal winning the league, but now you've said it like that.

Speaker 1 I mean, you say, Max, that on the face of it, you would expect City to win all those games, but as John said, they do have a rick in them.

Speaker 1 Palace beat them that time with that Andros Townsend

Speaker 1 unbelievable strike. They lost home and away to Brentford last season.

Speaker 1 Who the hell would have predicted that? Yeah, true.

Speaker 5 Palace held them at the Etty had, didn't they, this year, actually?

Speaker 1 Okay, right. I don't remember, but I'll take your word for it.

Speaker 5 Well, I'm pretty sure of it.

Speaker 5 At the bottom, Everton Burnley is fun, Barry, isn't it? You know, any Sean Dice Derby is big.

Speaker 1 Yeah, I don't think it'll be fun somehow.

Speaker 1 I suspect, yeah, I hope Robin hasn't got this one as well.

Speaker 6 No, I would have loved it, though. I mean, that's two irate managers.

Speaker 6 Absolutely furious.

Speaker 6 Yeah, that could be fun.

Speaker 1 Oh, yeah. I mean, yeah, the outcome will be fun.
It won't be fun for

Speaker 1 one or both of them. I mean,

Speaker 1 I suppose a point's more used to Everton than Burnley, but Everton have to win a game at some point. I mean, what is it now? 14 games without a win? Yeah, 13 only.
13.

Speaker 1 They have to win a game at some point. But Burnley have certainly improved in recent games

Speaker 1 and probably should have got...

Speaker 1 They could have beaten Chelsea.

Speaker 1 They had...

Speaker 1 Who's it? Someone hit the bar? Jay Rodriguez. Jay Rodriguez hit the polls.
I was about to say Ashley Burns again. I've now I've got the Fabianski Areolas with Jay Rodriguez and Ashley Burns.

Speaker 1 So anyway, I don't know what's going on in my head.

Speaker 1 But yeah, Burnley on form you would think should win. Will they? Don't know.

Speaker 1 Luton

Speaker 5 host Bournemouth. That is a winnable game.
And Forrest go to Tottenham,

Speaker 1 which

Speaker 5 should be less winnable, but you never know, I guess. All right, that'll do for part two.
I'll do any other business in part three.

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Speaker 5 Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly.

Speaker 5 The Lionesses play Sweden tomorrow night and Ireland on Tuesday. Are you doing those, Robin?

Speaker 6 It's ITV.

Speaker 1 ITV. Oh, is it? Okay, boom.

Speaker 5 Qualifiers for

Speaker 5 Euro 2025. And England also got France in their group.

Speaker 5 What shape are Serena Viegman side in?

Speaker 6 Yeah, they're in pretty good shape. I mean, that is a very, very, very tough qualifying group.

Speaker 6 But, you know,

Speaker 6 England should win. They had a very good last camp where they were scoring lots of goals.

Speaker 6 Got some new exciting new players who have come into form. Jess Park, who's been brilliant for Manchester City, especially in recent weeks.
Grace Clinton, who's on loan at Spurs,

Speaker 6 be interesting to see if she gets more minutes in the midfield. But no, look

Speaker 6 in good shape. You know my thoughts on Serena Wiegman, Max.
You know, she is queen

Speaker 6 and

Speaker 6 she will lead us once again to the defending the Euros. I'm absolutely certain of it.

Speaker 1 Can I ask you, Robin, on on the subject of women's football, what you made of the Emma Hayes Jonas Ideweil

Speaker 1 spat the other day? I'm a massive Emma Hayes fan.

Speaker 1 She's in my top five people I'd like to go on the piss with.

Speaker 1 But I thought she was a bit out of order there, ungracious.

Speaker 1 Would you agree?

Speaker 5 Yeah, can I read the quotes actually? Because if you haven't followed it, it was the league cup final. Arsenal beat Chelsea with a late goal.
There was a bit of a moment over...

Speaker 5 Chelsea wanted to take a quick throw in and Jonas Ideval saying, hang on, we agreed to only use one football, not a million footballs.

Speaker 5 And afterwards, he then went to shake Emma Hayes' hand and she sort of shoved him. And Emma Hayes said, I am not down for male aggression on the touchline.
I told him this.

Speaker 5 There's a way to conduct yourself. He got a yellow card and he should have been sent off.
Interestingly, the yellow card was about his celebration. It wasn't about the moment that she's kind of...

Speaker 5 suggesting it was there. I get he's a winner, but his behavior is unacceptable.
The way he fronted up to Erin was unacceptable. We should not blow it up.

Speaker 5 I'm sure when he is calm, we can have a conversation. Also, the camera doesn't seem to suggest that he does front up to Erin Cuthbert.

Speaker 5 It's not the first time he's been told it should not be a massive story. Eiderveldt said he did not feel comfortable with the label.
There's a way you behave in the technical area, he said.

Speaker 5 You need to be a good winner and a good loser. I'm happy with the way I conduct myself.
Others need to look themselves in the mirror.

Speaker 5 The Guardian Women's Football Weekly covered this really well, Robin.

Speaker 1 They did, yeah.

Speaker 5 What I thought was really interesting was

Speaker 5 that phrase male aggression is very pointed.

Speaker 5 And I'm not somebody who like follows the women's game religiously. And I'm also really conscious that I'm a man talking about male aggression in the women's game.

Speaker 5 And so, I wanted to listen to you know what Susie thought and other people on that pod and what you thought because it is such a you've got to that language really matters, doesn't it?

Speaker 5 And you have to be because it's such an issue, and there is that power dynamic in women's football, there's a lot men in women's football. So, I'm interested to know where you stand on it.

Speaker 6 Oh, well, I think you're right. Susie Rack basically covered it really well, and she's written about it as well.

Speaker 6 Um, I mean, I'm kind of reluctant to because we don't really know what happened, like, for absolute 100% sure.

Speaker 6 Jonas Adabau has also been

Speaker 6 accused previously of being a bully on the touchline by the Manchester City coach. He also had a bit of a set-to with a Manchester United player last season.

Speaker 6 So, this is in mitigation for what Emma Hayes said.

Speaker 6 But the evidence that we have is that what she said isn't

Speaker 6 really

Speaker 6 reality. And I agree that saying male aggression is extremely loaded and labelling him with that,

Speaker 6 not just unfair, it's totally out of order. She's not stupid, and I don't think it was in the heat of the moment.
She knows what she said,

Speaker 6 and yeah, no, I agree, Barry, I have huge admiration for Emma Hayes, she's inspirational, a role model, what she's had to put up with,

Speaker 6 and the way she's conducted herself, but that was really, really unfair of her.

Speaker 6 As I say, I don't want to kind of call her a liar or anything because I just don't really know what goes on. Just with the evidence that we have, it didn't seem like that was very fair on him.

Speaker 6 And

Speaker 6 it was interesting, actually, because

Speaker 6 it's been discussed everywhere. It was discussed when I was in the press room at Brentford yesterday.
So it's been quite the story. It'll be interesting to see when she's asked about it again.

Speaker 6 Unfortunately, it's an international break now for the women, so it'll be a while. So if she does sort of row back on it,

Speaker 6 that will be interesting.

Speaker 6 But yeah, it's, as you said, words matter. And if she just said aggression, I think we'd be like, well, yeah, maybe he was a bit too aggressive on the touchline.

Speaker 6 But male aggression, as you said, that's the kind of extremely loaded phrase. And

Speaker 6 yeah, I think,

Speaker 6 as I said, it should be interesting to see what she says. I know Jonas

Speaker 6 quite well because we worked together at the World Cup in the last Euros, and he's always been very,

Speaker 6 you know generous kind great person to be around so yeah I think yeah I think what we've got to basically wait and see what she says

Speaker 5 when she's next asked about it Jonathan you've been to Sweden for the opening weekend of the Alvesven scan did you have a nice time and should we all be watching the Swedish league more more with even more attention than we already do I had a fantastic time thank you Max yeah I just got back yesterday so

Speaker 7 I had a great time I

Speaker 5 I love it there.

Speaker 7 It's a nice country. And in terms of should you be watching the Swedish Auss Fencecan, you definitely should.

Speaker 7 Well, I take an interest anyway in leagues that are outside the traditional leagues. So things like non-league and Swedish football appeal to me more and more these days.

Speaker 7 But I also think that they appeal to more other people as well. I think there's anecdotal evidence to suggest that non-league, for example, is getting more and more popular.

Speaker 7 Attendances are massively up these days. You're getting sort of 3,000, 4,000 in the National League South.

Speaker 7 And even below, there's, you know, I think the eighth and ninth tiers are getting sort of a thousand plus people at games now regularly.

Speaker 7 And that's all around, not just the bigger clubs. And

Speaker 7 the benefit of the Swedish Ausven scan is there's no VAR. So it's one of the few remaining European leagues where there is absolutely no VAR to wait around for.
And to me,

Speaker 7 I enjoy it much more. So that's...

Speaker 7 one perspective on it.

Speaker 7 I think you were going to come in there with maybe a question.

Speaker 5 No, no, no. I was just listening along there.
Who should I be? Who's doing

Speaker 5 who's doing well? I mean, it's just started.

Speaker 5 Who should I adopt?

Speaker 7 Obviously,

Speaker 7 it's a lower quality league. So if you want the best players, you're not going to see the best players.
From a fan culture point of view, though, it's great. I was at IFK Gothenburg against

Speaker 7 Eurogarden, who are two of the biggest teams.

Speaker 7 If you have a chance to see the IFK

Speaker 7 sort of Tifo when the fans come out and the song they play. It's really one of the best anthems.
It's one of the most underrated anthems in world football.

Speaker 7 The anthem of AFK Gothenburg is really, really good. It matches the Bundesliga and other sort of top leagues for kind of atmosphere in that sense.

Speaker 7 Fan culture in Swedish football is great from that point of view.

Speaker 5 Is it Ace of Base?

Speaker 1 Is it all that she wants?

Speaker 7 No, it's not. But trust me, it's really good.

Speaker 1 I'll send you a link. I thought, ABBA, I thought, ABBA, and

Speaker 5 I thought I'd go better than ABBA. I thought I'd go.
It's I Saw the Sign by Ace of Base. That's what it is.
No, but I think that's interesting.

Speaker 5 There is a kind of, I mean, I don't know if it's just because there's just more content, right? So maybe lots of people always liked these leagues, but we didn't ever see it.

Speaker 5 But perhaps there is, you know, we were talking previously about, you know,

Speaker 5 the

Speaker 5 season ticket prices in the Premier League. And look, we, we are, I don't know if we're guilty of being very Premier League focused.
That's what we are, right,

Speaker 5 as a podcast. But, you know, it's once you know the league and the stories, that's what I always found about supporting a lower league team in the AFL.

Speaker 5 is actually once you know who the players are, there's something nicer.

Speaker 5 Actually, 20 years, 30 years ago,

Speaker 5 there were players that were slightly overweight and who smoked and players who could only kick it out of the stand. And actually, all those things, actually quite fun.

Speaker 5 And that lower quality doesn't necessarily mean lower entertainment.

Speaker 7 Well, I enjoy, I enjoy sort of, I mean, my personal interest in it is more about, you know, finding undervalued talent.

Speaker 7 And I just like sort of the things that are a little bit outside of the norm, maybe.

Speaker 7 But that's not to say there isn't talent because one of the best players in the Premier League at the moment is Alexander Isak. And he came from AIK, which is in the Swedish Osfenskin, obviously.

Speaker 7 If you look at QPR, their manager at the moment, Marty Sefuentes, was at Hammerby in Sweden last season. And I think, you know, Barry just mentioned about Brighton and maybe look into

Speaker 7 the poker game that might happen with Deserby.

Speaker 1 I will give you,

Speaker 7 I would say with some confidence that if they do get rid of Deserby, they will be looking at a manager in Sweden called Henrik Riedstrom at Malmö, who is a very, very good manager.

Speaker 7 And I think he will be linked with English clubs in the future. So it's not only the fact that it's maybe the fan experience and no VAR and that kind of side of it

Speaker 7 is fun. I think there's also a lot of talent in these leagues.
And I think, yeah, that's another element of it that is quite interesting.

Speaker 7 We obviously, one of the players I saw was Lucas Bergval, who's Tottenham have just signed. He played in the game, one of the games that I went to see, and he was outstanding.

Speaker 7 So, yeah, there's plenty of talent there as well.

Speaker 7 It might not be Premier League level talent, but there's a lot of gems there that you can find and watch watch as well. So that's fun to do as well.

Speaker 5 On the selfie that you took with Bob yesterday, Barry, or the day before yesterday, where you said you had just got out of bed and you sort of had red wine stains over your face and sort of disheveled,

Speaker 5 Dickensian look you had on your jogu bottoms and a hoodie on.

Speaker 5 Bob got in touch to say hi, Barry, to be funny.

Speaker 1 Oh, did he then?

Speaker 5 He said, I'm not sure who looked worse. He says, great to meet you.
You made my day, Sab. Sorry not to make the beer next time.
Cheers, Bob.

Speaker 5 I have seen the photo photo, and I can comfortably say that you look worse.

Speaker 5 But the way you phrased it, I was expecting a lot more.

Speaker 5 I mean, I don't know where I set the bar, but you looked pretty presentable to me.

Speaker 1 Yeah, well, I was half asleep,

Speaker 1 as I said, because I was working all weekend, and I Tuesday off at a... you know

Speaker 1 quite a few drinks on Monday night and yeah I was far from my best.

Speaker 1 No

Speaker 5 now Andy and you'll have to help me with this Barry T-A-D-H-G Todd Tig Tig Andy and Tig have been in touch. Dear Max Barry producer Joel and panelists.

Speaker 5 Myself, Tig and Stephen are longtime listeners of the pod, attendees of the live shows in Dublin. You may recall Tig from the Monday live show in Dublin last November.

Speaker 5 He was the kind gentleman who offered you his piss during your Bear Grylls Ray Mears skit.

Speaker 5 I mean those who don't come to the live will go, what on earth is, what's that? What's this sort of performance? Anyway, come to the next one. It was a riotous success.

Speaker 5 Stephen is getting married in the coming weeks, and nothing in the world would give him more joy, not his up and coming marriage, nor even the prospect of Liverpool winning the league this year with a Klop mic drop exit, than for Barry to wish him and, oh, hang on a second, C-A-O-I-M-H-E.

Speaker 1 Cuever.

Speaker 5 Quever.

Speaker 5 Tig and Stephen is marrying Queever. Tig is not marrying Queever.
That would be really awkward now. Anyway, Cueaver.

Speaker 5 Barry, to wish Stephen and Cueaver well for the future in the way that only he can. Love listening to the pod, Andy and Tig.
So

Speaker 5 there you go, Barry. If you could wish Stephen and Cueaver all the best.

Speaker 1 I wish Stephen and Keeva all the best. Was it Stephen who offered us his piss?

Speaker 5 No, Tig. And he says, P.S.
Tig's offer still stands should you ever need some extra piss. We're okay

Speaker 1 right now. Well, if Stephen and Cueava, I don't know, when

Speaker 1 the spark goes out of their relationship and their marriage is on the brink,

Speaker 1 maybe they should invite...

Speaker 1 I don't see where this is.

Speaker 5 This is not a water sports-based podcast, Larry.

Speaker 1 Well, maybe they shouldn't invite

Speaker 1 Andy or Ty to join in and spice things up with some water sports.

Speaker 1 But anyway, I hope they have a lovely day and I wish them every happy day.

Speaker 5 Yes, I'd like to apologise to my friend Matt, the Luton fan. So his

Speaker 5 son, Isaac, doesn't listen to this podcast, listens to a rival podcast. And they say the thing that Matt doesn't like about that one is it's a bit sweary.

Speaker 5 So if they have got to the end and now we're discussing this sort of thing, then there's an interesting conversation in the car.

Speaker 5 I believe Matt's wife, Rachel, who I was also at school with, will be very disappointed in me. But, you know,

Speaker 5 my apologies to all of you. What Barry suggests is not what I suggest.

Speaker 1 Different people.

Speaker 5 Anyway, that'll do for today. Thank you, Robin.

Speaker 6 Thanks, Max.

Speaker 5 Thank you, Jonathan.

Speaker 7 Thank you, Max.

Speaker 5 And thank you, Barry. Thanks.
Football Weekly is produced by Joel Grove. Give him a wave if you're watching the Brighton Marathon because he's running that on Sunday.

Speaker 5 Aiming for three hours 15. It's utterly ludicrous.
Good luck to you, Joel.

Speaker 1 Hold on now.

Speaker 1 Who's what's his name?

Speaker 1 Wilson Kipsky. Producer of.

Speaker 1 No, no,

Speaker 1 the Ellis James and John Robbins podcast. Dave, Dave Martin.
Yeah, producer Dave Masterman.

Speaker 1 He's run a sub-three-hour marathon, so I expect Joel to up his game and beat producer Dave.

Speaker 5 I was going to say, if you can't beat three hours, we want a new producer.

Speaker 6 Jobs on the line.

Speaker 5 Yeah, exactly. Jobs on the line.
Hanging by a thread. Absolutely right.
Next.

Speaker 5 Kilometer, 17. Time, five minutes and eight seconds.
Not good enough. Step on it.
Our executive producer who is not running the Brighton Marathon is Max Sumps.

Speaker 1 This is The Guardian.