Kevin De Bruyne back with a bang for Manchester City – Football Weekly

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Speaker 41 Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. And in case you're wondering, Kevin De Bruyne is still good at football, first appearance since August.

Speaker 41 And he strolls onto the pitch and plays two perfect passes, one into the net and one to Oscar Bob, who made it all look ridiculously easy in injury time.

Speaker 41 And perhaps this is, quote, where the title was won. Elsewhere, Spurs come back from behind twice to get a point at Old Trafford.
A lot of the ball, but not quite enough end product.

Speaker 41 While United showed a bit of something at least and could have snatched it late on. Chelsea get their third winner row.

Speaker 41 There's some VAR controversy for Vincent Company to stew over while Villa can only draw Everton. There's some more FFP worries for Everton and Forest.
Fan protests at Reading.

Speaker 41 Troy Deany not exactly putting his arm around the shoulder. match-specific NFTs and eating straight from the salt bay knife.
All that plus your questions. And that's today's Guardian Football Weekly.

Speaker 41 Mark says, good to see producer Joel giving the youngsters a fair run in the team. I mean, if this is the youngest squad we can put out, we're in real trouble, aren't we? Nada Manuha, welcome.

Speaker 41 Hello, sir. Noradine Chowdhury, hello.

Speaker 6 Hello.

Speaker 41 And Paul McInnis, hi.

Speaker 42 Hi, yeah.

Speaker 41 Owens says, can anyone think of a more, and that's what they've been missing, goal and assist than Kevin De Bruyne's on Saturday?

Speaker 41 Paul says, I was hoping Kevin De Bruyne's hair would be the opposite to Samson's, but unfortunately not.

Speaker 41 Every goal in this game was brilliant. On match of the day, I think it was Micah Richards, Glenn Murray, and Gary Lineker all voted for Bernardo Silvers as the best.

Speaker 41 But Nadum, I think De Bruyner's is the best.

Speaker 41 And I will tell you why I think this, because I think almost no footballers would even consider doing what De Bruyne did and placing the ball where he placed it and just passing it in from there.

Speaker 41 Whereas I think a lot of players would have attempted the Bernardo. I think I've attempted a Bernardo silver one.
And like with a bit of luck, you can connect.

Speaker 41 But the Kevin De Bruyne one, I don't think if you're in that position, Nadum, that you would even think about.

Speaker 1 No,

Speaker 1 if I was in that position, you see how the away fans are really high up, like at the highest possible point in Newcastle. I think I'd try and kick the ball up there to waste some time.

Speaker 1 There's no way I'm doing that, what De Bruyne did. And I'm with you.
I think the Bernardo Silver won. It's obviously a great finish.
The other two, great and whatever.

Speaker 1 But even in an interview when De Bruyne's talking about the goal, he's talking about how he's reading the defender. The defender's trying to make himself big.

Speaker 1 And the reason he's trying to do that means I'm going to try and go through his legs. I want to go through his legs.
I'm not going to do it with like my laces.

Speaker 1 I'm going to use the side of my foot because it needs to be precision. These are a whole load of things I've never thought about before in however many years I've kicked the ball towards a goal.

Speaker 1 So that's easily the best one for for me. And the other ones are nice goals, but the De Bruyne one feels a lot more unique.
So I'm with you, Mr. Hostman.

Speaker 41 Thanks. Thanks very much.

Speaker 41 What a terrible superhero Mr. Hostman would be.

Speaker 41 Norz, and then the next question is, which pass is better? The pass from De Bruyne that he scores with, or the one to Oscar Bob, which feels,

Speaker 41 it feels like it's so inch perfect. Like we say inch perfect a lot, but if that's overhit, it goes out of play.
If it's slightly less on it, then Tribier gets it.

Speaker 6 Oh, completely. I I think you're completely right.
I think that Oscar Bob

Speaker 6 pass was amazing.

Speaker 6 And it's a pass that is tried so often in football, and especially that time of the game where you kind of want to just get it over that last defender diagonally. And it needed to be perfect.

Speaker 6 And it was. And again, like the thing about De Bruyne is

Speaker 6 everything just looks... dead effortless and aesthetically beautiful.
So it's how casual it looks. I think that's, again, with this finish, it's always annoying when

Speaker 6 your team concedes a goal, where it just rolls, it feels like a pass.

Speaker 6 And yeah, and again, the pass for Oscar Bob, it's the time of the game and just the composure to do it then.

Speaker 6 It was annoyingly good.

Speaker 41 And the other thing about De Bois and Paul is it is effortless, but also he doesn't really look like a footballer at the same time, if that makes sense.

Speaker 42 Yeah, well,

Speaker 42 the haircut does contribute to that, doesn't it? I mean, it makes him look like... Yeah.

Speaker 42 And the way he dresses outside of playing, he looks like somebody who's working in the creative industries, perhaps designing a set backdrop for a new West End musical or something.

Speaker 42 But, like, you know, I actually thought watching him play on Saturday, I thought he looked, he looked like,

Speaker 42 sorry to apply my amateur football experience to this, but he looked like somebody being away from injury and was just coming back for a game. He would look desperate to play.

Speaker 42 And, you know, the way after the first goal as well, and he was kind of jumming everybody up.

Speaker 42 You know, I think he's clearly

Speaker 42 missed that time. It's a long time to be out to be out of the team, particularly, you know, when you went out of the Champions League final as well.

Speaker 42 I'm sure there's sort of a feeling that he's got unfinished business. So it was very good.
But I just want to say

Speaker 42 Oscar Bob's touch was just as good as that pass.

Speaker 42 I mean, if you're putting that, if you're putting that on an inch, to take that and then to have the, you know, Nedham's running through the things that have to go through your head, to have the wherewithal to think, now I need to do something to beat the keeper, then to be able to pull that off with those tiny little touches and pass it in great goal fantastic goal um the best one for me yeah and and i suppose actually sort of within the um um i know you have your city bias nanon but within the sort of me it's not it's not romantic man city winning everything right like they win everything it's fine but within that the story of this guy this 20 year old scoring his first goal And to be, yeah, and to be so good.

Speaker 41 Like, it takes three touches, which is so brilliant. Like, what, just what a moment for him.

Speaker 1 Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1 um you know this i think this was his seventh premier league appearance as well so he is basically brand new within this even though he's you know he's played for norway and stuff and he scored for them i think in the last international break this is one of city's academy players getting a chance to play in the first team getting a chance to play at st james's park i think he maybe played there in the league cup but to face it in the league for the first time to face a newcastle side who for as much as they've had their up and down ups and downs They've been very good at St.

Speaker 1 James's Park. And you're coming on to try and make a difference and to score the winner, like in that place.

Speaker 1 I'm sure it's a goal, obviously, because it's his first, I remember, for a very, very long time.

Speaker 1 But what a goal as well to be able to capitalise on the ball from De Bruyne, to make the run knowing the ball could arrive.

Speaker 1 And you're beating Kieran Trippi, who's been one of England's best right-backs over the last 10, 15 years, or however long it's been. So credit to him.

Speaker 1 Obviously, not everyone loves the story as such, but to see young people getting a chance in the Premier League and scoring goals like that, it does inspire that next lot.

Speaker 1 And I'm sure Cities Academy will be absolutely delighted with that.

Speaker 42 Yeah, I just wanted to say something because I thought in a key passage of this game, game, City struggled.

Speaker 42 You know, when they went 2-1 down until De Bruyne came on, I think they looked a little bit lost. And I think the way that Newcastle kind of was shrinking the pitch was causing them problems.

Speaker 42 And I just think it's just interesting that when you've got Oscar Bob coming through at the very beginning of career, playing with no fear, executing perfectly.

Speaker 42 Kevin De Bruyne coming towards the end of his career, coming off the bench, making a difference, executing perfectly.

Speaker 42 Then in the middle of the game, you've got Foden and Alvarez, who are just coming in, you know, the younger years of their sort of prime years.

Speaker 42 And they were the guys who I kind of think the city were looking to decide that match for them to make the difference. And they couldn't quite do it in that mid-off period of the game.

Speaker 42 And I thought that was something that was interesting about it.

Speaker 42 And I think it will be interesting to see now players are coming back from injury who gets in that first 11 now.

Speaker 41 Eddie Howe's lost four in a row now.

Speaker 41 I mean, it did feel like the team were playing for him in this game.

Speaker 41 And we sort of speculated on how much pressure he's under or whether he's sort of getting, you know, he's sort of getting off scot-free at the moment. What do you think?

Speaker 6 Well, it's an interesting one because you have these situations sometimes where the

Speaker 6 sort of critical mass of people who are sort of starting to question the manager or question his future

Speaker 6 come from outside the fan base.

Speaker 6 And you almost get a situation where non-Newcastle fans are perplexed and almost annoyed that Newcastle fans aren't turning on him.

Speaker 6 I think most Newcastle fans or vast majority of Newcastle fans

Speaker 6 realise the job he's done and it's and again it's that thing of momentum or the order of your success.

Speaker 6 So if he'd had this season last season and last season this season it would have showed progression but it's that thing of almost being too successful in last season.

Speaker 6 So if essentially like if they'd missed out on Champions League football in a funny way that would have made him more secure this season.

Speaker 6 But it's one of those it's one of those performances and one of those games where that should give them confidence and it might help them kick on just because it felt like there was a bit of a change and and again like i know all teams have got loads of injuries at the moment but uh newcastle have got loads and and they played really really well and uh there was like one or two players that you just think their class so uh and and isak and um bruno uh obviously being the two standouts so i i mean they could use it just to kick on now just going back to uh debris here because i think it's something that we shouldn't skirt over i think i think that deserves a lot of credit as well, because how often, as an adult, do you make such a radical change to your hair?

Speaker 6 Like, it doesn't happen often. It's a big thing to do.
Yeah. Because

Speaker 6 you know you're going to get ridiculed. And also,

Speaker 6 with the choices made, it's like a strange retro, like Hugh Grant.

Speaker 6 So it's quite daring in a lot of ways. And

Speaker 6 yeah,

Speaker 6 what I'd actually love is, do you know City have got this thing where they love to claim Manchester? and even with the kits, it's like every kit has got a sort of reference to Manchester.

Speaker 6 Oh, this is the mosaic kit, this is like the Hacienda kit.

Speaker 6 I reckon there's a there's a there's potential here that that um what happens with De Bruyne's hair is is he goes through the 90s of Manchester haircut so at the moment he's got like maybe a Russell Bears more early 90s maybe next one is like Tim Burgess mop and then it's like Liam Gallagher you could you could bring it but you could bring it

Speaker 6 oh Mick Hucknell I mean,

Speaker 6 it's the right shade and everything.

Speaker 6 I just think there's opportunities there.

Speaker 42 Clint Boone?

Speaker 36 I don't know. Clint Boone, excuse me.

Speaker 42 In Spiral Carpets, mate.

Speaker 42 He had a hair down to

Speaker 42 about there.

Speaker 41 Sort of like

Speaker 42 Hay Doggy style Bob.

Speaker 41 I'll get yelled at for not knowing the name of the lead singer of Inspiral Carpets. Nadem, back to Newcastle, do you have any other any strong thoughts on

Speaker 41 their plight?

Speaker 1 Well, to be honest, I think a lot's been mentioned mentioned already about how, like, it's a lot of external people, probably myself included, sort of asking, like, is everyone okay with this?

Speaker 1 But before that game against City, I think they had the third best home record, which makes you feel like, you know, it's going to be 50,000, 60,000 people every other week going to be feeling happy about their team as such.

Speaker 1 But if that starts to turn, and then that marries up with the fact they've got the second worst away record in the Premier League, only worse by Sheffield United on two points and Newcastle on five, then all of a sudden you've got that sort of traveling fan base that's going everywhere and watching their team get nothing.

Speaker 1 And I understand the injury part of things, but again, everyone's got injuries. And maybe,

Speaker 1 maybe my disappointment with them has been at times a style of play as such, because I understand that they don't necessarily have the players that Howe wants to bring on off the bench.

Speaker 1 But at times, I've seen them have 20, 30% possession, and that's for a team that's, you know, was playing Champions League at the start of the season. Doesn't feel quite right to me.

Speaker 1 But again, it'll be the fans that will speak up because, as we know, in the Northeast, when they're not happy, they certainly make sure that they're heard.

Speaker 41 So, Walt Trafford then, Man United 2, Spurs 2. Not, was this a brilliant game or not?

Speaker 41 I thought it was sort of weirdly uninteresting and predictable in that the whole game was just Pedro Porro taking corners, as far as I could tell. And Spurs controlled it, but weren't incisive enough.

Speaker 41 And Man United showed a bit, but were still not. You didn't really know what they were trying to do.

Speaker 6 Yeah, I mean, it was one of those games where if you're a Spurs fan, you're just thinking, like, get it, get it to the line and like, get a corner because you've got a really good chance of scoring.

Speaker 6 Um,

Speaker 6 yeah, I mean, it's the same old problem with United at the moment, in that there's no style of play. Um,

Speaker 6 it's that thing of um,

Speaker 6 each game is just an objective in itself. Like, let's just get through this game, let's just find a way to win this game or get a result.

Speaker 6 And there's no pattern because I think often we think of or football fans are portrayed as being spoiled and they only want success. I don't necessarily think that's true.

Speaker 6 I think what football fans feed off is some kind of hope and some kind of trajectory.

Speaker 6 So if they can see something developing, even if you lose a game, if they can see what's happening and they can see like a style of play that's that's being um uh nurtured then they'll forgive they'll they'll forgive also they'll forgive bad results and and and and obviously spurs fans uh are are very forgiving of poster coglu because they can see what he's trying to do at united um the concerning thing the the concerning thing over the weekend wasn't the result because there's no shame in drawing with this Spurs side.

Speaker 6 And it was a good result in the circumstances. And United did show a bit of fight.
The bigger concern is, what is this team? What is it trying to do? Why is it always reactive to the other team?

Speaker 6 Why has it not got the self-confidence to play?

Speaker 6 You've got this strange thing where...

Speaker 6 near the beginning when Tenha came in and his Ajax team played this really attractive structured style of play, possession based, and he came in and said, United will not play that.

Speaker 6 And the reasoning was that they've not got the same kind of players and it's a different culture. So then

Speaker 6 the

Speaker 6 immediate question becomes, why don't you create that structure? Why don't you, every single time you've got a transfer window, buy players that will be able to play in that way?

Speaker 6 And instead, what he's done is it's all patch-up work. and the team looks like a patched up team.

Speaker 6 There's never any pattern. There's never any signs of hope.
It's just get through the game. And

Speaker 6 I think

Speaker 6 that is the biggest concern.

Speaker 6 It's a team of footballers that are clearly good footballers because they do it at international level. They've done it at previous teams and now are doing it a little bit for teams on loan.

Speaker 6 But as a team, as they are currently at United, they look like bad footballers. They look like they've got bad technique, which is concerning.
I mean, I'd be interested

Speaker 6 what you think, Nedham, as a as

Speaker 6 an ex-footballer. Like, can you see what United are trying to do and what the players have been told to do?

Speaker 1 So I was speaking with Mark Ogden about this yesterday, and he made a good point that United basically are a team that just split into thirds. Like, there's the defensive side of things.

Speaker 1 You've got the midfield who sort of work at times just independently of the other segments. And then you've got the forward line.

Speaker 41 You don't see that. Like a table football team.
They're a football team, aren't they? They're just

Speaker 41 in that bit, but there's no link.

Speaker 1 That's the line, yeah. That's the name of the pod, yeah.
We figured it out.

Speaker 1 But I think whereas you look at a team like Spurs at this moment in time, and you think of all the injuries they've had, people who are away, international duty, and so on.

Speaker 1 But you kind of see, like, the play goes here, then it goes there, then it goes there, then it goes there.

Speaker 1 And even though it might fall at that final hurdle, they've got a like a three-layered process to get the ball there.

Speaker 1 Whereas if United, like, Onana has the ball at the back, the centre-backs might split, but then there's not...

Speaker 1 a really obvious split that then happens in midfield, which then leads to attack.

Speaker 1 So they don't really have long periods of like good possession against good sides because there's no real structure behind it in my mind but they must be they must be working on it and i think at times you know for the spurs line for the villa line they do try and test it and their forward line will sort of define them as such but yeah you can see that i think to put it into perspective if the spurs team that went out to play against united yesterday was their last season with their previous manager we'd look at it and say wow that team is so so bad they're probably going to really struggle but instead they went to old Trafford and they controlled large parts of the game themselves and we'll feel disappointed that they didn't get anything from it with with the amount of players that they've got missing.

Speaker 42 It's interesting the way you describe the game, Max, because I can see it when you've described it like that. But I was really enjoying watching it.

Speaker 42 And I haven't seen so much of Spurs, but I was just, I was loving the way they were building those triangles, loving the way that people were kind of thinking, well, how's the way I'm going to bend the ball around the man who's close to me so I can complete that triangle?

Speaker 42 And everybody on the team was willing to do that.

Speaker 42 And then the kind of ingenuity they had sometimes to pick that find the space to just punch through that midfield with one pass, the number of times that they opened up into that final third, it was just like, yeah, there's some great technical ability here.

Speaker 42 You're thinking, watching that game, and you remember that these are second, third-string players who never really kind of would have seen the pitch under Conte. So it's like,

Speaker 42 it's, yeah, yeah, I think he can get, you know,

Speaker 42 he's obviously good at kind of getting stuff out of these players and they want to play for him right now. But I think he's just sold them a message that they can believe in.

Speaker 42 And I'm not sure what that message is that Ten Hag's given to his squad.

Speaker 41 Do you think it's harder, Nathan, to be brave in a Manchester United shirt because losing is a bigger deal as a Man United player than it is a Spurs player? But because of that, you lose more.

Speaker 1 That's a very good question you've asked me there. And to be honest, like, I understand the idea of, oh, this is Man United and so on and so forth.

Speaker 1 But then you'd like to think that they wouldn't necessarily be recruiting people who'd be scared of playing at Old Trafford.

Speaker 1 You know, you've got some players in the team who've been there for a while, players who are international players, who've played at European Championships, World Championships, whichever confederation they're in.

Speaker 1 And, you know, like even the likes of Casemiro, he's got more Champions League titles than, say, most teams have got league titles, but I don't know. I don't really buy into that.

Speaker 1 Obviously, when you do go there, there's probably more scrutiny from a negative perspective at Man United than any other club in the world as I see it, because you look at Rails, Barses, and so on.

Speaker 1 They've had more success recently. So it's not all doom and gloom.
But yeah, it seems like some people, they really do struggle. They struggle at times with confidence.

Speaker 1 But this kind of goes to the question I was asking before.

Speaker 1 If you had a manager who gave you a style of play, which you believed in, all of a sudden you can do something on the field in unison and look a lot better.

Speaker 1 Because I see United every week and I see the starting 11 and I think that they can do better than they end up doing.

Speaker 1 And at times you see flashes, but then you don't see it over a long period of time. But maybe, as Tanag's been trying to say, when people come back in, maybe they'll be great.
Maybe. Who knows?

Speaker 1 But that top four being eight points behind it right now, I don't personally see it. But yeah, I don't think the obviously, I can't, this seems so stupid me saying this from a city perspective.

Speaker 1 But yes, there is scrutiny for players who play for United, but the players are there for a reason and they should be able to do better. And if they're not doing better, the question is, why?

Speaker 1 Is it down to them or is it down to the environment that they're in? And ultimately, you'll never know because no one will say.

Speaker 41 It's an interesting point that Ten Hag made.

Speaker 41 You know, when we get all our players back, because if you think about the players at Tottenham are missing, you think, well, actually, you know, Sun is at the age of cup, Madison.

Speaker 41 I mean, we had a question from Simon going, I if Spurs had a fully fit team, there'd be a good few points clear at the top. Am I a delusional dreamer?

Speaker 41 You do wonder, especially, you're probably right, but if Madison had been fit this whole time, Nas, I just think it would have been a different, it could be so different.

Speaker 41 He was playing so brilliantly.

Speaker 6 That's exactly.

Speaker 6 I think, uh, I think I mean, it's difficult because sometimes it's marginal games with players coming back, but uh, the players that they've got missing and how important they were, they'd absolutely

Speaker 6 be better off of the league. And and considering it's so early in

Speaker 6 Postgoglu's Postgoglu's tenor that's that's amazing and and the fact he's playing this day in football and and it's interesting that like um the point that Paul made about sort of the way that they uh probe and and even like have the bravery on the ball and and that thing about taking risks the thing is the united team take risks as well but it's blind risks the amount of blind balls that this united team um sort of play and and and it's it's around the corner and it's into space and it's just assuming or hoping that somebody will be there it's not controlled and there's no order, whereas Spurs do show order.

Speaker 6 And this whole thing about Ten Hag talking about the injuries, it's funny how the, I mean, it's true, but it's funny how the tune changes when things are going well.

Speaker 6 Managers in general are quite bullish and sort of say, I'm not going to use injuries as an excuse. But then, as soon as they're going badly, they do.

Speaker 6 But I think Spurs are kind of the flip side of United at the moment, where you look at Spurs and you kind of think, because they're managed so well, because they know exactly what they're doing, players can be out injured or suspended or whatever, and the players that come in still perform well like they did on the weekend because they know exactly what they're doing.

Speaker 6 And that absence of players does not make the difference it should.

Speaker 6 But at United, there's all this talk about Casemiros coming back, and you don't feel as if that's going to improve things because United were poor when those players were in the team before they were out.

Speaker 6 So

Speaker 6 it's kind of there's not even an optimism there because you kind of think, well, they kind of play the same kind of clunky, disorganized, dislocated way when those players were in the team so I

Speaker 6 think it's it's hard to um move away from the thought and again like like it's not as it's not as if I'm saying uh United should get rid of get rid of Ten Harga at this stage but it's that thing of it comes down to the manager it comes down to the players knowing what they should be doing and and it's not a case of Spurs have have have just got these really receptive intelligent players and and and United haven't it's it's about how they're organized I think Nuz is right as well because he mentions those players for United who would come back in.

Speaker 1 And on paper, those are like big names as such.

Speaker 1 Talking about Casemiros, you know, you're looking at, say, Short, left back, who I'm sure for as much as people don't like Shaw, they'd likely prefer him to one Bissaka at left back.

Speaker 1 But from the Spurs side of things, the players who are missing for them are ones who we've seen have really good seasons to this point.

Speaker 1 When you're looking at Sa, looking at Basuma, looking at Madison, looking at Sons, you can see that their ceiling will be up.

Speaker 1 But to go back to the original question, Spurs being clear at the top if you had the older players. Well, surely every team up near the top could say exactly the same thing.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 You know what I mean?

Speaker 6 But yeah, you know, this is, I guess that's how it goes.

Speaker 41 Do you know what? I'm so guilty. You know, we always say fans' expectations change so quickly.
And Paul, you're absolutely right to watch that Spurs game like that because I've watched a lot of Spurs.

Speaker 41 I'm now used to this is how Spurs play. Whereas if a year ago I'd watch Spurs, you'd tell me in a year, Spurs will be dominating the ball, playing little triangles.

Speaker 41 I'd have basically fainted, especially with, you know, the manager that we had. So I am as guilty as all other football fans.

Speaker 42 quickly on on teamo verner rob says was that shot by timo verner in the 21st minute just him exorcising the banter out of himself for the rest of the season um i'm convinced he's going to score buckets as i was at chelsea paul what did you make of this uh performance assist assist on debut right that's what that's his that's his yeah i mean i think that's a good start um especially in a game like that i don't i you know again i think that there's you talk about there's so much stuff we don't know about all of football and i think pressure and expectations is a big part of that and and him coming in here the expectations are going to be different from the when the time he played at Chelsea you know he was supposed to be the man who led the line now he's emergency cover he's not even going to be playing centrally you know provided Richardson stays fit so I think the upside's quite big on this deal and I thought he played well because I thought he looked intelligent mobile and knitted in with the rest of the team.

Speaker 42 Yeah, I mean that finish wasn't great. I think he had another effort as well that wasn't superlative.

Speaker 42 But, you know, if you're not buying him for that or getting him into the team for that, which I'd imagine they're not, then, yeah, I think he looks like

Speaker 42 he could slot right in and do a job.

Speaker 41 Finally, for part one, Bartha Jim saying, can Nas really call himself a true United fan? As I know for a fact, he doesn't possess any game-specific NFTs.

Speaker 41 This is in relation, Nas, to Manchester United tweeting, Old Trafford, we're back.

Speaker 41 Make sure you're prepared for our first home game of 2024, the ultimate match day checklist, match day program, game-specific NFTs, buy match day shirt, make United predictions.

Speaker 41 It is the match day essentials, isn't it, Nas? I won't leave home without my Cambridge United-specific NFTs. I believe the tweet was deleted.
Not the most embarrassing thing.

Speaker 41 We'll get on to Chelsea's publicity stunt in a bit, but still, you just, I mean, what do you do?

Speaker 6 Jim's right.

Speaker 6 The most embarrassing thing is where you go to a game and you've got, you sort of pack your NFT, but it's not the game-specific specific one it's like

Speaker 6 it's the it's the it's it's the last game's nft that you've got and then and then and then you got you've got this embarrassing thing where you've got like people like you've you've got like um people selling half and half nfts uh outside the outside like i i

Speaker 6 i just think it's it's a mess of my feel but yeah i'm i never i never leave home without mine all right that'll do for part one part two uh we'll begin at stamford bridge

Speaker 11 Hi pod fans of America, Max here. Barry's here too.

Speaker 6 Hello.

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Speaker 29 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.

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Speaker 2 Coach, the energy out there felt different.

Speaker 4 What changed for the team today?

Speaker 5 It was the new game day scratchers from the California Lottery.

Speaker 6 Play is everything.

Speaker 7 Those games sent the team's energy through the roof.

Speaker 3 Are you saying it was the off-field play that made the difference on the field?

Speaker 5 Hey, a little play makes your day, and today it made the game. That's all for now.

Speaker 6 Coach, one more question.

Speaker 8 Play the new Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams Scratchers from the California Lottery.

Speaker 9 A little play can make your day.

Speaker 10 Please play responsibly, must be 18 years or older to purchase, play, or claim.

Speaker 41 Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. So three wins on the spin for Chelsea.
They beat Fulham 1-0.

Speaker 41 I mean, the staggering thing for me, Nadam, about this game was that Fulham didn't equalize. I was just sitting there waiting for them to score.

Speaker 41 And actually, as the game went on, the later it got, I wasn't like, well, even when there was like, there's a minute more of injury time had been played, I was like,

Speaker 41 this is when they're going to score. It wasn't like at any time I thought Chelsea would win until probably about five minutes after full time.

Speaker 1 So is this where we give like Chelsea a bit credit for finding a way?

Speaker 6 Is this a spin? Can we do a possible spin? Can we do whatever you like?

Speaker 41 You could do whatever you like.

Speaker 1 Could we spin it and say Fulham like they're good? But to what point? Like which narrative should we roll with, Direclin? Which one's more progressive? Do you get more Chelsea fans?

Speaker 1 Are Fulham fans in here? Let me make a decision now.

Speaker 41 You can speak. You have to speak your truth, Nadam.

Speaker 6 Well, to be fair, this is your life and your journey.

Speaker 1 As a former QPI player, it should have been a draw. But anyway,

Speaker 1 it's a shame for Fulham because I saw them in midweek as well against Liverpool.

Speaker 1 And there were parts where they looked really good, but they came away with nothing because they got worse as the game progressed. And obviously, Liverpool got better.

Speaker 1 And then in this game here, I fancied them to get something as well.

Speaker 1 But we're in a position where Chelsea, you know, sometimes they go through good spells, they're playing well, but they'll always offer opportunities to the opposition.

Speaker 1 And it seems like for now, they're kind of getting away with it in the league. I think that's three wins in a row, and that's them climbing the table.
That's them, what is it?

Speaker 1 Three points behind six, the thing that you never thought we'd see when we're talking about Chelsea in 2023, 24. They're doing it somehow and, you know, that will be an important word for them.

Speaker 41 Yeah, but they're getting away with it in ninth. I mean, that isn't where Chelsea should be getting away with it.

Speaker 6 Well,

Speaker 1 well, it's in ninth for now. That's the point, Max.
It's ninth for now. You know, they are climbing the table.

Speaker 1 And whether it's through gorgeous football or whether it's people criticising them for not having a style of play, wasting money, people being injured all the time, blah, blah, blah.

Speaker 1 Like the winning sort of like feeling does exist. And I think even if you walk off a field and feel like you've gotten away with it, you still have a nicer training week.

Speaker 1 And in fairness, they've got the break now as well, haven't they?

Speaker 1 They're going somewhere warm with another three points in their back pocket, and they're looking up the table thinking, I wonder if we can catch them.

Speaker 1 So it's not a perfect game, not a perfect performance, but it's a win nonetheless.

Speaker 1 And given the fact that, say, for the last 18 months, basically, we've seen them at times play well and lose, I think Pochatino will just take it, especially as a reaction to, you know, going up to the northeast to play Middlesbrough, just to let Middlesbrough take a 1-0 lead.

Speaker 1 So, yeah, I'm not going to be too down on Chelsea as such, but they obviously still have some more work to do.

Speaker 41 I think you're right.

Speaker 41 Cole Palmer is the sort of story for Chelsea at the moment, Paul. Do you it's it's probably too far to suggest he's carrying them, but he's such a lovely footballer, isn't he?

Speaker 42 Yeah, I mean, he's he's beautiful to watch

Speaker 42 just because he does the unexpected, you know. Um,

Speaker 42 he is he's brave, he's uh technically gifted, and he's willing willing to do things on a pitch that excite the crowd, I think, primarily, but also at this moment in time

Speaker 42 are

Speaker 42 creating big chances, or at least opening up the pitch that give the opportunity to create chances.

Speaker 42 I think if you read too much social media, you can definitely get a counter-narrative on Palmer, which is that off the ball,

Speaker 42 there's not so much of a contribution at this point in time. And that, you know, they gave up, what was it, 14 shots

Speaker 42 against Fulham. That is obviously an issue

Speaker 42 for a broad issue for the team that

Speaker 42 they give up too many attacking opportunities to their opponents.

Speaker 42 And I thought what was quite interesting in terms of, if you talk about narratives, is that actually Connor Gallagher is a very technically gifted footballer who can do a lot of things on the ball that other people can't.

Speaker 42 But because he is somebody who's determined to make it at Chelsea Chelsea and has sort of had to reinvent himself as a shuttler, as somebody who gets in there and just disrupts and does all the hard yards in order just to justify placing the team, which, to my mind, he could have on his own technical abilities anyway.

Speaker 42 I thought it was his performance against Fulham was perhaps the key one for me because he was the one who was actually doing the stuff off the ball.

Speaker 42 He was involved in the better passing movements. He also had that incredible outside of the foot.
Is that a Trevella?

Speaker 41 that strike when you hit it like that and it came off the post i think that's a trevella not necessarily on this podcast but i think the young people call it trevella yeah sort of a charisma a charisma effort yeah it was really nice do you think do you think no i was gonna say no do you think he's running around more than kaisedo and enzo and looking behind going what you cost what 200 million quid or 180 million quid what are you doing yeah it's

Speaker 6 man then but but i mean madder than that is the fact that there's been talk about him perhaps leaving and maybe going to Spurs. And you kind of think, like,

Speaker 6 who in their right mind would think that that's a good idea just because, like, he is, he's so integral to this team.

Speaker 6 And, and, and, and he's the kind of player who, who sets an example for those bigger stars. Um,

Speaker 6 uh, but yeah, I think, uh, I think he did really well. And I think, uh,

Speaker 6 again,

Speaker 6 along with uh, like, uh, I hate to be another plaudit for Palmer, but um, he just looks class.

Speaker 6 He looks absolute class, and those two two together are a big reason why Chelsea look like they are at least playing slightly better than they were.

Speaker 6 I think the worst thing for me about Palmer is

Speaker 6 along with

Speaker 6 Bowden,

Speaker 6 it just shows how good the players coming through City are in terms of that almost

Speaker 6 what used to be thought of as like the technique that Continental players had. So like both of them in different ways feel very, very Continental.

Speaker 6 And, like, Cole Palmer almost feels like Kakai in the way he moves and plays. And the fact that he's from, I think, Within Shaw and Foden's from Stockport.

Speaker 6 It's kind of, there's almost like a begrudging admiration that these local lads are being coached to play in a way that we used to rave about foreign players like in the 90s.

Speaker 41 That's actually that Kaka comparison is really interesting. He does move a bit like that, doesn't he? A good touch for a big man.
I mean, but

Speaker 41 that should be reserved for target men and not for Kaka, really, shouldn't it?

Speaker 41 But anyway, Christopher and Cook, who wasn't on the pitch, Poch says, we're disappointed and a little bit worried because we want him involved again as soon as possible.

Speaker 41 It's complicated with Christopher. It's now between eight and ten days since he could train.
I mean, it feels like he's saying he thinks he should be training.

Speaker 41 I mean, maybe lost in translation. I'm not sure.

Speaker 41 There were seven people dressed as spies in the press box, I think, or sort of certainly near the dugouts, who stood up during the first half to read a book. Later on, they were brushing their teeth.

Speaker 41 Pochitino says they were promoting the upcoming film Argyle, made by Matthew Vaughan, who is a Chelsea fan.

Speaker 41 Pochitino said, For the fans, I think it's nice to see the promotion of the film, and I think it looks very, very good. They've invited me for the premiere.

Speaker 41 Lots of outlets claim that Todd Bowley was somehow involved

Speaker 41 in a production company associated with the film, but apparently that is not true.

Speaker 41 But still, Paul, if you're a Chelsea fan, you just don't want this sort of nonsense I mean obviously doesn't matter but like maybe if you're doing really well but even then I don't know or should I just be like look it's all entertainment some people like film some people like football some people like both most people like both I imagine I wonder whether there's a little twist on it that makes it even worse so it's it's not just a kind of yeah 360 degree surround entertainment experience but it's also referencing that fan who brushed his teeth in 2009.

Speaker 42 Is that that? So it's like, hey, guys, we're diving into Chelsea legend here for you guys. We know you're gonna love it and

Speaker 41 get your get your specific NFT after the match Bernie one Luton won a total heartbreak for your good friend your best friend Vincent company big story is the end of the game where

Speaker 41 it was Zadabayo wasn't it who thrust his backside towards James Trafford and company said first I expect the referee to see it it was that obvious none of the Luton players have celebrated nobody the first look from the striker which is normal nothing nothing against him.

Speaker 41 He's doing his job. But the first look of the striker is towards Trafford.
After this, it's towards the referee to see if he got away with it.

Speaker 31 Luckily, we've got VAR.

Speaker 41 We think, okay, that's going to sort it. Then it rolls, it rolls, it rolls.
Lack of decision, and that's it. Burnley 1-1.
It's a foul, isn't it, Nathan?

Speaker 41 I mean, I was certain it was, and expecting a full Howard Webb, you know, giant apology letter until some people started saying it isn't a foul.

Speaker 16 And now

Speaker 41 I'm lacking the conviction to be certain it's a foul.

Speaker 1 So,

Speaker 1 have you guys ever had David James on here?

Speaker 41 We have not.

Speaker 1 David James would be perfect for this. Like, he's he suits this to the ground.
And

Speaker 1 I speak to David quite a lot through one of the groups that I'm in, and he's a big, like, laws of the game, rules freak type person. Always wants to explain everything, throw loads of stats at it.

Speaker 1 And he, the former goalkeeper, England goalkeeper, we should add, said it was not a foul. Right.

Speaker 1 And he, and he said, the reason it's not a foul is because the foul comes when a goalkeeper is attempting to catch the ball and then they are fouled.

Speaker 1 Whereas he said with the Trafford incident, he's blocked and then he throws his arms in the air to attempt to catch it. So as a consequence, he said that isn't a foul.

Speaker 1 And in the group that we're in, basically everyone was like biting his head off.

Speaker 1 But I thought, well, if a member of the goalkeepers union, although, you know, his membership card is a bit, it's a bit dusty now because he's so

Speaker 1 is saying that, then that was felt like a learning

Speaker 1 point for me. So yeah, from what I'm hearing, that isn't a foul.
But then we then ask the question, well, why have so many decisions been given in the past?

Speaker 1 And I think it's that nuance that David was trying to say, whereby if a goalkeeper's coming to claim it and their arms are in the air, for example, and then they get nudged, then I think that gets given as a free kick.

Speaker 1 But if not, then I guess it's just a case of the goalkeeper keeper being an open play.

Speaker 1 But I think as Vince and Company said, it was a bit awkward when everyone's looking at the ref like, okay, he's going to disallow this.

Speaker 1 Then you go to the video, okay, they're going to disallow it but then i suppose if this is it now maybe this is the precedent for us to either understand or for them to sort of make these sort of decisions more often going forward i can't speak for the listeners but all i want to know is who else is in this group nadam that's the only that's ah you just said it's why it's a wild group in there it's a wild group in there talk about x g and all sorts in the middle of the night is it all ex-footballers um

Speaker 1 mostly ex-footballers yes mostly if an older generation yes mostly older generation can we all have a get jay bothroyd No, no,

Speaker 6 no, not Jay Bothroyd, no, not Jay Bothrod.

Speaker 41 Michael Ricketts, Michael Ricketts.

Speaker 1 No, no, this to be fair, this one is more specific to people who've played for Man City. That's what I'd say.

Speaker 6 Okay, yeah, there are a few. Terry Phelan.

Speaker 1 Terry Field's not made this one, no, not made this group. Stephen Island, Stephen Island's not in this one, no, it does not like Uve Rossler.

Speaker 41 Is Uve Rossler in this?

Speaker 1 No, but a couple of his teammates are in this group chat, yes.

Speaker 41 Okay, wow, okay.

Speaker 6 Alan Kernahan.

Speaker 1 No, surprisingly, kerner hasn't made this group no he has not he has not should we just spend the rest of the rest of the podcast just shouting out

Speaker 41 gary flickcroft who's the biggest who's yeah who's the biggest gun in this one eden jeko the biggest um no edin's still kind of playing so he can't he couldn't possibly spend time in the channels no no not this one listen i'll give you the info all in due time next time on i'm on i'll tell you all about it okay well surely we get every every time you're on we'll have one guess until we get one player who's in it nos you had your your hand raised before I started playing a ridiculous guessing game.

Speaker 6 Yeah,

Speaker 6 I mean, I'd just say about David James, like, you're right, like, obviously, it's good to get a perspective from a goalkeeper, but like, we've got to remember that he did get murked by Rio Ferdinand, so that you've got to question

Speaker 6 his judgment.

Speaker 6 I wonder whether we should have, like, in the rules of the game, whether we should have a whole set of rules about arse use.

Speaker 6 Like, is

Speaker 6 great question?

Speaker 6 Is he in full control of his arse? Is that a dangerous arse? Is that a reckless arse? I mean,

Speaker 41 I mean, it's the least reckless part of the body, you'd suggest, wouldn't it? It's the sort of softest.

Speaker 6 Wow.

Speaker 41 I mean, it depends on what circumstances, of course, but

Speaker 41 in a footballing context, I think of all the parts of the body that you could hit somebody with,

Speaker 41 I mean, this is a dangerous path to go down, but I think it would cause the least.

Speaker 1 No, no, no. Like I said, have you seen John McGinn play? Like, people actually say that's his big, that's well, I was going to say his biggest asset, but that's too obvious now, isn't it?

Speaker 1 This is, but yeah, sorry, Max, please take off.

Speaker 41 No, it's okay. I used to, I was playing five aside

Speaker 41 in Sydney with Craig Foster, who obviously played former socceroo, and he's very good mates with a guy called Adam Goods, like the most famous AFL player of all time. He's also a very good footballer.

Speaker 41 And he had, he would thrust his posterior towards you. And it was like, well, there's no way I can get anywhere anywhere near this bottom.

Speaker 41 He had, obviously, most players with a large backside also have thighs to match, don't they? So, all of that means, yeah, you're absolutely right.

Speaker 41 Um, anyway, uh, let's uh, let's go to Goodison, Everton, Nil, Villa, Nil. Um, what did you make of this one, Paul?

Speaker 42 Well, I think it's sort of I think it's I think it's a good result for Everton, really, um, if you look at the perspective from the beginning of the season, um, because they defended very well.

Speaker 42 They look like they've got that that most challenging aspect of the team, you know, after having three defeats on the bounce.

Speaker 42 There were questions again about where Everton were, and I think that sort of reset that. And, you know, Villa are third in the league.
That's that's no bad point for Everton.

Speaker 42 I think for Villa, yeah, and probably should have won as well. I think that Donald Calvert Lewin chance was

Speaker 42 pretty golden. For Villa, you know, their away form continues to be the poor relation of the home form, and that's why I think that you know they're not in the title race, and

Speaker 42 the top four battle will be a long one.

Speaker 42 No argument, that doesn't change the fact that Emery's doing amazing things and that the team's moved on.

Speaker 42 Um, and

Speaker 42 you know, but

Speaker 42 I think that showed a little bit of the limitations of where Villa are right now.

Speaker 41 Um, Brian says, Can we have a moment to acknowledge Seamus Coleman, please? Everton's record appearance holder, consistently one of the best right-backs in the Premier League in his prime.

Speaker 41 All-round good lad. His experience on and off the pitch remains vital to Everton.
Presumably not in a WhatsApp group with Seamus Nader, but I don't know. But that notwithstanding,

Speaker 41 especially for what he cost,

Speaker 41 what an amazing career he has had.

Speaker 1 Yeah, so was it £60,000 transfer fee? That's

Speaker 1 can't even pay for a player per week for that these days. But it's a great signing for them.
Remember when he first

Speaker 1 arrived and there's this guy's come over from Ireland and say, oh, would he be good? Would he be bad? And then very quickly, you know, he was like a key part of who Everton were.

Speaker 1 And even though we see Everton these days, like being lower down, we all remember them being really good as well. And he was a big part of that.

Speaker 1 And for him to take that record, like to be at a club for 15 years is, that's amazing. You know, most people, if you get five, like that's an incredible stretch.

Speaker 1 But for him to be there that long, for him to be the number one, for him to go past, you know, a club legend like Tim Howard, who I think was on 3-5-4.

Speaker 1 And best of all, he's not done yet.

Speaker 1 And even though we don't see the absolute best of him, it's still good to see him healthy, fit, being out there and representing his team because he does sit for me.

Speaker 1 He does signify who Everton are as a football club. Because

Speaker 1 whenever I think about them anyway, I think of him and others playing within that side. It's a huge credit.
355 Premier League games so far for them. For somebody, as I say, who costs next to nothing.

Speaker 1 Amazing achievement. It was a pleasure playing against him, although he tended to beat me, especially at Goodison.
It was a pleasure, and it's good to see old people out there still making an impact.

Speaker 41 For those of you who liked football before 1992, he is 15th on the list of all-time appearances, if I've added it up properly.

Speaker 41 Neville Southall, way out, big niff, greatest goalkeeper of all time, 751 appearances. Brian LeBon, 534, and Dave Watson, 528.

Speaker 41 Dave Lawnstein, reporting in the athletic last night, saying Everton and Nottingham Forest are expecting to be referred to an independent commission over breaches of the Premier League's profitability and sustainability regulations.

Speaker 41 Clubs will learn on Monday, i.e.

Speaker 41 today, whether they've fallen foul of the league's financial financial rules under new guidelines introduced to ensure any basic breaches are dealt with in time for punishments to be levied in the same season as a charge is brought.

Speaker 41 Under the guidelines, both clubs are now at risk of a fine or a points deduction with formal notification of any charges set to come on Monday.

Speaker 41 Both clubs have prepared a mitigation and are expected to robustly argue their case. We will talk about that in more detail.

Speaker 41 I'm sure a lot of people listening will say Manchester City have a lot of charges that may not be resolved this season. Nas, your hand is raised.

Speaker 6 Yeah, I just wanted to quickly go back to the game before we move on.

Speaker 6 One of the things, I mean, first of all,

Speaker 6 I just love the game because it was so spicer. Like, for a game that I just thought there's no obvious

Speaker 6 rivalry between Villa and Everton, there was loads of little arguments and fights going on in the game, which was great to see. But also,

Speaker 6 I was fascinated by that off-site situation where it looked as if Villa had decided to use Danjuma as some sort of, like,

Speaker 6 some some sort of meat puppet that they were just going to stick

Speaker 6 sort of stick on the floor so that means that they're on side. And I just wondered whether,

Speaker 6 is that an innovation in shithouse reel or does that go on?

Speaker 6 Has that happened before?

Speaker 6 Where somebody's been sort of manipulated physically to make your team on side?

Speaker 41 Wasn't Salah pushed offside recently? Was it against Burnley or something? Like he was sort of, because he was in the keeper's eye line, but he'd been shoved.

Speaker 41 and so when you're still offside, but like you've been fouled. I'd yes, no, it's a it's a it's a very good question.

Speaker 41 It doesn't seem to arise that much, but I do like the idea of defenders just picking up their nearest attacker and hurling them into an offside position, but it not being a free.

Speaker 41 Or, I mean, I guess what you could do is you could use your backside because we've established that is not necessarily a foul.

Speaker 1 So if that was John McGinn, it's definitely onside, by the way. Like Dan Zuma would just be pressed against the post.

Speaker 41 Anyway, that'll that'll do for part two.

Speaker 41 Before we end it, we just wanted to send our best wishes to the friends and family of Ian Purslow, the 71-year-old lifelong Bolton Wanderers fan who died watching their home game with Cheltenham.

Speaker 41 The game was abandoned after he was taken ill. The club said Ian, who lives in Oldham, was at the game supporting the whites with his son Stuart.

Speaker 41 The club chaplain remained with family members late in the day.

Speaker 41 The club will continue to offer the family all the support they can, as well as looking to offer support to anyone else impacted by this distressing incident.

Speaker 41 The thoughts of everyone connected to Bolton Wanderers are with Ian's family and loved one at this incredibly sad time.

Speaker 41 Ian will be remembered at Wanderers FA Cup third round replay at home to Luton Town on Tuesday night.

Speaker 17 We'll be back in a second.

Speaker 11 Hi Pod fans of America, Max here. Barry's here too.

Speaker 6 Hello.

Speaker 13 Football Weekly is supported by the Remarkable Paper Pro.

Speaker 12 Now, if you're a regular listener to this show, you'll have heard us talk before about the remarkable paper pro.

Speaker 18 We already know that remarkable is the leader in the paper tablet category, digital notebooks that give you everything you love about paper, but with the power of modern technology.

Speaker 26 but there's something new and exciting 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

Speaker 35 a proper football journalist

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Speaker 2 Coach, the energy out there felt different.

Speaker 4 What changed for the team today?

Speaker 5 It was the new game Day Scratches from the California Lottery.

Speaker 6 Play is everything.

Speaker 7 Those games sent the team's energy through the roof.

Speaker 3 Are you saying it was the off-field play that made the difference on the field?

Speaker 5 Hey, a little play makes your day, and today, it made the game. That's all for now.

Speaker 6 Coach, one more question.

Speaker 8 Play the new Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams Scratchers from the California Lottery.

Speaker 9 A little play can make your day.

Speaker 10 Please play responsibly. Must be 18 years or older to purchase, play, or claim.

Speaker 41 Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly. Reading's game with Port Vale was abandoned after a number of Reading fans peacefully protested on the pitch against the current ownership.

Speaker 41 We'll cover the story in detail.

Speaker 41 We're speaking to someone from the fan-led group Sell Before We Die,

Speaker 41 DAI, with reference to the owner, Dai Young.

Speaker 41 We've had lots of questions about it. I just wanted to read this email from Tom, which is quite long but worth reading.
And we'll get to it in more detail on Thursday.

Speaker 41 He says, Hi, I'm a longtime listener, massive fan of the pod. I just want to make a plea about covering the plight of Reading FC, which this week has accelerated like never before.

Speaker 41 I first started going when I was six years old. I'm now 30.

Speaker 41 I've watched the club to its glory years, two promotions to the Premier League, three FA Cup quarterfinals, even a semi-final just eight years ago, where we were just a goalkeeping error away from a first major final in our 125-year history.

Speaker 41 To many fans listening to the pod, the idea that these modest achievements would qualify as glory years may seem incomprehensible, but for a club of Reading's size, those years still mean everything to the fan base.

Speaker 41 Now to see all those years of growth count for nothing with the rapid asset stripping of the club, including the best youth players and senior players, and even our our youth academy, I believe the only Cat One Academy below the championship and a source of pride for fans.

Speaker 41 Being systematically destroyed by an absent owner is gut-wrenching for fans of clubs like Reading, of which Max is one in Cambridge.

Speaker 41 All we want from football is to celebrate three points on the weekend more often than not and socialise with family and friends.

Speaker 41 If I lose this football club, I lose quality time with my dad, I lose friends, and I lose the quiet games I sometimes spend alone when all I want to do is take a break from my busy working life, hop on the train to Reading from London and forget about everything for 90 minutes.

Speaker 41 Our owner, if you can call him that, Dai Young, and his number two, Daipang, are callously ripping out the heart of this team, despite being wealthier than you can ever imagine.

Speaker 41 I'm writing this on the way to Port Vale at home, where there could be huge fan action. Our story needs highlighting now more than ever by fantastic outlets such as yourselves.

Speaker 41 I love football and the Premier League too, but mainstream football all pales into comparison to Reading FC and other clubs like us at this point in time.

Speaker 41 If not the worst part of this ideal is a loss in interest in the wider football game.

Speaker 41 It feels like Dai Young isn't just taking this club away from me and my fellow fans, but the entire sport too, for which I will never forgive. As I said, I'd be appreciative if you read this out.

Speaker 41 The words aren't just relative to me, nor Reading fans, but football fans everywhere. It's high time action was taken in the wider game to address football's wider ownership problems.

Speaker 41 Thanks so much for reading that. That's from Tom.

Speaker 41 Dai Young Pang, the club CEO, said very tough decisions, unfortunately, have had to be made.

Speaker 41 Pang told fans Dai Young is actively working to secure the sale of the club. Fans refused to leave.
They went on the pitch in the 16th minute.

Speaker 41 Reading's manager Ruben Sellers hung around for a long time

Speaker 41 and and Port Vale fans were very understanding as well. As I said, we'll talk about it on Thursday.

Speaker 41 Jim says, one for Nadum, if you were playing for Forest Green, how would you react to Troy Dini's post-match comments at the weekend? Assuming you're not a fan of that kind of chat.

Speaker 41 Have you played with any players who would respond positively to it? He said there are, quote, too many babies from top to bottom. First half is boring.

Speaker 41 I'd rather watch frigging antiques roadshow than that. No offense to anyone who likes Antiques Roadshow.
I'm not sure anyone has put the word frigging before Antiques Roadshow before.

Speaker 41 But anyway, that kind of sort of throwing under the bus chat, Nadam, your thoughts?

Speaker 1 It's very much being placed under the bus, bus going forward and backwards, then forwards again.

Speaker 1 Troy is and has been very outspoken, hasn't he? So it's interesting that now he's having to manage a group of people. And if he believes that this is the best way to

Speaker 1 get the best out of them, then good luck.

Speaker 1 But I would say personally, being run over several times by the bus being driven by the manager isn't something that i would enjoy that much and for forest green and other teams down there it's not not as if they can have total player turnover as well is it so but maybe this is all part of his master plan to get forest green up to the premier league win the premier league and then win the champions league in the next 10 years who knows yeah yeah but if if a manager throws a player under the bus in public what's the dressing room reaction to i can't see how a dressing room would react well to that but yeah but you know managers like jose and conte have had success yeah but not not necessarily like this i mean in terms of like an just an attack because like he's troy's relatively new there anyway isn't he and yeah we'll see what troy thinks if you'll say stuff like this again going forward because one thing that he's probably seen himself firsthand is that if the manager loses the players the manager will likely lose their job so now he's in a position where as manager Are the players still on side with everything that you're saying?

Speaker 1 And he's saying a lot. And it's very entertaining.
But I think functionally from a work standpoint, I wouldn't believe that's going to be helping him anytime soon get some results.

Speaker 41 Yeah, some really weird appointments since Rob Edwards, who was clearly brilliant at Forest Green, you know, Duncan Ferguson was a strange appointment.

Speaker 41 Troy Dean, you know, good to get opportunities, but still, you know, a lack of experience seems to be showing. Luke says, How much would the panelists have to be paid to be fed meat by Salt Bay?

Speaker 41 Ash says, Is it possible to still give everything for a manager once you've seen them be fed like Arteta has this week? Jonathan, would Big Ange be seen dead at Salt Bay's restaurant?

Speaker 41 Nas, I don't know if you've seen the video of Arteta being fed by Salt Bay and then sort of rubbed slightly on the shoulder.

Speaker 6 It made me sick.

Speaker 6 There's something visceral about

Speaker 6 a man feeding someone like they're a baby bird. It's just it's it.
Do you know that thing that footballers like often say is that

Speaker 6 I'd rather sort of...

Speaker 6 I'd rather a player go in two-footed rather than spit at me or something. Like, I would rather

Speaker 6 salt bait, punch me in the face than feed me in that in that weirdly erotic way it's it's unnecessary it's bringing the game into disrepute and uh and and and i i reckon questions need to be asked about arteta to be honest because uh i just think his position is untenable now yeah i mean i i i i have a obviously i'm i'm people would accuse me of being biased but it feels worse than an ffp breach to me No, no way, man.

Speaker 42 You've got to think about the community and the role that football plays in the game at live. Oh, hang on a minute.
He did get fed by Salt Bay.

Speaker 42 I mean, I just don't, I don't get what the attraction is. He looks like a Johnny Depp impersonator.

Speaker 42 That kind of like meat-based, I mean, oh, I just feel like, oh, it's like, it's like a Roman Audi or something.

Speaker 42 And I don't know why any kind of like somebody's clearly doing calorie denying on a daily basis would want to go there in the first place. I don't know.
But yeah, it's not for me. Thank you very much.

Speaker 41 I mean, in many ways, I guess Salt Bay is sort of like Robin Hood. At least he must have been at the start, Nathan.
Like he was, well, he was stealing from the rich.

Speaker 41 He's not necessarily giving it to the poor, poor, I guess.

Speaker 6 But like, I agree.

Speaker 41 I just can't understand,

Speaker 41 like, like credit to him for managing to turn, to become presumably incredibly wealthy

Speaker 6 by

Speaker 41 doing something, as Paul says, it is like a Roman orgy. Yeah, it's sort of, it's so grotesque.

Speaker 1 Yeah, it's... It's

Speaker 1 somewhat of a phenomenon. I was just watching the video then and it is hilarious, to be honest.
But like Salt Bay and lots of other places, it's the place to be, place to be seen.

Speaker 1 And then the bill comes and everyone realizes it's overpriced. But until you do it for the first time, you don't really, I guess you don't really know.

Speaker 1 But when you're sitting down in the chair and then you see the prices, it's like, well, we can't really get up and deal with this now. And Arteta, like that video is hilarious.

Speaker 1 Like when the little kid comes over, unless it's Arteta's kid, putting the salt on the stage.

Speaker 41 I think it might be. It might be.

Speaker 41 I don't know.

Speaker 1 But like. Listen, some things are better done.

Speaker 1 If you're going to do it, do it without a camera being there because then at least you can pretend it never happened but like it's out there and when like to just picture it the next time Arsenal lose should Arsenal lose again this season who's gonna be the manager just like sticking a steak in his mouth or something you know this is it he's set himself up it's nightmare fuel but I hope he enjoyed his steak I'm sure it was expensive and I hope he enjoyed his break I mean

Speaker 6 but but but but but the thing is nothing nothing can save stat good nothing you you would not go through any any sort of colour any sort of like uh magic of of that bite for someone to do to sort of do that in in fact i think we've stumbled upon like we're talking about troidini maybe the punishment for his comments is for sortbay to do it but it's got to because it's forest green it's got to be a bit a sliver of like food like corn dipped into dipped into his mouth uh and and i i i i i would i would pay good money to see troidini and how he reacts to any of that nonsense it's basically with with this uh Arteta thing, if it was good, I'm sure Arsenal fans would be sharing it.

Speaker 1 But the fact that everyone else is sharing it suggests it's probably like a bit of an embarrassment for your whole camp.

Speaker 6 But, you know, it's where we're at.

Speaker 41 Honestly, like, and a steak is like, you can get a decent Phillip steak for, what, a tenna? Seven quid.

Speaker 41 Cook it at home. You know, like, like, like, I don't, I don't like how dramatically you pour the salt on it.
It's just a steak.

Speaker 1 Yeah, but have you ever been fed steak on a sabre by a salt bay in Dubai? No.

Speaker 6 If the answer is no, you've not lived, Max. You've not lived.

Speaker 41 Seems very unlikely that I will. Anyway, that'll do for today.

Speaker 6 Just quickly, I just wanted to know, like, because everyone on this

Speaker 6 podcast today is so fashionable, evidently,

Speaker 6 what did you think of

Speaker 6 Trent Alexander Darnold's get-up, like the whole sort of like Max and Paddy sort of

Speaker 6 bouncer gear that he's wearing on the Gucci Gucci show?

Speaker 1 He's unlikely, he's definitely not paid for it. He's been paid to wear it.
So as a consequence, I would wear a clown costume. I couldn't care less.

Speaker 1 You know, more power to him for being given the opportunity to look ridiculous for money.

Speaker 41 Oh, I haven't seen it. I need to see it.

Speaker 6 Oh,

Speaker 6 it's amazing. Like, there's loads of

Speaker 6 Max and Paddy gags about it and

Speaker 6 loads of references to Tommy Dick Fingers.

Speaker 6 So, yeah, it's worth seeing.

Speaker 6 I mean, everyone's concentrating on

Speaker 6 the sort of top half, which is like,

Speaker 6 looks like every bounce everywhere. But he's wearing flares, so I wonder where the flares are coming back in.

Speaker 41 Yes, he looks just like Paddy McInnes, doesn't he?

Speaker 41 Oh, that's really good. It's a very high, so it's a sort of leather jacket that sort of stops, I would say, just a bit too short.
It's just like you've bought a medium when you are a large, right?

Speaker 41 And what he can't do is put his hands up above his head because then it'll ride right up and be like a crop top. Oh, that is really, really.
And he's wearing these, yeah, really enormous trousers.

Speaker 41 Are they flares or are they just massive trousers? I don't, I'm not really sure.

Speaker 1 Maximpadi's a great shout, though. It's fantastic.

Speaker 6 Yeah,

Speaker 6 so good.

Speaker 41 I um,

Speaker 41 occasionally, I watch, you know, um, the Tottenham players arrive at training and they get asked some stupid question they don't want to be asked, and they all walk in, and like Hoiberg is always wearing just very sensible clothes, and then most of the young players are looking ridiculous.

Speaker 41 But it's almost like Brian Hill is always just dressed as a Zorb. Like, it's not like enormous, like, just something sort of rolls in,

Speaker 41 it's peeled out of his clothes. Uh, anyway, that will do for today.
It was worth bringing up, Nas. Uh, thank you so much, Paul.
No, thank you. Uh, thanks, Nas.
Thanks. Thank you, Nadum.

Speaker 6 Pleasure as always.

Speaker 41 Football Weekly is produced by Joel Grove. Our executive producer is Danielle Stevens.

Speaker 1 This is The Guardian.