Should Rangers and Celtic FINALLY join the Premier League?
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before you accidentally buy tickets on your 20th wedding anniversary and have to spend the next 20 years of your marriage making up for it. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Savings vary, terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Chris, my friend, I think our relationship has finally reached peak bromance.

I got back, I saw you last night at Villa Park for the Celtic Villa game. Thrilling game it was too. Drove home, got back about half past midnight, got to bed at one o'clock and then dreamt about you.

Oh, I know. I know. I know. It gets worse as well. It gets worse. So you're in my dream. Did you have your clothes on? Well, that's interesting. I wouldn't say that I dreamt about you. You weren't the focus of my dream. My dream was wild and meandering and not straightforward as dreams tend to be. But you were in it. And when you appeared in it, you were wearing pyjamas.

Right. I think it might. Or Celtic pyjamas, not even forest pyjamas. Well, these days you'd be born with pyjamas, wouldn't they? I mean, you do change, change your, if you change your clothes as quickly as you change your opinions, you'll be born with pyjamas. It might've been because I like quite fascinated with unpicking dreams. Maybe it would have been a good alternative career.

for me. It might have been because we had briefly discussed about staying at the same hotel, hadn't we, outside of Birmingham. Maybe it was because of that. Might be because you were always taking the mickey out of me because I wore pyjamas. You didn't need to clarify that. Anyway, you were in my dream. You were in my dream. You were wearing pyjamas. They were blue and white stripes. That was about it.

I tried to take a photo because I wanted to, in my dream, I tried to take a photo because I wanted to prove to the world that you two also wear pyjamas. And then I woke up. And then I woke up and here you are wearing the same shirt that you were wearing at Villa Park last night. That's a jacket. But I noticed also that you've been writing to me. I did get him.

Probably the most interesting piece of hate mail I've ever had this week came through to mail head office with no stamp on it, just addressed to me. And inside it was just...

cutting from the newspaper of one of my columns and said somebody sent another bit of paper and they'd stuck six letters newspaper letters on it I can't say the word but it rhymes with banker

And that was it. I mean, anyone who follows me on Instagram, I might pop it on there. Obviously, don't let your children see it. It's a mean word. But there you go. That's what I got through the post. Are you going to confirm that it wasn't you? It was either you or my mother. One of the two. I don't know.

I don't, well, if the person who actually sent that to you, if they get in touch with me, I'll buy them a beer. Yeah, you can talk about me behind my back. So there we go. That's nasty, that. I thought it was hilarious. I thought it was actually hilarious that somebody should go to the time and trouble to cut those letters out and superglue them onto a bit of paper and put it, send it through the post. It was interesting. It had no postage stamp on it.

maybe it's an inside job could be from the editor could be from the editor absolutely could have yeah to be fair I've been called worse inside that building I've been called worse inside that building anyway there we go that's the nonsense out the way let's talk about the football we were both at Villa Park enjoyed that 4-2 to Villa poor old Morgan Rogers to go on a hat trick and not even being the headline act in

in many ways. Ollie Watkins taking all the attention given that he'd been subject of a big bid from Arsenal in the hours before the game. Story broken on Mail Online about two hours before kick-off by our chief football reporter, Sammy Mottbell. Good story, that one. The bid has been rejected. Unfair of Arsenal to make that bid on the day of a big game.

How long have you worked in this industry? Yeah, fair question. Fair question. So do you think that Olly Watkins, that would have been the first time Olly Watkins would have heard about Arsenal's interest? Another fair point. Another fair point. Even so, in terms of the publicity that then leaks out about it, is it the right time to do it? Or...

are also just in the business of looking after themselves and is it is all fair in love and war and all that yeah it's part of the game isn't it um did it affect ollie watkins well he took well maybe he took what he took one of the worst penalties well i did a similar thing in the scottish cup final where you just slip and then he right farmed the left but his went over the bar mine went uh past the post it didn't i don't think it affected him and why would it affect him when um

When he crosses that white line, he's just focusing on playing. I do think it's interesting, more from Arsenal's perspective. Why the hell have they got to the end of January and now they're making a move for Ollie Watkins? Surely there should have been a bit of clarity because this has been doing the rounds for...

years now hasn't the Arsenal need a recognised striker so if he was going to be the final piece in the jigsaw go for him in early January make your move but how this has come about um

I don't quite understand it. It's a lack of clarity in the way that Arsenal are thinking, really. Interesting quote from Mikel Arteta after Arsenal's Champions League game on Wednesday night, given that he never talks about transfers, ever, like most managers. My opinion is clear, says Arteta. We've lost two very important players today.

So we lack goals. We lack people. We lack options in the front line. It's clear. So there you go. Arsenal manager laying it on the line to his club.

Get me a centre forward if it's not going to be Olly Watkins. And I don't think it will be Olly Watkins because his Villa teammate, John Duran, looks like he's on his way to Al Nasser in Saudi for £64 million medical due to take place today, Thursday. So if Villa sells Duran, which was always a preferred option, if they sell Duran, they're not selling Olly Watkins. So Arsenal need to think again. And they haven't got long. Transfer window closes on Monday. Interesting. Saka's been injured for a month.

Gabriel Jesus for a fortnight. They've had a while to get their act together, Arsenal.

Totally. I think it's terrible planning. And for them to be in panic mode now, I mean, how long has Saka been out? Yeah, a month. Yeah, so Saka's been out for a while. They've had issues all season. I mean, last season, Mikel Arteta said they didn't need another striker, but it's like the stable door is closing now and it looks like the horse is going to bolt again.

So this is all a little bit late, a little bit panicked. And as I say, I feel that if Arsenal really wanted to make this move, they should have been decisive and made it at the start of January. Also sends an interesting message to the rest of the squad. It's all right saying to your squad,

we need a striker and here he is it's quite something else to say to your squad we need a striker oh but we couldn't get one because then if they don't the squad then go into February and onwards thinking well the boss thinks we needed somebody else and we haven't got him you know you know you know what I mean

No, I'm not with you on that one. I think it's part and parcel, isn't it? If other players come in, that's the nature of the game. Arsenal want to win something. I don't think any player or every player understands the rules that you're always striving for...

to get better and to give yourself a chance of winning something. I've got to say, just on the Duran thing, what an absolute shame at his age that he is going to Saudi. What a waste. 21 years old. What a talented young player. And he's off there. I feel sorry for Unai Emery as well because he's worked so hard to get Aston Villa into the position which he's gotten them fourth in the Premier League last season, Champions League football. I was there last...

the game against Bayern Munich when Duran scored that brilliant goal and the roof nearly came off Villa Park. I barely heard a noise like it in a football stadium in my life. And then he's going for the cash. And that's his prerogative when you say well, but that can be the only reason. I'm really disappointed for him as much as anything. What a terrible decision. It's

It is a bit depressing that a 21-year-old talent like that should go to a relative backwater like Saudi. And I think it's fair that I say that because it's been a couple of years now since the drip, drip of players to the Gulf States started. And the league is no more...

high profile or interesting now than it was then. Don't think attendance has particularly gone up. Nobody talks about it over here. So it is a bit of a depression move. You mentioned Unai Emery. I think, according to our excellent Midlands correspondent, Tom Colamossi, Villa are very, very close to their financial ceiling in terms of Premier League spending rules. I think they probably...

but I think they will benefit from getting somebody out. So I don't think Unai Emer will be feeling that hard done by. I think he knows the financial situation. But that was the importance of winning last night. Yeah, winning last night, wasn't it? I saw that piece. Correct. So last night gets them an extra £9 million.

for getting straight into the last 16 rather than going into the playoff that Celtic and Manchester City are now in. So they get an extra £9 million. Tom thinks that'll probably, plus the money from Duran, will probably help them buy somebody in the next few days. Keep an eye out on the Mateusz Kunja situation from Wolves. It could be, it could be Kunja. You never know. Great atmosphere, great,

Last night, Chris, I was also at the Man United Rangers Europa League tie last week, which was a less absorbing spectacle, but certainly much watched and highly anticipated, much talked about, etc. There's a lot of chat on social media this Thursday morning. That horrible subject about Celtic and Rangers coming to play in the English Premier League. A very quick line on that from you. Obviously, you've played both sides of the border, as we know.

It's never going to happen because there are too many clubs in the Premier League who realise that Celtic and Rangers are so much bigger than them. And obviously that would knock them out of the park, knock them down the pecking order. So it's never going to happen. And I also do, I think the money men at both clubs would like it to happen in truth, but

But I think that Celtic and Rangers have an obligation to Scottish football as well. But I think it's a subject which you just said has been talked about for a number of years. When I was at Celtic under Martin O'Neill, this was...

This was a subject which was put forward and sort of seemed to be growing arms and legs, but then you, I think, Bolton were in the Premier League at that particular time and why would they let Celtic and Rangers in ahead of them? Where would Celtic and Rangers have to start to work their way up the league ladder and what have you? There are so many sort of

uh issues with it so it's it's just not going to happen yeah when you say it's not going to happen just to explain that um in order for Celtic all ranges to to gain entry to the English Premier League it would have to be uh voted through by the Premier League clubs it would need 14 votes to do so why on earth would clubs like uh Brentford Brighton uh

Other clubs not necessarily beginning with the letter B. But why would they vote for an enormous football club like Celtic or Rangers to come and join the league? It would obviously put their place in the league in Celtic.

we really would be the equivalent of turkeys voting for Christmas. So it's never going to happen, but it's been great. I enjoyed watching Celtic, I have to say. And from a selfish point of view, somebody who spends his life covering English football, it is a shame that I don't get to see them more often. It is a shame that... You've changed your tune on Scottish football, haven't you? No, I haven't.

It's a shame that we don't get to see them more often. What was your comment? Last season, I think I called it a financial wasteland of mediocrity or something like that. And it still is. And it still is. But it's good to see Celtic and Rangers in action at a full house. Got Brendan Rodgers wrong as well, didn't you?

I think Brendan actually said, correct me if I'm wrong, I think Brendan, bless him, actually said in the press conference after last night's game, I thought we were in the game until they scored. They scored after two minutes. Celtic kept the ball well for the first minute, didn't they? Yeah.

from kick-off they did they really really did anyway Man City have squeaked through into the Premier League and well done into the Champions League next phase and well done Celtic by the way Celtic of course get through into this middle knockout phase that will see eight clubs go home and eight move through the play-off you can't call it a knockout I got in trouble for that

There's 16 teams in it. Eight will go home. Eight will go through to join the top eight in the last 16. Celtic and Man City are in that middle section. Who would have thought that Celtic would have finished above Manchester City after the eight games? But they have. There was a fire outside the Etihad on Wednesday before City's crucial game against Bruges.

Pep Guardiola said afterwards, I saw that fire and thought, blimey, the journalists have their headlines already. Decent line from Pep. City won 3-1 and have squeaked through. They will play Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in a two-legged tie to see who gets through into the

the last 16. Meanwhile, Liverpool, who finished top, will play Monaco, Brest, PSG or Benfica. PSG obviously stands out from that lot. Arsenal have also done very well to finish in the top section. We'll play one of Feyenoord, Juventus, Milan or PSV. There's a draw taking place tomorrow to decide all this. I don't know why they need a draw. Celtic have got Bayern Munich and Real Madrid as well. Sorry, Chris, yes, they have.

Why are you excluding the Scottish clubs? I'm not. I'm just a bit off my game this morning. Anyway, there's a draw on Friday to sort all of that out. So let us know what you think of the first section of the Champions League. Has it been a good idea or not? Chris,

Why are people whinging, Ian? Why are people whinging about the format when actually last night it went to the wire at the top and at the bottom? I wasn't sure about it, but we cannot say. We know why...

the whole reason about the bigger league, more games, more opportunity for the bigger teams. But it did work. Why can't we just say that and say, well, you know, for once they got things right. It's taken eight rounds of matches for the excitement to arrive. And let's not pretend that in the old format where you just had...

where you just had groups of four. Some of those groups used to go to the last day as well in terms of who got through and who didn't. So no difference there. But admittedly, it was an exciting game last night. What a misery. What a lot of misery. Let us know what you think. Well, better a misery than a banker. Let us know what you think.

think about that and the Olly Watkins things are still out of order to make a bid at this late stage and have they messed up he's an Arsenal fan isn't he as well have they Olly Watkins didn't know that have they messed up their transfer strategy by leaving it so late in the window and what about John Duran going to Saudi at the age of 21 Chris thinks that's depressing and so do I what do you think find us on the socials you know where to get us an X

Ladyman Sutton, stupid name and famous name. You can find us on other social media platforms as well. And also leave comments at Spotify or Apple, wherever it is you listen to this podcast. While you're there, make sure you hit the follow button and leave us a rating. I have to say, Chris, I don't think we've ever had as much

feedback could be one way of describing it on X as we did on Monday after we decided to declare that there is no conspiracy amongst the refereeing community towards Arsenal that of course coming in the wake

of the Michael Oliver controversy from the weekend. Put it this way, there's an awful lot of Arsenal fans out there, Chris, who think Michael Oliver does have it in for them. Oliver, by the way, will be back in action to referee the Ipswich Southampton game this weekend, and then we'll do the Merseyside derby next week. I think that's quite right. Absolutely no reason for him to be stood down just for making a mistake.

Do you think he's got an infaript switch or Southampton or Liverpool or Everton when he's standing in the tunnel? Do you think he'll be thinking...

I'm going to side with this particular team. What a load of nonsense. Everybody makes mistakes. And I don't often make good points, but I think the point about Darren England, who was the VAR operator that day, was the bigger point. Michael Oliver can make a mistake. It was a bad error, but we all make errors. But the whole point of VAR coming in was to back him up and help him out, and they didn't do that.

It's All Kicking Off is proudly supported by Paddy Power. Now then, each week Chris and I challenge to place bets on the week's chosen fixture. And each week we're joined by Paddy Power's resident guru, Lewis Richards. Last week we were placing bets on Manchester City v Chelsea, but no one managed to pick a winner. Funny that, because I remember Lewis bragging for about five minutes the week before when he finally did see a bet land.

And he's supposed to be the expert. He does do this for a living. Anyway, Lewis, nice to see you, mate. What's the plan this week? Yeah, let's forget about last week, guys. This week we're looking at Man City versus Arsenal. So, Ian, we'll start with you. A big bet coming in from me. City to lead at half-time, but with Arsenal to win, with Havertz scoring a goal. Who needs Ollie Watkins? It is indeed a very large bet. Just coming in at over 47 to 1. Woo-hoo!

Your main worry there, Havertz, top scorer for Arsenal. He's, what's he got? He's having like two in his last five, I think. Your big worry there, I mean, is City at half-time. They haven't led in any of their last three games and they've been starting so poorly. That could be a worry, don't you think? It's got to change at some point and I think it will be.

on Sunday. Chris, what are you going for? I've gone for Arsenal to lead at half-time and full-time and Gabriel to score because Arsenal are the set-piece kings and to commit a foul. More than one foul, Lewis. What about that? There's like 15 different bets in there. See, you won't beat Ian this week on odds, but it's still a tasty one at just over 27-1. As you said there, set-piece kings, they have to use that against City for their advantage.

Gabriel was number five in the list for goals for Arsenal this season. And he scored in a reverse fixture as well. So I like it. Definitely like it. What I do like is even though he's a centre-back, his price to make a foul on his own is 8-15. Compare that to Kai Havertz who plays up front at 1-7. It shows just how cool of a defender he is. But if Man City are on it, you'd expect him to make a foul.

And Guru, what about you? About time you came through with one. Come on. Yeah, it's a lot less than yours, but I am going for Foden to score at any time. Both teams to score and Arsenal to lead at half-time at just over 7.5-1. I was with Foden last week. It was the leg that came in for me, so I see no reason to change it. I think it's still banging form. City will climb to within three points of Arsenal if they win this game.

And I think that's going to be a motivation for them. So I'm not going to say Arsenal are going to win it, but I still think City start games poorly. So half-time for Arsenal should be good enough. Nice one. Thank you, Lewis. Remember, odds are correct at the time of recording. Please gamble responsibly. This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like you know to check the date of the big game first.

before you accidentally buy tickets on your 20th wedding anniversary and have to spend the next 20 years of your marriage making up for it. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Savings vary. Terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Northbrook, Illinois.

Couple of comments here on Spotify in the wake of Monday's show. One on this subject. This is from JNS1971. How can Chris defend Michael Oliver's incompetence with that red card by saying he must have thought it was a dangerous challenge? Madness. Will Buxton asks, why are penalties weighted so heavily in favour of

of the striker keepers aren't allowed to even jump in front of the goal line next thing we'll be making the goalkeeper stand behind the goal for a penalty um

And Christian Tonnies, who's been in touch before, has a bit of a go at you here, Chris. He's not happy with you tipping Bournemouth for fourth place at the end of the season. Oh, right. So Forest have a blip and Chris now says the top four will be Liverpool, Arsenal, City and Bournemouth. All of a sudden, he thinks Forest are going to fall off a cliff. He's a Nottingham lad and is an embarrassment to our city.

That's the first time. An embarrassment to Nottingham. I know this is a podcast. It's the first time you've smiled this morning. I'm finally waking up. The glee on your face. I mean, can't I choose? I mean, it's like doing the BBC predictions. The amount of abuse I get every week for making a prediction. It's the first time.

I just think Bournemouth, we saw that picture of all the injured players in that box at the stadium. Imagine when they get the first team back. They've been brilliant. And it's an interesting battle for that spot, isn't it, Falls Place? And Forrester in there. Of course, my Forrester in there. But you do change your opinions like you change your trousers, to be fair. Are we allowed to...

to change your mind based on form? I think what will happen is that Bournemouth will get all those players back. They'll put them back on the team and then they'll fall off a cliff. That is what's going to happen. They're at home to Liverpool this weekend. Mouth-watering game. Shame that one's not on the TV. I would have fancied that one. Liverpool rested 12 players for their final Champions League game. And I think, which they lost, it didn't matter. Is that in the spirit of the competition?

Fair question, fair question. I haven't got an answer. I think... I'd have done exactly the same. I think that says, Ian, your two days in management at Lincoln. I think that says everything for the magnitude of this game for Liverpool. Bournemouth have just spanked Norscombe Forest, of course, 5-0 on the south coast. And now it's Liverpool's turn to go there.

Yeah, and that's why Arne Slott, totally within his rights, had earned the right to get through to the knockout stage of the Champions League. And so he was quite right to rest his players. They're fighting on every front, but they're going to be in for a massive test against Bournemouth at the weekend. Amsterdam!

I don't know. It's a tough one to predict because we think that, you know, certainly Liverpool would have benefited from the rest, but it's hard to see Bournemouth not getting something from this game. I really do feel that. I know you're writing Bournemouth off because they're a small club and you do that, but...

Blimey, recent form, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, two form teams. They didn't just beat them, they dismantled both of them in. It's a very good point. You're right, I think Liverpool will win, by the way. I just do. But I should have asked you this back when we mentioned Man City briefly. If City win at Arsenal on Sunday, that's the big game of the week, that's the 4.30 kick-off.

If City win at the Emirates, there'll be three points behind Arsenal. Does that put them back on the fringes of this title race or is that just me wanting it to be more interesting than it is? On the fringes, but I'm not allowed to change my mind, am I? There you are. Come on, tell me what you think. Oh, I am. I think it puts Arsenal probably out of the title race, doesn't it? More than Manchester City back in. Well, it depends what happens at Bournemouth.

You can't say that Arsenal are going to be out of the title race if they lose. Because Liverpool might lose. Depending on results. Yeah. They could be out of the title race depending on results. Depending on results. Yeah. Look, we both think Liverpool will still win it. But I don't think...

I don't think, oh, are they? Of course, they've said it about 50 times. Ask them all my tips for the title, I'm not changing my mind. They need a striker, though. Even the manager now is uncertain of his footing and holding his hands up and saying we're desperate for a striker. And everybody's been telling him that for years. Tell you what, Chris, it's a wonderful thing to be sitting here at the end of January talking about a Champions League

in which Celtic have just finished above Manchester City, and talking about a Premier League game between Bournemouth. Bournemouth! Bournemouth, who have a capacity of 11,500. 11,500. We thought that Bournemouth had reached peak Bournemouth under Eddie Howe. Come on, we did, didn't we? When Eddie Howe

when the Eddie Howe miracle has taken them all the way up from near bankruptcy to the mid sections of the Premier League, when gravity eventually took its toll on that surge up the mountain and they tumbled back down into the championship, we thought,

We thought that was the end of the Bournemouth story. And here they are three, four, five years later in the top half of the Premier League. And we are talking about them qualifying for Europe and saying they might, you think they'll get something out of a game against Liverpool.

That's just a marvellous place to be. And I was asked the question, who's going to finish in fourth place? And I think in current form. And people can dream in. I mean, we started this pod with you talking about your dream. Dreaming's great at times. And Bournemouth fans are entitled to dream. And the way Iriola's done it with the injuries. I mean, Lewis Cook, central midfielder, playing at right back.

Uwotara, Dango Uwotara, a winger by trade, scored a hat-trick at the weekend playing as a central striker. There are elements where they remind me of the Norwich City team I was in at the start of the Premier League, where I think that they have very little fear. There's not the expectation on them to go toe-to-toe with the big teams and they just go out and play. They're not burdened.

like a lot of Premier League teams are. You look at your Tottenhams, your Manchester Uniteds, even your Leicesters' expectation, the weight of the world on their shoulders week in and week out. It's not like that at Bournemouth. They can go, they win games, they're flying, they're well organised.

And if they lose a game, they just brush it off onto the next one because there isn't that pressure there. And that's not being disrespectful to them. It's just the way it is. That's a really, really good point. And just to add to that,

The other thing is that there's absolutely no expectation on the coach of Dona Iriola to play in a certain way. Like, say, if you're a manager of a club, so we're going to talk about Tottenham beef in a minute, so let's use them. If you're Hans-Proster Coghlu, there's a certain, you know, you go to Tottenham Stadium, there it is on the, you know, up everywhere you look, you know, to dare is to do, etc.,

You know, it's there. This is how you got to play. Go to Anfield. This is Anfield. This is how you got to play Manchester United. If you're a Riola, you can play all the hell you want, because if you're getting results, that's absolutely all that matters. And that gives you maybe a little bit of that freedom to do what you want to do, free of the expectation that you talk about. Yeah, absolutely. And as I say, comparisons to the Norwich team I was in, I don't think we feared anybody.

Because coming up against Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, nobody expects you to win. But they're well organised. It's sort of win-win in many respects. If they lose to Liverpool at the weekend, which they may well do, then they'll just brush it off and on to the next game. They've had a phenomenal season. But you see they have their faith in the way they play, the manager, faith in each other.

and a bit of spirit but it's not just about the team spirit thing it's about having the quality and that's where Iriola probably is the one that Bournemouth have to really try and keep hold of and I suspect he won't be there much longer.

Yeah, although like you said last week about Clive, last Monday about Clive, if they do finish in the Champions League places, that may influence that. Very quickly, we're talking about fear and expectation and injuries. Well, they all apply to, as Anzposa, Colgrew and Spurs, they are at Brentford on Sunday, two o'clock kick-off. I will be at that one. Goodness me. I mean, what is there to say apart from this? Spurs next fixtures in the Premier League, Brentford away.

Man United at home, Ipswich away, Man City at home, Bournemouth at home, Fulham away, Chelsea away. There's a Spurs supporting colleague of mine who sits in head office in Kensington, who I was talking to on Monday, and he thinks Tottenham could go down. I will say to you that if they do, that will be the biggest shock since Leicester winning the thing back in 2016. They cannot go down. No.

They can't. No, you don't think they will? Okay. Mickey van der Ven is fit, I believe. How much of a boost... How fit? Well, fit enough to play, we believe. How much of a boost is that for Tottenham? You study Postacogna's team quite a lot. Postacogna's made a big deal of the fact that van der Ven and Romero particularly have been missing his first choice central defensive partnership.

But I've seen Van de Ven make plenty of mistakes himself, mate. And I've seen them beaten heavily with him in the team.

Totally agree. Because he's fit, it doesn't mean that Tottenham season is now going to flip the other way. You're quite right. And as I say, how fit is he? How match ready is he? Basically, as soon as anybody's half fit, Postakoglu's having to throw them back in. So I don't see things dramatically changing because of one player coming back in, even as good as Van de Ven has been for them.

And that bit of transfer business that we thought might happen at Tottenham still hasn't happened either. Why are they not backing him? When they lost at Everton a couple of weeks ago, the information we had was that they would back him and that they would keep him and they have kept him. But we also thought they'd try and help him in the market. They haven't done it yet. And Madison's injured. Three weeks. Everybody's injured. You called Daniel Levy out for that on Monday's podcast, said he's got to back his manager.

I'll return to the theme from the top of the show. Transfer window closes on Monday. If you're going to do it, Daniel, you've got to do it now. Okay, before we finish, mate, we mentioned Saudi earlier with John Duran having a medical today before his move to Al Nasser. Steven Gerrard looks to be on the verge of

of leaving his job in Saudi blimey he's now going to find himself in the same position as Wayne Rooney isn't he Stephen could be three strikes and he's out he's had a go at Rangers he's had a go at Villa now he's had a go in Saudi and it looks like he's going to be back home in Formby by the time his daffodils have come up yeah

Hey, I mean, he might end up back at Rangers one day. You don't know. I think he's, I think he's still got a hunger to manage. I mean, I don't, you know, I don't, I don't know that, but I suspect that, uh,

that knowing him and his playing career, he will have this ferocious appetite to succeed in management. A bit like Rooney. In truth, Ian, what he has done or hasn't done in Saudi, I'll hold my hands up, because I don't know. I don't really follow the Saudi league, but clearly...

for him to be in this position. That's, you know, I suppose it doesn't necessarily do him any favours. But as I say, I don't follow the Saudi league. I don't care about the Saudi league, so I don't know. He had a relatively good start 18 months or so ago and it's been downhill since then. They've been hanging around kind of bottom five, bottom six of the league for most of the time he's been there. And it looks as though time is up. And time is up on us. Thanks, as always, for listening, everybody. Remember, you can get in touch

and chat to us about all we've talked about on today's podcast, Olly Watkins and Arsenal, Arsenal's transfer strategy, John Durant and his impending move to Saudi, Celtic and Rangers and the English Premier League. What do you think about that? We don't think it will happen.

Should it happen? Should it be on the table for discussion? Should Michael Oliver be back in action so quickly after his error at Molineux at the weekend? Arsenal fans certainly don't think so. And is Chris Wright to be feeling optimistic about Bournemouth ahead of this week's game against Liverpool? Chris is an embarrassment to Nottingham, according to one of our Spotify listeners. Seems a bit harsh. Let us know what you think, Forest fans. He does flip-flap, flip-flap like a dying fish on a riverbank at times.

with his opinions, but that's fine. It's partly what we're paying for and we don't pay him very much, by the way. Chris, lovely to see you, mate. Lovely to see you last night. Hope that burnt hand of yours is getting better. You talked about it on Monday's pod. I saw it last night. It doesn't look good.

please change that shirt, mate. To everybody else. It's a jacket. Jacket's a shirt. Jacket. Everybody else, transfer window closes on Monday. We'll be back on Monday morning, but make sure you're across Mail Online over the weekend for all of your breaking transfer news. Sammy Mockbell has already hit the jackpot with the big one. Arsenal's bid for Ollie Watkins. There'll be more of that to come. Stay with Mail Online and we'll see you on Monday.

How come Sammy Mockbell is like really well connected and you're not? Yeah, it's a very good question. You should have asked me that on the pod. Right, H, come on. I've got to be on the train. That was on the pod. You've got to be on the train like an hour. Chris, quiet.