Tamworth robbed of a trip to Tottenham and was Raya to blame for Arsenal's FA Cup loss?
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Chris, on the front cover of the Daily Mail's verdict pullout this Monday morning is the word betrayal. Matt Barlow, one of our most experienced football writers, writes this.

Ten months after replays were scrapped without proper consultation, the FA Cup shows that decision up for what it was, a betrayal of the lower reaches of English football. This time last year, Tamworth's reward for keeping out Tottenham for 90 minutes would have been a replay at the finest stadium in the country. Instead, all they got was extra time, which of course they lost. It's a talking point, Chris. FA Cup and replays.

I did 606 last night, the nation's football phone-in. There is a lot of anger about this. This is a touchy subject.

And, you know, the general consensus is that football, as we well know, is just looking after the biggest hitters, the big teams, you know, the teams who have the biggest budgets, the teams who have the biggest incomes, the biggest wage bill that allows them to have, you know, better players, better facilities and the best, you know, the best of everything. And we know how important football

the finance that the FA Cup can bring clubs like Tamworth so that they can build and a lot of clubs lower down the pyramid are in financial difficulty so the money which they can generate through an FA Cup run can save the club and certainly help to kick it on too easy to say it is what it is but

but it isn't good enough. And this is a subject where there is a lot of strong feeling that we are just helping the bigger clubs get stronger and not really giving a damn what's down at the bottom of the football pyramid.

Now, this, of course, is the first season that we haven't had FA Cup replays at all at any stage. I don't think it's a decision that will be reversed. Tamworth, of course, played at home against Tottenham and almost won it in normal time. A couple of great chances in the 90th minute. 0-0, it finished. The point here, the relevant point here, is that a team from lower down the pyramid, a semi-professional team, plays a Premier League side, fitter players, more strength in depth.

they're not going to get through it. They're very unlikely to get through extra time unscathed. That's what happened. Tottenham scored three goals. Had old rules been at play, replay at Tottenham Stadium, full house, Tamworth get a million quid or whatever it is. So that's the argument. However, and it's an argument that I have great sympathy with. Of course I do. You and I, Chris, grew up watching FA Cup replays. You played in them. We know what they used to mean. We know some of the great stories attached to them.

But there is a flip side to it, okay? And if I just say to you that looking back over the weekend's FA Cup third round games, the only other games that would have gone to replays would have been Burnley versus Reading,

Stoke versus Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday versus Coventry, Doncaster versus Hull, Man United versus Arsenal. Now I would argue that none of those teams would have been served in any way by a replay. Burnley made a load of changes. That's an assumption Ian?

Well, Burnley made a load of changes for their game against Reading. Only 15,000 turned up at Sunderland to watch their game against Stoke. They had a full house of 40,000 for their championship game against Portsmouth last weekend. I spoke to my nephew, Callum, who's a Sheffield Wednesday supporter, who went to that game at Coventry. I said to him, what's your take on it? Callum's 21, 22 years of age. He said...

We're a bit ambivalent about the FA Cup. I went to the game because I go to all the games, but really the FA Cup only matters if you play a big team and it's always the same six in the latter stages of the competition. So that's just a flip of it. That's the flip side of it, is that for every Tamworth, there's a club that needs a replay like a hole in the head with endless fixtures coming in the EFL, squad stretched,

injuries piling up. That is the other side of it. But that's, you know, that's a choice thing and that is still ignoring...

what the FA Cup is about. If you had a word association game about the FA Cup and people, you know, they talk about giant killing, you know, where, so this weekend you pick out the, you know, the best ties of the weekend. And what will everybody say? Tamworth Tottenham. Tamworth came within, you know, they had that chance right at the end of the game, didn't they? Where, you know, where they could have possibly scored. And that would have been one of the greatest results in the, you know,

in the FA Cup ever, but, you know, the opportunity for them to go back to Tottenham and I've seen various sort of figures bandied about, but talk of Tamworth getting a million pounds. What would that do for that club who are already punching above the weight in the league that they're in? So,

So, look, we all know and I understand your argument and, you know, the bigger clubs will say, well, we just can't. We can't fit these games in. But I'm afraid that's a consequence of success and that's always been the same. But the other thing is, and you touched on it,

The big teams, anyway, this weekend, some of the teams which I've seen put out, Brentford being one of them, and you saw Tottenham yesterday, you made the point about an extra time. You know, they had the ability to, or later on in the game, to bring on Solanke, to bring on Kulosevski, to bring on Son and make those changes. Everything is stacked in the favour of the big teams. And that's not what the spirit of the FA Cup is about.

in my opinion. You describe it as my argument. It's not really my argument. You know me. Yeah. But it's just the other argument. And so I woke up this morning, Monday morning, thinking about this. So I managed to get a hold of a friend of mine, a manager who I know in the EFL, and I asked him about it. And he explained it very, very cogently, very, very cogently. He made changes to his team.

There were players on the bench that he knew wouldn't come on, senior players, but he had to put them there so that the other younger players in the team felt as though it was a game that actually really meant something. Spoke to his chairman before picking his team, explained why he was doing it.

And wanted to win the game, absolutely wanted to win the game, but didn't. And when I said to him, lost the game, when I said to him, what would have been the worst outcome for you? He said, replay. He said, without a doubt, replay. But that's choice. Yeah, I know. But what I'm saying is, this is what...

This is how the game now looks at the FA Cup. Our game looks at the FA Cup. It's not just the way, but this manager also said to me, but I still wouldn't scrap replays. He said, I didn't want to replay. It would have been the worst thing for my team and for my club, given our situation at the moment with fixtures, with injuries, obligations in the league, etc.

et cetera. But he said, that doesn't mean they should have scrapped replays because he, and his quote was the FA cup is not a Premier League competition. It's an FA competition and the FA have a duty to serve clubs at all levels. And they are failing clubs like Tamworth. So that's the, those are both sides of this debate basically. But I thought that was fascinating because,

He didn't miss a beat. When I said to him, what was the worst outcome? He didn't say defeat. He said replay, replay. It's interesting that he had to run his team past the chairman as well. He had to ask permission. I think he explained it. They decided the team together and had the chairman told them that they're desperate to go through and the need for playing his strongest players. He was happy to see his strongest players benched.

Well, because the chairman, obviously, is it the chairman's obviously going to think, well, hang on a minute, we get through this game and we draw Man United away in the next round, then we make money. So there are two... Totally, yeah. Yeah. So there we go. A lot of championship teams make changes. And, you know, like you say, I know which side of the argument I am on. If you look...

through the championship in particular, you will see team after team after team, manager after manager after manager, fielding under-strength teams in the FA Cup. So look, just before we move out of this section, I did float an idea last week when you were absent, Chris. I was on with Nathan Salt. One way...

To offer the smaller clubs the opportunity to make money out of the FA Cup would be that when the draw is made...

to offer the lower division team the choice of whether they play home or away. So if Man United get drawn to, so Liverpool have been drawn against Plymouth, Plymouth get the option to play the fourth round game in Devon or at Anfield. And I think that would at least give the lower clubs an opportunity to,

to make some money if that's what their priority is. It will never happen. So where do you draw the line with that? Well, I tell you where I draw the line. It wouldn't happen... They would have to be a team from a lower division. So if Tottenham drew Liverpool in the FA Cup, they wouldn't get the choice. That would just be the way it comes down. What if Southampton drew Sheffield United? Yeah, Sheffield United get the choose, yeah.

Even though they're probably better than Southampton at this moment. Yeah, but they are the, in adverted commas, poorer club. They're not playing in the Premier League. They don't have access to Premier League TV money, et cetera. So yeah, they get the choice. So this is all by, when you say the poorer club...

You're talking about financially, are you? Yeah, so because we've been talking about the fact that Tamworth have missed out on a huge payday at Tottenham, right? Yeah, the players also get to miss out on the chance to play at a magnificent stadium. I get that. But the point is they miss out on the payday. Too many grey areas.

Too many grey areas. Far too many grey areas because just look, for example, at Luton's recent success. I know that they've partnered ways with Rob Edwards, but punched above the weight in the championship, got themselves up. But, for example, if Luton were in the Premier League and Burnley, who are financially sound American owners, played Luton, Burnley would have...

greater financial clout than Luton, wouldn't they? Well, it depends how long Luton had been in the Premier League and Burnham had been out. Well, I know, but the whole thing is that, you know, we're going back and forth with this and there are too many grey areas, so that's never going to happen. So let's not do hypotheticals. I mean, whatever next. If we don't do hypotheticals on the podcast, we won't have a podcast. Rob Edwards has lost his job at Luton, by the way, and I think we all feel a little bit sorry about that after his...

after the great job he did getting them into the Premier League against gravity. I was at the Emirates yesterday, peering at that game through the North London mist. It was dreadful in the first half. I was sitting there thinking I'd rather be anywhere. An hour later, I couldn't think of anywhere in the world I would rather be. It was an absolute humdinger second half. Argy-bargy, needle, sending off.

A couple of goals, one of them absolutely excellent. United hanging on for dear life, win the shootout. United are back again, it seems. Yeah, what a week, what a turnaround. And I think that there's a lot of positives to take out of the last couple of performances, I

But we're going to find more out about Manchester United with the next three games, aren't they? You know, you could argue, and I'm not taking anything away from Ruben Amram and his team, especially hanging on when Dalot got sent off to sort of fight and the hunger and all the basics which you need. And I suppose...

where Manchester United have been questioned over however long a period about, you know, have they really got the heart and the guts to dig out a result like that? Well, they proved they did have yesterday. But it's the games, Southampton, Brighton now, and Rangers, three home games where the expectation will be on them at Old Trafford to win.

to really take the game and boss the game against teams we would be expecting them to beat. So that's going to be the greater test. What have they proven? They've proven against better opposition that they can defend doggedly and they can have that threat on the counter-attack. They are a good counter-attacking team. Now it's about...

taking their game, raising their game to the next level where they start to dominate under Amrit. Yeah, but you know, having been in many dressing rooms at different clubs, that commitment, unity, desire, energy,

All those things are prerequisites if you're going to win football matches. And it's fair to say we haven't always seen them at United. So I think it's a base. It's a base. And you might say to me, well, my God, it should be a basic. But it isn't always. It's a base. That's what Amarim talked about after the game, didn't he? He actually, that was the thing in the interview I heard him speak on, which he focused on.

That sort of hunger and heart are not necessarily the other aspects which you're talking about. And I agree with you, by the way.

And he made big decisions. I was scoffing at his first one to play his reserve goalkeeper, Altay, by India. It's never been a policy that I've agreed with picking second choice goalkeepers, you know, picking them out of pity for cup games. If you want to win a game, you pick your best team as far as I'm concerned. But especially after what had happened to him by India in the Carabao Cup game at Tottenham when he threw one in. Well, I was wrong.

saves a penalty from Martin Odegaard in normal time, saves a penalty from Kai Havertz in the shootout, leaves the stadium as the hero. And the other one, Joshua Xerxe, fancy giving Xerxe the fifth penalty.

penalty now I know when you did it yeah and if he wanted it fair play to him the background of that of course is at Xerxes he was had a terrible night against Newcastle a couple of weeks ago taken off after half an hour jeered off the pitch by his own supporters looked absolutely crushed and there he and then got criticised again by people like us for not giving Harry Maguire a perfect pass late on in the game at Anfield last week and there he is yesterday at the Emirates and

I mean, if he misses that, then he's a poster boy for failure. That's what he is, but he doesn't. And instead, he scores it. Look at the way you're thinking about that. Go on, go on. People sort of think I'm negative. Look at the way you're thinking about that. Yeah, fair. He knew he wasn't going to miss that. It's a great story, though. Zero to hero. And, you know, you say Amrim. And, of course, it is the manager's decision.

But, you know, a pound to a penny, we all know that Xerxes would have had the confidence to put his hand up and say, I'm taking this. And I've got a lot of admiration for Xerxes because of the point you make. But it just shows you that he didn't doubt himself. This is a serious, serious question. If a similar thing had come to you at a time in your career when you'd had a couple of bad weeks, would you have had your hand up?

Yeah, well, I think I would have put my hand up even if I wasn't most the confidence, the old shame, just put the hand up out of shame. I've got to do it. No choice. And maybe that was the way with Xerxe, but I've got to say the way he took the penalty, it didn't look that way.

It does always. I am one of those people who gets wound up when you see central defenders taking penalties and shootouts ahead of... That's ridiculous. That holds a notion. And, you know, why is it on? Well, I mean, just, I mean, you know, you come back to the 90. I mean, this is stereotyping, isn't it? That all centre-backs are big hoofers, big farmers. No, it's not that. Big farmers, but they're just going to...

No, there have been some great defenders who've been penalty takers back in the day. Julian Dix. Stuart Pearce, Julian Dix, Ray Stewart. There'll be many others that I'm missing out. However, that's not always why they are chosen in shootouts. It is sometimes because the creative players and the goal scorers lose their bottle and don't put their hand up. And you know that's true.

Yeah, no, that's true. But I've got nothing against, I think it's a bit embarrassing for the outfield players if a goalkeeper takes a penalty. I agree. If they are the best at that particular skill, what's the issue? It's not always because of that. It's not always because of that. It's because the outfield... Can you prove that?

Well, there can only be one reason why a bloke who's paid to score goals, whose career, wages, transfer fees are all based on his ability to score goals, doesn't take a penalty in a shootout. There's only one reason for that. It's not because there are five defenders who are better at it than he is. It's because he doesn't want to. But there are, but there are...

A lot of strikers who don't take penalties. I am amazed by that. I mean, for example, up at Celtic. So, Kyogo Furuhashi scored two goals at the weekend. The two went up at Ross County, get a penalty. Guess what? He doesn't take it.

The Belgian international, Arne Engelsheik. But he doesn't, he's not a penalty taker. Yeah. I understand it if you're not the best penalty taker at your club, but if you're a striker, you've got to be one of the best five. Unless what are you doing? Yeah.

What are you doing? Yeah, yeah. Sorry. That's my argument. I know what you mean. Anyway. Yeah. Anyway, fair play Joshua Zirksey. But it's his specialist art. It's like the American footballers, American football. You know, they have specialist kickers. So it doesn't matter which position. Excellent penalties by Manchester United, by the way. All five of them. Not so... And indeed by Arsenal, with one exception. Awful...

for Kai Havertz. I'm afraid he presented that version of himself that he presented when he first rocked up at Arsenal at the start of last season. He obviously went on to do very well for them and prove people like you and I wrong, but he did... You can't have a bad period, can you? You jumping on him...

Mate, he was missing from three yards yesterday. But, you know, he had not a great time when he first started at Arsenal and, you know, didn't have a particularly good time at Chelsea. But, you know, you love to bring it up. I was at the game, mate. If he'd have had his shoes on the right feet, Arsenal would have won. Simple as. Had he worn shoes? Had he worn shoes, that would have been a problem. He might as well have worn slippers. No, seriously. What about his die for the penalty as well? Yeah.

Yeah, we've got a question about that in our questions for Chris section. So we'll hang on to that debate for the time being. But a fair point, Dreadful Day for Arsenal. I hope they're not going to have one of the bad Januaries like they had last season. They've got Tottenham in the Premier League at home on Wednesday without...

stating the obvious again, they really need to win. Just quickly on Manchester United, one more thing. Where were you on the whole? Because I didn't see you last Thursday. The main new Garnaccio Rashford thing is very real. I was speaking to somebody yesterday who confirmed this to me that ideally they'll sell Rashford because that, that,

is now closed as far as United and Amrim are concerned. There is no future for Rashford at Old Trafford. They'll sell Rashford in January if they can, but that's far from the certainty. No offers at the moment. They anticipate loans, which is obviously different. United will have to subsidise some of Marcus's wages. If that doesn't happen, the main new Garnaccio thing is on the table in terms of United listening to offers. It's a remarkable situation that, isn't it?

It's not remarkable because Amarim...

And clearly he needs a couple of windows, more than a couple of windows to build. But it's as he sees it. And I suppose you say it's remarkable because of the way that these young players are viewed at Manchester United. You know, Mainu especially, I suppose, you look at the Manchester United midfield and the lack of mobility, the lack of legs and the excitement when Mainu first went into the team. But that's the way...

Ruben Amram sees it. So if he doesn't have the skill set required, then Amram's in a position where... I don't think it is that. I think it's because they need to raise money, mate. I think it's a financial thing. Well, no, it's a financial thing. No, so I disagree with you there because he would... If he valued Garnaccio and Mainu, if he had them as his most important players, there's no way, there's no way on this earth that he would...

he would even contemplate selling them. So he must see enough deficiencies in their game or think I can get players in who can do a better job than them. I get your point about raising funds, but they must be further down in the pecking order to the way that most people view these players. Anyway, there we go. Manchester United through to the next round of the FA Cup. They will play Ruy van Nistelrooy's Leicester at

home in round four. Are Tottenham more likely to win a trophy than Arsenal this season now that Arsenal are under the top? That's a very good question. That should be a question for Chris. That's a very good question. I can't ask myself questions. I do that most days.

So, yeah, ask yourself where you are and who you are and where and where, what your name is. Yeah, Tottenham, of course, won the up against Liverpool after the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. Arsenal two down to Newcastle. Fair point. Are you not answering? That wasn't a question for me. You know, I know I asked myself a question, but that was a question for you on me.

Yes, I'm going to say yes to that. I'm going to say yes to that. Tottenham have a better chance currently of winning a trophy this season than Arsenal. Let us know what you think on that. Can I follow that up with another question? Because I mean, you do this all the time with managers and players on a weekly basis. So if Tottenham lose to Arsenal in the week, will Big Angie get sacked then?

You're confusing me now. No, because they're still in the Cowboy Cup and the FA Cup. So no, he won't. Silly question, that one. First one was a good question. That was a silly question. Anyway, let us know what you think about that. What if they lose 8-0? Are Arsenal more... Are Tottenham more likely to win a trophy this season?

than Arsenal. You never know. What do you think about the FA Cup replay situation? Are Chris and I just a couple of old fuddy-duddies who are hanging on to outdated football traditions? Do you agree with the manager that I spoke to that FA Cup replay is just getting the way? Or do you think that clubs like Tamworth should be given their shot

a second shot at glory at a big stadium when they hold a team like Tottenham to a draw after 90 minutes. Who was to blame for Arsenal's defeat against United? Kai Havertz? Should David Ray have done it better?

with the penalties. You went the wrong way for all five of them. And do you know a player at your club, a striker at your club, who you wouldn't trust to take a penalty? Let us know. You can find us on the socials. Chris has got his hand up, but I'm going to come to him in a minute. You can find us on the socials. Find us on X,

and one with the silly name and Chris is the one with the famous name. You can also go to Mail Sports Instagram account, TikTok account, Facebook account, YouTube channel and find excerpts of the show there. And of course, you can leave your observations beneath the show notes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, whoever it is you get this show. Hit the follow button and leave us a review and a rating while you're at it. Yes, Chris, what is it? Yeah, because I know you get angry when I sort of butt in.

at times. But just on the Rea thing, I found that fascinating. Two of my sons are goalkeepers and one of them sent me through the...

Rea and the penalties, how early he was diving. It was a Lenny Yoro penalty. It was unbelievable. But here's one for you, you see, because a lot was made and they did it on the television cameras. They always focus on the goalkeepers and before the penalty shootout when they go and they analyse where particular players are going to take a penalty and their names on water bottles. But

Surely there's an argument, and I'm sure players do it, and I would have done it, is that outfield players must analyse goalkeepers as well. And if you see a goalkeeper going as early...

as Rea did, of course you would naturally just slow down and take your time and let him commit. But I was astonished because Rea is an excellent goalkeeper, but that was like suicide, wasn't it? That was ridiculous how early he was going. Yeah, if you haven't seen it, have a look on socials at the way that Rea behaved earlier.

as Lenny Yarrow was preparing to take his penalty for Manchester United. I know for a fact that some of the players, the England players from the 1990 World Cup semi-final shootout defeat to Germany still blame Peter Schilter

for not getting anywhere near any of the German penalties. Chris, is that a thing in shootouts? Do the strikers or the guys who got to take the penalties under all the pressure get irritated when the goalkeepers don't do their bit? Well, it depends, doesn't it? I mean, the... Do you know what we know about them? Yeah, if they let a bad one in where it goes under. If I was an Arsenal player, I'd have been angry with Rea yesterday for that. I mean, that's... I mean, it wasn't even...

If you had asked a player, you would be. Yeah, I would, yeah. Well, actually, what on earth are you doing going that early? I don't get that. You know, it's all about timing. I get, like, with somebody, sort of your height and your athleticism, and of course you're going to have to go. I mean, you were a former goalkeeper. You'd have to go early. You'd have to go about three seconds early when the player had started the run-up just to try and get near the post. It's hard to go early when he's standing on a stool, though.

But that was, I mean, you know, it is an art, isn't it? You know, people say it's a lottery taking penalties or penalty shootouts. They're not. It's a skill and it's the same for goalkeepers. You know, what maddens me nowadays, another thing, I was up at Dingwall. It was absolute minus eight it was for Ross County football.

Celtic and Celtic got the penalty and the goalkeeper who'd had a really good game a misser for a for Ross County came off his line too early they have to you know it is it is now a skill for goalkeepers to to make sure that they get their timing right and some goalkeepers make it look easy and

I'm not saying it's easy to save a penalty, but they shouldn't be careless enough to do that. He actually made the save, came off his line, retake, Arna Engels scored. And it's the same for David Wright. It's actually really important. And hence, we are now looking at Arsenal in a different light. And Arsenal may have lost the shootout anyway, however important.

uh, Raya, uh, played in goal because of the quality of Manchester United's penalties, but it is, it is a skill penalty taking, you know, and it's a skill for the goalkeeper as well. And, and when you, and we often look at goalkeepers and think, well, the pressure's off, the pressure's off the goalkeepers. They can, they can be the hero. Most people expect the, uh,

you know, the penalty taker to score. But I'd be pretty angry if I was an Arsenal fan with the way that Rea was in goal. The Morecambe goalkeeper was almost on the six-yard line when he saved that penalty at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. No VAR, of course. And it is interesting about penalties now because most penalty takers are very adept now of waiting for a goalkeeper to make their move and then putting it the other side. I think technique has evolved a little bit. Anyway, right.

Oh, they never used to do that. No, of course they, I mean, Eric Cantona wasn't doing that back at the early days of the Premier League. I mean, no, I mean, blimey. They were just, before the Premier League, they were just a bunch of old cloggers who ran up and just whacked it anywhere. Football's really gone on. John Robertson didn't do that at Wembley for Scotland against England did a years ago.

Those who were unfortunate enough to watch you play for Chelsea would probably agree with all of that. Right, let's do some questions for Chris. This is from one of our regulars, Chris. Has the FA Cup showed games to be better without VAR?

I think people prefer games without VAR. Unless you're a Manchester United fan. Unless you're a High Maguire. Dive from Kai Havertz yesterday. Stephen Ballantyne on XR Newcastle on for the treble. Tongue in cheek, I think.

I would love it if they won the treble. It just shows how well they're going. A couple of months ago, they weren't going so well. No European football, but they are in all competitions. Great time to be a Newcastle fan, but if he's asking me whether Newcastle will win a treble...

When was the last time they won a trophy? Was it in the 50s? Was it in the 50s? Greg Hope, our Newcastle correspondent, makes the point on Mail Online this morning that this is the first time since 1976 that Newcastle have been in all three domestic competitions. Top flight, League Cup, FA Cup, heading out of January. Yes, they're on for the travel. That is some stat. Pete Blogger asks us, has arrogance taken over Mikel Arteta's Arsenal team?

Has arrogance... I don't sort of understand that. Is he talking about Arteta not signing a striker? I think he's referring to behaviour. I don't think you'd describe that as arrogance. Okay. I think you could just use other words. Fergal Hardiman. It's 30 years, Chris, since you won the league with Blackburn. Are you in touch with any of those players?

It's a bit of a loaded question, isn't it, Fergal? No, it's not. I mean, does he think I'm... Does he... Exactly that. Does he think I'm unpopular? Answer the question. Or does he think I'm really popular? No. Answer the question. No. No, I am. No, I am.

I wish that was true. I feel a little bit sad about that. Basically, what you mean is you're constantly ringing Kevin Gallagher's phone and he never answers it. And finally... No, that cheerer. Yeah, indeed, yeah. Finally, Peter... I don't blame him. You've got to go through Alan's agent to get a cup of tea with Alan. Finally, Peter DF asks you on X, are you surprised Brendan Rodgers wasn't linked to...

with Everton or West Ham I think we can rule them out the Everton one former Liverpool manager but the West Ham one that's an interesting question Brendan Rodgers and the Premier League how do we know he wasn't linked well because he committed to Celtic I think he signed a three year deal and after what happened last time when he downgraded and went to Leicester

I don't think he would be leaving early again. Downgraded to go from the Scottish Premier League to the English Premier League. There's a big call. Downgraded. I actually think that's a really good question from Peter. Why wouldn't someone like Brendan Rodgers be linked? How do we know he wasn't linked publicly? I mean, you are the guys who write the articles, put these articles up.

I mean, you make a lot of things up anyway. Easy, easy. I do have a lawyer.

I'd love to meet your lawyer. He or she must be really intelligent or maybe not to represent you. So, yeah, I mean, maybe he was linked. He would have been in the thinking. I'm sure he must be in the thinking of a lot of people. Because he's lost in the wilderness of the Scottish football set-up. That's why. Anyway, let's not fall out. Let's not fall out. Let's not fall out.

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Salford went to Manchester City on Saturday. Gary Neville and Paul Scholes and the gang, Class of 92, took their League 2 outfit across Manchester to East Manchester.

And came away having shipped eight goals. The story came after the game. Bit of a mic drop moment, as the young people say. Pep Guardiola in the press conference after the game asked about Kyle Walker's absence and revealed that Kyle Walker has asked to leave Manchester City and we expect him to do so in the next game.

couple of weeks. Just an update on that. Simon Jones, male sports transfer expert, writes today, Monday, that AC Milan are in pole position to take Walker. That would scupper any hope that Marcus Rashford has of going to Milan because there's a rule in Italy where they can only take one British player. Kyle Walker, we'll miss him when he goes, won't we? Yeah, totally. And

You said it was a shock, I think. It's a bit of a shock, really. A real shock, mid-season. Yeah, but his form hasn't been good this season. I suppose that's the ruthless nature of football and that Pep is striving to get back to Manchester City, to get back to the best form.

And I suppose he just feels that Kyle Walker, maybe his mindset hasn't been what it should have been this season, but he's been a phenomenal player for Pep and Manchester City. And he will be a loss, but you can't get away from the fact that this season he hasn't been particularly good, but he's not the only one. I mean, blimey, Pep could have got rid of a fair few. I think it's okay to say. I don't think the lawyers are going to jump on us for saying that Kyle's

Kyle's had a pretty colourful year from a private life point of view. He's been on the front of the front of the newspapers and the news websites probably more than he would have wished to. I wonder whether he feels that getting to a new country might get him away from some of that and concert on his football. I don't know. That is speculation for myself, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was something to do with it. All I know is that I've really enjoyed watching him play.

I loved him when he played in that Tottenham team. That incredibly athletic Tottenham back four of Walker, Vertonghen, Alderweireld and Kieran Trippier, stroke Danny Rose back in the day under Pochettino. They were fabulous to watch. And he came to City and just got better and better. Can play centre half, did so for England, I think, in the World Cup in 2018. Lightning pace. And you know what, Chris? Yes.

I don't know whether you've ever met him. I have a few times with England and also at City. I've sat down and interviewed him. A really grounded, down-to-earth lad. Loves playing his football. And yeah, I think he's a loss to our game. And it'll be interesting what happens if he goes to Italy. He may thrive. Lots of players have gone from this league. Ashley Young won. Chris Smalling.

Romelu Lukaku, another, Edin Zeko, Olivier Giroud have gone to Italy and had a new lease of life over there. And it could happen to Kyle. I mean, you can still watch him play. You know, you basically sound, it sounded like he was retiring. We have televisions. We can still, you know, we can still watch him.

And, you know, he hasn't walked away from England, I don't think, has he? Just saying that he's been lost to the Premier League. I don't know. I don't know why I'm fond of him like I am. I understand. I think he's a love-watcher. No, and you make the point, you know, he is getting on a bit now, but he, you know, arguably the best ever right back the Premier League scene, I would say. Well, people would look at Gary Neville and he was steady, wasn't he? But I think Kyle Walker, there's a strong argument to...

to say that he would, you know, he would have been the best out there. Just thinking, Dennis Owen could play on the right side, great fullback, you could play both sides. But you would view him as more of a left-back, Dennis Owen, albeit he was a right-footed left-back, but that's a good shout. But,

Yeah, I mean, there's not many who you'd have above him. Interesting. Let us know what you think. Best ever right back in the Premier League. Kyle Walker, question mark. Decent shout that one. Let us know what you think. You know where to find us. I suppose the upset of the weekend, Chris, just quickly, was at Brentford, Plymouth winning against Thomas Frank's team. But, you know, I wasn't that surprised. Brentford reserves...

It does make me think, we're going back to the subject that we covered at the top, but just briefly, it does make me think that, you know, why a team like Brentford, who've beaten Liverpool in the past, beaten Arsenal in the past, beaten Man United in the past, wouldn't have a pop at winning the FA Cup, feel the strong team against Plymouth. But then you look at the week they've got, there's a full Premier League round of fixtures this midweek. You question the wisdom of that. That clearly influences the way that

picked teams for the third round of the Cup. Brentford have got Manchester City on Tuesday and Liverpool on Saturday. So if you're Thomas Frank, really, what do you do? What do you do? That's the flip side of it. It's easy to say. I really admire Thomas Frank.

I love the job which he's done. But if you're a Brentford fan, you're safe in the Premier League, I'd rather see my team really have a go at the FA Cup. It wouldn't have been impossible. Because they are a team who on their day, you think, could absolutely, absolutely could fight anybody. You know, the whole football to get to the Premier League and the promised land, you know, was massive for Brentford. But now...

I mean, you can want everything. There's nothing wrong with being greedy as a Brentford fan. They probably believe, you know, at one point they'd never get back to the top level. Now they are and they're regulars and they're established and they're not going down. If I'm a Brentford fan, yeah, a slight tinge of disappointment. Premier League's great to watch, but an FA Cup run would have been brilliant for them. They did okay in the Carabao Cup, didn't they, you know, as well? Yeah.

Some sad news broke last week, subject close to your heart. Chris Dean Windass, former Hull City striker, is only 55 years old, has revealed that he's suffering from dementia. And I know, Chris, that that will have struck a chord with you for certain.

Yeah, really, really sad news. I mean, the thing which makes me really frustrated, that was four years, four and a bit years, when my dad, Mike, passed away, who was a former player. And what I do know is...

I would have expected and thought that the footballing authorities would be in a position where they have shown far greater support, Ian, for ex-players and their family in terms of support for care home fees with the money in the game. But guess what? They're not the PFA...

They haven't supported players and their families in the way that they should have done. I think Maheda Malonga is just the same as Gordon Taylor. I think he's the head of the PFA team.

I know families out there who have asked for support from the PFA in terms of paying care home fees and giving families who can't afford to pay the care home fees, these ex-players families, the finance, help them with the finance. And what they do, what they do is they make them form fill.

And it then becomes a long and arduous, a difficult process. And guess what? In the meantime, their loved ones are getting progressively worse and worse and worse. And then the end comes. They kick the can down the road. I think that that is an appalling way for a union to...

to behave. They might not like me saying it, but it's true and it's the way I feel. It shouldn't be this way. The money within the game, there should be greater support. And John Stiles now, Football Families for Justice, he has Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Manchester, on board. Steve Rotherham, the Mayor of Liverpool, on board. And hopefully,

they can really help push and establish greater funding for ex-players and their families because there's, you know, this isn't going away. Everybody thinks dementia and neurodegenerative diseases are about, you know, old people, older players. I think it really hits home. Dean Windhouse is, you know, relatively young. He's a couple of years older than me. He's a player from this current generation.

not the current generation, but our generation of players who he knows. He was a fine player, but it really hits home when you see somebody like him who comes out and says that he has dementia at such a young age. I do know as well that Malonga has tried to get in touch with Dean Windass. It's a bit like...

After the horse has bolted, I don't believe the PFA know how many players or ex-players out there have dementia. I don't think that's right. This is the players' union.

We know that you watched your father suffer a childhood with dementia. And I know from knowing you well, the impact that's had on you and how deeply you care about this subject. And I think we'll all wish Dean Windus well as he comes to term with his diagnosis. And on the back of that, Chris, let's do a couple of moments of the weekend. You got one lined up or do you want me to go first? Yeah.

Well, I mean, we've already touched on Plymouth, the FA Cups, the giant killers of the weekend. I mean, they're fair play to the Plymouth fans. I mean, Plymouth is sort of an outpost, isn't it? It's a little bit like Norwich, but further. Yeah.

And, you know, they have, I don't think they've won or they hadn't won an away game this season in the championship. And, you know, some of the journeys which they have, I think they've still got Sunderland and Middlesbrough to come. So fair play for their fans, the 230 miles.

from the G Tech Community Stadium from, I think it's still Home Park. They change names all these stadiums all the time. And, you know, they would have gone home happy on the coaches and in the cars and whether the trains were running or not.

But that is what being a football fan is all about. That moment, that day, it's been a difficult season for the Plymouth fans. So I absolutely made up. That's, as I say, what football is about. It's a very good point. And they've got their reward. They've got a home tie against Liverpool in the next round. I went out with a girl who lived in Plymouth once. And I was living in Nottingham. I was living in Nottingham. And I can guarantee it was a long way to go for a cuddle. That's all I'm going to say on that.

I'm sure she felt the same. Anyway, yes, my one, I'm going to go back to the Tamworth game. Everybody will have seen it. Hayden Hollis, the 32-year-old Tamworth centre-back, the bit of, should we call it Maradona, should we call it Pele, should we call it Cruyff, whatever he did with that little turn he did in the centre of the field to bamboozle one of the Tottenham players. Maradona 12.

It was magnificent. There you go. Tamworth followed it up by posting a picture of Maradona on the socials. Hayden himself said afterwards, that's not my game. I've never done it before and I don't know where it came from. Later on in the game, he was heading one off the line. That's more like his job. And also to finish, a great quote from our friend Ang Prosta-Coghly before the game, interviewed very well and very entertainingly by the excellent Mark Pugash on ITV.

Mark was talking to Ange about the fact that we're getting to change in porter cabins at the Lamb Ground, et cetera. And Ange cut him off by saying, never judge someone by the house they live in. Some of the most unlikable people I've met live in some pretty nice houses. You know what I mean? We sometimes say that Ange hasn't reacted particularly well in the media glare recently. We've been under a bit of pressure, but he comes out with a line like that.

and um we forgive him everything so there we go that's it that's us i think chris thanks for being with us again mate we missed you last thursday nathan talked to the fine job but nothing like a bit of chris sutton to uh lift everybody's spirits on a monday i'll say it once again you know where to find us silly name and famous name get in touch this community is really really precious to us it's special to us we love to hear from you we think the show's a better show when we've got your input so uh get in touch and um

have a chat to us about some of the things that we've got through today. Chris, it's good to see you, mate. I'm Ian Ladyman. The chat with replays close to his heart is Chris Sutton. This has been It's All Kicking Off.