'Trent, just tell us where your future lies rather than performing cryptic celebrations'
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Sort my hair out. I'm going grey. Thank you. Do you wear hair dye, Chris? Do I wear hair dye? I think you do. I need to. Well, all I'd say is if I wore hair dye, it would be quite odd to do the top and then just leave the sides grey. Going grey gracefully. I don't mind being grey. I'd rather be grey than bald.

You're not bald. Well, if you think you're losing your hair, then that's up to you. But that wasn't what I was saying. That was not what I was saying. I was just talking. I was just having a conversation as two men with full heads of hair could have on a nice Monday morning. I might have to go to Turkey. You what? I might have to go to Turkey. What does that mean?

If you go to Turkey, yes, where everybody has the old hair weaves. My brother-in-law had one. What did he go to? Did he go to Turkey? Oh, to Turkey. Turkey, Turkey, Turkey. I thought you meant Christmas Turkey. I don't think Christmas turkeys do like hair. Your brother-in-law goes to Turkey for his hair. That's where everybody goes, isn't it? You can't do it in England.

Remember Stephen Ireland played for City? He did it in England. I don't think Rooney went to take it. I don't know. No, I don't know. Anyway, there we go. Chris Boyd. Maybe that's what we should call this show from now on. Rather Be Grey Than Bald podcast. The Rather Grey Than Bald podcast. That's what we'll call it from now on. Right, let's start. Come on. Chris, you are the only bloke I know who's never been to a pop concert.

And that is actually true. You told me that when we had lunch before Christmas. You've never been to a pop concert. You are the only bloke I know who's never been to a pop concert. You can't know many people then. I know loads of people and they've all been to pop concerts. I know loads of people. They've all been to pop concerts because I've checked with all of them. Have they? Checked with all of them. You've never been. Your first question is it? You've never been to a pop concert, which is extraordinary really. But nevertheless,

I want you to listen to this piece of music and tell me why you think it may be significant. Well, that's Blondie. That's Blondie. I know that. Okay, that's good. That's better than I thought. That was Blondie. That was Sunday Girl by Blondie. And that was top of the charts in May 1979.

Now, come on, what do you think is the link there to today's footballing theme? May 1979. Is this something to do with Nottingham Forest? Keep going, my son, keep going. Am I on the right line? You are 100%. Continuing the Blondie theme, you are on the right line rather than the parallel line.

You may not get that gag, but people will. Oh, I don't get that gag. But it must be when Nottingham Forest were flying this high in the top flight. You know what? You've had a good start with it. Parallel Lines, by the way, was the name of Blondie's award-winning album back in the day. Oh, was it? May 1979, the last time Liverpool were top of the English top flight and Nottingham Forest were second. Oh, God.

At the end of that season, Liverpool won it. Forrest, who I think were European champions at the time, was second. And that's where we are right now. Can you believe it? That as I sit here on the morning of the 30th of December 2024, Liverpool are top. That would have surprised a lot of people at the start of the season, but nowhere near as many people who would have been surprised if we'd have said that Forrest, my tip for relegation, would have.

be second when is this Nottingham Forest charged back to relevance going to stop 2-0 win at Everton Everton booed off we'll get to that in a minute but what a what a scene

Yeah, and they were missing Murillo as well. They were. Got injured in the warm-up. Oh, I mean, just a lovely balanced team. And Everton's form has been pretty good as of late, haven't they? Chelsea held Arsenal, held Manchester City.

But you just can't stop this Nottingham Forest team. Lovely balance. We've spoken about that all season. But they've got a bit of momentum now. A lot of momentum. And, you know, you're just not quite sure where momentum can take a team. They have that confidence and belief in one another. So...

It looks like they will get some sort of European spot, but can they keep this run going? May 1979, Margaret Thatcher had just been elected as Prime Minister in England. Kevin Keegan was England captain and a pint of beer cost 40p.

40p for a pint of beer. 40p for a pint of beer. A mate of mine sent me a screen grab from a pub in Brighton at the start of the weekend. We often have this game. It's called Guest a Pint of Beer Game. So he sent me a photograph of his pint of beer. £9.50.

£9.50. You are joking. That's ridiculous. And it was local. £9.50. And it was locally brewed, which makes you think, well, therefore it's locally brewed. So you can't, it's not like you can be adding in a huge transportation cost in that. You know,

It was a local ale in Brighton. £9.50. There you go. £9 more than it cost the last time that Forest were riding this high. So look, Liverpool are top and we're going to get into them first of all while we're talking about statistics and things like that. Arnish Lott, Liverpool manager, has managed 49 games in 2024 for two different clubs.

Feyenoord and Liverpool. He's lost one. He's lost one game in the calendar year as a manager. And that was, of course, as Liverpool manager, and it was against Nottingham Forest at home. He's won 23. He's won 23 out of 27 with Liverpool so far this season. And they absolutely demolished West Ham last night. Yeah, phenomenal job. I don't think anybody saw...

on a slot achieving at Liverpool what he has achieved so far. And I think the most important point you just made is there's no sign of it stopping. I mean, they absolutely thrashed West Ham. The game was over early, wasn't it? They have that ability. We said on the last pod, they have that ability to chop and change and leave top players out. And I mean, they're absolutely relentless.

I mean, for the Premier League now, you're just, I mean, I'm just hoping that Arsenal can hang on in there. And maybe Chelsea, you know, maybe with Chelsea dropping points in recent games, they're going to fall away. But, you know, what can stop Liverpool doesn't look like the, and everybody's talking about it now, it doesn't look like this contract situation or the contract wrangling

to be affecting the three said players very much, doesn't it? They're just carrying on regardless. And if anything, I don't think the contract situation is one where it's a, you know, that Liverpool are dangling a carrot, especially after what Mo Salah said after the game, but that isn't affecting the players' form. I'd love to know

what Salah said after the game when he was asked about his contract was, he said he didn't want to talk much about it. He said, I don't want to put things in the media. Well, you've done that already, Merwin, about three consecutive weekends going back a month, do you know what I mean? So I think we know how you feel about it, mate. I have to say, I do think from a journalist's point of view,

excuse me for sniffing, one of the hardest, or not hardest, but one of the most tedious jobs in football at the moment does belong to all those guys and girls covering Liverpool or working for TV companies, covering the live games, constantly having to ask Van Dijk

Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Is there any update on the contract? I do feel for them because they've got to ask the question, okay? Even though the players are bored of it and it sounds a bit tedious. I was listening to you on 606 yesterday when I was driving home from the Leicester game

And the reporter for the BBC asked Van Dyck whether there was any update on his contract. And he just said, no, rather grumpily. And you likened it to a batsman playing a forward defensive contract.

And you can sense the public thinking, why do you keep asking them when they never have an answer? Well, you've got to ask them. You've got to ask them because one day, the one day you don't ask them is the day when someone else will ask them and they will have an answer. So you've got to keep asking them. But I can imagine the people listening, watching on the TV, listening on the radio, reading on, you know, websites and newspapers and going, oh, for God's

say why why why well that's why because eventually there will be an answer she got it I don't know if you've got a view on that because you've been both sides of the fence you've been a player I'm sure you've stood there before thinking are more dumb questions but you're now on our side of the fence as well so I don't know what your kind of take on that is

Yeah. And I love, it was George Cummings from, from five live and he's brilliant at interviews, but I do take your point, you know, you know, everybody has paymasks if you don't ask the question and then they go and, you know, start spouting off to, to, to somebody else. And yeah,

you know, saying that they're close to getting a deal done, then that's not going to be a good look, is it? So I do get that. You know, one of the quotes of the season so far, which I actually heard John Murray refer to on the radio the other day, was from Salah when our own Liverpool correspondent, Lewis Steele, went all the way down to Southampton for that game, stood in the rain by the team bus,

Didn't expect to get anything. Mo Salah walks over and that's when he gives that quote when he says, I'm more out than in. And that's still being talked about today. So that's why I used to keep having to ask these questions. Is there a different way you can ask it? Is there a roundabout way? Is there a sort of clever way you can approach it? But there's only so many ways. There's only two or three ways. And by the time you get to, you know, New Year's Eve, and this is a situation that's been going on since last summer,

Believe me, all those different ways of asking the question have been exhausted and you're now going round and round and round again. I was listening to TalkSport on the way to Leicester yesterday and on one of their shows they were talking about reporters asking dumb questions of Ange Postacoglu.

Tottenham constantly asking him about his style of play, constantly asking him when he feels under pressure. But again, you've kind of got to do it. The people who cover Tottenham regularly will be willing Tottenham to go on a good run so they don't have to keep asking Ange about the style of play, about the high line, about whether he worries about his job. They'll be one because it's not really fun for anyone. When you get into a cycle of...

when you cover a football club. And I've been there when I used to cover United and Man City. You get into a cycle of results and therefore the questions and the dialogue at City, the dialogue with Pep Guardiola is the same at the moment. It's a constant churn of the same questions. It gets tedious for us as well. But what else do you do? You can't pretend. Soften them up. Soften them up. Give them a bottle of wine or a book or a card, a Christmas card. Just something.

You're going to buy a football manager a bottle of wine these days, mate. It's going to have to be a pretty expensive one. If you came to me, if I was walking out and you were in the interview area, I'd probably ignore you. But if you had a little bottle or something or a card or whatever, then that might...

That might soften me up a little bit. We'll try it. You never know. Okay, there you go. Maybe that is the way forward. Good old-fashioned bribery might be the way forward. Anyway, in terms of those contract situations at Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a goal. I think it was Liverpool's fourth goal. Ran off to the crowd.

doing a bit of a talking gesture with his hands. What was he doing? There was a lot of chat in the Spanish papers yesterday morning, Marco, particularly in Madrid, suggesting that a deal for Trent to go to Madrid is done. I think that was maybe Trent's way of saying, oh, it's all just a load of talk. Arnaud Slot came out afterwards and said, the way he celebrated his goal should probably tell you enough. And what I think about that, Chris, is at the end of the day,

If Trent thinks it is just chat, okay, I don't think it is. If he thinks it is, and he isn't going to Madrid, and he is staying at Liverpool, well, there's an easy way to deal with that. Just say it. Just say it. We don't need the gestures and the trying to think of the right word, and the ambiguous quotes from the manager. Just tell us, Trent. If you're staying, mate, just tell us. He did post on Instagram a picture of him and Mo Salah.

last night. I don't know what that... Well, there we go. Does that mean they're staying or going? Let's not talk in code, guys. Let's just talk. We don't need the code. Let's just talk. Anyway, magnificent performance by Liverpool. 5-0. Manchester United coming to Anfield next Sunday. Feels a little bit ominous for Ruben Amir and his players already. United play tonight, of course, at home to Newcastle Monday night. That is...

A couple of things I want to say before a bit of West Ham. I do love this. I do quite like this front three Liverpool with Luis Diaz through the middle. They scored six at Tottenham playing that way. Scored five at West Ham now playing that way with Gapko on the left and Mo on the right. Wonder if that might be the way forward. Wonder if that might be the way forward for Liverpool.

Very interesting. And the Salah touch for the second goal looked all a bit Bergkamp to me, although there is a school of thought that might suggest that it was a bit of a fluke.

I thought that was a bit spawny. Did he? Spawny? Yeah, a little bit. I mean, I don't think he actually meant it to turn out as it did. I think he got a little bit lucky. But the fact that he was positive in his intention deserves it, doesn't he, for that? For that and that alone. Yeah.

Absolutely. Correct. Bad signs for West Ham. Did you think Bergkamp meant his? You know what, mate? The one at Newcastle. I've watched that so many times and I don't know.

because it's sometimes you have to watch it again to try and work out what exactly it was that he did and I do wonder if it was just one of those moments where a footballer is in such a zone of confidence his body almost does things without his mind thinking about it if you know what I mean I should be asking my body does things all the time that I don't know about so

I should ask you, do you think Bergkamp meant it? The Newcastle one? Yeah, I do. I do think that he meant that. What did you write that day? Did you write, I don't know? Good journalism, that. I don't know whether Dennis meant that. I think I was working for the Nottingham Post back then, so I'm not sure it really mattered what I thought about Dennis Bergkamp any more than it matters now. Like I say, bad signs for West Ham, not just a result of

There are a few worrying episodes of players ambling back in that game. If you watch the final Liverpool goal, the Jota goal, Salah breaks away and Jota comes by him on the left. He runs past about four West Ham players who look like they're in quicksand. On the radio, I was listening to Franny Benali doing co-commentary. He was talking about Mohamed Koudis not running back. On another occasion, there's Drogba,

that's not what you want to hear or see if you're a West Ham supporter right now. You need to see the opposite. No, but should we sort of look, be fair to Lopetegui and the West Ham team and look at their recent form and think that they seem to have turned a corner, but the way Liverpool seem to be dismantling absolutely everybody at this moment in time, you know,

hopefully from a West Ham perspective as a one-off. But Jared Bowen did come off on the hour mark, didn't he? Hobbled off and you just think an injury to him or a bad injury, if he's out for a significant period, then it's going to be more of a struggle for West Ham and Lopetegui.

Yeah, but you've got to run, mate. However many injuries you've got. I agree. You've got to run. I agree. You've got to run whether it's 0-0, 1-0 or 5-0. You've got to run. Not a good look for Lopetegui, though. No, absolutely not. Forest, as we say, won at Everton. They are now on their longest winning run in the top flight since 1995. And that was the 15th time that Forest have taken the lead in the Premier League this season. That's an astonishing stat.

That is actually, I was talking to a friend of mine, again, like I say, I was driving home from Leicester. A lot of friends. A friend of mine. Same friend. A friend of mine on the phone, who I was catching up with after a long time having not done so. Big Forrest fan. And he was just telling me how, you know, the feel good factor that comes with something like this. You know, I'm sure Liverpool fans are feeling happy right now. I'm sure Chelsea fans are feeling relatively happy, given that they're kind of slightly...

exceeding what people thought they would do. But when you're a fan of a club like Forest, it's been down in the doldrums for a long time. And even since being back in the Premier League has had a bit of controversy hanging over the club, points deductions, financial issues with the owner. And now here they are, all of a sudden, second in the Premier League. And my friend was just saying to me that,

And they know it won't last in terms of really think they're going to finish second, but it's just being relevant again. It's just being happy again. It's just being talked about for the right reasons. It's being second on match of the day instead of last on match of the day. It's all of that that we probably don't get enough of in football these days because it's always the big teams at the top of the league, probably more than it ever was.

Well, I was born in Nottingham and they were my team when I was younger. So the sort of older Forest fan, to be back to those, I mean, they're not quite at the heady heights of the Brian Clough era. They were a phenomenal team, but that's always the sort of benchmark, I suppose. And in the early Premier League years, Nottingham Forest were in there, but not anywhere near this level. So it is lovely to see that.

that Nottingham Forest are back flying again and near the top. And that stat actually at the top is a great stat, you know, you said about the Liverpool top and Nottingham Forest second, because they were at one time the...

the two biggest clubs in the land going toe to toe in the, in the league and in, and in the European cup, weren't they back in the day? So it was, yeah, I mean, just, just finishing off the season now is important. The start, of course, I think they're five points better off than they were last season than they managed in terms of the points tally last season. And we talk about that, their balance, their confidence is high. You just,

wonder if anything happened to somebody like Chris Wood. Would they be able to replace his goals? But having said all that, you can't think like that at this moment in time. They're flying and long may it continue. Everton booed off. Why is it that these days in the Premier League, if you don't win, you're booed off? Tottenham drew and were booed off. Everton having just come on to offer a great run of results away from home at established clubs, then have a disappointment at home. They're booed off.

Everton deserve to be booed off just for losing, the crime of losing a Premier League game. Yeah, it's the, well, I think it's the nature of modern football. I've said, you know, many times that's a shame game where you have to go over and stand near your fan base who are giving you absolute pelters. I've never understood that for the life of me. Look, I think there's a large section of the Everton support who are disillusioned with Everton

with Sean Dyche and the brand of football and the lack of goals. And that's clearly an issue. Telling in an interview after the game I was listening to with Sean Dyche, the praise he was giving Chris Wood, the Nottingham Forest centre forward, not just his goals, but his all-round game about leading the line. And that's clearly a sort of veiled dig. I think it was Broglie yesterday who started up top for Everton. Difficult it is for...

for Broglie because he hasn't had a run of games. He needs to suddenly find his rhythm. I think the biggest disappointment has been Dominic Calvert-Lewin. I've said before on this podcast, I think if you went back four or five years, that was the last time where he was prolific in the Premier League, 16 Premier League goals. And then in the subsequent four seasons, he hasn't even got 16 in total.

And you think about that. And yet he's a player who you think on his day, he has all the attributes. But yeah, I've been there myself as a striker and spoken many times about it. But you have a little dip in confidence at that level. And maybe the...

the chances aren't coming. And then when you get a chance, you suddenly snatch at it. And that's a massive issue for Everton. Where are the goals going to come from? But all things being equal, it is about getting through to the end of the season, staying in the Premier League,

New ownership, new stadium, and moving forward, whether Sean Dyche will be there or not, I have my doubts. Dyche doesn't seem keen to give Calvert-Lewin a run, whether that's a fitness thing or what, I don't know. He just seems to be a little bit in and out. Everton have scored 31 goals in 2024, which is 20 fewer.

than the next lowest team, which is Wolves. That is an astonishing statistic. You probably noticed there, Chris, I was just looking at my phone while you were talking, just suddenly struck me, made me wonder whether there's been a better value transfer in the Premier League recently than Chris Wood from Newcastle to Nottingham Forest. £15 million difference.

It's a fair question. And it's maybe something we should think about for another show. Talk about maybe, you know, what, you know, some of the best value transfers we've seen because Nostica and Forrest are certainly getting their, certainly getting their payback on that. The Apple Watch Series 10 is here. It has the biggest display ever.

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Tottenham are booed off as well. They drew 2-2 at home to Wolves. Jürgen Strand-Larsen getting an equaliser late in that game. Developing story overnight. Call it a story in inverted commas. It's a bit of social media piffle, really. But if it's good enough for Instagram, it's good enough for us.

James Madison and Brennan Johnson headed off to the darts at Alley Pally after the game. I actually know someone who was there and saw them.

said they were just watching the darts. They weren't getting tanked up. They weren't drawing attention to themselves. They were just there. We know particularly that James Madison likes the darts. He throws a dart as part of his celebration when he scores a goal. Some of the Spurs fans aren't too chuffed

A few of them, particularly Madison, calling him out on it and suggesting he should be... How would you treat the players? I mean, the other day it was Neto. Lock him in a cupboard and give him water and dog biscuits. That went down well. Would that be... That went down well with the Chelsea fans. The Mr Bumble approach. I enjoyed that. My ex-feed on...

Thursday, Friday afternoon was quite a scene, I have to say. I think in fairness to you, I mean, you have to explain this. I think there was a large element of tongue in cheek. You really want him locked in a room fed water and dog biscuits. The problem with me is that whenever I come out with a good line and it's not that often, but whenever I come out, I tend to ruin it. And I did ruin that because I noticed that on the clip,

I pronounced the name of the Chelsea manager wrong. So even though I know that his name is Maresca, obviously, of course I do. But for some reason on that clip, I called him Maresco. So then you just get a load of Chelsea fans saying, oh, you can't even pronounce the name of the manager right. Anyway, there we go. Do all Chelsea fans speak that way?

No dog biscuits and water for James Madison and Brennan Johnson. I mean, for God's sake, you talk about the same game. They've just drawn a game of football. Why on earth can't they go out and watch a bit of darts? I don't think they need to go and hide under the bed, do they? Yeah.

Look, if they're there, I get it if they're there and they're getting tanked up and behaving badly. But that's absolutely ridiculous. You know, footballers are allowed to have a life as well. So that's not a problem. Spurs in the game were a little bit unfortunate. Son looks a player...

shot to pieces his confidence. It looked like that for a while and then for whatever reason, and I've missed plenty of penalties, so who am I to say, but he took so long. He did. He took so long over it and I don't look, I don't know why the proof of the pudding is always in the eating and I

I mean, I've got to say it's a good save from Saar, but he sort of epitomises Tottenham at this moment in time in that there are players lacking confidence. But from the Wolves' perspective, Strand Larsson, I mean, we've got to say that the editor, Henry, did pull it out of the pod last week. You would have had the Wolves fans on your case. Well, you might as well tell them what I said. I don't mind. Well, you, I mean, you aren't a fan of Strand Larsson or you weren't before the week. I said he was hopeless.

I said it was hopeless and it was edited out last week's show. Yeah, from Henry, our editor. And yet, Cunha and Strand-Larsen have scored more goals between them than Everton this season. So I think that was his seventh of the season. So he's been quite an important player for Wolves, hasn't he? He's obviously been doing something good when I've not been looking. Anyway, let's go into some more questions for Chris. And these ones have all come from X.

This is from Fergal Hardiman. Chris, why did so many pundits predict Liverpool wouldn't finish in the top four? Don't you hate Captain Hindsight? Don't you hate that?

Ian Fergal, come on, you're better than that, Fergal. I think a fair few did predict that Liverpool would finish in the top four. I don't think anybody predicted, not even great journalists like yourself, Ian, predicted that Liverpool would be top of the Premier League and flying and top of the Champions League and flying. But just because of the change of manager, that's why I think there was a, you know, everybody thought that there would be a transition period. Yeah.

Short answer for this one. Aidan Martin asks, will Big Ange be given time at Spurs? Not should he, will he? All about the Cups, isn't it? I think that the Cup game against, or the Cup semi-finals against Liverpool, absolutely ginormous. Tamworth in the FA Cup, I believe?

Should get past that one. They're not going to lose to Tommy Tonks as long throw. Fair point there about the cup competitions. Absolutely, absolutely. Carver Cup semi-final coming up next month. Matthew Donnelly, this is an interesting one.

Should Man United buy or loan Ben Chilwell from Chelsea in January? Really good question. He'd fit in at Manchester United. Well, I mean, you know, Malassi has played two, started two Premier League games. Luke Shaw started zero. So, you know, get another injury-prone left-back in. Yeah, why not?

Very pithy, that Chris. But I have to say, bloody good player, Ben Chilwell. Yeah, he is. And look, maybe in fairness to Ben, he probably needs a move, doesn't he, to get his career kick-started. But look what has happened to Mason Mount at Manchester United. He just smells like another one. Mr Meady.

Should family members be exiled if they give you cereal bowls for presents at Christmas? Yeah, that's a dig at my son George for getting me four cereal bowls. Oh, did he? Oh, I didn't know this. Did he? Yeah, yeah, and that's where that question came from. Have you said this on one of your other eight podcasts that you did? Yeah, but he should be banished. I mean, I paid his university fees, Ian, and they're not cheap. Can I get four cereal bowls? Why four?

Why just not one? No, no, because he was splashing out of it. We're a house. We love breaking things.

A great bowl. Perhaps a newspaper. I've got a mate who once bought his wife a Hoover for Christmas and that is not a joke. That is not a joke. Can you believe that? You might as well just give her a note asking for a divorce, really, mightn't you? Anyway, this is questions for Chris. Just quickly, my other son Harry got me a cushion with a picture of supposedly a border terrier on, but it looked nothing like it. It was a totally different person.

It's just terrible. It has the wrong colour, wrong eyes, wrong ears. Wrong dog. We once got our cat a present. It was a cushion with a photograph of itself on the cushion. And we showed it to the cat. The cat absolutely capped itself. The cat was terrified.

Looking at his own giant face on this cushion. I think that cushion's up the loft somewhere. Anyway, we are digressing. The questions are supposed to be short and sharp. Final one from Rob, and this will take us into our next chat. I don't think he'll be sacked before Thursday's game against Celtic.

I think it's a must win for him. I do think it's a must win. I think he's hanging on now. But I think the Rangers fans have sort of had enough. Europe's kept him in a job up until now. 14 points the gap between Celtic and Rangers at the top of the SPL.

And as I say, they play on Thursday at Ibrox. Rangers drew 2-2 all at Motherwell at the weekend. That's, I mean, even from my distance, that is unacceptable. It has to be unacceptable. If that goes to 17 points, what's the point? What is the point of continuing? Yeah,

I love my Scottish football, you know that. But, you know, you want a bit of jeopardy on the game. And even if Rangers beat Celtic, which, you know, is possible, you know, they're strong at home.

They're still 11 points behind. And, you know, are you telling me Rangers are going to win every game from now to the end of the season, which is basically what they're going to have to do to win the league? So, look, it's not good to see. I mean, I know Liverpool are clear in the Premier League, but you do see...

you know, it being tougher for them than it's going to be for Celtic. And Celtic, since they beat Leipzig in the Champions League, really brilliant performance. They've performed in patches, but Rangers, they got a little bit bullish when they'd been on a run. They'd beaten Sir Johnston, beaten Kilmarnock,

hit them for six at home and then gone to Ross County and won and then beat Dundee narrowly. And they were, I think Philip Clement was getting bullish himself, but you always felt that the run they were on, there was a blip around the corner and then it hasn't just been a blip losing at St Mirren.

as they did do in the last minute. And then two down against Motherwell got back to two all, but as two points dropped, Motherwell had a goal scandalously ruled out as well.

And you just think Celtic next. And I think they've got Hibs away and Dundee away. It's not happened for Philip Clement. And I think change will come. I think they've got this new chief executive in, Patrick Stewart-Ross.

who is under pressure now from the fan base to make a decision. But I think the last two defeats have been so, so damaging and they will not accept Celtic tickling the tummies at Ibrox, the Rangers fans. You told me a stat, I think...

recently Brendan Rodgers only ever lost one old firm game I think you told me in 20 which is amazing just very quickly hypothetical if Rangers beat them on Thursday and get the gap down to 11 and if they can whittle away at that gap and say at the end of the season that gap is six points just say it's six points is that okay

Nope. When I went to Glasgow, I think I've said this year before, when I went to Glasgow, Rangers had finished the league 21 points ahead of Celtic. Martin O'Neill had gone up. And I went up there and my thought process was a little bit like you've said, well, you know, first season, if we can close that gap on Rangers, that's okay. Yeah.

Within two weeks, I soon realised that that's not the thought process. You quickly disabused of that notion. Yeah, that's not the thought process which is required. You know, it's all about winning. And, you know, Philip Clement will point to a cup final where the Rangers took Celtic to penalties, but...

From a Rangers fan's perspective, that's not good enough. Losing that cup final, performing well in a cup final isn't good enough. Winning is the most important thing. They lost. Clement hasn't beaten Rodgers in six attempts now. He's desperate for a win, but it's hard to make a case for Rangers. And even if they do win,

they'll go and probably stuff up a result further down the line against Hibs or Dundee away from home. Their away record in the Scottish League is appalling. Appalling. Well, let us know what you think. Is Honourable Second to Brendan Rodgers' all-powerful Celtic acceptable for Rangers in the SPL this season for Philip Clement? Or has it got to be win the league or bust? Excuse me, I'm going to sneeze.

Oh, you're such an ugly sneezer. We may edit that out. We may not. I've never been called an ugly sneezer before. Thank you for that.

Yeah, let us know what you think. Does it have to be win the league or bust for it? Come on. James Madison, is it okay for him to be out at the hockey when Tottenham have failed to win against Wolves? And can Forrest keep this going at the top of the Premier League? And is there a better value signing across the Premier League than Chris Wood, £50 million from Newcastle to Forrest?

anyone strike you as being better value than that let us know let us know on the socials you know to find us on x i'm the one with the strange name and chris is the one with the famous name you can also go to instagram and tiktok where you can see excerpts from the show and you can leave your observations there and of course there's the other way go to spotify apple podcast whoever it is that you get this show leave a question or a comment there and while you're there hit the follow button and leave us a rating and a review okay mate moments the weekend you can go first

My moment of the weekend, you would have seen this, the Neil Maupay. He...

the most astonishing thing is, so he put out a, a, a social media tweet. When I'm having a bad day, I just checked the Everton score and smile. And I thought, well, that's, you know, he's a little bit salty, isn't he? Neil Mopar. He was hopeless at Everton, by the way, but the most astonishing thing about that is he's still an Everton player. Technically, isn't he? I can't, I can't. On loan, on loan at Marseille. And the other thing is, if I'm his teammate, I,

I am not happy. I really am not happy with the nature of that tweet. You know, we're all in this together. Come on, Neil. I mean, he's better than that. That's absolutely awful. Do you know what he is, Chris? He's what I call a tit.

He's a proper tit, Neil Mopar. He really, really is. I mean, that is ridiculous. We all like a bit of, you call it salty. That's a really good way of describing it. Yeah, we like it, a bit of edginess. I'm not going to use that word banter because I hate it. But, you know, a bit of, you know, poking people occasionally. That is ridiculous. He's an Everton player. He might have to walk back into that dressing room in the summer. Right.

if Marseille don't take him and given that he hasn't scored for Marseille for two months there's a possibility that they may not take him he may end up back at the club where he scored one in 29 one in 29 he scored when he was at Everton it wasn't much better when he was at Brighton he had that brief run at Brentford when he scored all those goals at Brentford he decided to take on the world didn't he James Madison was one of the ones that he had in his sights he's a funny fella he's a funny funny fella he's not he's a

very strange there are other ways of describing yeah tit he's a proper tit um but i like it and i thought you might take that one which is because that was one of mine but that's why i've got two in reserve um i'm going to go for the man city mascots the young kid at the king power before kickoff before kickoff yesterday city winning two nil of course um

He was there with his Leicester counterpart, the two kids, asked who they thought would win the game. And the Leicester mascot says, oh yeah, I think Leicester will win 2-1. And then they asked the City mascot and the City kid said, yeah, I think Leicester will win 2-1. LAUGHTER

I think if anything sums up where City are right now is that even the mascots don't think they're going to win. They did win, of course. Didn't play that well, but they did win. Leicester were decent, by the way. Huge step up in performance from Ruud van Nistelrooy's team yesterday. They really could have got something out of that game. I hate to say it because we've bigged him up on this podcast, but if Jamie Vardy had his boots on the right feet, then they definitely would have got something. Yeah.

And just a quick mention for Burnley, my dad's team, they've had a very good Christmas. They won at Sheffield United, drew last night 0-0 at Middlesbrough. Burnley have conceded nine goals in 24 games in the championship. And they're not even in the promotion places as it stands. Yeah, it's Leeds and Sheffield, isn't it? Yeah, that is astonishing, that, actually. I mean, what a statistic that is. In that league of all leagues,

but it does show how competitive it is that they have got that defensive record and yet they're not sitting pretty in one of the top two places. They are third as it stands. Wayne Rooney's Plymouth are bottom. This isn't really a moment of the weekend, I just want to mention it. They are bottom and Wayne's starting to talk like

a man who knows what's coming. He was asked yesterday after their defeat at Oxford, I think, whether he could think about resigning and I'm paraphrasing what he said, but essentially he said, well, everything's probably on the table at the moment, which is sad because you and I started the season hoping that he would do well there. Right, before we finish, this is the last podcast of the year. Let's have a couple of New Year's resolutions. Have you got one, mate?

Yeah, I've got one. Because I'm a selfless person, it's more about me trying to help you than help myself. You're buying me a cushion. My New Year's resolution is to help you with your pronunciations. I mean, this year we've had Havertz, we've had Gundogan.

And then, of course, the other one, the Maresco. Maresco. So I just want that. So that's my aim, to help you pronounce names better. That's my resolution. Maresco sounds like an Italian supermarket chain or something, doesn't it? It does.

So, yeah. But you won't help me. You'll just laugh at me, which is fine. No, I won't. If you really will help me. Well, look, my news resolution is a bit more serious than that. I've decided I'm going to try and cure or at least get on top of one of my addictions. I am going to try to get one of my... I am addicted to my mobile phone.

I am addicted to my mobile phone. I can't go anywhere without my mobile phone. It goes in the bathroom with me. It goes in the car with me. It goes in the kitchen. It follows me from room to room. Do you clean it after you go in the bathroom? It's almost as though it's got legs. I've got to learn to put it down. And I'm probably not alone.

but it started to worry me a bit. I go to bed, right? I go to bed and take a magazine to bed with me or the newspaper. I'm a bit old school, whatever. And then a half an hour later, I realised that they're just still sitting there. I've just been staring at my phone for half an hour. It's not good enough. It's got to change. Maybe you can help me with that too. Maybe you can help me with that as well. You never know. What about football? If you could wish or choose one thing to change in the world of football this coming year, what would it be? Um...

I hope and wish that Ange Postakoglu can turn things around at Tottenham. I think he's brilliant for the Premier League. I hate seeing his interviews, listening to his interviews at home because he's as flat as a pancake he is. It is. But I think he has been brilliant for the Premier League, but he needs a result or two.

I agree with you. Absolutely agree with you. Mine is more general. I just want to see, I know it's a bit of a hobby horse of mine and I come across as a bit of a little Englander, but I don't really care. I'd like to see some of our managers, British managers, given a chance. Given a chance in the championship, given a chance in the Premier League, just given a chance. I don't think we have any right to sit here and complain about the fact that we've got a foreign manager in charge of the England national team when we aren't giving our best opportunity.

managerial candidates a chance at any level sorry to be so serious but i just feel strongly about it right that is it chris and that is it for 2024 i'm staying in on new year's eve it's my daughter's birthday today i'll be exhausted by tomorrow so many happy returns she's sick today blessed i'm going to spend most of tomorrow lying down um don't know about you mate any plans fireworks

Those fireworks days have gone, Ian. So Sam tells me. Just maybe a bowl of cereal and off to bed. Four bowls of cereal.

Four bowls of cereal, maybe to sit up and have a sit on your, have a sit on your, on your cushion. Okay, everybody listen, this is the final show. I don't know how many we've done this year, but it's been a hell of a number. Thanks everyone. Who's who stuck with us. We really do appreciate it. Chris and I really enjoy doing this podcast twice a week. We absolutely do. But there'd be no point doing it. If you guys were engaging and you weren't listening, we know that there is an enormous choice of podcasts out there. So,

so many football podcasts. The fact that you choose to give hours ago on a weekly basis means the world to us. And please do continue into 2025. And look, have a lovely New Year's Eve. Please remember that this is only football in the big grand scale of things that really matter. What was it Jürgen Klopp used to say? It's the most important of the unimportant things. And I think that's probably the best way to describe it.

look after each other this new year's eve and be nice to each other and we'll see you in 2025.