Why Marinakis Was RIGHT to Confront Nuno at the City Ground
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Chris Sutton, I was at Anfield on Sunday and was genuinely shocked by what I saw and heard. Trent Alexander-Arnold, an academy product, a kid born around the corner from the stadium, booed and jeered by his own supporters.

Well, I was on the radio at that particular time. We're just getting ready to go on to the radio. And my son, Harry, who's a mad Liverpool fan, called me and he said he was ashamed to be a Liverpool fan.

And I think a lot of Liverpool fans felt that way. That surprised me because I think I've said previous on here, I thought it was a social media thing. But it clearly wasn't just a social media thing. And it wasn't just when Trent went on. It was every time he got the ball. Well, you know, you were there. And I've got to say, I'm in the camp where I just don't understand it.

A bit of context, obviously, for those people living on the moon. Trent Alexander-Arnold off to, well, leaving Liverpool on a free at the end of the season. He announced that last week. The presumption is that he'll be going to Real Madrid.

I mean, your camp, Chris, I think we both thought it was a lot of the bile, a lot of the hate was social media driven and would not manifest itself at the stadium. Could not be more, we couldn't have been more wrong. Before the game, it was all pretty gentle. There were a few boos when his name was read out as a substitute.

But as soon as he appeared in the second half, Liverpool leading 2-1, as soon as he appeared on the touchline, ready to come on for Conor Bradley as a substitute, the whole mood in the stadium changed. Booed, and I mean properly booed, when he came on.

And every time he touched the ball thereafter, not by everybody. Let's make that point. There were people trying to address the balance. I believe there were actually someone, in fact, I know from people who are at Anfield, there were arguments inside, arguments in the main stand, arguments on the cop between supporters, those booing, those trying to applaud him.

All very ugly, all very unseemly. We don't often do this on this podcast, Chris, but I'm just going to read out a handful of comments that I picked up overnight from social media from a variety of people because I think this gives a good indication of

as to how deep the feeling is on this matter. Piers Morgan, never liked to be shy in retiring, says Liverpool fans are pathetic. Darren Farley, the comedian, Liverpool fan, absolute disgrace to be a local lad. Never thought I would see the day. Ian Byrne, MP, Labour MP for West Derby. You never be a player...

who wears the precious red shirt. Our own Dominic King, racing correspondent and field season ticket holder, Liverpool fan, a celebration turned into a day of tension. Embarrassing. Craig Hope, our chief football reporter, a stain on a brilliant season. These next two are really interesting. This is Paul Machen from Redmen TV, quite a well-known figure among Liverpool fans, has his finger on the pulse of what the rank and file looks

are feeling. People in the stands were turning on each other. The booing left me feeling hollow. This is Ian Doyle, the Liverpool reporter for the Liverpool Echo. From party to poison, Liverpool FC are Premier League champions, but some of their fans are anything but. And finally, Jamie Carragher, former Liverpool captain. There's a lot of ill feeling and people outside Liverpool can't understand it.

But booing one of your own players is not for me. There are people in that group that I've just read out, Chris, who I would never expect to criticise Liverpool supporters. The Liverpool Echo, for example, understandably largely on the side of the fans drawing a line in the sand over this one.

Yeah, well, I just don't understand it like you, local boy who's won everything, who's done everything, who's given great service, wants a different challenge. That's the way I see it. And I said, I mean, you know, a lot of this, you can't tell people everything.

how they should feel or how they should think. Well, I think we all understand that, but there's right and there's wrong and there's crossing the line. And this, it just, I've never known any, honestly, I mean, I've played for however many years, I've been working in the media for however many years. I do think this is pretty unique. I can't remember another sort of,

moment like this where such a high profile player who's given such great service and you think he would leave there would be the understanding Liverpool fans have a reputation of being some of the most knowledgeable and well respected out there so where this has come from I thought it was social media but obviously not interesting a couple of calls on the radio last night and the

and they both said the same thing. They thought this may be a generational thing where the older fans were applauding him and the younger so-called fans were getting stuck into him, which was a take which I hadn't really thought of, but maybe it's the way football is going. It's a really interesting point. It briefly crossed my mind last night, not that it was a generational thing,

but I did wonder if maybe it's a sign that the makeup of people within the stadium in the Premier League is changing. More occasional fans, more tourist fans, more,

I don't, I'm not sure I'd buy it because season tickets at a place like Anfield are passed down through generations. But maybe your caller was right. Maybe it's an age thing. Although I saw something on social media this morning suggesting that it was

people in the main stand who were trying to applaud and people on the cop who were really booing. Don't know if that's right or not, but the cop, that's obviously the rank and file. Also should be the rank and file. That should be the, you know, dyed in the wool Liverpool supporters. I really do think that this has been...

this is being seen in Liverpool as a very personal issue of loyalty and a betrayal of trust, largely because he's leaving for free, of course. I think if he'd have signed a contract last season, last summer, and was leaving for...

£100 million, I think it might be different. I think people think that Trent has played Liverpool. What I would put on the opposite side of that argument is that if he played Liverpool, then obviously Mo Salah played Liverpool right until the death when he signed his contract. Virgil van Dijk played Liverpool right until the death when he signed his contract. Now, isn't that a bit of a coincidence? That, to me, points to a club that just has got... A club that has got this wrong. Got this wrong with three of them...

And it got away with it with two of them and has finally been caught with its knickers down for the final one. And, um, I think there's some, I think there's definitely something in that, but anyway, all the blame is being put at the door of Trent Alexander Arnold for sure. Um,

You touched on it earlier, this business of nobody should tell us, no one can tell us how we feel. Jamie Carragher said that on Sky last week. Andy Robertson, Liverpool left-back, friend of Trent, who gave a very reasonable and honest interview on TV after the draw with Arsenal yesterday. Even he said, it's important I don't tell you how to feel and you don't tell me how to feel. We can't tell people how to act.

Well, why can't we? Why can't we say, please don't boo Trent Alexander-Arnold, we don't think he deserves it. What is this business of you can't tell us how we feel? Well, no, we don't know how you feel, but we can tell you what we think is right and fair. Why can't we say that? Why can't we say that about an issue appertaining to Liverpool Football Club, even though we're not from Liverpool?

A million percent. I mean, there's a whole sort of wider debate to be had here, isn't there? We can't change people's opinion and what they think, but you're right. What's right and what's wrong? And where was the line? And most fair-minded people feel that for a player to give such service to his club...

He should leave and be applauded for what he's done. And yet there are people...

who are just giving him so much stick and flack and it doesn't make any sense to me. Interesting to see what happens now going forward. Some talk overnight of whether Arnott Slott was right to put Trent onto the field. Question for you, Chris, is this. What does he do now? Two games left. The last one at home in a fortnight is when they're going to get the Premier League trophy. They're all going to get the medals.

I mean, what's that going to be like? Is Trent going to get booed when he gets his medal? Is he going to get booed when he holds up the trophy? How do we now, or how do Liverpool and Arnaud Slot draw a line under this before it gets out of control? Well,

Well, it's really sad, isn't it? Because this should be a season of celebration. I mean, they should be into the party mode right now and that excitement for the big trophy day. And of course, they weren't allowed to celebrate the last Premier League tie because it was in COVID. So you've got all that. But now this is certainly souring the situation. But

Here's one for you. Don't these people think about that? I mean, you know, I do think we're going through an era where there are, you know, there are a lot of sort of entitled fans out there. I really do. You know, we can say what we want. We can do what we want. But this has been a phenomenal season. Nobody expected Liverpool to win the Premier League this season. And it's...

You know, they've got over the line. Salah signed, Van Dijk signed, Trent's off. But, you know, these things happen. But they should be enjoying this moment. And, yeah, it's taking that enjoyment out of it. And will the focus then? Now, I mean, you know, you're in the know. You're a journalist. Will the focus now on that final day change?

be solely on what happens with Trent and the reception he gets? Or will it be on the trophy lift and the celebration in their season? There'll certainly be an awful lot of questions going to Arna's slot between now and the end of the season about it. And that is a shame because Liverpool fans need to remember that this is a moment in time for them. You've just pitched it perfectly. This is the first time, or it will be in a fortnight, this will be the first time that a Liverpool team has picked up a trophy in front of their... Sorry, a Premier League trophy, a league title,

in front of their own supporters for 35 years, right? I was 20 years old last time this happened. So they've got a choice. Do they want to...

enjoy it, revel in it, soak it up, enjoy every moment, experience something that they can tell the grandkids about in years to come. Or are they going to ruin it by turning it into a Trent Alexander Arnold shit show? I mean, is that what, is that what they want? Because that's in danger. That is now in danger of, of happening. And I think that slot can only do so much. Uh,

Liverpool are away at Brighton a week today, I think, Monday night. And then they finish at home to Crystal Palace. And that is the one. Slott can say the right things. He can do the right things. He can leave him on the bench, maybe. Can't leave him out of the squad. That would be ridiculous. It would look like a punishment. So it is down to the supporters now. And it is up to them to think, right, we've made our point. We made our point in the game against Arsenal. It got the headlines. It got the traffic.

It was all over the television. Now let's leave it and let's enjoy that final day because booing a Liverpool player, a local Liverpool player with a Premier League winning medal is...

it round his neck and the trophy in his hands would be abysmal. It would be utterly abysmal and it would go a long way to ruining that day. Would go a long way to ruining that day. Sensible quote from Arne Slott afterwards, voice of reason. He said, it's a privilege to live in Europe where everyone has his own opinion and can express it. And I think that's fair. But as you said yourself, Christo, it's always a line, isn't it? So I was at Anfield on Sunday. You were at

the city ground, Nottingham Forest drawing at home with Leicester. Issues there also. Let's talk briefly about issues on the field in terms of the football. Forest, having had such a brilliant season, your Nottingham Forest, suddenly find themselves outside the Champions League places. Looked like they were going to capitalise on Chelsea's defeat at Newcastle on Sunday by beating Leicester, got pegged back at the end. They're away at West Ham next and then they finish

with what might be a winner's take all game at home to Chelsea can they still do it or is it a race run mate is it going to be the European League for first you feel yeah you feel they've really lost the momentum I think they had one winning five going into the game they'd not scored in the last couple of home games they'd been beaten by Everton late on and Brentford and

there was a nervousness in and around the stadium. But then when they got in front, they went behind, didn't they? And then when Chris Wood, brilliant header, 20 goals for him this season, 20 Premier League goals. The ball from Gibbs White was sensational. The header was equally brilliant. And then you thought they were pretty comfortable. But at 2-1, and Leicester were pathetic throughout the game. And then he made a couple of substitutions, brought Buonannotte on. And

And then, you know, as happens in games when there's so much at stake, Nottingham Forest got a little bit nervous. And the quality of the Leicester second goal was brilliant. And then there was all the kerfuffle at the end and a point not enough, really, because that was, I'm not going to say gimme, but that was a bit of an open goal for Nottingham Forest because Leicester have been so...

so weak this season. That was a big chance. Did you say they're less to a pathetic? Well, they have been all season. Oh no, but I thought, I thought in this game, it looked like they were finally trying for once. And what's quite a bit of it in the Liverpool press room. I thought it's classic that already relegated, got one manager of the sack, probably going to get the next manager of the sack. And then they go to, uh, they go across the Midlands to the, to the rivals and look like they put a shift in for once. No, no, not that.

They were so passive. They took the lead because of a long throw, knockdown and deflection and Connor Cody sort of mopped up and headed them in front. Forrest were the dominant team all game. But then, as I said, as what happens at 2-1, the substitutions which Van Nistelrooy changed...

or made changed the game and Buonannotte you know braver on the ball and I mean he took his goal absolutely brilliantly McAteer actually had a pretty decent game but they actually gathered a bit of momentum because of the subs and then Nottingham Forest and the stadium got

nervous even at 2-2 I still felt it was retrievable but then they had the whole farcical Awanyi situation and a lot has been made about that and Marinakis running onto the pitch what I would say we know what type of owner Marinakis is he's a very passionate guy but the way that whole incident panned out when Awanyi clattered into the post the flag should have gone up anyway it was an obvious offside but then what happened is is

Nuno asked Awanyi and the medical team if he was okay to carry on. Awanyi gave him the thumbs up and the medical team gave him the thumbs up. So then Nuno was like, what's at stake? Nottingham Forest need a goal. They want to get in this Champions League spot. There's that desperation.

So then Nuno assumed he was going to jog around and come back on. And then he went, he laid down again. Well, he's already made his last substitution. Forrest couldn't make another sub. So that was the issue. And eventually, a couple of minutes later, he sort of wandered back onto the pitch. But he was done. He was finished. You know, there was a miscommunication, a total miscommunication. And so if I'm

the owner and I've invested all that money into the club and the playing squad and you know this season you know there's that Champions League carrots that are hanging there I'm annoyed about that of course I'm annoyed about that maybe he shouldn't have shown his frustration out on the pitch in the public arena but

But, you know, I do think people have sort of jumped the gun with this, with this attack on Marinakis. And I think Nuno, his comments afterwards, you know, were quite right. He was talking about Marinakis caring about the club. That's a big deal. You know, Nottingham Forest nearly in the Champions League. But because there's a daft miscommunication, Awonyi and the medical staff, whoever it was, should have said, well, he's not right. You can't put your thumbs up and then expect...

you know, the manager to sort of take you off in that moment. He was saying they needed a goal. He was saying, I'm okay. So, you know, that's where the frustration comes from. Firstly, never ever listen to anything that a footballer tells you, especially a big centre forward.

But yeah, a right old cock up, a right old cock up for sure. I have to say, again, sitting in the press box at Anfield, watching the footage of Maranakis coming onto the field at full time to talk quite passionately, as you say, to his manager, was a bit of a

an eye-opening moment, I have to say. We now know the context of it. We know what it was about. Marinakis has explained it to us, gave us some exclusive quotes on Sunday night, actually, which ran across Mail Online. Nuno spoke about it afterwards in the press conference. I have to say, if you want any manager in that situation to...

calm it all down, push it all away, soothe it all over. I think Nuno, the Zen-like warrior of the city ground, is probably the man that you would want in that situation. Absolutely no emotion. I love that look he always has on his face. When he knows full well what's going on, he knows full well what the issue is, knows full well why everyone's excited. But Nuno has that way of looking at people, looking at TV interviews, as if to say, I've

I just don't know what all the fuss is about. What are you guys getting so wound up about? Very disarming tactic. You could probably say it's the opposite to Hans Boster Goglu. The opposite to the bristling, the bristling resentment that's written all over Big Ange's face in those situations. Nuno just looks like he wants to give everyone a cuddle. Yeah.

But do you know what, in that moment, you know, I'd have loved to have seen Sir Alex in that moment where he's asked, you know, the strikers giving the thumbs up, the medical team have given the thumbs up. And Nuno, as you've just quite rightly said, he lets it just all just go over his head. He wasn't angry. He wasn't hopping mad in the technical area, steaming down the touchline sort of.

calling Awandye and the medical team out. He was just as calm as you'd like, which was amazing, really, in a moment. And with what, you know, was at stake there for him to act like that. But I understand Marinakis in that situation, I do. What was the atmosphere on the ground like at that moment? With us a very passionate home support, digesting a disappointment and also copping an eye full of that as well, because they wouldn't have known what it was about at the time.

Well, do you know what? When they went 2-1 up, the noise in the stadium, I mean, that was some din it was. But then there was, yeah, it was an atmosphere at the end and that whole situation, it was confusion as much as anything. And so you just felt that sort of disappointment that the game had gotten away from them. And that totally disrupted them. They didn't, there was, I think, eight minutes of injury time.

But in, I don't think in any moment in injury time, did you feel that Forrest were going to get back into that? And with what was at stake, you know, you would have expected them to really go for it, push Leicester back, pepper the box. That was what a one you went on for, on with Wood to, you know, balls into the box, be a bit more direct. But you felt, if anything, Leicester were going to nick it.

Well, we do try and be fair. We do try to be fair and objective on this podcast, but equally, Chris is a Forrest fan, and so he tells us, I used to work in the city. We do both have a love for Forrest. We're going to be biased on this one. I think we both hope that they can somehow find some form, get over the line. It would be wonderful to see them back again.

in the European Cup stroke Champions League for the first time since 1981 too I believe but they are already in Europe we should make that point yesterday's yesterday's draw did make sure that they will play European football at the city ground whether it be Conference League Europa League Champions League next season one of the quotes that Maranakis gave to male sport on Sunday night didn't

did say today's the day for celebration because after 30 years, Forest are guaranteed to be competing in Europe once again. Bravo for that. Garen Evel said that Nuno should have been negotiating his exit on Sunday night. I think we can be quite confident that that is not

going to happen. Right, let us know what you think on all of that, everybody, particularly the Trent thing. Probably should have said that after the Trent section. I can't remember coming home from a game, especially late in the season when you think there's nothing really on the game. Can't remember coming home from a game feeling so, uh,

discombobulated as I did on Sunday night. It took me ages to write my match report. I couldn't quite get my head around what I'd seen. Chris and I have made our feelings clear on the show so far. Let us know what you think about it. Trent Alexander-Arnold and the Real Madrid saga. Is he in the right? Is he in the wrong? And even if he's in the wrong, shouldn't Liverpool fans now park it, leave it alone ahead of the final day when they get the trophy against Crystal Palace? Or do we think there should be more to come? Is Trent Alexander-Arnold

Arnold for a game. Equally, was it okay for the Forest owner in Vangelis Maranakis to come onto the field?

after the two will draw again. Unless you know where you can find us, find us on the socials, I'm the one with the silly name and Chris is the one with the famous name and go to Mail Sports or the social accounts, not just X, you can find excerpts from the show there and you can leave your comments and your observations. Wherever it is you get this podcast, Spotify, Apple or anywhere else, there's always a place to leave your comments so go and do it. Leave your views, leave us a rating while you're at it

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progressing nicely through our team of the season. We've done our goalkeeper. We've done our back four. We have been picked up a little bit on Spotify in particular, Chris, for our left back,

choice. I went for eight Nori at Wolves, much to your surprise. Well, that's ridiculous. Oh, you went for Lewis Skelly, didn't you? Yeah, the best left back in the Premier League this season. Well, a couple of conversations on Spotify. Fergal says, Kirkes has had an excellent full season at Bournemouth compared to the two left backs mentioned. Eden Jones says,

follows that up by saying how kirk has isn't even mentioned in the conversation for left back in the team this season is odd i get mls and eight new we have had good seasons but think i'd pick kirk s over both of them um i must admit we might have missed a trick there right let's do our midfield no i didn't miss a trick this is a game of opinions that's fine you you've admitted that you did right

you can have a midfield three, you can have a midfield four. It's up to you. Who are you going to go for? I'm going to go for... Yeah, I mean, it's... I'm going to go for Tenali at Newcastle. I think he's been an absolute monster for them. I mean, they have that physicality in the midfield.

Tenali, Joe Linton and Bruno. And on their day, you know, the power they have and their ability on the ball. But I think he protects that back line well. He nicks the odd goal. He knits things together. I know he's had his issues at Newcastle in the early days, but I think he has been such a powerhouse. So Tenali, Declan Rice has to be in there. He has to be in there.

whether he's playing as a six or an eight, he is such a driving force. I mean, he's one of those players that the older he's got, I really enjoy watching him play. And he's a game intelligent. I don't think he's got like an unbelievable passing range, but his ability to drive with the ball, spot the gap,

and what he brings to that Arsenal midfield. Totally different midfield when he doesn't play. And Alexis McAllister, I'm going to have him ahead of Graven Birch. Everybody talks about Graven Birch and I understand that, but I actually think he's had a better season

uh, than, than Gravenbush as a, as a whole. And Dom King agrees with me, uh, on that, which is important to get his nod, uh, of approval. But, uh, yeah, I, I, I think he's been phenomenal as well. And I expect you to go for the same three. So you've gone for midfield three, right? Well, I've gone for, so you've gone for Tenali, Rice,

McAllister. I've gone for a midfield diamond. I've got Declan Rice sitting at the base of it. So he is playing. Wasted. Wasted there. So he is playing. Hang on. You just said a minute ago he can play as a six as an eight. Yeah, he can, but he's wasted. I was just speaking to him as a six and I was saying he's wasted. He's wasted there. He's not wasted when he considers the three superstars he's got playing ahead of him. Well, I know one of them. On the right side, I just think it would be hilarious if I forgot to include Bruno Fernandes. That would be quite funny. If I just left him out of my team this season.

It would be peak Ladywood to do that, to be fair. But I haven't done it. He is there, you're right. So Declan Rice at the base of the diamond. On the right side, Dominic Zobislai, Liverpool's Hungarian master. Love watching him play. Did have a little bit of a dip.

a couple of months ago, but that's allowed back on form towards the end. I think he really is the heartbeat of that Liverpool midfield these days. On the left side, he is right-footed, but he can use his left well. Morgan Rodgers of Aston Villa, I think he's had an absolutely fabulous season, pushed himself into my team. And of course, top of the diamond, playing ahead of my front two, who I'll be talking about on Thursday, Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United.

So Chris, do you want to quickly run through your team so far? Can you remember your back four and your goalkeeper? I think I can, if you can't. Uh,

Well, my goalkeeper was, was Alison. My right back was Ola Eina. I think Ola Eina, Virgil van Dijk would have been Murillo. It was, yeah. And, and Myles Lewis-Skelly and then Tenali, Rice, McAllister and your, go on, go through yours again. So I went, I'm going to forget. I went for Sells, Matt Sells in goal. I went for Trent at right back, Virgil next to him.

Milenkovic, the other Forest Central defender there. Eitnuri from Wolves at left back. And now we've got Rice, Sobazai, Rodgers, Bruno, Fernandes. My team beats your team so far, that's for sure. But we'll see who's playing up front. Obviously, you'll have chosen Chris Wood and Chris Wood's brother to play up front. I mean, we know that already. We absolutely know that already. Yeah.

I mean, just on a serious note, there's not anybody in the world who would have your team beating my team. I'm deadly serious here. You've had to go to a formation that nobody uses to crowbar into a team. Who plays the diamond anymore?

I do. I do. It's true. It is absolutely true. You know, when I do things like this for the, well, I was going to say the newspaper talking in old school language there. When I do things like this for male sport, I'm asked to pick teams. There's a couple of managers, retired managers that I know. I usually ring them up.

I don't ring them up and say, can you do it for me? But I usually ring them up and say, look, this is a team I've picked. Just tell me it's not absolutely ridiculous. Just tell me I've not kind of forgotten to include a left footer or something like that. You know, so there we go. You obviously didn't ring anyone there. And what I'm looking forward to is how you... Well, I did it at six o'clock this morning.

What I'm looking for is how you're going to fit Mo Salah, because you've got to play with two strikers, haven't you? You've played a diamond. How are you going to fit Mo Salah into that team? So Mo Salah... We'll leave that conversation until Thursday. Don't try and second-guess me.

Don't try and second guess me. Mo Salah will do perfectly well as a substitute, I'm sure. We'll get to that on Thursday. Guys, I'm not going to read out all the socials and the ways you can get in touch, because you know how to do it. But come on, let's hear a little bit more about your team of the season. We're now up to the midfield. I mean, I don't know how to introduce this next subject, because it just seems to be...

It just seems to be the same every week. So I'm going to do it a different way. Okay. I'm going to ask you a quiz question. Chris, I don't expect to know the answers. So don't worry about it. Who are the six teams that have beaten Man United home and away in the Premier League this season? That's a good question. It's unfair. Well, I've got a league table. Can I go off a league table? No, I'll just read it out. Well, Bournemouth. Yes. Well, who beat them yesterday? Well, I'm going to go Brentford.

Who beat them yesterday? Who beat them yesterday? Who did they play yesterday? Oh my God. You've like finally lost the clock. West Ham. West Ham. Yeah. I mean, losing. Yeah. The double. Yeah. I mean, yeah, I wouldn't have said West Ham. Go on, read the rest out. West Ham. Actually, do you start with Bournemouth then?

Yeah. No, Bournemouth's not true. West Ham, Wolves, Spurs, Forest, Brighton, Newcastle. Spurs have beaten them three times, haven't they? Yeah. In the League Cup as well. Newcastle have all beaten Man Utd home and away. So look, I don't know if I've ever, well, I know I haven't, looked at a couple of teams ahead of a participation in the major final and

and just thought, what is this? How is this? How is it happening? How are they both in the Europa League final? How are Spurs and Man United in 16th and 17th place in the Premier League? How have they lost 37 league games between them? 20 for Spurs,

17 for Tottenham. Anz Posterkoglu said after his team lost at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday that his players look a bit frightened of what's in front of them. That's not a great way to go into a major European final with a Champions League spot at stake. Ruben Amrin, the Manchester United manager, is now saying he might not be the man to lead Manchester United

into the future. But you know what, mate? We're becoming numb to it. Somebody said to me yesterday on the telephone that we are becoming, that he's becoming bored of the Man United situation. And I kind of know what he means. I remember at the end of last season having an argy-bargy with Eric Ten Hag in the press conference room after Man United won the FA Cup final saying to him, congratulations, Eric, but by the way,

Let's not be too delusional here. You've just finished eighth and it's not good enough. So a year ago, mate, we thought eighth was bad for Man United. And everybody thought eighth was bad for Man United because eighth is bad for Man United. Mate, they're 16th. They are 16th. Spurs are 17th. And I don't know where we go from here, apart from to Bilbao for the Europa League final.

Yeah, and you know, there's that age-old argument now, isn't there? Should the Europa League winners go straight into the Champions League? Lots of people jumping on that bandwagon.

Lots of people jumping on that. I wonder who started that one, Rowan? I wonder who started that one, Rowan? What was your motive for that? My motive? On Good Amish Debate. Enjoyed that. Yeah, but I do the predictions for the BBC and I'm an idiot because everybody knows that Tottenham and Manchester United play weakened teams.

you know, now because they're just prioritising for the Europa League. It just seems wrong. You know, the Premier League this season, the three teams relegated so early has made a massive difference. They know they can't go down so they're not looking over the shoulders. They are prioritising. It just seems wrong but they are prioritising, you know, every week now and, you know, it's game after game after game for this huge Europa League final and, you know,

The winning team, the winning manager, they are going to be looked at in a different light to the losing team. But you're absolutely right about papering over the cracks. When you scratch beneath the surface, both clubs are in a bit of a pickle. Amrim's comments surprised me a little bit.

But I don't, I mean, you'll know, I don't understand the FFP in great detail. I don't know how much they can spend, but when you actually, when you actually think about what they need to even get up to the, to the next level where they're maybe challenging for a conference league place next season, that's, that seems like a bit of a stretch for them. So, you know, you put all those things into the mix. It,

This isn't going to be a quick fix, but I still go back to what I said from the start with Emre. He needs to bring his own players in and that's when we can, you know, really be fair and judge him. To answer your question, somebody told me that there's a ball pot figure of about £100 million to spend for Manchester United without getting into the Champions League.

which I think is why we've seen them dip the toe in the water already for Kunio at Wolves and De Lappe at Ipswich. I think they feel they can do those deals without European football. That was what I was told. But is that enough to transform a team? Of course it's not. Okay. But if they do get into Champions League, you can chuck another hundred million pounds into that pot. So therefore two players becomes 440.

four players or maybe five players. And that's, that's half a team as we know, that starts to make a difference. In terms of the Amrim comments that you refer to, I won't read them all out, but people who were in the Amrim press conference after the home defeat to West Ham on Sunday did say that was the most angry they have seen the Manchester United manager in his six, seven, eight months at the football club. There's a lot to digest. I'll just pick a couple of,

quotes out we are losing the feeling that we are a massive club and it's the end of the world to lose a game at home if we are not scared of losing a game as Manchester United it's the most dangerous thing a big club can have and

everyone's thinking about the Europa League final. We have bigger things to think about. I'm talking about myself, the culture in the club, the culture in the team. We need to change it. Decisive moment in the history of the club. Need to be strong this summer. We need to be brave because if we're not and have a next season like this, we should give the space to different people.

So that's been interpreted as him saying, I may have to be sacked. I think that's him saying players will have to go. And it's also when he's talking about being brave, I think it's him saying, and the club needs to be brave. It needs to push that envelope. It needs to bring me some players. I think that's what that's all about.

I think, yeah, I think it's a message to the club that you need to trust me. You need to give me what you want. Is he going to get that? I think that's not unreasonable, what he said. You know, he realises how bad the situation is at the club. We shouldn't forget he took over a real mess. I mean, the argument is a fair argument is has he improved them? And it's hard to make a conclusion.

a case for that. Yeah. And there are some, you know, a couple of quite starting stats of not beating anyone in the Premier League outside the bottom three clubs since January, which is amazing. He talks about changing the culture. He's been there quite a long time now.

to start to give that a go. He talks about improvement. He's been there a while. Where do we see it? We see it in moments in the Europa League. They're an adrenaline team, aren't they, United? Which is why they could win the final. They're an adrenaline team. They kind of get adrenaline spikes, which encourages them or enables them to do...

strange things like coming from behind at the end of a Manchester derby and scoring two goals in two minutes and winning 2-1. Like rescuing the impossible situation at home against Lyon in the quarterfinal and scoring three goals in 15 minutes to pull that one out of the fire. They can do these mad things but what they don't do is produce regularly consistent professional competent performances. Adrenaline.

You what? They're an adrenaline team who don't produce enough adrenaline. There you go. Anyway, there you go. You've just named two games there. And by the way, people talking about United and Tottenham being distracted by the Europa League final. Crystal Palace have probably the biggest game in their history. On Sunday, the FA Cup final against Manchester City,

They seem to be coping quite well in the league ahead of that game. They've just drawn at home to Nottingham Forest and won at Tottenham. They show it is possible to go into a big game and still play well in the league.

Well, yeah, I've not seen the Palace team from yesterday, but I know they went full hit against Nottingham Forest. I know Eze scored a couple yesterday. But, you know, it's interesting the way that he's viewing things, Oliver Glasner, in terms of going strong and carrying on that momentum. But yet the fear, the fear from Ange Postakoglu and Ruben Ambrim that if a key player gets injured, I get that. But then there's...

Then there's that doubt, isn't there? And that sort of fear, if anything happened to Van de Ven or Romero, if anything at Manchester United happened to your star man, the Premier League player of the season, Bruno Fernandes, then the...

they played and got injured, then the fans of both sides will say, what are you doing? So that's a sort of, yeah. But you can't live your life like that. You can't live your life like that. That's the equivalent of kind of saying to yourself, oh, I'm going on a holiday tomorrow and we're looking forward to it. So I'm not going to go out tonight in case I fall over. I mean, you know, you can't, you can't live your life. You can't live your life along the lines of, oh, what if? And you can't pick a football team like that. I think you've just put, hit the nail on the head. Momentum, confidence, confidence.

forward direction of travel is everything in football. Crystal Palace have it and Man United and Tottenham are going in reverse. The only thing that both of those teams have got to cling to as they head towards that incredible night in Bilbao is that they're both playing as badly as each other. So there we go. Right, you're laughing. I just got to go back to that. So you're

You're laughing. Listen. You're going on holiday, but you don't want to go because you might fall over. Could I just, that says more about me than anything else. And by the way, if anybody, if anyone's beginning to wonder if I'm conducting this podcast at the dentist, I'm not.

But there is a man with a very large drill standing outside my office window, working pretty hard on repairing the pavement. So if that's causing some inconvenience to anybody, I do apologise. We can control many things on this podcast, but we can't control what the local authority choose to do and when.

Right, Chris, you've got an appointment at your chiropractor in about seven minutes. You need to be on the way. What are your moments of the weekend? What is your moment of the weekend? Well, my moment of the weekend, this is a standout. Henry, you may be able to play a bit of audio eventually with this. Did you hear the Ruben Diaz interview? No, I heard about it.

I mean, that was, in my opinion, that was one of the great interviews. I mean, there were so many excuses. He couldn't get any more excuses out. And he ended up...

telling everybody his last line was the sun was hot. He blamed the pitch for being dry and the sun was hot. I mean, that's brilliant from him. He has whammed the ground staff at Southampton and one of the groundsmen phoned into 606 to wham him back. It was beautiful. Is that right? I didn't know that. I didn't know that. Tell me about that call.

Well, Diaz had said that the pitch wasn't watered and what have you, and that clearly wasn't true, and the groundsman made his point. Honestly, Ruben Diaz, respect him totally as a footballer, a quality player, but really has no idea about football pitches. That's probably disrespect. He probably knows about football pitches, but he has no idea about the work that we do. Yeah.

We had the irrigation on first thing this morning. We had it on before warm-up. We had it on before kick-off. We had it on for the whole 15 minutes of half-time. Other than having the irrigation on through the game, what more can we do? That.

That sort of sums up City's season, doesn't it? Blaming everybody else under the sun other than their inability to beat a hopeless Southampton team. Ruben Diaz, Portuguese, by the way, not Spanish, but the point remains, you should be used to playing under a hot sun. I do like that one. I didn't know about that phone call. And I did like the Southampton tweet.

that they put out after they got that point, which means that Derby County will remain the club with the lowest, with the record for the lowest number of points in the Premier League season. Southampton, very simple tweet after full time. Sorry if we got your hopes up.

Derby, which I quite like. Some people thought, some people, and Henry, our producer, was one of them. They go, he shouldn't be doing that, celebrating relegation. You know, however bad your season, however bad your year, however bad your performance, I think you can have a smile every so often. Thought that was a nice one. A couple of moments this weekend from me. Quickly.

EFL playoffs are well underway. Walsall won at Chesterfield. Walsall, as we know, fell off the cliff having led League Two for so long. We're undone on the last day of the season by a late Bradford goal. Bradford went up automatically. Walsall in the playoffs. Well, they've won away at Chesterfield 2-0. They've got a foot in

in the final fingers crossed for them. And my other one was when you were missing in action last week, last Monday, Chris, Nathan Salton and I spoke briefly about Guards of Honour

I don't like them. You know what they are. I don't need to explain it. For Premier League champions or Scottish champions or whatever, I think they're performative. I don't think they're necessary. I think all that matters is lifting the trophy. And Arsenal gave Liverpool one yesterday before the game. And the look on Bukayo Saka's face

was, spoke volumes for me. I think if I described it as a thousand yard stare, you would know what I mean. He looked as though he was doing it and he was dutiful and he was, and he applauded. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world other than there. And what I'm getting at here is something I witnessed about 15 minutes before that, which was

actually about half an hour before that. You know when you're at a game and the goalkeepers come out to warm up first, or they often do these days. So you've got David Rea and the Arsenal goalkeepers and the Arsenal goalkeeping coach at one end. You've got Alison Becker with his coterie of staff at the other end of the field. And out of nothing, totally unprovoked, David Rea and the Arsenal group just jog the length of the pitch.

went up to Alison and the Liverpool gang, shook their hands, offered them their congratulations and then went back to their business. And I just think that's what sport is about, Chris. If you leave footballers to their own devices, they will do the right thing. They're human beings. They will do the right thing, whether it's after the game

whether it's in the tunnel before the game, whatever, they'll do the right thing. They're all in the game for the same reasons. They all feel the same pain. They all feel the same highs, the same lows. Don't tell them what to do, or you've got to go and do a guard of honor for the cameras. Just let them do it their way and they will do it. So well done, David. You put that really well in.

for that. Have you reviewed Guard of Honor? You must have done some, you must have received some. I can't, can't remember. No, not a thing in your day? Probably, well, all the trophies I won. Well, the fact you, the fact you could, you probably had a few in your own house after coming back from the pub. Um, um, anyway,

There we go. All right. Thank you. That's it, Chris. Back on Thursday, I can't wait to do our centre forwards on Thursday for team of the season. Can't wait. Are they centre forwards? Can't wait. Are they central strikers? I don't know. You've got three players left. I've only got two.

Even he got to. Remember everybody, you can join in that one too. Let us know on the socials or wherever it is you listen to the show. What is your team this season? What is your midfield? Trent Alexander-Arnold debate, which side of that are you on? What side of the Maranakis conversation are you on? As for your Europa League final debate, you know my take on that one. What is yours? And also, God of Honours, what do you make of all that?

that okay thanks for being with us everybody that's it we'll be back on Thursday I mean laden I've got a frog in my throat and the other chap's Chris Sutton this has been it's all kicking off

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