At What Point Does Ruben Amorim Come Under Pressure at Manchester United?
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Hello and welcome to It's All Kicking Off. Lots to go through today. We're going to be talking about Spurs' win over Manchester United in the big relegation six-pointer. Mikel Mourinho's cameo is Arsenal's number nine and we'll reflect on a great few days for Manchester City and Everton and a not-so-great few days for the Premier League and Ian Ladyman. Speaking of the little devil, he's away skiing at the moment, so it's me, Mike Keegan, stepping in alongside Chris. Chris, good weekend.

Yeah, good weekend. I can't picture Ladyman skiing. I don't know whether he thinks he's some sort of James Bond type character. But I've got to say, with Everton winning again at the weekend, I mean, there's a timely, timely time to clear off skiing. After Ladyman's quote when David Moyes got the job writing him off, saying that they were in a relegation battle afterwards,

and he's got massive egg on his face, the little fella, hasn't he? It could be like when I'm thinking of skiing. What was a James Bond film at the start with Roger Moore where he's going down the slope and nobody does it better? Is it The Spy Who Loved Me? Yes. When he sees the Everton score, he just goes straight off the cliff at the end. LAUGHTER

I mean, he's had an absolute mare there, hasn't he? So he thought Graham Potter should have been given the job. I mean, these are early days for David Moyes and things haven't started well for Graham Potter, but that was a timely booking him clearing off now. Another big win for Everton and David Moyes. And he's absolutely flying, isn't he?

Absolutely. The Moisire, 13 points clear of the drop now. So that door that Lado suggested had opened, I think, has well and truly slammed shut now. Well, they've probably got a better chance of qualifying for Europe than going down at this moment in time. 12 goals in six games, I think, under Mois. They're scoring freely. Who knows next season? Who knows next season what might happen? They could be contenders.

Well, he's messaged me from his Alpine Lodge or wherever he is at the moment. And he said that not only was the Everton tweet probably the worst take since Alan Hansen said you don't win anything with kids. His landscape gardener or his former landscape gardener, he said, to take from that what you will, has reminded him of a tweet that he made when Steve Cooper left Forest and was replaced by Nuno. And what a disaster that was going to be. Yeah.

Yeah, I've got to say, I think I was, in fairness to him, I think I was thinking maybe Nuno wasn't the right fit. So I've got a bit of egg on my face, Reid Nottingham Forest. But it's good to see that you journos do get things wrong most of the time.

You don't tar everybody with the same brush, Chris. Come on. Anyway, enough of our friend as he gets himself on the piste. Manchester United, we'll start with. So they go to Spurs yesterday with just a decimated squad, a bench that is unrecognisable to probably everyone other than an Anurag United fan.

This is their 12th defeat in 25 games. Almost every other game. This is Manchester United that we're talking about here. Most defeats from their first 25 matches of a league campaign since 1973-74 when they lost 13 and they got relegated. When does Ruben Amrim come under pressure? Well, he can't come under pressure now. I think this was...

He has to be in for the long haul. When does he come under pressure when he's had a couple of windows to bring his own players in? And clearly the issue is his...

A lot was made about, well, he just plays 3-4-3. That's the way it's always going to be. So when he has a couple of windows where he brings his players in who fit his system and his style of play, and then if things don't go so well and Manchester United aren't making progress and pushing at the top end of the Premier League, then that's when he comes under pressure. We can't

We can't pan Ruben Amrim for what has happened to Manchester United this season. He came in on his terms with his way of playing and his style, and Ineos knew that and went with him. They put him under pressure to take the job quickly. They knew...

the way that he was going to play. And, and therefore I understand the argument. Um, and I do understand the argument that maybe, um, you know, he needs to adapt and should adapt, but,

That wasn't the deal on his terms. So he's entitled to stick with the way that he wants to play. And as I say, when he brings the players in who fit his system and Manchester United spend some money, then I think that's the time when we can judge him fairly. It's not fair to judge him at this moment in time. Yeah, totally agree. And I thought it was interesting as well. Marcus Rashford obviously goes to Villa and...

All the press after Villa's game at the weekend was how well Rashford had done when he came off the bench. And I'm just thinking, yeah, he did do really well. And it was great to see him do really well. Obviously the free kick that hit the post and then sets a great chance up.

But if that's Marcus Rashford at Manchester United, a Manchester United draw 1-1 with Ipswich Town, no one's talking about how well Marcus Rashford has done in a little cameo. Everyone's just talking about yet another disaster for Manchester United. So I think that does kind of illustrate the different level of expectation and pressure, even now with Manchester United where they are. I totally agree. This isn't Amarim's team,

The fact that it is United makes it tricky because, you know, it's strange to see United losing as many games as that. But as you say, he needs time and they don't, I mean, we can laugh and joke about it. I mentioned the relegation six points early. I can't see United getting relegated. And to be honest, you know, what, what is, what if you're a United fan, Chris, what is the aim for this? Is it purely just to see some green shoots?

Well, I think the aim is the Europa League, isn't it? That's the aim. I think it's similar for Tottenham. That would be a mark of success. But look, I think you look at Manchester United's bench last night and there'll be Manchester United fans out there saying, well, we're not going to go down. They're not going to go down. They're 12 points clear of the relegation zone. Should we give young players...

Or should Ruben Amram be giving young players an opportunity? Some of the guys who were on the bench yesterday. But I think it's a difficult one for Ruben Amram because while I get that argument, he could do with a few results in the short term, couldn't he? Just to try and to build a bit of momentum, get a bit of confidence in the team. Because what we do know, and we said about...

you know, judge him when he brings his own signings in. I suspect there'll be a fair bit of movement in the summer in terms of players in and players out at Manchester United. But what he has done in the short time which he has been in

because of the results and what have you. At the start of next season, he needs to hit the ground running and people will always remember, you know, 12 losses in 25 games and you're talking about how bad a start it's been for him as Manchester United manager. People will always go back to this season if they do get off to a dodgy start next season and hold that against him. So...

So really the end of the season is important for Amberham. They're not going to, you know, they may move up the league a little bit, but they're not going to hit the European spot. Absolutely no chance. Probably the aim for Amberham, really. I mean, how low is the bar? But probably to finish in the top half. Yeah, which when you consider the amount of money spent by the people that went before him, I mean, that team yesterday...

was more than 400 million quids worth. Yeah. I sat down with Gary Neville last week for an interview, which is on Mail Plus, if you'd like to go and have a read of it. And he said for him, because I said, look, what's it like for you? Because even for me, who's not a United fan, going to United and turning up whenever they play somebody half decent and expecting them to lose is,

is still a weird feeling. What's it like for you? And he said, he's got a lot of sympathy for Amarim and he's got sympathy for the players, but that ends when he sees the performance they put in against Liverpool, the performance where they put in against Arsenal, and then they lose at home to Palace, for example, 3-0. And he said, but I mean, I don't know if you were the same, Chris, but when United were playing certain teams that Sunderland, for example, with the greatest respect in the world, that they expected, the fans would expect them to win,

he would slap himself in the face on the morning of the game, like a boxer, to get himself up for it because he knew that if he was 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% off it, even back then, they'd get turned over. And it seemed to suggest this kind of attitude at United where they still expect to turn up and beat teams.

I don't, I don't know about that. And apologies to any Sunderland fans who are, who are listening to this, uh, this podcast. You could have said Norwich City, Mike. I mean, you know, maybe, maybe being kind. Um,

Yeah, look, I mean, we can't compare Manchester United teams from the past to the mess which there is now. I'm not so sure Manchester United players, you know,

can have that arrogance at this moment in time where they rock up and play supposedly lesser teams and think they're going to roll them over. I think it is really interesting the point you make. If you're a Manchester United fan and you're playing any team in the Premier League at this moment in time, you're not quite sure. And Manchester United are maybe a little bit fortunate they have got that buffer of 12 points because, you know, had they not had that and had the teams at the bottom...

you know, been doing a little bit better and say there was a six or seven point gap to the teams in the relegation zone, then Manchester United, you know, may be in a bit of bother. A win for Spurs and for Ange Postakoglu. He was right, wasn't he? Much needed win.

A few players back, Big Ang. You said, get a few back, we'll turn the corner. They weren't convincing though, let's get it right. No, and I didn't think United were as bad as they were being made out to be on Sky. I thought they created and missed a lot of chances. But on Spurs, protests against Daniel Levy before the game, we hear the chants again, you know, I don't care about Levy.

There's a great stat that Sky pulled up. Since 2019, Tottenham have a net spend of £576 million, which is behind only United and Chelsea. They've got a brand new stadium that is the envy of the rest of the Premier League. Are Tottenham fans being realistic with their expectations?

What do you mean by realistic with their expectations? Winning a trophy? Expectations about Daniel Levy in terms of needs to spend more? Yeah, all of that, really. They've got an injury list as long as your arm, and you can explore the rights and wrongs and the reasons behind that. But they've got a manager that I rate, clearly you rate. They've got a great stadium. They have spent money, like...

What are they protesting about? What are they not getting that they want? Look, I think if you look at the recruitment at the start of the season, I think that they went very young. I don't think Spurs are a development club, but the players they brought in, Gray, Berg, Fowl,

and the likes of those players. Odeber, you know, a young player, did well at Burnley, actually came on yesterday. He's had injury issues. But I think Spurs fans want

want to try and win trophies as quickly as possible. I think the other issue at Tottenham is if you compare Tottenham to what we'd call the other biggest clubs in the country, I think wage-wise, their wage structure doesn't seem to be anywhere near on par with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool and Manchester United and Arsenal. And I think that that

um, be an issue. Tottenham are an extremely stable club. They're a well run club, but, um, I think, you know, over the years for the size of, uh, certainly in recent times for the size of a club, which Tottenham are, then, you know, you would have expected them to win a, a trophy or two. And that's, and that's the issue. And they haven't done that under Daniel Levy. I think that there'll be Tottenham fans out there who think that he's a, uh, a bit of a meddler, uh,

at times and sticks his nose in it at times when it's unwanted. But in terms of stability, you can't get away from the fact that they are a well-run club, but football fans want everything. I do think that there is an element of realism. Tottenham should have won more with the players which they've had over...

over the years than they have done. They are a club who have underperformed and fans are entitled to dream. Another club that have underperformed, certainly this season, Manchester City, 4-0 against Newcastle, 3-0 up in quick time. Well, when you were going to the Etihad, did you see that coming?

It's such a strange Premier League, isn't it? Because this season there are so many teams capable of beating each other. And Newcastle, they have a wretched record at Manchester City. I think the last time they won there, my old strike partner, Shearer scored back in 2000, I think it was. I'm probably wrong with that stat, I normally am. But the

But the way Newcastle, I think they'd won 12 out of the last 14 games, something like that, going in on a high under Eddie Howe and you're thinking, well, Manchester City are vulnerable. Got to say, Manchester City absolutely blew Newcastle away. Newcastle were really insipid and flat. I didn't necessarily see that performance coming. I suppose what we can say is it's not a great surprise for Manchester City to...

to produce a performance of that quality because they do have you know they do have some tremendous players you know Erling Haaland Mamouch first time I've seen him in the flesh at the weekend and he he looks to be a really

a really intelligent player, not just his goals, but his versatility, because I think in his short time at Manchester City, he's played off the right, he played narrow off the left-hand side, and he's got a really good football brain. So it wasn't just about his goals, it was the way that he linked up, looked to play off Haaland, and he looks to be a really good piece of business. Kusunov had a quiet afternoon, which was good for him after his disastrous injury,

and everybody's talking about the mini Rodri, the new Rodri, Nico Gonzalez, or Nico as he wants to be called. And I thought he was neat and tidy, and I think Pep was the one who...

who compared him to Rodri, but he's got a fair way to go at this moment in time. But he did have a fairly steady game. I saw him actually on his debut against Leighton Orient and he must have been thinking, God, what have I turned up in? And he came off, he got injured, didn't he? But he certainly kept things ticking in the Manchester City midfield.

And just on Newcastle, our man Craig Hope was there with his YouTube video after the game, as he does, asking the question, are Newcastle distracted by Wembley? Is that, would you say that they are, or is it just one of those days? No, I don't know where that, I don't know, I don't know.

How Craig has come up with that, in fairness, as a player, you can't be... Or if they are distracted by Wembley, then there's a huge problem. I don't think you'd be looking that far ahead. I mean, if you're on the bus to Manchester City and you're thinking of playing up against Erling Haaland or Phil Foden...

or Kevin De Bruyne or whoever, and you're thinking about a game further down the line, you've got a problem. And I don't think that that would be the case. They would have just been thinking about tackling Manchester City. They caught City on a good day. But it was a flat performance from Newcastle and certainly unexpected with the form they've been in in recent times. But they have had a few odd games as well, haven't they? I spoke about their run. I mean, they don't draw a lot of games recently.

But losing at home to Bournemouth, and they didn't just lose to Bournemouth, they got absolutely smashed and Fulham weren't in great form going to St. James' as well and turned them over. So they are capable of the odd rotten performance. I didn't catch the bench on Match of the Day. Was Tindall wearing his WAM hoodie? Could that have been the issue? Didn't have that on this week. No, no.

No, he was out there front and centre at the start of the game, but then I think when the third one went in, then he sort of slipped back onto the bench. I don't blame him. I'd have done the same. LAUGHTER

Speaking of good performances, City were not the only one. The City's legal team have delivered yet another victory over the Premier League last week. Friday it emerged that they had won their second victory on the Associated Party transaction rules. We've got the 115 coming up. I'm told that it won't have an immediate knock-on impact on that because it's two separate cases, but City are using the same legal team.

There are clubs in the Premier League that are now looking at this and thinking, we're going to have to pay the costs on this. So City's costs are 20 million quid. The Premier League's are 20 million quid. We think it's going to be in a few weeks on the 1-1-5 charges. The Omens aren't looking good for the Premier League, Chris.

So, you know, from the outside, I don't really understand all this stuff. So this mini victory for Manchester City, that will not have any impact on the charges which City are disputing then. That's nothing to do with it. But is it a good sign? If you're a Manchester City fan and you see this mini victory, although the Premier League...

I think Richard Masters I saw was saying, well, you know, he's inferring that it isn't a big deal. But if you're a City fan, then are you getting quite excited? There isn't a direct impact on 1-1-5, but this is clearly a good news situation for City. And will it change the whole landscape now with other clubs, this sort of first step of this hearing?

So the concern, the obvious concern is that because City have won this hearing, clubs like City and Newcastle, and they would reject this, I've got to say that, but clubs like that can now sign ridiculously inflated sponsorship deals as a way of pumping money into their club that they can spend on players. They can't because the new system as it stands is the system that's in place at the moment. So...

If the panel comes back in a few weeks and says, no, no, that system's totally null and void, then they've got a problem. That's straightforward. This is an advertisement from BetterHelp.

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Questions for you this week, Chris. You put it out there on X as you do. If you'd like to ask Chris a question, then feel free. First one is from Davey Gordon. Do you think we should go back to the three foreigner rule?

Well, that's never going to happen, Davey. Do I think we should go back to it? What's the advantage of it? Well, maybe for Thomas Tuchel and the national team, that would be a good thing. But yeah, we're never going to go back to that. But that would probably benefit the England team if we did that. Because what was it Liverpool didn't have? Was it last weekend?

Did they not have, they didn't have an English player starting in their team? I think I'm right in saying that. I'm probably wrong, but I think I'm right. So, you know, it is an issue and it does affect the national team, but we're not going to go back to the three foreign overall, as Davey puts it.

Do we think it affects the national team that much? Because for me, to be fair to the Premier League, their academy system, you know, EPPP, you've got a conveyor belt at Chelsea, you've got a conveyor belt at City.

There's almost an embarrassment of riches for Gareth at the last few major tournaments, haven't there, Vin? It's about younger players getting the opportunity. With the limit on foreign players, of course they're going to get a greater opportunity. It's as simple as that. If I go back to when I first started,

They were certainly different times. At the start of the Premier League, there was a Scandinavian influx more than anything. But certainly the clubs back then were far more British-based players and British-based managers. I think we can file that one under. It's not going to happen. Fingac15 is asking, Is Liverpool's blip

A draw in the derby and an unconvincing win against Wolves and if it is we'll take it.

Oh, yeah. Well, he's actually asked the question and answered it, hasn't he? He said it, to be fair. Look, if I'm Liverpool at the weekend, I'm pretty happy. I'm pretty bullish. It's not going to be perfect all the time. And Wolves have actually got some good players, but Liverpool got over the line. The Everton one was a bit of a sore one, but with the last game at Goodison and everything, which...

which came with that, that would have felt like a defeat. And it certainly was two points dropped. But if this is a blip, then...

then, yeah, heaven help everybody else. But if I'm on a slot and I'm looking at Arsenal and Mikel Mourinho playing as a centre-forward, I'm quite satisfied with the array of firepower that Liverpool have on their bench. I just wish that Jota... I mean, did you see his dive? I mean, absolutely pathetic. He's got to stay on his feet there. Why was he not booked there? But the amazing thing about Jota, why did he not shoot?

He had an opportunity to, you know, one-on-one get a shot off. Don't get that at all. But, yeah, if this is Liverpool's... There's an element there of the referee. Like, if it goes to VAR and...

the ref is clearly wrong but he's wrong that much that he should have given him a yellow card for diving do you think there's a reluctance there from VAR to say to the ref you've got it that wrong you're now going to have to give him a yellow card and actually there should be retrospective action you know we need to we've said this many times on the podcast you need to need to start

punishing divers correctly because you know it just Jotter will do it again next week if he gets the opportunity to do that at least if he gets a yellow card which isn't maybe not enough to stop people diving but at least it would have been something but every single week isn't it there was one thing that jumped out at me from that game and this is going to make me sound like an old man but when Cunha scores his goal

brilliant little faint inside deceives the defender magnificent curling shot into the bottom corner and you can see all and this isn't a Liverpool thing I hasten to add this is everywhere and you can see all the cop behind the goal not one of them clapped and what that's just you'd have watched that goal 25 years ago half the end would have been clapping I'm not sure about that Mark I'm not I'm not sure about that really? like

If somebody had scored that goal against Oldham, I would have applauded it.

Yeah, well, you just applauded any goal at Oldham. Any bit of entertainment. That's because, yeah, it's because Oldham didn't score many themselves. But Liverpool are in a title race. Why would they clap and give Wolves a bit of encouragement? Because you've come to be entertained and it's a great piece of stuff. I know, yeah, I know that in theory that should be the done thing. But the other thing is, is just, you were at the Villa Celtic game, weren't you? Yes. Just imagine...

Maybe there were a fair few who wanted to clap. Just imagine the ones who maybe would clap and what could happen to them. They may not want to clap out of fear of getting lynched. Come on. You're not jumping up and down and celebrating. You're just, you know, well done. That's a great goal. The old-fashioned 1930s. Bravo. Bloody good goal. Anyway, you mentioned... It's a fair point.

You mentioned Arsenal moving on and Marino up front. I heard Henry Winter on Talk Sport yesterday and he said that you were the best centre-half that England never had.

Was he right? I always, always rated Henry as a journalist. Always have done. Always will do. Absolutely spot on. Henry was with that one. Just think what England could have won if they'd have had me as a

No, I think what he's getting at is, and what you're getting at is, is Marino, the versatility aspect of it. I do think it's fascinating how Arsenal have somehow got themselves into this position where they're desperate to win a title. And, yeah,

And they didn't get a striker in January. And clearly Arteta wanted a striker in because they made the move for Ollie Watkins late on in January. But it is astonishing that Mourinho, and it did tickle me to hear him say the line that he's never played as a centre forward other than maybe when he was eight or nine.

But, oh, look, I mean, most Premier League players have an understanding of how to play every position. And that was the same for me. I'd never played centre-half when I went to Norwich City. I just, when I was in the youth team, I think there was an injury. And I think basically, Mike, because I was tall, they moved me because I went as a centre-forward. They moved me back.

I always found that as a great help for me and certainly in my football learning because if I played up against centre forwards whose movement was clever, then I would think, oh, that's good. I can impart that, implement that in my game when I go back up front. So I was a bit of a magpie, really. I used to just steal other people's

ideas as much as anything and then think about using certain aspects, the good aspects in my game. But no, it is an interesting one. But I mean, I'm not saying it like this, but most players I played with would have been capable of playing virtually anything.

every position. I'd know what to do at right back. I'm not saying I'd do it particularly well or, you know, that would be my strong suit. I played...

Played a season in central midfield for Celtic when we were in the Champions League. So I played as a 10. Nowadays, you know, that's the way we speak, football speak. I don't know how you feel about that because, you know, you want people to applaud opposition goals as they did back in the day. Yeah, I could play as a 6, as a 10, as a 9.

I didn't know that at Celtic. Who was the best midfield that you played against in midfield then in the Champions League for Celtic? Well, we played against, who did we play? Bayern Munich. We played against the Lyon team. So Lyon would have been, that would have been Michael Essien, I think. And Janinho, you know, the free kick expert, Janinho, he beat Magnus Hedman from about 50 yards. Yeah.

We ended up going out, actually, 3-2 against Lyon. And so who'd have been in the Bayern Munich midfield? Owen Hargreaves would have been in the...

Bayern Munich midfield. But that's, you know, as I say, sometimes you're asked to play certain roles as Mourinho would have done at the weekend. And he would have had a basic idea of what to do. The interesting thing, or the difference with playing as a striker, I think, to virtually...

any other role is, is there are the best strikers are ones who just have that brilliant instinct of, of, of you can't, you can't teach some aspects. There's just a feel. Some strikers have, I've got to say, I thought he took his two goals away.

superbly but in the long term this this can't be good for Arsenal I was going to say this can't be good and if this is the reason they end up finishing second I mean they're not going to they're not going to finish third it's that then then they will be kicking themselves because because Manchester City you know will probably come back stronger next season and there'll be other challenges in there and this was the season for Arsenal and to and to

to make a mess of this season. And it's not a mess because they've been competitive, but to not make that final step, I'm sure Mikel Arteta will have a sleepless summer thinking over

what if we would have got a recognised number nine or someone who could fill a gap better than Marino? Listen, I'll quite happily eat my words if Marino scores 14 goals from now to the end of the season. Arsenal could do with getting Saka back, but people cannot tell me that that's ideal. They got away with it at Leicester and I don't think Arsenal fans will be fooled by that.

I mean, we saw it a few instances. It was all the rage back in your day. I don't know if you, from kind of an olden perspective, Paul Warris, one of ours, went to Sheffield Wednesday as a centre-half. They stuck him up front. Yeah, played with Paul at Blackburn. Yeah, yeah. Well, a few of us just got the odd England cap. No, he's a brilliant player. He was a centre-forward, 20 goals at Sheffield Wednesday and then went to Blackburn, played central midfield at Blackburn, scored a brilliant goal in the final.

In the 4-2 home loss against Manchester United, scored, I don't know, do you remember, about 35-yard lobbed Peter Schmeichel? Is that Schmeichel ended up in the back of his own net?

Yes, that was. That was lovely to see. And then we did a terrible refereeing decision once again, as teams often did against Manchester United back then. And we ended up losing the game but winning the league that season. But he was a really intelligent footballer. There were some intelligent footballers back then, Mike. One or two. Yeah.

And just finishing on Marino, is there a risk? I mean, he's done well against Leicester. And again, I'm probably offending a fan base there, but with the greatest respect, they're having a wonderful season. Not probably. You are offending a fan base. Well, they've won a Premier League. They can deal with it. But is the risk that when they come up against other opponents now, they will look at him if he is persisted with up front and they'll quite quickly figure him out because he's not a natural centre forward. He doesn't know the tricks that you would have known.

Nobody probably knows more than me, Mike. He's obviously an intelligent player. And as I say, you know, but it's, it can't be perfect having a part timer in that, in that position. If you're trying to win league titles, if you're trying to win champions leagues, so, you know, needs must, he did a job, as you quite rightly said against Leicester, but yeah,

But with the fixtures that Arsenal have from now to the end of the season, they need to be absolutely ruthless. And this is a debate, the Arsenal striker debate, we were having when...

Kai Havertz was fit and playing. And, you know, is Kai Havertz a natural finisher, a proper number nine? He actually did a job, and I think his numbers this season were similar to last season. But now Kai Havertz, I think with him absent, we're all regarding him as a – or there are Arsenal fans out there who are regarding him as a, like, Pelé-type figure, a world beater. Yeah.

And that's probably not quite right, but they've left themselves short. And that is, if they don't win the league this season, I don't care what anybody says, that is unforgivable, really, for them to be in this position where, you know, they've had Havertz and Jesus injured, but that cannot be. It shouldn't be the situation at Arsenal that they're finding themselves in this position where they got,

got lucky when I say they got lucky good quality goals but they did get lucky it was a punt another one of your old clubs Chelsea it was all going so well up until Christmas and then they get pasted at Brighton yeah Christmas parties yeah the old Christmas party it's all gone downhill must have been some Christmas party at Chelsea yeah

Yeah, it's a strange one. And he's quite spiky, Maresca. I wonder whether he's feeling the heat a little bit. I mean, there we were thinking, well, before Christmas, Chelsea have...

you know, they're in a title race and they've earned the right. And you have to say, well, you know, why were some of us saying that? Well, based on their consistency. But for whatever reason, the wheels have come off. Consistent goal scorer is their issue. And that's pretty much Cole Palmer or bust, it seems. That's probably slightly unfair. But no, they have dipped. They're like a number of

big teams who have dipped but again with the expectation at Chelsea the money that they've spent I think that they are a fascinating team from now to the end of the season because of Maresca needed time he needs time of course he does but we don't know how much time you get at Chelsea but the wheels are sort of creaking

I spoke to people inside Chelsea after this and just said, you know, what's the situation? What are people thinking there? Is there any pressure? And the message really is that this season is all about qualification for the Champions League. They're one point away from it. Yes, they're in the midst of a bad spell. They've had horrendous injuries like certain other clubs and there's no panic there.

If you're a Chelsea fan, Chris, is Champions League football this season, is that a success for a club the size of Chelsea? I think fifth spot may get Champions League as well. One extra, yeah. This season. It's about progress, isn't it? It's about making progress. That's what you want to see as a Chelsea fan. I just think it's difficult because you had the time...

under Abramovich where Chelsea the expectation was to win a big trophy every season and yet they've spent over a billion pounds on players and there doesn't seem to be the same expectation and ruthlessness from above on the manager. It doesn't seem to be the same pressure but

If you're a Chelsea fan, you want a bit more than just finishing in a Champions League spot. I know from the owner's perspective, everybody talks about what should Tottenham's ambition be every season and the top four, top five places are

is okay, but that's from an owner's perspective. As a fan, you want to see your team winning things. But with the money which Chelsea have spent, every year which passes because of the model which Bowley and the boys wanted, every year which passes, the pressure...

Does grow, and I think it's logical that it should grow because it was buy young, develop, win. And when you see the teams form recently, and it may just be a blip,

They may be a team where it seems to be maybe a bit more than a blip for Chelsea, but they've spent a fortune and yet they've still got the same old issues can do with a centre-forward, can do with a trustworthy goalkeeper. Centre-forwards in short supply, unfortunately. Flipping it around to a club that is kind of surpassing all expectations, Bournemouth for Europe.

Your mate Ryan Christie at it again this weekend. Yes. What's going on? Yeah, and a little lady went off there skiing. I was asked the other week who would get that fourth place, and I said, well, Bournemouth maybe. I actually forgot Nottingham Forest, and I shouldn't have forgotten them because they were third at this particular point.

I maybe should have said Forest, but I said Bournemouth. And the fact that they've had loads of injuries, they don't moan about it because it's little old Bournemouth and they just get on with it. Ryan Christie's had a brilliant season, but they are a great watch. No pressure at Bournemouth. Similar to when I first started at Norwich City, you don't have the weight of the world on your shoulders when you're playing

Manchester United when you're playing Liverpool I shouldn't use Manchester United because they're in the bottom half but you play the big teams and they just go out and play and they are

fearless you know as soon as you move we're talking about Chelsea and the pressure at Chelsea young players you know they need to finish in the top four you know the managers under pressure if they don't finish in the top four then you know it may be curtains because of the expectation we're talking about Arsenal making that next step when you play for with respect to smaller club like a Bournemouth like a Norwich City when I was younger you can just go out and enjoy playing

And that, you know, I think that that makes, that's the way it seems at Bournemouth. They are just playing with a wonderful freedom. They fear nobody. They've got a really intelligent manager out of possession. They're superb. And I just think that they just...

They trust each other. They know that if they have the odd blip, they'll bounce back. They are overachieving. And that's why I give them a chance and others don't. And I get that because, you know, we always talk about the big six in England, but Bournemouth are certainly going to... They've ruffled a few feathers this season and I really like their story. There were certainly no fears for them at Southampton, which...

I was speaking to somebody at Sheffield United and they said, this was earlier this season, and obviously they're looking like they might come back up. And they said, honestly, they would rather stay in the championship where they'll turn up, there's a decent chance they'll win, they'll score a few goals, than go to the Premier League where they turn up and they just know that they're going to get mullered.

Southampton would probably be a case in point given the season that they're having. What would your thoughts be on that? If you're, I don't know, a Burnley or a Southampton, Sheffield United supporter, do you want to see all the best players or do you want to watch your team with a chance of winning? I don't support any of those teams, Mike. I think it's a fascinating debate because...

When Southampton fans were getting their champers out on the buses back from Wembley after beating Leeds in the player final last season, the Premier League, the promised land, here we go, we can't wait. And then fast forward, fast forward seven, eight months, whatever it is, and what a miserable existence. KO'd at the FA Cup by Burnley. They've gone from...

From Russ Ball playing out from the back, fast-flowing football to just lumping it. And, I mean, fair play to the Southampton fans, the loyal ones who turn up every week. I think I would have ripped my season ticket up a long time ago and maybe gone to watch Bournemouth. Right, it's time for Moments of the Weekend.

Have you got a moment of this weekend, Chris? Well, I was up in Scotland. I've got a couple of quick ones. I was up in Scotland and Jamie McCart, I was covering Hearts Rangers, scored two own goals. But my moment of the weekend actually was on 6.06 on Sunday evening. There was a guy myself and Robbie used to work with at BT, Paul,

And anyway, we got onto the subject of cheese sandwiches for some reason. And Paul just sent in a joke to me and it said, how would Robbie eat his cheese? Carefully.

And Robbie didn't get it for five minutes, which was my moment of the weekend. A producer had to tell him it was a Welsh cheese. So that was a lovely moment of the weekend.

My moment of the weekend was not watching Oldham labour to a 0-0 draw with Sutton United in the National League and not have a shot on target in 90 minutes. They're like Burnley. Oldham are like Burnley. I know. The highlight was a steak pie until it's one of those pies that comes in a packet and I really enjoyed it. And then I thought, I'll just have a look. I turned the packet around. It comes in a packet.

Well, like the old Frey Bentos. Not a metal packet. It doesn't come in a tin. It's like a kind of a, you know, see-through kind of, you know, packet. Pie, Mike, is it that, really?

Well, I turned it around and it said that it had 566 calories in it, which kind of ruined it a bit. But on Sunday, my mate, I've got to give him a shout out, my mate Gaz, he is the coach of Leeds City Juniors under-13s. And they had a big game against Farsley Celtic under-13s, who were second place in...

in the Garforth League Leeds City Juniors are top they won 11-0 might have been 10-0 I think I lost count the Farsley keeper was excellent and Gazi's son Hugo scored so that was the most sporting entertainment I had all weekend oh that's lovely yep yep you have to you go and watch proper football Mike don't you

watch the kids play right then that's all we've got time for on today's show I'll be back again on Thursday for the weekend preview show please make sure you give us a follow wherever it is you get your pods I'm Mike Keegan he isn't and this has been it's all kicking off