Was the Foul on Mateta the Worst of All Time?
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Hello, this is It's All Kicking Off. It's Sunday evening in Manchester. Chris is at home in Norfolk. I'm just back from Old Trafford. Sunday evening here as well. Yes, indeed. You don't live in a different time zone, even if it does sometimes appear as though you're living on a different planet. I'm just back from Old Trafford, where Fulham have knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup on penalties. Maybe we are at the point now where these things don't surprise us.

anymore. We will talk about that in a while. We'll also discuss the goings on at Crystal Palace on Saturday, awful foul by Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts on Jean-Philippe Mateta. But was the Palace chairman Steve Parrish right to go on television at halftime and castigate Roberts? I'm not sure about that. And what's eating Matthias Kuhnje at Wolves? Great player, but if he's not careful...

the Wolves forward is going to render himself unmanageable and that's never good for anybody's career. So that's another thing on our list of things to discuss. No dogs and cats today, just football. And that will please some of our listeners who clearly found last Thursday's story of Chris Sutton's killer St. Bernard a little too much interesting.

It's a handle. Just be careful. Killer St. Bernard. I mean, that is defamation, Ian, that. Well, he's dead. Can't libel the dead. He's in a box on your mantelpiece, which is how all of that

on Thursday. We don't want to go back to that. He did eat a man's finger. No, no, no. That is not fair. He did not eat a man's finger at all. He bit the guy's finger and

the finger was sewn back on. So once again, just be careful. Chris, be careful what you're throwing out there. I've had a couple of messages from our listeners on Spotify, making it quite clear that they would like us to stick to football today. So let's try and do that for now. So, mate, I'm really enjoying this season's FA Cup. We know,

that the last round threw up some great ties and some great results. We didn't have such high expectations this time round, but it has delivered. And as I look at my phone right now to look at the draw for the quarterfinals, I am really, really pleased with what I see. And the reason for that is because we now have nine teams competing

left in the tournament because of course Nottingham Forest and Ipswich don't play until Monday evening so we have nine teams left in this tournament and I would say that all nine of them at the moment would probably give their right arms to bag a place in the final Fulham Palace Preston Villa

Bournemouth, Brighton, Forest or Ipswich and I would even say Manchester City simply because it's the only tournament or the only trophy this season that Pep Guardiola's team can try and win. No Liverpool, no Manchester United, no Chelsea, no Arsenal, no Tottenham, no Newcastle and without wishing to upset too many of their supporters I think that leaves this season's competition in a great place.

I 100% agree with everything you say. I think it's really exciting. So, well said. Really exciting. I mean, yeah, it is. I like the Preston story. Paul Heckingbottom, you know, beating Preston.

Burnley reserves, but still beating them. That whole story I really like. I mean, it's not impossible. You mentioned Brighton and Bournemouth who have had phenomenal seasons. Brighton taking the Newcastle scalp today and what a finish by Danny Welbeck. What a brilliant sort of leader he is for some of the younger players at Brighton. Aston Villa mentioned their season in the last pod in that they are a club that

who are stretched. I can't remember the last time they won the FA Cup, and I should know that, but I can't. It was a long time ago, but they're fighting in Champions League, trying to hang on in that Premier League, Champions League race, and you can't rule them out from winning the FA Cup, albeit they've got to navigate that.

Preston, but I think it's exciting for the fact you've said this is different. It feels different this season. Clubs who we aren't used to seeing this number of clubs who are sort of just under the radar, I think it's fair to say. A lot of the big clubs gone and it does make it fascinating and more watchable, I think.

That goal by Danny Welbeck that you mentioned, that was a peculiar old finish. And to answer your question, by the way, the last time Aston Villa won the FA Cup was in 1957. That is a long time ago. I should know that about my old club. Even we weren't born then. Yeah, it's a strange old finish by Danny Welbeck. It wasn't strange. He took a heavy, heavy touch, but then as lucky as he has a...

right, well he has really long legs, I suppose they're both the same size. But then, because he knew the way, he knew what he wanted to do, but to,

To actually lift the ball and stretch and finish as he did do that was amazing. Kind of stubbed it up, didn't he, on the stretch? Yeah, which he meant it, clearly meant it, but it was a heavy touch where he was absolutely straining, stretching. But what a finish. And a strange old season Brighton have had under Herzl, where...

I thought they were tailing off at one point, but their recent form has been pretty excellent. And you think they knocked Chelsea out of the cup and to go up to Newcastle, who they'd beaten earlier on in the season with a Danny Welbeck goal, and then to win, albeit Newcastle shot themselves in the foot, or I should say Anthony Gordon shot himself in the foot with a ridiculous, ridiculous reaction. I thought he deserved to go. I don't know your thoughts on that. So,

Anthony Gordon sent off for a two-handed shove in the face of the Brighton defender, Jean-Paul Van Hecker. Eddie Howe says, I don't know what Anthony's intention was, but I'm sure it wasn't to harm the player. Well, I don't know what a two-handed shove in the face is supposed to do if it isn't going to harm somebody. Certainly had an impact on the game, although Brighton lost a player soon after. Also, both teams went into extra time with 10 men. Yeah.

More significantly for Newcastle is that Anthony Gordon will now miss the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool in two weeks' time. He will be suspended. What is your view on that, Chris? Should a player who picks up a red card in league football be deprived of the opportunity to play in a cup final in what is essentially a different competition? Quite interesting that, isn't it? But would, so this is it, would Anthony Gordon have known that

that if he got sent off today, he'd missed the Carabao Cup final. I would bet a pound to a penny he would have known that. Yes, I'm not sure that's the point,

Well, that's my point. So therefore rein it in. It was a ridiculous skirmish, something you didn't need to get involved in. I think the whistle had already gone and then there was a coming together. And in that moment you have to think, and this is a player actually who I thought that everybody thought that this was a player who has matured.

But that was just a moment of madness. And you're saying you don't think that's the point, but from a playing perspective, I think that all players would have been aware that a misdemeanor, a daft moment as Anthony Gordon had today, that they would miss the Carabao Cup final. So to rein it in and just use the head and that's my point.

I've never thought about this before. I've thought sometimes when I've seen players miss kind of big games in big World Cup tournaments on suspensions and things, how, what a shame it can be. We all remember kind of Gaza back in 1990 and the tears, et cetera, thinking he was going to miss a final that England never got to in the end. But I was thinking about it on the way home from Old Trafford. And you know what? I do think it's a bit rum, actually. I haven't got simply forgotten in terms of what he did. He was just daft.

impetuous cost his team on the day but i do think that if you've played a part in getting your team to a cup final um i think once you're in that final i do think on reflection that suspensions picked up in the league um should probably apply should not apply to that final i do actually i do actually think that and i've never given it any thought don't know how many times it's happened

But I do actually think it deprives the player, deprives the club. And also it deprives the EFL in terms of their spectacle. It just so happens he's one of the most entertaining players who'll be on view that day. So that's my view. I do think it's a bit harsh, actually. Yeah.

I do. Okay. You said that I was missing the point. I think you're missing the point. The fact is, if a player knows that's the situation, you have to stay on the right side of the line, you do it. So it's one all in terms of missing points. I mean, you can live in a sort of fantasy cloud cuckoo land sort of world. I live in the real world.

Don't mate, you live in Norfolk. Anyway, we'll agree to disagree on that one. Let us know what you think on that one, people. Find us on the socials, et cetera. Let us know what you think. Makes Liverpool strong favourites, doesn't it? No. I mean, there's massive, massive loss because he's been brilliant this season, Anthony Gordon. Yeah. Alexander Isaac also left the field, I believe precautionary, but feeling that injury again. So they would be depleted if one or both of those players would be missing at Liverpool.

Wembley. So yeah, let us know about that. Is Anstley Gordon unlucky to be missing the Carver Cup final or does he deserve all that he gets for what was quite a petulant act? As I mentioned, Chris, I was at Old Trafford and

Sunday afternoon, that one went on a bit longer than I anticipated, extra time and penalties, et cetera, Fulham prevailing. And you know what, mate? As I've written in the match report that I wrote for Mail Online, that is still being carried on that platform, or will be Monday morning, and in the print edition of the dear old newspaper, I have actually kind of suggested that when Man Utd lose a game against anybody apart from another really big club,

in England or in Europe, everybody tends to kind of throw their arms in the air and say, oh my goodness, what a shock. And, oh, who's to blame? You know, it's your fault. It's the manager's fault. It's the player's fault. And you know what? I think we're now getting to the point where I think you've reached this point a bit earlier than I did. You just need to look at the league table. The fact is that Fulham are,

Five places, I think, ahead of Manchester United in the Premier League and nine points ahead of them. Fulham have a positive goal difference and Man Utd have a negative goal difference. So I think, therefore, Fulham go to Old Trafford, draw the game over 90 minutes, 120 minutes and win it on penalties. Really, I think the days of being surprised are behind us.

Well, you know, I do the BBC predictions and I thought Fulham would win. You only have to look, I thought, I had a look at Manchester United, the teams they'd beaten this season. And this, I think that this says a lot. And they've beaten Fulham twice actually, and Fulham are probably the best team they've beaten.

But other than Fulham, okay, they've beaten Southampton. They've beaten Barnsley. They beat Brentford in a very close game at Old Trafford. They've beaten Leicester. And then they've beaten Pauk in the Europa League. They beat Leicester again. They've beaten Bodo Glimt. Everton when they were toiling.

They've beaten Victoria Pilsen. They beat Manchester City, which was their real biggie. And then Southampton, they beat the struggling Rangers, FCSB, Leicester and Ipswich. And when you actually think about...

You know, I said Leicester about three times there. Southampton, they beat Nip Switch, struggling Everton. Leicester. Leicester, Leicester, Leicester. But so every time, other than Manchester City, and they've had a difficult season, they've come up against anybody half decent. They've struggled. So it isn't a surprise.

And, you know, we're actually at the stage where I do think even we're sort of feeling a bit of apathy towards him. What is there to say about them anymore other than it's a big summer for Ameren? But he can't, with every loss and, you know, don't go over old ground again, but with every loss and the fact that we know he's a stickler for playing a particular way,

The pressure at the start of next season, I think, on him will be so great and so intense. Eczema isn't always obvious, but it's real. And so is the relief from Evglus.

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Right, mate, let's get to one of the really big topics of the weekend, which is...

It came around the Crystal Palace-Millwall tie, Palace winning 3-1. But all the attention was focused on that challenge by the Millwall reserve goalkeeper, normal second choice goalkeeper, Liam Roberts on Jean-Philippe Mateta. Roberts sent off after Michael Oliver had looked at the screen

Mateta carried off after a lengthy delay 25 stitches I believe in an ear wound at hospital thankfully is recovering well now and should be able to return to action at some point relatively soon um

How bad was the challenge, Chris, from a footballer's perspective? Anyone who hasn't seen it, through ball, bouncing, goalkeeper comes out of the box and aims what can only be described as a fly kick or almost like a kung fu kick at the ball and catches Mateta essentially on the side of the head. How bad was that from a footballer's point of view?

Name a worse challenge. Okay, you've covered football a long time. Name a worse challenge than that challenge by Liam Roberts. I think it was well covered football

I think even I remember the, the Schumacher challenge at the World Cup. It was very similar to that, to that. What, what year was that? That would have been. off the top of my head, I think it was 82. Was it 82? Yeah. So, so yes. And, and there were a lot of similarities with that challenge. Liam Roberts, I think, you know, he's, he's, he's coming out. He really,

He realizes at a certain point he's not going to get there. And then he just wipes him out. It was awful. It was deliberate. It was malicious. It was all those things to my eye.

Um, you'll have to ask Liam Roberts whether he, he actually meant it. Uh, but in that moment, I mean, that was, that was as bad as I've ever seen. And I've seen some bad ones. You were talking about the, uh, challenge by, uh, how Sumac on Patrick Battiston in the 1982, uh, world cup. Um, okay. That's your view. Um, uh, interesting because I don't, uh,

I think it was the worst challenge I've ever seen in football. Go on, name a worse one. I have seen...

Okay, you asked me for, I think, you know, for example, of top-med, I think the Keane, Alfie Haaland one is worse. I've seen many players over the years deliberately try to do opponents, as you have. You will have been on the receiving end of some, I'm sure, where there is absolute intent and malice, challenges that can break legs, challenges that can end careers.

That's my view. Did you not, did you, so can they, so you used the word intent and malice, but that's the way it looked to me. It's made a misjudgment, but it can still be both.

You know, you can make a misjudgment and then still have that intent because he didn't need to go that high and follow through. Absolutely not. There's a moment where he could have pulled out and he didn't. Okay, that's really interesting. That's why I asked you as the former professional on this two-man team for your view. And I'm really, obviously, I take that...

you couldn't have more credibility in terms of that point of view. So take that very, very seriously. When I watch it, what I see is a catastrophic mistiming of a, well, a catastrophic judgment. It was a huge mistake to commit to it. To me, once he's committed to it, he's in trouble because to me, he can't get out of it.

He can't get out of it. So it's an awful challenge, okay? It's a dreadful challenge. He got what he deserved, which was a red card. The most important thing is Mateta's safety, obviously. Updates from Mateta himself on Instagram, et cetera, and from Palace appear to be positive, and we're all pleased about that. What I will say, and what I find is interesting, is that Steve Paris, the Palace chairman,

then appeared on the BBC at half time to talk about the challenge, saying, I have never seen anything like it. He is endangering a fellow professional and maybe his life. They are professionals and have a duty of care to each other. That keeper has not had one. Credit to the players for carrying on.

Now, I know why Steve Parrish would be upset. Of course I do. Steve Parrish's overriding concern would be for his own player. Steve Parrish is a sensible chairman. He's one of the more progressive thinkers in our game. He also happens to be very media friendly, which people like me appreciate. That's kind of by the by. Having said all that, I think that was a mistake for him to go and do that interview at halftime. Because? Why?

Because, yeah. Because the game's not finished. It's still going on. I think it sets a precedent for what are we going to have next? Kind of manages press conferences at halftime as well. Did he ask or was he asked? Don't know. I think that's important. Yeah. And whether...

Well, yes, but I don't think it's critically important because I still don't think he should have done it. I don't know. Well, just on that. I think if you had a point of view...

He should have saved it until after the game. It's Crystal Palace against Millwall. It's a local game. Tensions are high anyway. Those comments will, the way the world works these days, will these days immediately kind of zip round the ground, zip round the stands, zip round everybody's mobile phone in that stadium. And I just think it, I don't know what purpose it serves.

For a chairman, we know that players get hotheaded and say things. We know that managers full of adrenaline after games say things.

I think a chairman has to take a step back from that, at least until after the game, when he's had time to think about it, talk to people involved, consider what purpose it serves. And then if he wants to say it, he's absolutely within his rights to do so. I just think it was hasty. I'm just saying that at times, a little thinking time and a little pause for thought

serves us all in football. I understand what you're saying to a point, but surely Steve Parrish, you know, he's a measured guy. He was clearly sort of emotional, but he was authentic. I think he would have had time and, you know, he knows the game well enough that he would have been

he would have understood the impact of his words, but that's the way he felt. And if that's the way he felt, then so be it. That's what we want to hear, isn't it? Anyway, look, it's a point of view. Like I say, I respect Steve's...

Steve's right to have that point of view to understand why he feels emotional. Just don't know whether the timing of that interview was helpful. That is my view and you're not with it. Equally, by the way, Millwall fans singing Let Him Die, sorry, Mateta, while he was lying on the field wasn't particularly helpful.

either the FA apparently not going to act on that. They don't think it's in the remit to act on chants like that, which is vaguely baffling. But there we go. Who are these people really? And it isn't,

I mean, I do think things like that. I mean, you can't blame Millwall as a football club for a bunch of morons singing whatever they want to sing. That is probably not a fair reflection on Millwall, you know, as a club. But what can the club do about that other than ban them? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You can try and identify, can't you? And I'm sure they will have a record for doing such things and trying to find troublemakers and perpetrators is difficult, as we know. But yeah, that was something that we didn't need and I'm afraid happens occasionally. And when it does, all we can do is call it out.

and hope that next time it happens, people point them out and then we can maybe move forward. Anyway, way to start the topic, that one. Like I say, the most important thing is that John Fleet Mottetta is recovering and we do wish him well. His welfare should come first and foremost in this conversation and it certainly does. Chris, we do have some thoughts from our listeners today.

on Thursday from Thursday's show for those who weren't with us on Thursday and without going into all the detail um

We had a bit of a chat about Chris and his love for animals. He's got 18 caskets sitting around in that living room where he's sitting right now with the ashes of some of the family pets, dogs and cats, et cetera, down the years. Chris is currently holding a new one. Who's this? It's Alfie. Alfie the retriever. What was Alfie? A retriever. A golden retriever. Lovely dog. Used to do a funny little dance. We recently lost Alfie. Absolutely, absolutely loved Alfie.

God rest his paws. Chris Michelle, if that's pronouncing it right on Spotify, says simply stick to football. Eden Jones says, we also have a few pets ashes in the living room on a shelf high up in the corner. Not as many as Chris Michelle.

However, Chris, you had a comment on a photograph from a chap on Instagram. He says, we have this picture of our old dog Marvin. His ashes are in the paperweight by the picture and we also have his paw print. That lady man is a funny little man. Show him this. I can't send it to him. There we go. I think there's a few people coming down. Do you feel a little bit of guilt there, you know, that you're not an animal lover? You know I'm an animal lover. It's just that no animal that I've ever owned is...

taking the finger off an innocent bystander. Anyway, talking about comments. Come on, you're better than that. Commenting, well, I'm not, you know that. Let's get into some questions for Chris. ♪

All of these have come from X on this fine early spring Sunday. This is from Matthew Donnelly. He asked you, Chris, do players get distracted by a cup run or is that just something that the media say? No, I think players, I don't know whether, I mean, it's a pleasant distraction, I think, or it can be to, you know, for teams who are maybe struggling to, you know,

In the Premier League, look at this season, Preston are halfway up the championship. That's a lovely distraction for Paul Heckingbottom. So I think, yeah, I always felt as a player, FA Cup runs never won the FA Cup. But in the early days at Norwich City, Chelsea got to a final and I got dropped for that particular final. But they are a nice distraction.

That's amazing that he got dropped. It means he must have been playing in the first place. Didn't happen much. That's very good. Very good. Very good. Good, good, good. Fergal Hardiman says, does Mo Salah get enough credit for his consistency over eight years? Yes. I do not believe

I do not know anybody who hasn't, even people who dislike Liverpool. We know you're not a big fan of Everton, but even people who dislike Liverpool respect Mo Salah for his phenomenal consistency over the years. And he's still going strong. Brian Robertson asks on X, is Roy Hodgson the most underrated manager of all time? Strange one. Of all time?

Of all time. That's actually quite an interesting question. Was he underrated? I mean, my old manager at Blackburn. I think he was a competent manager. But just going on underrated managers. I know you're not a big David Moyes fan. He would be one who I'd say is underrated.

not underrated by anybody on my Twitter feed right now, I'll tell you that. I think the Hodgson thing comes back from the fact that he did brilliantly in New York back in the day. A lot of people don't remember that. I think it's probably his relative failures with Liverpool and England that people...

Malmo? That's ridiculous.

Do you want to lay this off-size completely? Yeah. Thanks for the question, Bobby. Bobby Ball was that. If only. If only. Bobby Boy. Bobby Boy. Boy with an H. Come on. Come on, Bobby. You're better than that. You can't...

Offside has to play a part in the game, doesn't he? You can't get rid of it completely. I mean, that's ridiculous. I think he's obviously referring to the fact that whatever we seem to try with offside, it doesn't work.

And we've had a further example of that over the weekend. And the new Premier League, or the new English version of the semi-automated offside system came into play in the FA Cup this weekend. It's the system, of course, it's used across Europe. It's used in the Champions League. And it works well. It's used in the World Cup. It was used in the European Championships. It works really, really well.

when we get our hands on it. So can you explain that to me then? Because you've been a big advocate for this coming in. I think we chatted about it months and months, maybe even a year ago. So you were big on this. I think I agreed with you at the time. So can you, as the knowledge, tell me why? I've been banging my little old drum about semi-automated offside for a long time, probably since the Qatar War Cup.

And we finally got it and it was a bit shambolic. I believe it's because it's our version of it. And it may not exactly be a replica of what they're using overseas. I hope that the lessons of this weekend are learnt. We had the shambles during the Bournemouth Wolves game where it took them seven and a half minutes to...

to judge that a Bournemouth goal should be disallowed for a combination of offside and handball and God knows what else, somebody illegally parked on a WL line outside the stadium, probably. And then we had another one at Newcastle when Fabian Schaar volleys in across...

right at the end of normal time. Looks like he's won the game for Newcastle, only for VAR to get involved and take again and eternity to decide that Shah was correctly offside. I don't know why it's taking so long, Chris. Let's try and get to the bottom of it before Thursday's show, because we need to know. Now, more interestingly, there is to be...

I mean, you and I talk quite often about rules changes in a way that the game's lawmakers tinker with things. But you know what? They've actually, IFAB, the International Football Association board, who are in charge of the rules of the game, have come up with a new idea. It's going to be trialed at the Club World Cup.

this summer at least it means a club ball cup may serve one purpose at least if it can be used as a guinea pig for something like this so it's to do with goalkeepers holding on to the ball which we know is a bit of a problem time wasting all the rest of it people like Jordan Pickford catching balls and flopping down onto the ground and lying there for hours on end before getting up goalkeepers going to be given eight seconds to get rid of the ball

And if they hold on to it for longer than that, the opposition team will be awarded a corner. I love it. I absolutely love it. But it will just cause carnage. So maybe I'm wrong with this, but the old rule was the six-second rule, right? Yeah. Was it an indirect free kick?

for goalkeepers who held onto the ball or hold onto the ball for more than six seconds and that never happens. So that didn't work. So why is this eight second corner rule going to work? I think anything that's intended to cut down on time wasting is a good idea in principle. This seems a little bit overcomplicated to me.

Apparently after five seconds, the referee will kind of indicate a warning to the goalkeeper. And then if he hangs on to it with three more, then the corner will be given. I mean, chaos will ensue. That is absolutely certain.

Would the referees get enough wrong and have enough to do without starting to count down? That's a great shout. Five, four, three, two. Something like that. It's a knockout. Just have a hooter. Have a hooter that blasts. So then blasts again after five seconds and then counts down. Like the countdown clock. Let's have the countdown clock. Channel 4 fans will know what I'm talking about. You know what I would do, Chris? It's very, very simple. I've said it before.

goalkeepers who waste time just book them and I don't mean book them five minutes from the end of the game after they've been doing it all game book them the first time they do it so if they do it after 10 minutes they're then on the yellow card for the remainder of the game they're not going to do it again are they

That's what I would do. I've always said that. Just book them early. Book them. One and once. Book them second time. And that'll be the end of it. That's what I've always said. Anyway, there you go. What I quite like about it though, Ian, is you think that if you're bringing kids up, you want them to be professional footballers. Think about if there are going to be so many corners around

games in years to come I mean that's all you do as a as a as a parent you want your kid to be a corner specialist just imagine the money you can get from delivering good corners well I'm

I mean, imagine the number of set-piece coaches we'll need. We're going to have to have corner coaches. Corner coaches. By the way, somebody told me. Yeah, one for each side. Old football contact of mine told me the other day, you know we talk about kind of set-piece coaches and throwing coaches and we have a bit of a laugh, et cetera. The guy, contact of mine in football, told me that there's one club, I believe in the championship, but I'm going to find out who it is, who've been advertising for an under-7s set-piece coach

Under sevens. Surely under sevens can't even kick the ball off the ground. Never mind execute a set piece. That can't be true. Well, I'm going to find out who it is. That,

That could not be true. Another task for Thursday. Find out what's going on with VAR and the offside and find out which football club's advertising for an under-7s set-piece coach. Right, back to the heavy stuff, my friend. One of Saturday's other notable FA Cup ties was the one between Bournemouth and Wolves down on the south coast. But,

Bournemouth eventually won it on penalties. By the way, that one by Matt Doty, that penalty by Matt Doty, the one that they had to win it for Wolves, that's one of the worst penalties I've ever seen. It went wide by about a yard. That was awful. I've taken worse than that. Oh, have you? I haven't. And I'm a 55-year-old short bloke.

I haven't. Why does height matter? Well, I'm just saying it before you do. Anyway, let's go. But the key moment of that game, well, that was one of the key moments of the game. But the talking point of that game, of course, is Iroha from his house, Cunha, Wolves forward. And what a goal. Let's start there.

Goal from 30 yards, right foot strike, dipping into top corner from a standing start. No run up, nothing, not even a pace. How difficult is that? To do that from a standing position, get that power.

Yeah, that's the old... That's strong thigh, short back left, catching it pure. I mean, that was such a special goal. That is so difficult to do. You have to catch it absolutely flush. And he did...

But he doesn't half score some long-range efforts, doesn't he, Cunha? I mean, it's not like it's a one-off. I mean, you know, every week you're sort of seeing him, or in recent weeks, bang them in from outside the area, left and right-footed. So that was an amazing piece of skill. Scores some clinkers, as an old...

old friend of mine used to say, and that was a clinker. Anyway, he then blocks his copy book spectacularly later on in the game. Um,

The only way to describe it, Martin Kieran described it pretty well on Match of the Day, called it the old three-card trick. Basically, in a bit of a shirt-tugging tussle with Milos Kirkes, Bournemouth player, all of a sudden from Kunia, two punches, one kick while he's on the ground, and then a headbutt when he gets back to his feet, and he's off the pitch, red card,

going to war with all of a sudden by the touchline, officials, stewards, all kinds of people who are getting in his way. And of course, almost cost his team the game, would have taken one of their penalties for sure. What's going on with him? He's got form for this. Obviously, he was the one who broke the stewards' glasses in a melee at Molineux early in the season. He did, he did, he did,

buy a new pair of glasses, didn't he? He did. He absolutely did. That was nice. I'm going to ask you two questions. He's got a heart. Yeah. I'm going to ask you two questions. Is he good enough for a really big club? Yes. And secondly, what are you saying? Really big club? Who are you? Where's the cutoff point? Champions League club. Champions League club. Don't you? And would a big club worry about him in terms of his, not his attitude, but

I've got written down here attitude, not attitude, because he's a winner. He's a fighter, plays for team, match winning moments, cares a lot. But is the way that attitude can bubble over sometimes and this propensity for getting himself into trouble. Would that, if you were recruiting for a top club, would that worry you? Well, he'd probably end up at Arsenal if he's indisciplined, wouldn't he? He'd be a good fit.

He's trying to wind up our producer, Henry. No, no, I'm not. I mean, look, I think our producer said that he holds his hands up and says that Arsenal have had disciplinary problems this season. No, but they're not fighters.

Fighters, Arsenal. Yeah, but isn't it interesting because you lot, you journalists, you often write and say, well, some of these maverick players, they need to have that fire in their belly and play close to the edge.

And Kuhn is one of those. He's not close to the edge, mate. He's over the edge. He's down the cliff. It was amazing when I saw it. I mean, in fairness to him, as sendings off go, he didn't miss, did he? I mean, he did get the treble. Oh, yeah. And he gets his money's worth. When he goes, he goes. He gets his money's worth. So, yeah. So, I mean...

Look, you look at his footballing ability and ability-wise, I think that he's shown that he's capable of playing for a top club. I was mightily surprised he signed that new contract. Great news for Wolves. But I mean, he does need to stay on the pitch. Fortunately for him and Vito Pereira,

Leicester and Ipswich and Southampton are so bad that probably won't have an impact on Wolves. It was really interesting afterwards that the Wolves' manager Vito Pereira really tap-danced around the issue. He called him out once this season after a game at Molineux six weeks ago, so accused him of not trying.

He's not, you and I called Pereira out for that one. He's not going down that road again. He really tap danced around the subjects on Saturday night. And look, he is a terrific player, Cunha. And I would love to see him at a big club, actually. And I'm absolutely sure that, yeah,

somebody will take a punch on him and think we can deal with him. We can deal with the attitude. Part of it, you know, he looks angry to me. Part of it, part of me wonders if it's frustration from knowing that thinking to himself, you know, should I really be scrapping it out down here at the bottom of the Premier League? Should I not already be at a big club? Who knows? I tell you who is a bit. Why did he sign the new deal then? Uh, well, there could be an arrangement. There could be an arrangement. There often is, isn't there? There could be an understanding there. If a bid comes in, he can go. Um,

Give him a bit of extra... I often felt like that at the clubs I played at, too good for them. Yeah, they often thought that about themselves in relation to you too. I wonder if... Anyway, digressing. I'll tell you who is peed off after Saturday is the Bournemouth manager, Adonis Iriola, because his player, Kerkes, was booked...

for his part in that skirmish. I couldn't really see him playing a part in that skirmish apart from falling to the ground. For getting headbutted and punched and kicked. He deserved the yellow, didn't he? He'll be suspended for the quarterfinal now. He's suspended for the quarterfinal or he could be.

You could be. So there's some irritation there as well. Anyway, there we go, mate. Like I say, it's been a cracking FA Cup weekend for good and for bad, but it's certainly been interesting. It's been intriguing. Lots to talk about. And before we wrap up, let's do a couple of moments of the weekend. And I went first last week, so it's up to you, mate.

You didn't go first last week. I went first, but I'll go first again this week. I know you're not a big watcher of Scottish football, but Hibs this season had a very iffy start to the season. David Gray, their manager, they stuck with him quite rightly so and they are bearing the fruits of that and they beat Hearts in the Edinburgh derby today and the scenes at the end of the game in football is about these moments and memories of

And are you familiar with the Hibbs sort of song, Sunshine on Leith? Sunshine on Leith? I've seen the film, but I can't remember what the song is. I think Henrik, our producer, is he going to play this? What's your beauty and happiness? Your tears will see the sunshine of this one more year.

Wasn't that fabulous? Seriously, I've seen the footage as well. That is what football's about. No, I agree. I do like a good anthem, I have to say. That one had a few peaks and troughs. I thought it had finished on about six occasions. I don't know if it was going to bounce back again and kind of bang me in the ears.

but okay maybe that should be another one on my list but I've not even been to an old firm derby never mind in Edinburgh derby I wouldn't bother the Celtic Rangers well they've got one in a couple of weeks but that's that's all done fair play to Hibbs up to third now in the Scottish Premier League only 32 points behind Celtic in first but glad you had a good day out

The Preston fans certainly had a good day out at Deepdale on Saturday. You touched on it yourself earlier, nine changes made by Burnley in the FA Cup tie, but Preston didn't care about that. Paul Heckingbottom's team won the game comfortably 3-0. They are in the last eight of the FA Cup for the first time since 1966, which is marvellous. Heckingbottom himself said afterwards, for the club, it's huge.

I just hope we get a home tie. And of course they subsequently did get a home tie. They will play Aston Villa in the last eight. That looks like the pick of the games for the next round. And I've got my eye on that one already. Well done, Paul Heckingbottom. Well done, Preston. You've earned your place.

one victory away from a Wembley semi-final of course and my second moment of the weekend we go back to the Bournemouth Wolves game and I have to say I thought the way that the Max today commentator Robin Cowan called that seven and a half minute VAR delay was absolutely immaculate she

She just sounded utterly exasperated. And I think sometimes when you watch football or sport and you're excited about something or you're fed up about something, what you really want is for the TV commentator or analyst to kind of mirror what you're feeling. And that is exactly what Robin managed to do when she said, this has been painful for all involved people.

come on, we've all got homes to go to. And I think back in the day when we, when we talked about VAR and it was, and we knew it was coming, I used to say, I used to say, if we get VAR, football clubs, football games will last forever and we'll never get home. And when she said that, I thought, yes, Robin, I've been thinking that for years. We've,

all got homes to go to right I think our listeners given that it's hopefully Monday morning when they listen to this because we're recording it Sunday night they've probably all got work to get to or university to get to or whatever to get to hope you've enjoyed listening hope you've enjoyed the early start Chris and I have enjoyed it we'll be back

on Thursday. Do you remember, like I say, let us know what you thought about all the things we discussed on the show. Some of them have been lighthearted, some of them not. I do think the Jean-Philippe Mateta, Liam Roberts subject is a big one. Steve Parrish and what he had to say at halftime, I wasn't sure that was wise. Chris absolutely supports Steve on that. Mercedes Kuhner, is he big enough for a big club or is his temperament going to get...

in the way Anstley Gordon in the Cowboy Cup final. I think it's a bit harsh for himself that he's not going to play in that for a red card that took place in a different competition. And who's behind Fulham's rise to prominence? Is it Marco Silva? Is it one of his players? Let us know what you think. Find us on the socials. You can go to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, wherever it is you get the show.

and leave us your thoughts there make sure you hit the follow button and leave us a rating Chris my friend that's it we're off to Eindhoven on Monday aren't we not together but it turns out we're staying in the same hotel yeah which worries me a little bit that would be quite something if we had bunk beds worries me a little bit the last time you last time you and I were in the same hotel I had to sleep through a fire alarm to get away from you

That was in Germany during the Euros, do you remember? Everyone else ended up on the street. Or was that in Essen? Yeah, in Essen. Everybody else ended up on the street at seven o'clock in the morning. It was a bit like Burnley, wasn't it? I slept all the way through it. That would be doing Burnley at his service. Right, so I'll see you in Eindhoven, my friend. Everybody else will see you back on Thursday.

I am Ian Ladyman. The chap continues to be surrounded by the ghosts of Woof Woof's past. It's Chris Sutton. This is when it's all kicking off.