Windy woes in the West as Arsenal rue fine margins
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The Athletic FC Podcast Network. The only way to score is, of course, to play with a handbrake off. Hello, I'm Ian Stone. This is Handbrake Off, the Arsenal podcast brought to you by The Athletic.

Hello. Hiya.

Storm Durra, as we know, has been wreaking havoc across the country all weekend. Tough conditions everywhere yesterday. Have we got any current or ex-players would you name a storm after? Any particular favourites for storms? Amy? As you can imagine, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole on this one. You've got four examples? Well, not quite. I've got loads. But...

As you know, the Storms are named alphabetically, so the next Storm has to start with an E. So I found this website which lists all the Arsenal players ever, alphabetically. Because the first one that came to my mind was Edu, and I thought Storm Edu, after recent events, perhaps wasn't ideal. And actually, none of them are really speaking Storm to me. Eboué, Elneny...

Eddie. I mean, I just don't think these quite work on the kind of storm front. Stormy buoy. Stormy buoy, I know. Go on. Anyway, and then I sort of thought we could go with, I thought the first name maybe, Emmanuel Petit. I rather like the sound of Stormy Manuel.

Oh, ladies, ladies getting all the flutter. Oh, he's storming around. Just in my rabbit hole digging, I noted that there was an Arsenal player I'd never heard of, who I think possibly might have the best name in the history of the club. He was born before the club was even formed in the 1880s. And his name is Bert Badger.

Oh, I love Bert. I saw him as a kid. And he was a wing half and I just thought, I really want to know more about Bert Badger. Apparently he was a violinist of some distinction as well as playing football. So maybe storm Bert, even if it's not fitting in with it. We'll have to wait till it gets round to B again.

Bert Badger, though. It's Albert Badger, I'm assuming, by the way. I think it's Herbert, actually. It's Herbert Badger. Oh, this is so Victorian. Anyway, good world. Thanks, Bert. So there you go. Not alphabetical, like you say. Obviously trying not to talk about it again, yes.

No, no, no, no. We'll talk about the game yesterday. It wasn't Fulham last year, to be fair, but we'll get to that. Adrian, what have you got? I'm going to go with Storm Alexis. It would be wild, unpredictable in its nature. It could knock you off your feet, maybe at times.

I think Storm Alexis... I didn't know which way it was blowing sometimes. Yeah, exactly. Storm Alexis would produce the odd little flash of lightning that would be unforgettable, but it would blow through quite quickly. That's how I'm seeing it. It would end up in the north quite quickly, that storm, wouldn't it, really? To be fair, yeah. And then it would really blow it.

And then it would have regrets about leaving the South so quickly. If we're going to keep going with the storm analogy, which I'm already, I can hear people turning off as we're speaking. Yeah, I went for Storm Santos, as in Andre Santos. Slow moving. Essentially, not really a storm, just sits in one place. Doesn't move very much at all. Bless him.

I just find him endless. I mean, you know, I'd rather have Burt Badger playing for us than him. But anyway, I hope he's doing well. Fulham 1, Arsenal 1. So frustrating. So frustrating. Adrian, we just didn't create enough, did we? From open play. I mean, it's all very well set piece FC and I love it, right? And I love the Jaws theme music every time we go to take a corner and all that stuff.

But we're not creating enough from open play. Some props have to go to Marco Silva for the way they set up. We have to find solutions and we just didn't do quite enough, did we? No, no we didn't. Yeah, it was really frustrating. Look, 90% of what we did in this game, I really liked. I thought we were by and large excellent. One slip up, but also it was great play from Fulham for the goal. Yeah.

That aside, we completely controlled the game. It was very good in almost all aspects, but the big aspect that it wasn't so good in was chance creation in open play. I looked at the XG, I totted it up. From set pieces, our XG on the day was 1.732%.

That's high, obviously. And our XG from open play was 0.296, which is a fraction of it. And there were six shots that came from open play and six from set pieces. And when you have as much of the ball as we had in this game, first of all, you've got to be having more than six shots.

You've got to be testing the goalkeeper on a more frequent basis and you've got to be carving out better opportunities. So yeah, there's an issue there. There's no doubt about that. We didn't score from open play against United, obviously a few games this season. So we've got to fix it. Fulham don't normally play like that. They normally go toe-to-toe. They decided to sort of be a little bit meeker

And it was the right thing to do from their end, wasn't it? Because we didn't have the imagination to score the goals we needed. Very frustrating. And Amy, the lack of options on the bench. I mean, Gabriel Jesus has been great for us in the past. But it does seem like this malaise is lasting a long time. And when that's the case, and when he obviously doesn't trust Raheem Sterling...

What we've got really is a central midfield player who's slightly defensive in Mikel Mourinho and Ethan Waniere who's a 17-year-old. There's just not enough, is there? No, but I think that was something that we could have all predicted really. You know, Adrian and I, we're in chorus banging this drum and that's been a while now. And if there was one thing about looking at the squad individually

before we'd even kicked a ball and laying it all out on paper and looking at all the options and, you know, lots of things. It looked really, really strong. It looked like there were very good options across the board and that we'd raised the floor quite substantially. But that was based on, obviously, a lot of players playing to their levels. And unfortunately, some of those that I think Mikel would have wanted to rely on a lot more, Jesus,

Raheem Sterling, obviously, otherwise what's the point of bringing them in? Zinchenko, you know, they've not been able to come in and find that the standards required to be really, really effective in the Premier League.

Is that a manager's fault? Is that a manager's fault? I don't know. I mean, you can't have a perfect squad, you know, nearly all the time in nearly every circumstance. There's going to be issues and there's going to be things. You've always got to look at it. I always thought Arsene used to do this. He would look at his squad and he would imagine it in a way where everybody played at their best and where everybody was always fit. And it didn't work out that way most of the time. So...

I think what's of concern is that the overall picture is that Arsenal are less well off than last season. Certainly in terms of being creative and scoring goals in open play. In fact, I saw somebody post something on the internet that I think it was looking at the goals from open play from maybe 22, 23, and it had Arsenal and Man City tied at the top. And then since then to now,

Arsenal are, you know, way off. There's a whole number of teams in between them and the top. 13th, 13th in that table now. It's an area that has really, really dropped off. And it is frustrating because obviously you've got to trust the manager and the recruitment team and everybody involved in that to make all the right calls to use resources to the best to get there.

all the ingredients you need to the highest quality that you can get hold of for a season. And it does seem like, you know, the art of smashing in a goal. I keep finding myself at times looking at the game and thinking, just, you know, somebody hit it. I know it sounds really simplistic, but Declan Rice, you know, he's a great player. Whack one in every now and again, you know? And I think that should go for it.

Some other members of that team as well. And obviously you're trying to play a certain way when you're trying to break teams down and that's not easy. But we have to do something off the cuff sometimes, something unpredictable, something that you're not expecting. And I don't know whether that's a question of strategy or mindset or what they're being told to do or their own personal decisions out on the pitch. But sometimes a player needs to feel that freedom to just sort of go for it.

It's a bit lacking at the minute. You know, a game like that, you just need someone to find a moment of magic and a goal. And it just wasn't really happening. Yeah, you've touched, Amy, on something I wanted to bring up, which was a little bit of unpredictability, a bit of chaos. Jesus used to bring the chaos and he's not anymore, unfortunately. He's looked way off it, way off the level that's needed from him. So...

That is definitely holding us back because on days where Kai Havertz is quiet and not as influential, then you need somebody else. And he doesn't trust Raheem Sterling, does he? He doesn't. He brought him in and he's obviously watching him in training and thinking he's not at the level either. So that being the case, I mean, what's a manager meant to do? Or what's a coach meant to do? Because...

You know, he can't look at them at the start of the season and go, are you up for this? I mean, obviously, that's exactly what he should have done. But basically, are you up for this? Because if you're not... Alex Ferguson used to do that. He used to famously get in that dressing room when they just won the league and look at them and see if he could see that sparkle and that hunger in their eyes. And if he didn't, he dealt with it.

Yeah, no, that was at the end of the season. Let's not pretend that Mikel is not doing exactly the same. But it's just trying to work out what you're prioritising. And for whatever reason, in Mikel's game plan, the money that was raised off of the sales, particularly of Emil and so on, that went towards Mikel Marino. Now, some of us might have said, oh, maybe can you get a more creative or more dynamic or more kind of goal-scoring approach?

you know, player in that position. Some of us might have said, let's let the midfield take care of itself and go for a striker. There are reasons why he makes his choices. I mean, there's also, there's also the case that, you know, but for a VAR call, which we know is correct of, you know, half a foot. What,

We win that game 2-1. We talk about a very, very good win away. A very, very good Fulham side, to be honest with you. They're on a good run and no one's going to get easy points there. So, Adrian, these fine margins, but that's the point, isn't it, really? And when those sub-players are coming on and not really changing the dynamic...

We're short, aren't we? Look, Mikel was right when he said afterwards that no one's gone to Fulham and done that this season or done it for ages. And it's true. We absolutely, totally wiped the floor with them in 90% of that game. Loads of it was good. Going back to the creativity, the vast majority of goals are scored between the width of the goalposts and probably the penalty spot.

Maybe just a little bit, you know, because you stretch that square out a little bit. Just imagine that part of the middle, the middle part of the penalty box. That's where I don't have the percentage, but that's where the vast, vast majority of goals are scored from. Unfortunately, and I'm not blaming Saka and Martinelli here because I thought they both played well. Martinelli, when he came on, was terrific. But they're so wide and I want them sometimes to go and have a wander.

I want Mikel Arteta to encourage them to go and have a wander because if Saka gets himself in that central area, he will score even more goals. Martinelli, the same. Trossard, the same. It just felt a little bit like football by numbers in the game where we go wide and

Saka does something Martinelli does something we put it in the box and we hope for the best and unfortunately it wasn't enough to create the quality chances that we needed I would love Saka and Martinelli to go and have a little gallivant into central areas every now and again because they'll score more goals

Also, not keeping clean sheets, by the way. We kept a lot of clean sheets, particularly away from home in the last few years. We haven't kept a clean sheet in any of the last six Premier League away games. It's the joint longest run without one during Mikel Arteta's time in charge.

Amy, can we just put this down to the fact that this was the 8th or 9th, I've read two different stats, defence that we've played this season. We've only played, what, 15 games and we have to keep changing. I mean, the defenders that were out yesterday would make a very, very good defence. Calafiori, Gabriel, White, I think it was Zinni, Tommy Yasu, that's right, and Zinni as well. Is it just that?

Or is there something else lacking a little bit? A bit of a midfield cover in front? I mean, we dominated the game for the first 10 minutes and the first time they had the ball, the ball's in the net. Look, I think you've kind of answered the question in the question. I think having that instability and constant changing and missing one key person or another from that back four is unhelpful. It's something you have to cope with.

You know, nobody's going to have a fully fit squad throughout the season, but it does feel like it's been particularly tricky to get that consistency. And I think we can all reel off the back four. When Arsenal started to get serious, it was the same every week, you know. Every week, yeah. Ben White, Gabriel, Saliba, Zinni. That was the back four that kind of started it off, really.

So, yeah, but they played game after game after game after game after game after game and then it all got tricky because Saliba got injured and, you know, we all know what happened there. But it's kind of, it's all over the place, isn't it? Where people are missing.

It's irregular, you know.

he's unable to really do that as naturally as some of the other guys. Which is why they might also not come inside, the two wide men, Martinelli and Saka, might not come inside as much because they don't have the full-back bombing on the outside. Absolutely. And the impact of the balance of the team was huge with Timber having to go to the left.

I think that Timber playing on the right almost feels like a necessity. But who else have we got at the moment to go on the left? Probably it's only Miles Lewis-Skelly maybe. But again... He's injured as well, I think. No, he was on the bench. He was on the bench. Tierney was on the bench as well, by the way. He's not a left footer either, is he? So it's... Yeah, we've got Tierney. We did have Tierney on the bench. Yeah, he was on the bench. Obviously, but starting a game... On that goal, on that goal...

It's brilliant centre-forward play. You have to sometimes say... Kivio got pulled to the ball though, didn't he? He got drawn. You can absolutely look at Kivio and say, yeah, you got done there. He got done, but he got done by a brilliant piece of play. I also thought Saliba could have got across quicker as well. For me, the most culpable person in that goal is David Raya. That far corner was left too open. But again, I wouldn't blame him

because he's backpedalling it all happens very quickly but he didn't get his angle right it was it was too easy a finish for Raul Jimenez in my opinion but I actually think the play from Jimenez was outstanding and it would have done a lot of defenders not just Yaku Kivir so yeah Fulham had two shots in the game right two this is Fulham who are in the top eight top six you know ahead of the weekend two shots at home

That, okay, we're not going to celebrate it because we didn't win the game. But that is still the sign with a depleted defence that is positive. So, yeah, we're not going to crow about it too much because we only got one point. But that isn't bad, let me tell you. That isn't bad going. Set me sick again! Set me sick again! Set me sick again! Hey!

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Ian Stone, Amy Lawrence and Adrian Clarke here on the Athletics Arsenal podcast Handbrake Off. 23rd set-piece goal since the start of last season, William Saliba. I mean, they actually, I thought Fulham defended them better than some of the other teams, certainly than Man Utd, but a kids' team could have defended set-pieces better than Manchester United, really. I mean, I don't know how we feel. Amy...

Michael Cox wrote in The Athletic about how the wind was affecting the corners at times. Players struggling to read the flight of the balls that wobbled in the air. That goes for both teams. I mean, I don't mind this whole set-piece FC thing. It's another way of scoring as many goals as we possibly can. As long as they can't work them out, that's great for us, isn't it? Yeah, but I think the key to everything was exactly what Mikel said in the press conference.

on Friday, which is we want to be kings of everything. We don't just want to be set-piece FC. You need to be able to master every possible avenue to make you as good as you can be to win football matches. And at the moment, the set-pieces are serving Arsenal brilliantly. Like all this, it's going to be cyclical. But, you know, there have been other recent times when the quality of football and...

and goals going in from everywhere has been a feature, which was happening from round about last January when Arsenal seemed to spank everybody that they looked at for a month or whatever it was. It was happening last week, Amy. It was happening. We got 13 in three games. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nine different goal scorers. So... You know, but it's finding different ways to, you know, to cook the recipe, I suppose. Yeah. That's the thing. And it's, you know...

Yeah, we're just going round and round in circles, but I do fantasise about a 20 goal a season striker. They often come up in January, don't they, to be fair? There's usually a queue of them outside the ground. I'd like to think there might be someone on loan that might help more than the people Arsenal are currently depending on, or not. I always think that in January, and we very seldom...

Apart from Martin Odegaard, who came in on loan then, which was an inspired move. It's not usually the best time to be finding people on loan. Anyone out there who knows the 20 goal a season strikeout, get in touch, right? Get in touch, handbrake off and just let us know and we'll pass it on because that would be quite useful for the second half of the season. Damaging for us, Adrian, for the title race.

I mean six points behind Liverpool they've got a game in hand that is a Merseyside derby which I mean they invariably win but you know what it's still a long way to go but this one hurts oh it's done no it was a stinger because we thought we'd won it

And that's why it was such a choker. You know, again, it's a VAR-led... I know offside is offside and we can't argue, but there is zilch advantage there that Martelly gets. Because by the time the ball gets to him, there's about six defenders that are way goal-side of him. It's not what VAR was brought in to do, to disallow goals like that. But...

I think it was, actually. Do you? No. No, Amy, sure. No, no, no. But look, the referee called it as a goal, because he didn't tell. The linesman didn't flag. It was offside. Yeah. We can't deny that. So it's corrective something that was wrong. No, I know what Adrian's saying, though. He's basically saying that... Do you want goals disallowed for that, Amy? Yeah. Do you think that Martinelli gained an advantage? Well, it's offside. I mean, it's...

Do you think you gained an advantage in the goal? I'm with Adrian here. It's nothing to do with an advantage. Yeah, it is. That's what offside is about. It's about gaining an advantage by standing goal side of the defender to score the goal. Now, by the time the ball reaches Martinelli... If this situation had been reversed... I would have said the same. I would have said the same. I would have said we got away with that.

Like, because it's not in the spirit of the offside law, in my opinion. But the offside law is not...

It's not one of those things that's open to being in the spirit. I think it is. It's factual. Yeah, I think it is. Absolutely it is. It's all you are, aren't you? That's why we've got these lines, right? No. No, I have to say, I'm with Adrian on this one. I understand what you're saying about that. He's not getting the advice. There's a lot about VAR and about the rules that I can't stick. I actually think they should replay the game. This wasn't a toenail situation. This wasn't a sort of like...

you know, is it your armpit? I'm not complaining about the decision because it was offside, it's offside. But what I'm saying is, in the grand scheme of things, in the old days, pre-VAR, does anyone in the whole world, including the most staunch Fulham fan, even notice or care that Martinelli was like a half a foot offside when he received a square pass 30 yards from goal? No, they don't. That's not what we want to see goals disallowed for. But,

When you've got the lines, when you use the lines, I suppose this is what you get. It's just annoying. Anyway, it was offside. Is anyone still listening? This is just not the best pod. It's a good debate to have. Lots of people...

think like you. Lots of people think like me and Stoney. It's just the way it is, yeah. Yeah, yeah, lots of people think like you, Amy. Me and Adrian, though, we're free thinkers. We don't believe in lines. Anyway, except for the first one when it was definitely onside and I was happy to see that line drawn, obviously. I just think it's that clear and obvious error thing and that's the thing where often you think, well, that's not a clear and obvious error and they change it and you're like,

piss off. Yeah, I think, sorry, Adrian is talking about different things and by the way, let's not have this conversation again, okay, just with the one listener that is currently left. Honestly, mate, we're moving on. If you are that one listener, right, Adrian, he'll send you a medal. Congratulations for making it to 25 minutes and took 30 seconds into this nonsense. Anyway, Gabrielle, right, I mean, God, we miss him, don't we? Amy,

I mean, Jakub Kiwior, you know, he played in his favoured position, left side of the defence. Like I say, I wasn't particularly happy with the way he got pulled about, but Jimenez is a very good forward and it does happen. I'm not sure the same thing happens to Gabriel. Also, the threat that we get from him, I mean, he's another one of our defenders out injured, isn't it? But hopefully not too long. Sure, absolutely. He's become...

Utterly integral to Arsenal. I think he's become one of those players that you, there's maybe four that you just absolutely think, no, no, no, no, no, we can't do without them. And that's probably Saliba, Gabriel, Saka and Odegaard. Yeah, he's the next one. I think that Gabriel to have got himself in that company is a huge credit to him because he has undoubtedly improved massively.

In so many aspects of his game. Remember how he was a little bit reckless and emotional at times when he was a bit younger. I think that he's channeled

all his sort of emotions and aggressions in a more focused way. He hasn't lost any of his determination, but he's so on point now with everything that he's doing. And for that reason, I suspect he's one of the most coveted centre-backs in world football.

So, yeah, we're going to miss him if he's not there. So let's hope it's a short one. Let us hope so. Adrian, that emotion that Amy was talking about with Gabriel. I mean, there was a game about six weeks ago. I can't remember when it was, when he got booked early on.

And there would have been a time, maybe three years ago, when I would have been really concerned about him in that situation with still 60 minutes to go. But he just seems to play on the line and he does it so, so well. When you get defenders like that, it's great, isn't it? Oh, he's brilliant. Yeah, no, he's so likeable. Yeah, it's huge. It's huge in missing. Let's hope he's back for the next game. I actually think that Calafiura is absent, even though he's not as...

not as much of an integral figure yet. I think his absence is felt arguably just as much because we then move timber across. And as I've outlined before, I do think that in the absence of white, we need timber on the right, not the left really. So...

And, yeah, it was a double blow, obviously, with Zini being unavailable yesterday. Otherwise, he would have... And what's happened to Tommy as well, by the way? What's that? Because Tommy can play across all four, but he's been injured for the whole season and for about a season and a half without... You know, you do have to wonder. I mean, Mikel Arteta makes very encouraging noises about Tommy and he thinks he's so unlucky. But if he's going to keep getting injured...

We have to have alternatives, and we don't at the moment. I mean, he did say we had four left backs out yesterday. So, yeah, we have suffered a little bit. Just briefly, Emile Smith-Rowe's first game against us...

Got a good reception. Thankfully, he didn't score. He had a good chance, actually. His touch let him down a little bit. He took it back towards the Arsenal players. It wasn't his day, was it? No. He barely got any touches. But you can say that about all of the Fulham attackers, really. Because we were so dominant, they didn't get a sniff. Yeah. Yeah, really an annoying day. Made slightly funnier, perhaps, by Tottenham doing what they...

Often do. The gift that keeps on giving, as I've said more than once. Ian Stone, Amy Lawrence and Adrian Clarke.

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They get a humbric off and you can see that they are more free to play. Let's talk about Monaco on Wednesday night at the Emirates. The game's come thick and fast this time of the year, Amy.

Only behind us on goal difference, Monaco, in the massive league table. The biggest league table, I think, that any of us have ever seen. Can you imagine being 31st in anything? I mean, it's just ridiculous. Second in Liga. Amy, this is the game you were talking about being the difficult one. We've got some other ones. Girona, we've got. We've got Dinamo Zagreb, is it? This one, though, this is a hard game. Yeah, they're obviously...

doing well in Europe so beating Barcelona and Bologna I think we have to be on our toes quite possibly play a similar sort of game to the Paris Saint-Germain game which feels like ages ago now

Do you remember that? We played Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Was that this season? Yeah. Wasn't it? Yeah, it was. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've got a bit of Monday morning-itis. Well, I wasn't there, so I can't remember it at all. Yeah, no, no. We beat PSG 2-0 and we held them at arm's length, to be honest with you, and they are above Monaco in the league table. Yeah, I think it's just a case of putting the frustrations behind everybody and getting the best fit players in.

And maybe using that second half against Man United rather than the first half as a kind of blueprint for setting about it with the right pace and the right energy. But home advantage, Arsenal are good at the Emirates generally. Get those three points and that puts the Champions League in a good looking position. Maybe need to watch the sporting game again. Just get a bit of good vibes going, you know. We are a good team.

events and circumstances and bits and bobs of luck or formal injuries or whatever have all conspired to mean that this season is not quite as encouraging as a position that Arsenal would want to be in. But it's still December. There's still...

on several important fronts. Four competitions. So, you know, you can't dwell on this, on something like the Fulham game. It's just annoying because there was a nice momentum building and you wanted to keep that momentum going and you looked at the fixtures and thought...

you know, this is a good opportunity to go on a good run and then you see where you're at. So that's where it feels like, oh, you've just like your horse has reared up, you know, you're galloping and it's all going quite nicely and you think a nice clear run ahead.

Sorry, can I just stop you there? I am absolutely... Sorry, suddenly your horse has reared up. When did this become... Are you a rider, Amy, that we don't know about? Am I? Am I? Can you go out on the green in Islington and have a little work? Oh, yeah, yeah. Daily, yeah. You know, get the saddle out. You never know someone, do you, Adrian? You never know. Breaches? What is it you wear? Are they breaches? Jodhpurs. Jodhpurs? Oh, jodhpurs. Bloody hell.

Anyway, I never knew that about you, Amy. You're a horsey set. I don't know. Just watch Rivals. Is that, you know? Oh, is that what's going on? Okay, fair enough. Jessie, who's producing today, wrote in our little document, it's only December and lots can change in the Premier League, but do you think Arteta might start to target the Champions League as the competition to go for? Uh,

Adrian, I mean, sorry, first of all, I think that's quite defeatist because there's a long way to go. Come on, Jesse. Come on, Jesse. I mean, for goodness sake. Get back on the horse, Jesse. Get back on the horse, Jesse. I know it's reared up slightly. You know, you just took it for a little canter and, you know, anyway, I can't, I don't know any more horse analogies and dickness that we're talking about. But...

Honestly, Adrian, I mean, the Champions League is a competition we're going to go for. There's no getting away from it, but not at the expense of the Premier League. No, not at all. But, you know, unlikely to win both, but you've got to just try, haven't you? You've got to try. At the moment, all the objective is let's get top eight and we're in a good position to do it.

We're not going to target one over the other. No. We stay in the race for all competitions for as long as we possibly can. Stay in the saddle. I think you want to stay in the saddle. Stay in the saddle. It's an awkward game, this one. The guy who's the manager, Adi Huter, he was the Frankfurt manager, if you remember, in 2019. Yeah.

that won at Emirates Stadium. Remember they won 2-1. It was really sort of disappointing night for us where they came on strong towards the end and they knocked us... This is pre-pandemic you're talking about. This is pre-pandemic, yes. Bloody hell. I mean, Amy can't remember last season whether we played PSG this season or last season. She can't be expected to remember 2019. I remember the away game because that's when Saka scored. Yeah, yeah. But with the home game they turned us over. And...

I believe it knocked us out. So, look, he's got a good record here. They played well against Barcelona. Mbolo up front, the Swiss striker. They've got some decent players. They're aggressive. I've done a preview for the match programme, so I know a little bit about the team. They're quite dirty. The second highest number of fouls.

in the Champions League this season. So they're quite tasty in the tackle. I'm quite looking forward to that then, really. If they're up for a bit of a fight, I think we could have fun. Yeah, play neat and tidy football. Like you say, Mbolo, they've got some good playmakers. I think the strength for their team is a little bit like us with the three behind the main striker. They've got some good players. You obviously know Minamino from his Liverpool days, Golovkin, the Russian player who's very technical.

They've got a couple of teenagers. Ben Seguir is very good. And there's a player called Akliush, who's their sacker. He plays on the right, cuts in on his left. So, you know, they've got threats. They have to be respected, but they don't keep many clean sheets. And I think we can score goals against them. Just on the subject of the Champions League, I saw popping up on the internet today, one of those on this day, and it was that Aaron Ramsey goal against...

Galatasaray where he lasered it in from about 40 yards do you remember that that goal weird it was a weird goal wasn't it really because it just you went what happened there oh my god he scored I mean I like the reactions of other players to that goal as well but the thing it came from a corner a poor corner that was headed out and then made its way to Ramsey and

And I watched the clip a couple of times. I'm like, who's that taking the corner? I just couldn't quite sort of flash it by on the... It was Joel Campbell. And that reminded me of the kind of infamous, get out while you can, Joel! Do you remember when... Oh, yeah.

Yeah. During the really bad old days when there was quite a lot of friction and I think it was a... Was it at Stoke? They were on the train station or something and a few fans were making comments. Yeah. And so, you know, we're sitting here today a little bit down in the dumps about dropping a couple of important points at Fulham, but, you know...

We've come a long way from the days of get out while you can, Joel. Yeah, we could have got beaten at Stoke by, you know, four set pieces. We have changed. I mean, I think we have to. I know we've done this on any number of occasions when the results haven't quite gone our way, but a sense of perspective. You know, we're still in the top four and we're still challenging. And onwards to the Champions League game where if we win,

We're in a very, very good position to get in the top eight and save ourselves two games. So, yeah, looking forward to it on Wednesday night. Let's have a song to finish. Amy, you've been picking songs for your Blue Sky account and very much enjoying them, I am, I must say. Thank you. Any new ones? Has there been anything you don't know that you've had a listen to or quite like that? Not yet, no, not yet. The ones I've heard, I've...

I just, you know what? I love how much you love the music. It really, it gives me a little, I don't know, a nice warm feeling. Thank you. So that's what it is, really. I'm very much enjoying it. So what have you got? I thought it would be, you know, given what we said, I'm tempted now to go for wild horses, but...

to keep the equine analogy going, but I'm not actually going to go for that. The Stones version, I'm assuming. Yeah. Not the woman who was on Britain's Got Talent, whatever her name was. I don't know about that one. Who was the woman who was on Britain's Got Talent? Everyone went, who's that? And then she came out. I dreamed a dream. Susan Boyle. Oh, did she do Wild Horses? Susan Boyle did Wild Horses. It's actually quite a good version, to be honest. But anyway, you're not going for that. No, I'm not. I'm going for a slightly different five. Burning Spear.

Burning spirit. Yeah, I kept thinking we need a bit more creativity, a bit more creation, getting away from Set Piece FC and have the both. So he had a song called Creation Rebels. They call me now, creation. Brave enough, brave enough, brave enough. They call me now.

There you go. There you go, yes, which is what we need, a bit of creative rebellion. No, I'm not passing it across the defence and out to the other side. I'm going to have a shot. Yeah, that'd be nice. Yeah, Adrian, what about you? Yeah, look, there's no denying we've got some issues with creativity and with opening teams up.

outside of the set pieces and there was a pre-pandemic song just just before the pandemic from julia michaels called issues uh you'll know it if you hear it so um yeah that's that's what i'm gonna go for today let's fix those issues quickly

I am having walked the line for Gabrielle Martinelli to just come back half a yard to his right. Is that the Susan Boyle version? That's the Susan, obviously the Susan. When she did it in a prison, Susan Boyle. Yeah, apparently. Yeah, Johnny Cash. I keep the ends out for the tie that binds Because you're mine I walk the line

That's it for Hand Break Off. Thanks to Jesse, our producer. Thanks to Amy and Adrian. And thank you for listening. And we'll see you Wednesday. It's all right.