Ft. Jhon Durán
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I do what I do and you do what you can do about it, everybody. Welcome to the Football Ramble. Aston Villa and Liverpool both won again in the Champions League. It's Wednesday, 11th of December. I'm Marcus Speller. I'm Pete Donaldson. And I'm Jim Campbell. MUSIC

Hello, everybody. Good to have you with us. And thanks to friend of the Ramble, Gavin, for giving us that intro line. You can submit the intro line for next Wednesday's show by signing up to the Football Ramble patron for just five bucks a month as a part of your subscription. You'll also get ad-free episodes of the Ramble on the continent and up

front as well as an extended version of every Wednesday Ramble, which we affectionately call Ramble Uncut. Just head to patreon.com forward slash football ramble to listen to all of that goodness slash madness. Speaking of goodness and madness, gentlemen, I'm going to start with RB Leipzig 2, Aston Villa 3. Jim Campbell, what a game. A barn burner. Oh, it's so enjoyable. Yes. RB Leipzig have been absolute just

just turgid they've been turgid in the Champions League they have continued and it was for all of our benefit and they're out they are out sod them they've not got a point you're absolutely right Jim six games six losses

I thought they were better than this. So did I. They're doing all right in Germany. They're fourth. They've had a tricky run recently, but come on. Even their brothers in energy drink arms, RB Salzburg, have won again. It's a bad year for a particular energy drink in football, which, when you think about it, seems fair enough. There's only two, isn't there, really? Two big ones. Pete, you are a monster man, as we know. I'm a monster.

I'm a monster man. A monster of a man and a monster man. So you must be delighted that RB Leipzig have gone. I have, yeah. I mean, I've switched this morning to an energy drink that I think is supposed to encourage the affections of video game enthusiasts. It's called Sneak. It's got a rabbit on the front of it. So you can be particularly stealthy. Yeah, particularly stealthy. I mean, I don't know how stealthy you can be when you're shitting yourself inside out. But it is called Sneak. Never seen that on Assassin's Creed. I know.

There's a lot of straw around. What do you think he's doing when he jumps off that building? That's why he did it. That's why he jumped in the air, Bill. Anyway, we didn't come here to talk about classic Italian historical shitters. We came here to talk about Arby Leipzig and Aston Villa. It's the Champions League. It's not even the Carabao Cup, for crying out loud. No, I know, I know. It's...

Is Duran going to get a move somewhere? Because I think he might need one because he really wants to play and he's getting very upset. But I just think that he needs an equivalent club. He needs a Brentford. He needs a Newcastle. He needs to play, God damn it. He needs to stop scoring when he comes off the bench.

That's what he said because it's clearly that works. It's like, well, look, mate, you're kind of a bit like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or that Egyptian chap who scored, you know, was a super sub when they won the Africa Cup of Nations. It kind of works, John. Are you all right with that? Not really. I want to play. Thanks very much. He's a singles band at the moment, isn't he? There's loads and loads of bangers. Yeah.

No one's buying the album, it would seem. He's gone on 52 minutes, to be fair. I mean, that's an early substitution by any book, isn't it? Yeah, I think that's fair to say. I think that...

The Aston Villa front line is very much Ollie Watkins featuring John Duran. Yeah. Sod the featuring. I want to be the main guy. Yeah. And actually, you know, Emery said recently that his challenge now is to get them to play together and figuring out how to make that work because it's not really fashionable at the moment, is it, to have two strikers like that? It hasn't been for years. Indeed. But, I mean...

It's forcing his hand a little bit because Durant's ceiling looks so, so high. It's one of those things where it might come back and look terrible in years gone by if he does leave and he plays regularly elsewhere and bangs them in with this frequency and this quality. Yeah, but Ollie Watkins is doing very well for Villa as well. Although he's had a little bit of a drop-off, hasn't he, lately? Yeah, that can be forgiven, though, can't it, Jim? What did you think of Durant's goal? Obviously, from quite far out, the one that stood...

It was a funny one, wasn't it? Because it was down the middle. The keeper... Oh, you think you should do better? Well, I don't know, because it was quite... It must be the positioning of the keeper. You don't often see those particular ones go in. It does feel like we don't see as many long-range goals in general nowadays. Am I right in thinking that? It feels to me like we don't see as many bangers from outside the box. Didn't you say this about ten years ago about headers?

No, I said head as a call when I stand by it. He's not wrong. Yeah. Well, I don't know. Did you not think it was strange, Peter, when the ball sort of lofted? I think it was indicative of a team that haven't won in this competition. Yeah, definitely. They're doing that all the time. Because the keeper, he looked like he was at full stretch, but it didn't

feel like he was it reminded me a little bit of Ray Houghton versus Italy yes yeah where it kind of floated Pagliuca sort of possibly could have got yeah it was Pagliuca was a little bit further out so it felt more like a lob and he pulled his hand away he obviously thought he was going over whereas was it Guacci in goal didn't pull his hand away anyway the ball went in the back of the net he was the keeper was at full stretch

jumping up and he still couldn't get to it and it dipped right at the last minute. I think that's fair. Well, maybe it's positioning then. I don't know. But yes, that was... It wasn't that far out though. It was, Peter. It was... It was too far out. It was Beckham-esque. It was Beckham-esque. LAUGHTER

Well, look, that was only one of five goals that was scored last night, of course. McGinn got the scoring underway just after three minutes, which seemed very easy for Aston Villa. I mean, I thought to myself, blimey, it's an early kick-off here and some of the defenders are still having breakfast. Although it wasn't an early kick-off, of course. And then, speaking of goalkeeping errors and mix-ups...

Appender scores for RB Leipzig lovely player he was good wasn't he and Martinez and the defence just got themselves in all sorts of trouble and the way he skipped in it was as if I was waiting for the referee's whistle here it was so straightforward but

The second RB Leipzig goal, I have to say, might have been my favourite goal of the evening across all of the Champions League games. Wow. Well, one of them, certainly. Maybe I would need to go back through them again. But wasn't it delightful, Peter? I remember, was it Shearer to Rob Lee? Was it Rob Lee? Yeah. I think it was Rob Lee to Shearer. Against Aston Villa when he volleyed from the angle. Yes, yes. It was a little bit like that. It was just absolutely...

absolutely effortless the Aston Villa players were just like what space are we supposed to be in if they're doing that for crying out loud but it's not bother marking Alan Shearer it's not that'll be fine they put every last one of them there Aston Villa DNA shuddered at the idea so this reminds me of Alan Shearer but it was very Alan Shearer against Aston Villa it was it was just the way that they I can't remember which player kind of like knocked it back

and then gave himself a little bit of time to sort of dink it in to the player to just absolutely just... It was beautiful. And it dropped as well. It didn't have that much pace on it. It was just like, see you later. That's where that's going. Ta-ta.

Yes, it was. It was a beautiful finish. I mean, Appender himself, as you say, Jim, was a constant thorn in the side. He probably should have scored, really, when he was presented with that chance. I mean, Villa were sort of lucky that they were up against the team who have just decided to be absolutely incompetent in the Champions League, really. Because they did give them a couple of opportunities that they squandered, didn't they? But they did well, Villa, considering that RB Leipzig knew the importance of this game. And they thought, right, we're playing against a side who are doing very well in the Champions League, but maybe a little bit inexperienced.

Let's really try and ram home the home advantage and so on. So Villa had to be... Yes, they gave them a goal and nearly gave them another goal. But actually, in a ding-dong like this, all you've got to do is come out on top, which they did. And it was a fortuitous goal from Ross Barkley, but it was his first ever Champions League goal. Oh, wow. Yeah, which is incredible. 31-year-old Ross Barkley. Now, of course, a number of years ago, he was at Chelsea. Yeah.

was a bit part player, was a squad player. He won a few trophies at Chelsea. You'd expect him to pop up, wouldn't you, at some point in some dead rubber at the end of the group stages. Yeah, but he has a similar status at Aston Villa that he did at Chelsea. He's in a good squad, but he is a squad player. You play a bit here and there, but in between times, obviously he went on loan to Villa, but he goes to Nice, doesn't really have a great time there.

And then almost like reinvents himself and rejuvenates at Luton. Yeah. Of course, gets this move to Villa. At the age of 31, scoring his first Champions League goal, I'm really pleased for him. He's a talented player. It's a cap to that kind of little renaissance that he's had, isn't it? Yeah. Hopefully he continues to have a good time there. And, you know, I think...

This is a really big win for Villa because it puts them up to third in the Champions League league. And they would have been around 10th had they lost. And it's their first win in three as well in the Champions League. They started really, really well, but then they've slipped a little bit. So had they not got the job done here, you might think, oh God, are they going to stumble here? But they've been strong and they've seen it off. That's right. And it is an important win.

because you don't want those extra couple of games in the playoffs. Because this all but guarantees Villa qualification to the next round. Which, bearing in mind, is their first time back in Europe's top competition for a long old time. It's impressive. They've really taken to it.

it's the way this tournament should be played, really. Just go hell for leather for the first few matches and then you've got that kind of Christmas period. You don't have to worry about that absolute mega week of fixtures where everyone's playing at the same time and Andy Brassel has to do about 15 different drops in the goal show. I don't know how they're going to do that goal show on TNT. I think there might be a few Andy Brassels. Do you reckon? There's a Honigstein, there's a Brassel, yeah. But one of them used to play for QPR. Yeah.

Exactly. Do you not think that show's going to be absolute chaos? It's going to be the Premier League of floor managing, I think. Because there's so many matches taking place. You've got to do a goals update show. It's astonishing work. Yeah, I am looking forward to that last round of fixtures of the Champions League where everybody plays on the same night.

That's going to be absolutely chaotic because there are very likely to be things still in play as well by that point because of the way the format is panning out. And you might argue it's been designed by those people who first used it in a chess tournament 50 years ago or whatever it was. I've said it before and I've said it again and I say it quite begrudgingly but I think

I think I am a fan of this format. Yeah, yeah, I'm enjoying it. To be fair to us, we always said, you know, you've got to give it a chance. We have done, and we've been rewarded. You're welcome, everyone. Well done, us, for being open-minded. Again, we've showed everybody the way. Podcast of the year, mate. Well, I, you know...

Our fans have spoken. God bless them all. Now, did you see before this game that Unai Emery was delayed in reaching his pre-match press conference because of traffic caused by fans arriving for a Slipknot gig at the arena opposite the stadium? It's an enjoyable mix of people. Well, it is obviously Birmingham, the home of heavy metal. I know Slipknot, what would they be more?

Kind of nu metal, but I think there's a heritage there. I nearly said thrash metal, but it's not thrash metal. I think they're straight metal, but they were probably grouped in with nu metal. Well, I suppose they were nu metal for the longest time, weren't they? Now they're probably like heritage metal. Yeah. Did maybe Austin McPhee kind of flip between the two arenas? Can you imagine him being into a bit of Slipknot?

Rebel equal shit, all that. There was some... I tried to kickstart some kind of Aston Villa metal pun off on the WhatsApp group. I won't go into some of the more offensive ones, but Luke completely lost the thread and started just picking out players that weren't even connected to Aston Villa. We did very quickly run out of...

possible current Villa player metal band puns to be fair to everyone there's only so many you can do yeah I was Rick Horn sir for example that was good that was good Yori Telemann I chipped in with Jack Sabbath but obviously he doesn't play there anymore so there we are everybody it's the sort of fun we have when you guys aren't around that's the sort of fun we have indeed yeah we're often accused of living this you know international men of mystery kind of mad lifestyle but that's what we do it's not all private jets it's not

No, none of it is. I spent about half an hour genuinely worrying whether a frozen pizza that I'd put in the fridge accidentally was still edible after three days. I was there for half an hour going, this could knock me out for days. But it was fine. Guys, it was fine. As long as you don't refreeze it, Peter. Do not refreeze a pizza you've just had in the fridge, for crying out loud. Gerona Zero, Liverpool.

Liverpool maintained their 100% record in the Champions League. They are the first team to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages. However, Arna Slot said he was far from pleased with the performance.

It's a good night, ultimately, for Liverpool. Yeah. But Old Arna wasn't too happy. No, I mean, Girona deserve credit because they absolutely flew out of the blocks. They were brilliant in the first half in particular. And the line-up, Lind, Heal, Danjuma, Romeo, Van der Beek. It's got a Turkish Super League feel to it. Gazzaniga in goal. Gazzaniga in goal, absolutely. Oriol, Romeo's in there. Juventus.

you've named a few others there, 38-year-old former Middlesbrough man, Christian Stuani, came on as well. You're right, there are some familiar faces in there. And they were electric in the first half, I thought. And it was an end-to-end game as well. Liverpool had a lot of chances and...

There were three seconds of added time, which tells you everything about how kind of back and forth and zippy the game was. But they were really, really impressive. And it took a penalty to do it, but Liverpool are getting it done at the moment, aren't they? I thought it was a bit harsh, the penalty. I agree, yeah. I thought it was, yeah.

Poor old Donny Van Der Beek. I know, right? That's the Champions League. They do give harsher pens because they will insist on injecting more and more drama in an already dramatic situation. Yeah, it was a timely return for Alisson in goal for Liverpool. Busy as well. Yeah, I mean, I know Keller has done well, but Alisson is Alisson and...

That mighty man in goal. They just couldn't get it past him. I mean, you might say a lot of the saves he would be expected to make, but having been out for so long and having to... You've still got to make those saves, haven't you? And he was superb in goal. And we were talking about Queevan Kelleher before the show, and it's like...

he's 26. He's young, but he's not that young. I know goalkeeper's gone a little bit longer. It really does depend how long Alisson fancies it. But they do have Georgia goalkeeper Mamba Dash really coming in as well. The goalkeeper situation is quite interesting at Liverpool. That signing would suggest that Alisson maybe in a year or two maybe kind of move on. But you do think Kelleher is good enough to go and be the number one somewhere. And he's proven it. Even before this run of games this season, it's very, very obvious that there's an

excellent top class goalkeeper sat there so it'll be interesting to see where he moves I think he will move his stock will be really really high right now there's been links with Chelsea obviously a lot of people have question marks about Robert Sanchez so that's one that would make a lot of sense Do you know much about a goalkeeper that's behind Virgil van Dijk though?

I want to see him at Everton. I want to see him screaming at his defenders. I want to see him cross the Mersey. I suppose there is the argument that he, you know, cost Liverpool three points against Newcastle with leaving that ball that came down to Fabian Scheer. But like, it's the only real mistake I can think of in the time he's been in goal. Hmm.

And being part of what you'd probably describe as a blue-chip football team in the Premier League, the exposure is just so insane and people just talk and talk and talk about the minutiae of every single player's performance. And you're right, that is probably the only...

howler that he's made. It was a weird one and it was a new one. It's not one we see very often but it's still a howler. From Liverpool's point of view very good to have Alisson back in the side. I'm sure Alisson didn't think he would be that busy but he's always ready of course. I mean yeah Girona themselves it's an interesting story with them. I know they've had investment from the City group but still though when it would be

it would be about, what, eight or nine years ago, I can't remember the exact detail, but a few years ago, when they were nearly going to the wall, they've managed to turn around. And of course they've had that investment, we know that. But finishing, was it third last season in La Liga as well? Which kind of makes it sound like it's been similar to Man City, doesn't it, in terms of the injection, but I don't think it is as extreme as that. No, they've spent quite wisely. I mean, you say that because you have to say that, of course, but you still give credit where credit's due. But one thing that I was...

kind of unaware of is the chairman of Girona is Pera Guardiola. Yes. Pep's brother. I feel like we did know this and forgot it. I think that's what it is. If this has escaped our radar, that's negative.

by us. It is a bit, yeah. Interesting that he's there and having a lovely old time. And as I say, they did get investment from the City group. But still, he's doing a good job, you have to say. He's been involved in football for a while, actually. He has had a decent career and an impressive career in football and football

commercial side of football and so on so it's not like Pep didn't install him yeah none of that sort of thing going on can we talk a little bit about him looking like his brother but very much not looking anything like him

He's got the same design, but a completely different execution. It's incredible. I would never put them as brothers. No. Yes, I know what you mean. I do know what you mean. Perhaps it's yet more fraud. Yes, maybe. Before we move on, though, Celtic continue their decent Champions League form with a draw away to Dinamo Zagreb. Although Brendan Morges was a little bit...

frustrated I think would be the word he said defensively very good but he said he felt it was there for the taking and they didn't quite do it but still though a point on the road in the Champions League is usually never a bad thing currently 19th and qualifications still in their hands so all looking reasonably good for the British clubs I would say in the Champions League OK coming up after this could Jose Mourinho be on his way back to England?

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Hi, I'm Dion Dublin, and when I'm not banging my jube, I'm listening to the Football Ramble. Welcome back, everybody, to the Football Ramble. Before we mention Mourinho and Guardiola, we've got to mention David Coote, who's been sacked by Pugmole. What? P-G-M-O-L have sacked him following a thorough investigation into his conduct.

It didn't need to be thorough, did it? No, just click, click, play it. Stop, stop. Right. Right. Our hands are tied on this. Don't need to really get deep into that one, no. What do you think of your behaviour?

Shit. A Pugball spokesperson said David Coote's actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract with his position deemed untenable. The Pugball also said supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare, which is important. Yeah, now, joking aside, obviously that is a really sort of positive kind of thing coming out of this. I feel like maybe...

even five years ago, you wouldn't have that sort of messaging. And perhaps that kind of path forward wouldn't even be considered. And,

That's something to be positive about, at least. I know what you mean. And it's funny, actually, because the other chap who's on the video says, all right, let's not share this, you know, because this could impact his career and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, I mean, look, I'm not defending his actions and what he said. It's very silly behaviour all around, but it has cost him his job. Yeah. And so I feel for him. Yeah, indeed. I feel for him on that level. He has a right to appeal the decision to terminate his employment, though, but I mean...

Yeah, so poor David Coote has been sacked, so that was an update on that situation. Now, something that we can all get behind. Jose Mourinho may be returning to England. Gary O'Neill is still the Wolves manager, okay? So everybody calm down. That's despite the defeat to West Ham on Monday. A lot of people thought, and myself included, thought that he might be sacked after that game. Do you think the Wolves board of directors just thought, nah?

Now, we're not going to do what you all think we're going to do. Yeah, maybe it's that. But we'll just do it a bit later. Yeah, you do have to make the decisions that are best for your football club, though. But it has been reported in some places that Wolves have made a £5 million offer to Fenerbahce to bring Jose Mourinho to the club. That gets you to the table. Yep, exactly. That gets you a five-minute phone call. That's your buy-in.

What's those things you get online from celebrities? A cameo. That's your 50 quid pitbull cameo. That's right. That's right. Yeah. That's the buy-in. And you just wait for the dance to begin. Okay. Yes. As I say, it has been reported in some places that this is happening. I don't believe it to be true.

We should not let that get in the way of a good story, of a good Jose Mourinho mention. Oh, imagine him in a relegation battle. Well, he's tearing strips off Russell Martin. He specifically said that he would never take a club that were in a relegation fight. He said it's too hard. He went, no, it's much harder than trying to win a league title. So, you know, I'd say honest about it. We all knew that would be the case. And for a man of his CV, it would be unlikely that he would do that. But I have to say, chaps,

you mentioned Mourinho and so on I think I'd like him back you think that we always think that he's been away he's been away for too long for you Marcus hasn't he but you've forgotten I know what a pin in the arse he is yeah I have

Would you not take it? Would you be pleased to see him back? No. It would be funny. Of course it would be funny. And it would be really good for us in terms of the mad things he does and says. But we get those anyway, if they're particularly vintage. I know. And we get to patronise the Turkish league as well. It's the upset sanity. We get to patronise him at the same time. Yeah. I mean, the chaos element of him, I think, would be maximised if he was at a team like Wolves. Where he's not going to Wolves. As I say, he'd be...

he'd be doing all of his mind games on the relegation rivals but also his ego wouldn't like the fact that they were down there so it would be mind games on absolutely everybody more so than before do you know what I think would be ideal if someone got him in as interim manager yeah

That would be the best case scenario. He's only here for a short period of time. Yeah. And we get to call him interim manager as well. He can burn every bridge. Yeah. Well, Jim, speaking of bridges, Millwall fans are asking Jose Mourinho to join them after Neil Harris incredibly resigned yesterday. Well, he's still got two more games. He's got Sheffield United tonight and then Middlesbrough away on the weekend. Yeah, Neil Harris...

is going to step down as Millwall manager which comes as a huge shock for everyone obviously synonymous with the club in his second stint there but why are Millwall fans wanting Mourinho to join them well Mourinho had previously said he would manage Millwall because it's just across the bridge from his house

He would later clarify that he was just being a bit silly and humorous, of course. But he did say in October that he would love a return to England. He said, my family lives in London. London is home, so one day I have to be back, unless no one wants me. At least he's aware of the situation. Sounds like a threat to the city. One of you better give me a job. Is that his family he's talking about, or is it the city of London? I don't know. One for the council. He did say, though, that no one will be able to tempt him away from Fenerbahce for the next two years.

Which is the biggest come and get me play ever. I know. I mean, I will say on the Millwall side of things, their head coach basically resigned after calling the fan base thickos. What is Jose Mourinho going to do once he gets there? What's he going to resign for? Yeah, he called the fan base thickos. He's been in charge for such a long time. I think it's all gotten a bit too much. But it's...

He's a very unique manager and a very unique decision, I suppose, to step down. How many managers step down at any stage of their career? Especially with a team like Millwall that he's been synonymous with for such a long time. But, yeah.

Turns out all the fans are thick also. Well, I'm not going to comment on that. Partly for the reason that I'm actually going to see Millwall tonight. Oi, oi, oi. Yeah. Yes. I think they're all good people. They're all great people. Yeah. You're going to have a fight in the recycling centre. Recycling centre. You're going to have a fight next to that recycling centre. Oh, dear. I don't know.

Right then. Anyway, staying with managers. Ange Postacoglu, have you seen this? He's obviously under pressure at Tottenham from some of the fans. We've heard booing for quite a time now at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Christian Romero has come out and criticised the club for a lack of investment. This was quite something. Yeah. He said, Manchester City competes every year. You see how Liverpool strengthens its squad. I know you could argue that they didn't in the summer go by, but I mean, the rebuild job had already started under Klopp, so we'll give him a bit of grace there, but you get the point. Chelsea strengthens their squad. Don

doesn't do well, strengthens again, and now they're seeing results. Those are the things to imitate. You have to realise that. Something is going wrong. Hopefully, the board realise it. So if he is being, if he was being a bit cryptic, which he wasn't, but if, okay, he's just mentioned a few things, he quite literally says at the end, the board, at his club of course, need to realise it. It's that classic thing of players not understanding that

interviews can be seen in other countries, isn't it? Yeah, it is. It really is. Yeah, it was just on YouTube with my mate. Yeah. What do you think of this, Jim? Yeah, I'm surprised he's been so candid about it. But he's got a point, has he not? Well, he has a point to a point, right? So in Andrew Postogoglu's first season, they spent £225.5 million.

The season's just gone 148.4. So it's not chump change, is it? They have sold big though, haven't they? They have. But you've got to look at the people they're competing with. If they'd spent like 50 million, you'd be like, all right, fair enough, they need to put their hands in their pockets. But they're competing with people with deep pockets. Liverpool are a bit different. Liverpool's net spend in recent years is actually kind of amazing, given what they've achieved. That's still the Philip Coutinho money. LAUGHTER

Yeah, so they're a little bit different. Obviously, Chelsea are throwing so much money around. We all know the situation at Man City because obviously they have, both of those clubs are so, so wealthy compared to Spurs. So, you know, might it be completely reckless of Daniel Levy to just go

actually let's go hell for leather and spend, spend, spend if it can essentially affect their stability in the future. I suppose the frustration is that they never take the gambles of like, all right, let's have a summer where we go big and they possibly need one of those to kick on. I'm actually not that surprised that Romero has said this because he's obviously a very sort of combustible character. Yeah.

Well, I think that's fair to say. It'd be interesting to see if he starts the next game or if he's reprimanded in any kind of way. All right, coming up after this, Pep Guardiola is starting to think about his retirement.

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Give the gift of scratchers from the California Lottery. A little play can make your day. Please play responsibly. Must be 18 years or older to purchase, play, or claim. Hey, I'm Ryan Reynolds. Recently, I asked Mint Mobile's legal team if big wireless companies are allowed to raise prices due to inflation. They said yes. And then when I asked if raising prices technically violates those onerous two-year contracts, they said, what the f*** are you talking about, you insane Hollywood a**hole?

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They are currently 20th in the Champions League League. Juventus, two points below them in 22nd. And of course, Manchester City have only won one in nine games. Now, Juventus aren't in great shakes themselves, as I say, a couple of places below them. So it's a big old game for Manchester City this evening in Turin. But the big noise coming out of Manchester City at the moment, Jim, is what Pep Guardiola has said in that...

Man City seems like it will be the last club job of his career. Now, what he said exactly in this interview was, I'm not talking about the long-term future, but what I'm not going to do is leave Man City, go to another country and do the same thing as now. So that suggests to me that as soon as he stops with Man City, he'll have a break and he'll take stock. He's not talking about the long-term future, though. So he may well fancy another club. He's only 53, right?

He spoke again about managing an international side. I suppose as well, this is kind of, he's been at City a long time. He's under a lot of pressure at the moment. He's quite clearly kind of physically and mentally drained at the moment. So he probably doesn't want to look too far into the future and go, yeah, all this again. Although I wouldn't be surprised if it was his last club job. Because where do you go from there? Well, yeah, there is that definitely. But I do find it interesting that the chat now is he's talking about

finishing with Man City. Just after signing a two-year extension. Exactly. This is what I find odd. And he was asked what he's going to do in retirement, and he said, three things I plan to do. Learn French, dedicate my free time to myself so I can play golf, and then begin to learn how to cook simple things. Guardiola in the kitchen. It's not going to be simple stuff. No, it's not. It's going to be the weirdest beans on toast you've ever had. Eating mess on spaghetti. What? I don't understand. I mean, that would be sensational.

He tried and turned a lasagna into a pie. A straight pie. In the same way that he's translated a lot of footballers into different positions. He has. He has indeed, Peter. I do find it interesting, as I say, that all this stuff is coming out. And I just wonder, as I said before, that it does sound like, starting that extension, he's staying a little bit too long at the fair. I mean, maybe this season is the rest season.

obviously not designed like that but it ends up being that and then the season after they really do it but I don't know but the

Yeah. He also said in this same interview that he watches a lot of golf. Yeah, he spoke very affectionately of golf. And that he watches it while he's doing preparation for matches and stuff. That's amazing to me. The amount of granular detail he goes in on everything with while he's watching and taking in another sport. It's galaxy brain stuff. It really is. Imagine if he saw Nathan Redman on the golf course. LAUGHTER

What are you doing? Getting a driver out of your back? He's like, oh blimey, not this. Do you think that they should just give him a couple of weeks off so he can just learn French? Because all it would take for him would be a couple of weeks really. I think they should just get everyone around the club to wear sort of berets and bretons. Speak English but convince him that he knows French. So he just understands what they're saying and then maybe he'll get this bee out of his bonnet. I'm surprised that

that he hasn't been linked to the PSG job off the back of say that. Let's be fair. Now, Man City fans, good news for you. You'll be able to help design Manchester City's third kit for next season. The club are offering fans the chance to use AI to design the club's third kit. The winning submission will be worn by the team in the 26-27 season.

Pete. Who's designed... I like that. Anything football, go to gym. Anything AI. Oh, suddenly Pete's on the line, is he?

I mean, who's designing this? Is it the people or is it AI? Because at the end of the day, AI is just an amalgam of the entire history of everyone's hard work. So presumably the people are already designing the bloody thing if they're using AI for the bloody thing. That said, is it going to be anything worse than Liam Gallagher writing on the back? Maybe. You control the AI. I mean, saying that it's not really your work. I mean, it's a bit like saying I've designed it in a...

you know, I've designed it in this nice red. Well, you didn't invent the colour red, did you? Loads of people have used red before. No, but do you understand how artificial intelligence...

I just think of people dragging AI through the mud here. Well, it just sounds like you've invested in NVIDIA or Microsoft lately with their new products. I've only heard of one of those things. No, but I mean, you understand how AI sort of graphical or image creation works, though. It just basically takes all of the pictures that have ever been taken, created, grafted and crafted.

on the internet shoved it onto a big hard drive and then just kind of greasily copied everything I mean everyone's got to have their influences haven't you I mean is any song truly original Peter what's your point here not the ones you listen to he's such a music snob I know you used to work for Absolute Radio and you love your indie landfill I don't think they're the high watermark personally yeah okay no well imagine the entries they're going to have to delete yeah

Most of them coming from old P.E.D. How do you steer an A.I. into producing a penis? Like, how do you steer it? Presumably you can't just go out there and go... If I needed an answer for that, I would come straight to you. I was about to say, why are you asking Jim and me that question? No, no, no, I'm asking my A.I. assistant. I'm just asking him. It's fine.

I want him to do it for me. Oh my goodness. How do I trick an AI into making absolute grot from Manchester City? But it can't be obvious grot. It has to be, if you look at it long enough, oh my God, he's done it. There's magic eye everywhere. You're talking about magic eye. There you go. Because they're running around in that. People aren't really sort of, hang on a minute. To be honest, that's going to work in their favour, right? The opposition will go, hang on, is that...

They've scored again. That's right, that's right. Is that a big ship? Yes, but going back to the football, as I'm loathe to do, Manchester City away to Juventus. Can they bounce back Jim Campbell against those Turin chaps? I fucking hope not.

It'd be brilliant if they lost this. It's an unwelcome fixture for them, isn't it, Jim? Yeah, it's not ideal, is it? Are you going for underdogs, Juventus? I might be, yeah. Charges, eh? Yeah. OK, fair enough. Well, Arsenal, Jim, play Monaco tonight. Arsenal could be missing a fair few players through injury. Maybe even up to seven.

six of them being defenders. Yes. Who's going to be playing at the back? Well, it genuinely might be Kieran Tierney playing at left back. Probably Kieran Tierney or the young man, Miles Lewis Skelly. So that is potentially a problem position. Um...

it's unfortunate but I think you've got to look at players like Takahiro Tomiyasu and even Zinchenko at this point and go they're just not available enough they're essentially it's really harmful to the squad to have these positions that are essentially just you're getting nothing out of at the moment so yeah

But, yeah, it's going to be potentially a little bit of a makeshift line-up tonight. Monaco have only lost one game in the Champions League this season, so I think they might be a little bit of a trickier opponent than people are kind of ready for, but they absolutely have to win this game. Yeah, Monaco are doing well. They're one position below Arsenal in 11th, obviously, Arsenal in 10th. So, yeah, I think it is a tricky game. You're right. It's the last thing that Arsenal lead as a play-off in the new year. They need to be sort of in there. Yeah, I think that's it. The play-off is very much...

the deterrent for teams to just take it easy for the last couple of games ah well fine I don't care I think Tommy Ash is going to play in that one is he over two legs he doesn't have two legs yeah I mean if Kieran Tierney does play he'd be in line for his first Arsenal appearance for 16 months

Wow. I mean, that shows you, doesn't it? Yeah. I mean, he was on loan for a lot of that time, and obviously he picked up an injury at the Euros, but... Yes. Yeah. So, yeah, but... Arsenal's still favourites for this game, though. You would think so at home. You would certainly think. What they should do is they should rely on set pieces. Yes. Because that's what they do. I mean, does that even count, Jim? I don't know. I'm hearing rumours that maybe it doesn't. I think people are. Some of the line of questions from some of the journalists and comments from other fans is...

There does seem to be this odd thing that people go, yeah, but I mean, if you win games with just set-piece goals, it's like, is that sustainable? Is that worthy? Which is rich coming from people in this country. Sure. I mean, Michael Arteta was asked about this recently. He sort of suggested that you only get

set pieces from applying pressure on the opposition, which obviously comes from what you're doing in open play, which is kind of fair enough. But, I mean, there is... They have looked a lot less efficient and threatening in open play recently. So, obviously, you know, if you can...

if you can still score from set pieces, that's not necessarily being reliant, is it? It's just using another tool at your disposal. But I do think there is an underlying issue there where the set pieces thing has dug them out of perhaps not being as good lately. Even the Man United game, they didn't create a huge amount of stuff from open play. But...

You're always going to get corners. Sure, yeah, yeah. And Arteta said... I'm not complaining. No, he said he didn't see the difference between set pieces and open play. And obviously you get what he means by that. It is a part of the game. And if they were relying on, say, penalties, like goals from penalties, then that's something that you can't really... Maybe.

Maybe the teams that they're going to play are going to be defending their back line more than they defend their goal. Like, absolutely. Like, trying their level best to get it out for a throw. And I know most players do, but you do sometimes see players just kind of like putting their legs out to stop a striker sort of bouncing it off

you know, pulling the player back a little bit. It could be really important for teams. Defend your back line. Fantastic. Well, actually, Monaco are missing both their first-choice centre-backs today and Fulham and Balogun isn't available, so there's none of that ex-player returning narrative as well, which is welcome. Yes, very welcome. A mural of Arsenal's set-piece coach, Nicholas Jova, has been painted next to the Emirates. I love that. I love that. There's a lot of murals under that particular bridge, which is on my way to the studio. Yeah, I know.

There was also one of a mascot who gave it some to some Spurs mascots earlier in the season. So I think that might still be the most obscure one in there, but the set piece coach is so good. That is something. Only a matter of time, of course, before he then moved to Chelsea or Man City. He actually came from Man City. So he did. You're right. Who was the one that was shouted out at the Emirates once? Berence?

maybe no that was at Stafford Bridge wasn't it it was a it was a birthday a group of birthday messages and they were on a screen and there was someone called Berence oh such a lovely name lovely lovely lovely um

Also, today, if you can't wait for those 8 o'clock kick-offs involving the English sides in the Champions League, I mean, there are a couple of 5.45 kick-offs, but again, if you just cannot wait, then there is a FIFA Club World Cup game between Botafogo and Pachuca at 5 o'clock today. So, you know, it's something for everybody. Do the first half, do the first half, and then crack on with some Champions League fun. That's right.

Oh, there we are, everybody. Thank you very much for listening to the Football Ramble, part of the ACAST Creator Network. Patron subscribers, don't go anywhere. Keep listening for Ramble Uncut. And if you're not a patron subscriber, sign up to get Ramble Uncut every single Wednesday. Head over to patreon.com forward slash football ramble and do follow us on X, TikTok, Blue Sky and Instagram at Football Ramble and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your pods. Thanks, Jimmy. Thank you. Thanks, Petey. Petugra from Mexico. I had no idea. And thank you, Nicholas Yoba. Enjoy the football.

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