Ramble Reacts: Even more Man United misery
38:43 Share

Ryan Reynolds here for, I guess, my 100th Mint commercial. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I mean, honestly, when I started this, I thought I'd only have to do like four of these. I mean, it's unlimited premium wireless for $15 a month. How are there still people paying two or three times that much? I'm sorry, I shouldn't be victim blaming here. Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch whenever you're ready. For

At Leidos, a brilliant mind is smart, but a brilliant team is smarter.

A ship that finds enemy subs is smart, but an autonomous fleet, that's smarter. Defending against cyber attacks, smart. Stopping attacks before they start, smarter. And using AI tools is smart, but integrating trusted mission AI into your technology is smarter. We're not just making technology solutions in national security and health. We're making smart, smarter. Leidos.

You can trust podcasts to deliver results for your business. 80% of podcast listeners say they'll consider a brand recommendation by their favorite host. Even more impressive, 88% have taken action because of a podcast ad. If you're looking to connect with highly engaged audiences, now's the time to dive in. Download Podcast Pulse 2024 for all the latest insights and see how podcast ads can drive real results for you.

Hello everybody, welcome to Ramble Reacts. Newcastle United strode to victory at Old Trafford. I'm Marcus Speller. And I'm Jim Campbell.

Jim Campbell, I put it to you. After that Newcastle United performance at Old Trafford, which saw them win 2-0, could have and perhaps should have been more, I put it to you that Pitbull is a Geordie. LAUGHTER

That is the highest praise that I can ever imagine coming out of your mouth for a team that isn't Fulham. That is huge praise. I saw that away end. I saw Jason Tindall at full time and I thought, my goodness, don't stop the party is pumping in that dressing room and in every heart of every Geordie. It was, I mean, my goodness, it was 2-0 going on about 8-0. That first half...

That was what Germany did to Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final. It threatened to be that. There was a point where you thought, God, this is going to get bad for them really, really quickly. There was a point where Alexander Izak was through on goal and he tried a little dink when he might have been sort of better suited doing kind of anything else. But you got the impression that he thought...

I'm going to get loads of chances tonight. I'm going to have a little bit of fun with this one. Yeah. See if I can pull off something a bit spectacular. I've always fancied doing one of these. His disallowed goal was he finished with a plumb as well. But, I mean... What a player. Yeah. I mean, he's a real purple patch at the moment. I mean, Manchester United, Gary Neville described them as the worst pound-for-pound team in the country. It's...

It's a damning comment, but it's a fair one because, yes, Newcastle United were good and they've been in decent form recently. And the way that they're going up the Premier League table, they fancy a bit of Champions League football next season and you wouldn't put it past them. However, as good as they were, Manchester United, I would say, were even worse. Oh, yeah, they made it...

They made it kind of easy for a very, very good team to just dominate them in the midfield in particular. That midfield three of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Jolinton, they were just the grown-ups, weren't they? They were just completely in charge of that game. It all stemmed from there.

And obviously one of the major talking points in the game is a direct result of that, which is Joshua Xerxe getting the hook so they could get Kobi Mainu in and change it. But before that happened, we were thinking this might be four before half-time. I don't think it's too kind of sensationalist to say that. The fact that the manager made a substitution like that after half an hour or whatever it was, if anyone's listening and didn't see the game, like it...

That is a perfect illustration of quite how bad it looked like it was going to be. I mean, how many times do you see first-half substitutions? It's very, very rare. I think we saw one in the last World Cup final, and obviously we've seen maybe one or two in the Premier League this season, but my goodness. If we were playing top trumps and you slapped down Joel Linton...

or Sandra Tenali or Bruno Guimaraes, right? You put down just one of them in front of me and I had Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in my hand. I wouldn't, I don't think even if I put both of them down that they would trump that. What on earth is Amorim playing at? I understand that he knows more about football than I'll ever know. And I'm totally fine with that. The man...

What he did at Sporting was brilliant. He is a Manchester United manager on merit. And I can't get any worse than this. It just can't. Why on earth is he thinking to himself? And I know he's got his system and people talk about that all the time. Fine. Everyone in that stadium knew you've got a midfield three there. And people have talked about it being unbalanced and can Gimara's play with Tenali and all this sort of stuff. Anyway,

And Eddie Howe, he rubbished a lot of... What was it Carragher was saying recently? He certainly answered back. Well, they've answered back on the pitch. But why on earth does Amram see that and go, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to put Ericsson in there and I'm going to put Casemiro in there and we should be okay with that. Do you know what I mean? Among my other tactics...

I think that will win us the game. How has he come to that decision? That's on the manager, Xerxe coming off. Oh, completely, completely. I understand that he's working out his team and which players can perform which tasks, but surely there's a bit of due diligence. We've seen from the Ten Hag era, those two in particular, in that role.

it doesn't work. And as you say, especially against a team like this, I mean, that was so, so easy to play against. And this has been a problem, you know, with Man United for a long time with all the shots they were conceding under 10-Hager and stuff. But it looks kind of, I think it's worse at this point, isn't it? This might well be the nadir of it or perhaps Anfield on Sunday would be the nadir of it. We often see this

in a situation where a manager comes in and the players aren't his and the system's new and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. But not the seven hours before Anfield. You're saying it could get even worse than that. You can't help it.

Marcus. Yeah. The right back is shooting from corners, right? And that looks like he's taking the piss, doesn't it? Maybe a little bit. He is taking the piss, but it's also very pragmatic because they've conceded two goals directly from corners recently. It got to that, that Kieran Trippie was having pot shots from corners. I mean, Charlie Adam was sitting there watching that game. I wish I was still playing. Absolutely. Yeah. I, I,

It is astonishing. It really is astonishing how bad this is. And that midfield, again, we can highlight so many areas of the pitch. We can highlight the defending for those goals. Yeah, Martinez had another one. But let me just go back to the midfield for a second. There's been a gaping gap in that Manchester United midfield for a while now. How on earth does...

He has to be more, I understand that when a manager comes in, they've got their ideals and they've got all this kind of stuff. And it was put to Amorim before the game. Did you want to come in? There's rumours in this chat that you wanted to come in at the start of, you know, next summer when the season's finished. You get one more season at Sporting, that would be better for them. It'd be better for you. And he kind of said, oh, well, that's not what happened. So there's no point in talking about that. So he obviously thought I've got to take the job now.

Well, get in there and have an element of pragmatism. You know your team is shit, okay? And the players are putting in these terrible performances. Why then expose those two midfielders who have had fine careers, by the way. They're both decent players. Oh, Casemiro has been talked about, but Ericsson, you know, I feel a bit harsh slagging...

I'm slagging them off, but, you know, just a total mismatch against those guys. Marcus, you're only pointing out what we're clear from what we're just seeing. Suddenly I'm showing a bit of remorse after what I've just been saying. I really, really don't get it. And as you say, he makes that substitution and it was met with quite a cheer when Mainu came on. The crowd know. Fans aren't stupid.

Well, you know. No, but fans aren't stupid. They see their team week in, week out. And they know what they need. And poor old Xerxe as well. I mean, he was given a ripple of applause, to be fair, by some of the fans. And I do think it is tactical in that instance, isn't it? What does that do for his confidence? Sure. Yeah, absolutely. Not that he's, you know, I mean, he's scored a few goals this season, but...

I look I mean here's this for a stat right Ruben Amorim since his first game in charge on the 24th of November only Southampton have lost more games in all competitions among Premier League clubs than Manchester United and they've also Manchester United conceded the joint most goals 21 with Spurs currently this is worse

than when Ten Hag was in charge. Now, let me just quickly say, Jim, before you respond to that, I'm not saying Amarim's a bad manager. He hasn't suddenly become a bad manager. It shows you what a tough job this is. But any kind of new manager bounce, any kind of lift, just is not there.

Yeah, I mean, it's, you know, uncharted waters for Amarim, isn't it? Obviously, he's done really, really well at sporting, but this is a completely different type of job. And you're parachuted in halfway through a season where it's an absolute crisis already. There's so much to figure out. There's so many different sideshows around the club. The pressure's massive. It's just constant. Yeah.

And it is really, it puts a microscope on what a massive job it is to untangle all of this and make any sort of sense out of it. Now, you know, Luke has been saying all season that they are a mid-table side. And that obviously, you know, the table will tell you that as much as Luke will tell you that. But they're never going to be judged as one, are they? So this seems like an absolute crisis. It's an absolute disaster. Any of the other teams around them losing to Newcastle, there's no shame in it. But that is unfortunately for them.

where they've fallen to, isn't it? There is so, so far to go. Now, I understand...

They don't have Ugarte, who's someone you probably put in that situation. You don't have Bruno Fernandes, who's by far their most creative player. I feared for them without Fernandes. I thought they'd, you know, unlikely to have any much of a chance without him, you know, putting those passes in. But again, as you say, we all know what happens when you put Eriksen and Casemiro in that situation. And it's kind of baffling to me that he's not started with Mainu there because this was always going to happen. It feels like... I don't know whether he's kind of given them too much information or whether this is kind of the payoff where...

you know we see it happen with managers all the time it's like it's going to be kind of bad for a while we're going to lose some games while you get up to speed on on how the system works perhaps it's just that and as I mentioned earlier it feels like more of a crisis than it is because it's Man United but it is it's not getting any better anytime soon is it it is worse than under 10 half you know it looked like it looked like a big puppy that doesn't know how big it is playing with an older dog and

and getting rougher than the older dog's comfortable with. Like a little older dog. It's just overwhelmed. It's like, oh God, my time has come. Well, I mean, look, I understand the point as well that if you put in Kobimainu in that team, it's not like, oh, Manchester United are going to be a lot better against that Newcastle United side. Well, to be fair, they were though. Well, I mean, already 2-0 down at that point. But the point is, how can you start like that? And then you look at the defending for...

for them in that first goal with Martinez. I mean, Maguire, who... So basic. Maguire turns around and looks at Martinez and he's like, why are you not marking him? Why have you not tracked him? And Carragher pointed it out on Sky Sports. He said he can't see the ball. So he looks to the... He doesn't look goal side.

So he's with the man because the ball's going to be crossed in. It's not like he's going to be offside. He looks the other way. It's such a basic error. And these players, I mean, Martinez is a World Cup winner for crying out loud. The whole thing. If you're a Manchester United fan, you're tearing your hair out. I don't get it. How it can be this bad. We've seen the team that you support, Arsenal.

Over the years, of course, crying out for a defensive midfielder. We remember that they weren't that robust. And I remember at the time, a lot of people were saying, similar to what you said earlier, they said, you know, they're not quite mid table, but they probably are the fifth or sixth best team in the league at the moment. You're looking at the badge, you're not looking at the players in the shirts. And obviously this is towards the end of Wenger's reign.

but they were still knocking on the door of Champions League every year. Do you know what I mean? Well, they had an eighth place finish. Fine, but the type of performance that Manchester United put in there, we saw it against Bournemouth as well. We've seen it all over the shop. It's the levels of embarrassment that I can't get my head around. How piss poor it is. And also as well, you're right to say that because that has been...

a kind of facet of recent Man United teams, isn't it? And, you know, Amarim is immune from that for a little while, but that substitution...

is ridiculous. Yeah. And it starts to look bad pretty early on. I mean, Mr. Burns is pretty trigger happy. Is it that bad yet? Is his job under threat? Or is he going to, you know, sack a load of kind of regular staff just to make himself feel better tomorrow? I wonder if Amarim will start to think soon, why on earth did I leave sporting for crying out loud? I mean, look, I still think it's a good appointment ultimately, but tonight was the first time I thought, ooh,

you look like you've caught the bug as well. You know what I mean? Like the whole thing has finally got to you. I mean, Manchester United will end this year in 14th place in the Premier League, their lowest position at the turn of a year in the league since 1989. That year they finished 15th. Sorry, they were 15th then and they finished 13th. But Jim, I want to put this to you.

If you look below Manchester United in the league, Palace... Let me just scroll down. Palace looking a little bit better than what they started. Everton, fairly hard to beat, I suppose. Wolves with their new manager looking a bit more likely. Ipswich got a very good win against Chelsea, of course. Manchester United now seven points behind

off the drop zone in the words of beefy botham what you thinking ah tremendous by the way um

I'm not thinking they're going to get relegated, Marcus. I know you want to just have this little thought exercise. I think they're on the verge. I think they're on the verge. You think they're on the verge? I mean, let's be honest. They're going to get pumped at Anfield, aren't they? But Palace have got Chelsea next. So although Chelsea are having a wobble that we'll come on to, I think that there is, there's a good chance Chelsea win that. Yeah.

The teams down there are so unreliable, I don't think even they can give us this festival of banter, let's call it. Let me say for the record as well that I genuinely don't dislike Manchester United. There's very few clubs I genuinely dislike, if any. And if they could turn it around, I would, you know, I actually would quite like to see Old Trafford pumping again in a kind of a, in a sort of a weird way. And,

And I would applaud Amarim if he managed to really try to turn it around. Massive club, huge history, great club, all that kind of stuff. So please hear me right. This is not me sticking the boot in. It's not the schadenfreude that it might be from, say, I don't know,

Me. Yeah, exactly. You lived through. Sir Alex Ferguson stopped Arsenal from winning titles and stuff. He did. Do I enjoy Gary Neville having to watch it every time? I'll leave that up to you to guess. But I just want to say, it's a bit like with Man City this season as well. It was slightly different. To see a big mighty beast turning up and getting slapped about...

It just is utterly intriguing. And it's just absorbing stuff. It really is. I'm not really sure of an equivalent before. Maybe that one really strange season Chelsea had where it kind of all fell apart under Mourinho and Eden Hazard seemed to take a season off of being the player he was at the time. But even then there was a sense that was only temporary. This is more like kind of the result of a long decline, isn't it? And, you know, joking aside...

I'm the same, really. Even in the second half, when they started to actually get a bit of control in the game for the sort of first 20 minutes of the second half, part of me was like, come on, United. It'd be brilliant if they turned this around, just because you are ultimately a neutral, aren't you, apart from the team that you're invested in. But, yeah, I just...

Part of me always thinks when a new manager comes in, like, oh, this will be the guy to turn it around. Oh, it's not going to last. It's like, you might as well laugh at it while you can and enjoy the kind of strangeness of it. But it's happened a lot now, hasn't it? And clearly, you know, there is so much to be fixed, as we keep saying, but it's not just the players, is it? They've got to get this boardroom structure right. And even that seems a mess at the moment. It really is a mess. The moment two people disagree, one of them's out the door. What did you think of...

what do you think of the whole Marcus Rashford situation? He was actually in the squad today. He was an unused sub. But very interesting words from journalist Andy Mitten. Now, Andy Mitten is...

huge Manchester United fan of course he's been writing about the club for many many years started the United We Stand fanzine of course you've so many books written and articles you know really really Mr. Manchester United you could call him and a really authoritative voice when it comes to talking about the club and he said that this week

He said on Talk Sport that every previous Manchester United manager has told him in confidence that they have had issues with Marcus Rashford going back years and years and years. And that's what he's seeing with Amarim now and questioning his professionalism and all that kind of stuff. I thought that was quite a fascinating insight. Yeah. Because it's something that's not labelled at Rashford. He cuts quite a sort of a humble and likeable figure.

And I think has a lot of goodwill from people just kind of the way, not just the school meal stuff, which was obviously very, very important, but the way he comes across, he comes across as a decent bloke.

But very interesting comment from Andy Mitten there. Yeah, I felt, you know, when I see Marcus Rashford speak, he strikes me as someone who's very, very introverted. And he's also a very, very famous person who's kind of, you know, put himself out there to do everything he did with the school meals, which is an amazing thing. And...

I can't help feel that with Marcus Rashford, he's been surrounded by a lot of PR people for a long time. And he's obviously got a team of people who advise him. And I feel like he's been given a lot of very poor advice. I think this interview he did after Amarim left him out of the team is an example of someone just...

That feels to me like it's poor advice that's come from somewhere else because it seems like a really illogical thing to do. It seems like for whatever reason, he's very, very disillusioned at Man United, as I'm sure a lot of players are. I know he suffered a bereavement not long ago in the scale of how long those things last in terms of an impact.

which is obviously a very, very difficult thing to deal with, again, when you're in the limelight and you're in a sort of chaotic situation like this. So I'm sort of, I'm kind of hesitant to be too critical of Rashford because I think he's under a spotlight that a lot of people aren't. But at the same time, you know, you have to look at the impact he's essentially ceased to make on the pitch and kind of wonder why it is that,

He doesn't seem that invested in turning it around. It's an unusual set of circumstances, isn't it? It is. And if he doesn't go in January, then perhaps we'll see him in the summer. But then...

contract situation and wages and all this kind of stuff comes into play, of course. Yeah, I mean, if the wages he's on are, you know, if they're anything like what they're reported to be, it's going to make it a really difficult situation, isn't it? He's surely going to have to go on loan somewhere and dazzle for it to materialise into a good move for him. Indeed. We should turn our attention back to Newcastle United because...

They were very good tonight. They were. They were flawless, really. Yeah, and they're really buzzing. All 10 of Newcastle's outfield players registered a shot or created a chance in that first half against Manchester United. In the early stages of this Premier League season, after a handful of games or so,

We were suggesting that Eddie Howe's job might come under the spotlight again, or Eddie Howe would rather. Go back to when they lost at Fulham.

and they were piss poor quite frankly they weren't great around that time they looked they looked tired they they looked a bit disjointed and I thought you know come Christmas time how might be under a bit of pressure well now look at them I don't know what he's doing maybe they've had a good old glug of carabao or something but they're flying um they they they are up there they're challenging for Champions League they're into fifth uh with Chelsea dropping points I mean they're three points behind Chelsea and much has been made of Chelsea season we'll talk about Chelsea in just a sec but

It's also 14 goals without reply in the last four games. Yeah, I mean, that's very, very impressive from Newcastle. Anthony Gordon looks like he's got his real zip back about him. At the start of the season, it was

He was terrible, but you look at Gordon now, he's there. Isaac looks like one of the best centre-forwards in the world right now. He genuinely does. He's just the glide on him. Those legs. There are some players where having that sort of height and having legs that long actually makes them a little bit cumbersome. But there's a kind of elegance to the way he moves and the way he uses those legs to essentially make it really difficult for defenders to get around him. He's sort of like...

Don't want to go too far back in time here, but I'm going to. He moves like Georgie Kincladsey. Oh, what a reference. But he's about nine feet tall. Jim, you have very eloquently said he's got a good touch for a big man. That's what you've just done. I have. You're right, though. He's very silky, is he, Zach? And a player like him, you would think, would be a wide forward.

A bit jinky and a bit tricky. But he also has the attributes of a proper centre forward. He can lead the line. You see him winning headers and all that, using that height of his. My goodness, he can finish as well. His link-up play is brilliant as well. He's got the lot. And also, the two full-backs, the two young full-backs, Lewis Hall and Tino Livermento, which means Tino Deliverance in Portuguese, apparently, which is fantastic and appropriate. Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, they've been excellent as well. So I don't know. Do you think, is it just the right amount of players hitting form at the same time, which obviously Hal deserves credit for? Quite possibly. I mean, you even see Kieran Trippier back in there. And I know against Manchester United, he's not really tested that much. Shooting from corners. Yeah, exactly. But even Trippier looks like he's re-energised. Obviously had a long slog in the summer and came back. Yeah, maybe they just have. But the midfield looks very, very...

solid I suppose but you know I was going to say punchy but you know with one or two of those players in there that might be a bit too literal perhaps but they look good and they're hitting form at a nice time they've given themselves a huge boost of confidence and a huge shot in the arm as they go up the table of course

And if you look at that pack that's below them, Man City, Bournemouth, Fulham, Villa, who's struggling a little bit, Brighton, and you're down to Spurs, Brentford. I tell you what, you would fancy Newcastle, now that there's five places up for grabs, you'd fancy them to get a Champions League spot, which is an incredible turnaround from not that long ago when we were saying, you know, is it mid-table obscurity for them this season?

Well, it's just about keeping it up, isn't it? And keeping it consistent, which has been the issue for them in the last couple of seasons, really. January is big if they can actually sign someone. There's been a lot of talk, isn't there, about, oh, they're going to have to sell players. But I don't... Everyone involved in the club is saying that's not actually true. So, you know, they've got a really, really solid foundation here. That midfield trio is brilliant, obviously. And, you know, we've seen Sean Longstaff is capable of putting runs of really good form together as well. So...

Yeah, it's an exciting time to be a Geordie, I would imagine. It is, and defensively look pretty sound as well. Are you concerned? Yeah, with Sven Bottmann still to come back as well. Yes, exactly, yeah. Are you concerned, Jim, that Arsenal have to face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final? Well, Marcus. Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. Horrible place to go. Yeah.

Horrible place to go. In footballing terms, Jim, it's a fine city. In footballing terms, lovely place to go otherwise. Yeah, genuinely. But we should say, though, that the Carabao Cup semi-finals will see the trial of in-stadium VAR announcements from the referee. Spurs v Liverpool 2.

Marcus, this has been floated for a long time. And only you and I were wise enough to see what an unmitigated disaster this is going to be. So I'm surprised it's come around this quickly. Yeah, look, it has been tried, if you remember it in the Women's World Cup in Australia, which was quite successful. Yeah, the crowds are quite different, aren't they? The crowds are different. It is very, very important to say that. I would say...

with pretty firm authority without having done much research or more research than your average footballer there are fewer dickheads at women's football matches than there are at men's okay so I think it's I don't think anyone's going to pick me up for that point um

This is going to be amazing. This is going to be absolutely amazing. Especially when they get a big one wrong, which they will. Oh, yeah. Because we've seen it happen every season. Yes. And if I was working for Pugmall, I would be saying, can we get someone else to do that announcement? Yeah.

Can we get a specialist guy? Can we get like a voiceover actor? You know the guy who does X Factor? Can we get him? Peter Dixon. Yeah, get Peter Dixon. And the decision is red card. And everyone will go, well, I can't really argue with Peter Dixon on that, can I? Brian, bless it. Anybody. Somebody. You know, poor refs. The stuff they're being asked to do. Yeah.

They already get so much abuse. It's incredible. Absolutely. It is a shame that we've not... It's a shame that Mike Dean's gone, isn't it? Just as this comes in, because that would have been spectacular. Get him to do it. He'd be up for that. You know what? You're right. He would be up for it. It's not like he's got to run around, is it? He's just got to announce a decision. Get him in there. Oh, dear.

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?

So to recap, we're cutting the price of Mint Unlimited from $30 a month to just $15 a month. Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. $45 upfront payment equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three-month plan only. Taxes and fees extra. Speeds lower above 40 gigabytes per month.

When you're part of a military family, you understand sacrifice and support. So at American Public University, we honor your dedication by extending our military tuition savings to your extended family. Parents, spouses, legal partners, siblings, and dependents all qualify for APU's preferred military rate of just $250 per credit hour for undergraduate and master's level programs. American Public University, value for the whole family. Learn more at apu.apus.edu slash military.

Did you know that two out of three listeners say podcasts are the best way to learn about the things they care about most? That makes podcasts the perfect place to introduce your brand, where ads are more relevant and trusted than any other media channel. Want to learn more? Download the full Podcast Pulse 2024 report now at podcastpulse2024.acast.com and see how you can make your brand part of the conversation. Jim?

The same night that Newcastle get an impressive win at Old Trafford, Ipswich Town got an impressive win at Portman Road. They beat Chelsea 2-0. Yeah, massive. Their first home win of the season. It comes right at the end of the year against Maresca's mob, who of course have been pretty good. But since that Fulham lost, oh dear, Chelsea struggling. Yeah, it all comes back to Fulham, doesn't it? Every time.

What do you reckon? Yeah, it's a surprising one, to be honest, because Chelsea's, again, go back to the word momentum, as we've been using regarding Newcastle, it really looked like they were just absolutely flying. And then, I don't know, is it a little bit of a bit of knocked confidence, maybe? People have been saying, haven't they, all season, that actually their defence is possibly a little shaky and their kind of wealth of attacking talent maybe disguises that. So perhaps this is an expression of that.

Yeah, I think they've overperformed. Let's be honest. Everybody. Have they overperformed though? I mean, essentially, you know, they've spent a lot of money on a lot of really good players. They've got a good manager in and he's managed to gel it together really well. They've got a really deep squad.

I don't know. So when I say they've overperformed, they've done better than what I think everybody thought. When you say they've got a good manager, well, lest we forget, Jim, on this podcast, I was the only one who was touting Maresca for great things. And it was like, well, he's a bit untested, which he was.

Premier League. Sorry, it all comes back to Fulham and to you being right, Marcus, and I'm sorry for not acknowledging that sooner. Correct. I mean, I don't think that like another former, well, now former Chelsea manager, he will get the England job. Oh, sorry. LAUGHTER

It's my Christmas time too. No, I think, yes, I mean, Chelsea having a good season with all the money they've spent and all the talent they have is not something outrageous, let's be frank. But Maresca has done a good job. There's no two ways about that. Yeah, I mean, I suppose the improvement from last season is very high. And they've had good squads in previous seasons, Pochettino, like,

did all right you know a couple of good some good cut runs but it wasn't there Potter of course lost didn't didn't last very long so but this is a great win for Ipswich and I think that that with Chelsea with this side they've done very very well but they will lose the odd game here and there you know that's that's kind of where they are if they were to finish in the Champions League positions which I think we all suspect they probably will now that would be a good season for them that would be better than again what most people would predict and

But tonight is really about Ipswich in that game. I mean, my goodness. Amari Hutchinson scoring against his old club. No muted celebration there. Backflip. Love that. I mean, I am at the age where I think, oh, are you sure about that? Then I think, if I had been able to do that when I was Amari Hutchinson's age, I'd never not be doing it. Yeah, that's true. You'd be entering rooms like that. I'd be going to the shops doing that.

Just backflips all the way. Yeah. And some fine work involved in his goal by that man, Liam De Laff, of course, who stuck his penalty away with a plumb.

Yeah, I mean, we've said it so many times this season, if they're going to stay up, he's going to be a big, big part of that. And he has taken to the Premier League in difficult circumstances in which the underdog in pretty much every game, like a particularly muscly duck to water, to Carabao even. Yeah, that's right. Why not? Brands and competitions. I'm with you, Jim. So it was a great win for Ipswich, no doubt about that. In the other game, Aston Villa drew 2-2 at home with Brighton.

yeah Villa I know Brighton are a good side so you know one can drop points to Brighton but Villa people suspected the old fixture list is kind of getting to them and this is nothing new it's been the case for a while now

It's been really, really patchy, isn't it? 3-0 loss to Newcastle, obviously, there's no shame in that based on what we've seen tonight. But it's just very, very difficult to raise the level once you've got those Champions League games as well. I think emotionally as well, when you...

The levels of focus required when you are playing in the Champions League against Bayern. Now, I know Juventus are not the Juventus that we've known over the years, but it's still a side who contain good players and it's a huge name. And also, Marcus, who might be cheating in some way that's so sneaky it doesn't even come out for like 20 years. So you got all that.

You've got to be checking everything. And also, as I say, the emotional levels that are required for all that kind of stuff. I mean, all of that applies to qualifying for the Champions League in the first place, doesn't it? By mounting a league campaign that has all that. Every game is another kind of trip up the mountain and it's difficult when it takes it out of you. But then when you're at the top of that mountain as well and there's another...

fuck off mountain on top of that that you didn't see before there's no respite it is exhausting you never get to a point where you go right you've won and that should be maybe that should be a thing you've won the Premier League and not only do you get the Premier League or you've qualified for it or whatever it may be the equivalent you've won this thing or achieved this and as a result you get 10 fewer games next season

Yeah, I think that would be a bigger prize, I think, than any kind of financial stuff. Like the League Cup, you get the League Cup, don't worry, you can forfeit, not forfeit, you can sack off two away games in the Premier League. That's better than the 150 grand or whatever it is you win.

And the better you do, the worse it gets as well. Look at Real Madrid. Yeah. He's drawn a couple of games. Might be sucked. All I'm saying is, kids, mind how you go with trophies and qualifying for big tournaments. All you're going to do is give yourself more work. One for the ambitious amongst us. But yeah, so... That's the spirit. Indeed. Diary of a CEO style stuff this, isn't it? Never sit in the uncomfortable chair. It's uncomfortable. Exactly.

You're backing. They're right. Fabian Herzler was booked for shouting at Craig Pawson and then the fourth official after they decided that Joao Pedro failed Rodgers. He's already been given a red card this season. He was booked seven times last season on the St. Pauli touchline and was even sent to the stands for their cup quarterfinal against Fortuna Dusseldorf. He's a bit of an underrated player.

Do you think? I've got a theory on this. I think this is a lot of referees essentially telling him to respect his elders. I think if he was a bit older, a lot of these yellows probably wouldn't happen. Yeah, that's a fair point. That's a fair point. Two lovely goals in this game. One from Morgan Rogers, who is...

What a player he is. I mean, he's a real bright spark for Villa this season, of course. And whereas some, maybe one or two of the Villa players, maybe don't look tired, but we talked about the kind of the levels of focus and emotion. So he looks like he could just run and run and run. Obviously there's more attributes to his game style.

than that but he's powerful like he he drives I mean that goal against Man City where he started the move the goal he scored against Brighton where he finished with a plumb there's yeah there's a there's a bit of Jude Bellingham about him yeah he's very unfortunate in terms of the timing of Bellingham arriving yeah I know what you mean but I think he is actually sort of a similar player at times yeah there's a touch of that and I yeah I would agree with you and again

This is his first full season in the Premier League. I know he has a bit of experience from last season, but my goodness, you know, he's taken to it, hasn't he? Nice to see Tarek Lamptey scoring.

It's just nice to see Tarek. Yeah, one can forget about little Tarek. He's delightful, man. He is. Yeah, lovely finish. Yeah, it was, certainly. Brighton are a funny one this season, aren't they? They've been really good in games like this, but they've kind of struggled against the teams you'd expect to beat. Yeah, I mean, but they are in that pack, aren't they? As I said, I mean, they're 27 points, but a win, you know, in the next round of games could see him go a couple of places up. The European spots are up for grabs.

But as I said earlier, mind how you go with that, everybody. Okay. Yeah. Are you sure you want this?

Man United. Because you don't look sure. I think it was, I think you guys were saying on the pods the other day, Man City in the Europa League. I mean, it would be... Oh, God. You know what? I wasn't on that show. Europa Conference League. Sorry, Conference League. That's only just entered my mind as a possibility. Yeah. Conference League. Man City. Let's make it happen. I mean, Chelsea in the Conference League this season is just quite simply ridiculous. Their C team could win that. But Man City in the Europa Conference League...

If you shamrock Rovers, you're thinking, for God's sake. Yeah, you would be. And to be honest with you, if you're any other club in the Premier League, say like if Fulham or Bournemouth, they finish, I don't know, eighth or whatever it would be if you don't get it. They'd be like, come on, give us that. Yeah, they should get a veto. Yeah, I think so. Anyone who threatens to join the Super League, there should be a veto on. Yeah.

Indeed. Jim, we're coming to the end of the show. We're coming to the end of the year, for crying out bloody loud. Another dreadful year. Can't wait to see the back of it. Well, we saw England win a penalty shootout, Jim, so it's not... That's true, that's true. I'm kidding. Enjoyed large chunks of it. Jim, how about this? How about this to finish the year? Some breaking news to end the pod. Gareth Southgate...

We won't refer to him as Gareth Southgate anymore because he has been awarded a knighthood in the King's Honours list. Sir Gareth, arise. Sir Gareth Southgate. Easy. You know the first thing I would do? The first thing I would do in that situation? Yep. Get on the phone. David, David, it's Gareth.

You all right, mate? You up too much? Me? Yeah, yeah. Oh, really busy, actually. Yeah, really busy. Just been giving the old knighthood, haven't I? You up too much? How's Victoria? Oh, she left you, yeah? Right. Um...

Gareth. Sir Gareth Southgate. Will we see in a couple of years time Sir Thomas Tuchel? Well that remains to be seen everybody. Thank you very much for listening to the Football Ramble part of the Acast Creator Network. Do join myself Luke and Vish on

on Friday for the first preview show of 2025. 2025. They said it couldn't be done, but we're going to do it and it's nearly upon us. So up yours, everybody. Follow us on X, Blue Sky, TikTok and Instagram at Football Ramble in the meantime and subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Jim, you get the last word for 2024. Yeah. I'd just like to reiterate what you said, mate. Up yours, everybody.

What a way... We love our listeners. And you serve them this stuff up all the time. You sneak it in there. Up yours, everybody. I was saying up yours to those who said 2025 couldn't be achieved. But we're here. Yeah.

But anyone who can hear it is, by the definition, a listener, right? Jim, to use your... To pinch one of your old gags, it'll soon be 2025, the highest year on record. Indeed. Indeed. I always like that gag. You should do it again sometime. Thanks, man.

yeah we'll see won't we oh we will right happy new year everybody we genuinely love you thank you so much for listening be with us in 2025 which will be the highest year on record we're going to do it together let's see if there's a way Man United can fuck that up as well

When you're part of a military family, you understand sacrifice and support. So at American Public University, we honor your dedication by extending our military tuition savings to your extended family. Parents, spouses, legal partners, siblings, and dependents all qualify for APU's preferred military rate of just $250 per credit hour for undergraduate and master's level programs. American Public University, value for the whole family. Learn more at apu.apus.edu slash military.

Hey marketers, are you ready to discover the latest trends in podcast advertising? The Podcast Pulse report by ACAST is out now, packed with fresh audience insights into why podcasts are a must-have marketing strategy. Learn how podcast audiences are more engaged than ever, why hosts are trusted voices for brands, and how niche shows are delivering massive impact. Download the report today at podcastpulse2024.acast.com.