Football Daily - Premier League Review with Aaron Paul

Episode Date: January 26, 2025

Tottenham turns toxic as Leicester end their losing run. Aaron Paul is joined by former Premier League players Michael Brown and Don Hutchison. Also hear from Ange Postecoglou on his future, and a relieved Ruud van Nistelrooy. The panel discuss the Arsenal red card, Man City’s new signings and Bournemouth battering Nottingham Forest. And… it’s been a weekend of housery!01:20 Tottenham turns toxic 11:55 Ange Postecoglou on his future 17:15 Ruud van Nistelrooy on end of losing run 22:45 Will Lewis-Skelly’s red card be overturned? 28:35 Man City switch it up against Chelsea 32:45 Marmoush impresses on debut 34:25 Khusanov straight in at the deep end 36:30 Another error from Robert Sánchez 40:20 Bournemouth continue to surprise 43:05 What happened to Forest? 44:20 A weekend of housery!BBC Sounds / 5 Live European commentaries this week: Wed 29 Jan 2000 Man City v Club Brugge Thu 30 Jan 2000 FCSB v Man Utd

BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcast. On the Football Daily Podcast, the Premier League Review. With Aaron Paul. Listen on BBC Sounds. Hello and welcome to the Football Daily. It's the Premier League Review. Great to be alongside Don Hutchison and the birthday boy, Michael Brown. Browny, did you have a good birthday on Saturday? Co-coms with John Murray at Manchester City

did you get a little present I did actually get a little present it was very nice for the BBC I got a present which was a cake so it wasn't you know really extravagant

I thought there'd be you know they were going to be sending me something exotic like a nice trip or something but it didn't happen but I got a cake very kind from Gary to bring in

sort out we had a really good game I think that was the point obviously it was a mistake early on but yeah, really good day for my birthday mate, good weekend, thank you for asking Tell us about the cake, no Yo-Yo Touré issues there, what kind of quality

of patisserie was it? I think you know the ones don't you, the old caterpillar cake thing, that's the one he's fetched out from the supermarket Colin was there, he's still there, he's boxed up actually, That might be later tonight that he just gets a little sample. Must be a Man City thing, Aaron.

The cake thing must be a Man City thing. Don't need it down at West Ham, see. I've never had a cake before from the BBC, so I wouldn't know. Don't need it. Wouldn't know. Don Hutch, how are you, pal? I'm good, mate.

Fresh off the back of coming on Tottenham Leicester today. What a wild game that was. What a ride. Yeah, tell me about that. I mean, genuinely, what was the atmosphere like? It was toxic at the end.

I've got to say, it was a brilliant game of football and I know Tottenham will get all the headlines, but Van Nistelrooy's men, they played them really, really well. The first 20 minutes of the game, Leicester were really good, but you know,

they just couldn't find that final pass. They played it into midfield and Harry Winks and Samari were excellent protecting the two centre-backs who looked a little bit nervy Westergaard and Valfast

they've still got a rick in them but every time Leicester went forward they just couldn't find that final ball and then Tottenham scored a great goal Porro like

Alexander-Arnold style had it on the right-hand side he whipped a fantastic ball in to Richarlison who scored a good little diving header and then you think right happy days for Tottenham.

Still got a bit of work to do. And within two minutes of the second half, Leicester just went bang, bang. All of a sudden, the game completely changed. Tottenham then chasing it. And it was brilliant. My takeaway after the game was, we talk about tactics and we talk about formations and all the glitzy and the glamour of the Premier League and all the leagues around the world and all the glitzy and the glamour of the Premier League and all the leagues around the world and all the fantastic coaches.

But the thing that got Leicester over the line today was a bit of fight, a bit of stomach and a bit of heart. And they deserved their three points. Have they got enough, Don? Mate, have you... You know, I was worried about him since Van Nistelrooy's gone in. I'm like, oh, what's going to go on here? And that was the big one, big, big one for them today. Do you know the best thing that he'd done today?

His substitutions were absolutely spot on. So he played a back four. And then he went really old school with about 15 to go. So he brought Connor Cody on, went to a back five. Yeah, just sitting as a three, turned into a back five. Tottenham ran out of ideas, skipped more legs in midfield. Vardy led the line really well. He'd done about sort of 75 minutes.

He then came off and Pat and Dakka he ran his socks off for 15 minutes and they deserved it just on the strength of how game they were and in the end Tottenham just completely ran out of ideas and then the last five minutes was pretty toxic Daniel Levy got a bit from the Tottenham fans I've got to ask because this debate is now raging everywhere

across social media, 606, everywhere and there's a bit of a split thought not on whether andrew postacoglu should lose his job but it's more a case of does he because spurs are still in in cup competitions he's talked about winning a trophy there is a clamoring from the board to win a trophy but fundamentally michael the league form isn't bad. It's absolutely abysmal. They're 15th, having picked up 24 points from 23 games, eight points above the relegation zone. Yeah, in the last 10, I think they've won one game.

I think that tells you everything, doesn't it, Aaron? A disastrous run. Supporters now, for some time, have been going after Daniel Levy. I think we look and we understand the business, where he's took the football club to. The training ground's sensational. The stadium is out of this world. wedi bod yn mynd ar ôl Daniel Levy. Rwy'n credu ein bod yn edrych ac yn deall y busnes lle mae wedi cymryd y clwb ffotwol hefyd. Mae'r trefniad yn ddiddorol, mae'r stadion yn fwydlon o'r byd, ond mae'r recriwtiaeth ar gyfer chwarae, rwy'n credu, mae llawer o arian wedi cael ei ddefnyddio. Mae hynny wedi cael ei ddewis. Rwy'n credu ein bod yn edrych ar hynny. Rwy'n credu bod y model rydyn ni wedi'i ddweud am y chwaraeion ifanc, Bergvall, Archie Gray, yn dod i mewn.

Gwahanol arweiniadau ar gyfer y dyfodol o'r clwb ac dim ond y golauwr, Kingsley, yn dod i mewn younger players Bergvall, Archie Gray coming in, great signings for the future of the club and only the goalkeeper Kinksy coming in in January they didn't need more help but I think it's signings, I don't know what Don thinks, I think we've wanted signings that are players who are going to make a difference, yes the injuries are completely killing them, he has to find a way to

stay in it but still I want marquee signings in that football club through the middle of the pitch and at the top of it you feel like you've got enough but still always wanting typical Spursy again Don

Well when have they ever I mean you have to go back to an awful long time and you threw it on me there and the three of us can try and have a quick sort of flashback

but when have Tottenham ever gone out in the last 20 years and made that marquee signing the signing that you signed from Harrods, when was the last time they went out and bought that sort of player? Soldado arguably and then Daniel Levy

got his fingers burnt and decided I'm not going to do it again. Wow, so that's a long time ago Under Poch they were looking to try it weren't they when you're going to get 50, 60, 70 million pound signings and he went away from it because some of the recruiters have said they have changed that as so many times but I don't know what is next right you change the manager well here we go again we

start from scratch I think we'll see an initial reaction I did feel like there was a system and a setup that we were building although very very stubborn now which does worry under adversity you have to find a change for Ange and he hasn't't done that. He just said, listen, mate, this is the way we play. This is what I'm going to do, and it's just down to injury. See, that's fine though, Brownie, right? And if you take seven of Liverpool's best players out of their team, they're going to be hurt.

We've seen the injuries at Man City, and it's hurt them. You take seven, eight, nine, ten players out of any team in the Premier League, their form's going to drop. It's standard. Everyone knows that. But what I would say is when

I watch Tottenham today, the goals that they give away, Pedro Porro, and it was Archie Gray at one point and then he sort of shifted it and he put him in midfield and he brought Reguilón on. The full-backs, when you haven't got... Brownlee, if you imagine you're playing for Tottenham, if me and you were playing for Tottenham, right, and we haven't got comfortable

possession, and me and you are trying to win a fight ball in midfield at 50-50 when the balls come out of the sky, you can freeze playing for Tottenham, right, and we haven't got comfortable possession, and me and you are trying to win a fight ball in midfield at 50-50 when the balls come out of the sky, you can freeze frame Tottenham, and Pedro Porro will be 20 yards higher up the pitch, and Reguilón will be 20 yards up the pitch, or Rodoguil will be up the pitch, or Archie Gray will be up the pitch.

You haven't even got comfortable possession. So the goals that they give away, this is on the manager. This has to be on the manager. The injuries I absolutely get. I'm not naive. But when you watch them, they're making the same is on the manager. This has to be on the manager. The injuries I absolutely get. I'm not naive. But when you watch them, they're making the same mistakes all the time. The goal they give away against Everton when Dragasheen backed off

and Ndi scored a goal after a 1-2 on the halfway line, that was Leicester's goal today. El Canoes was driving towards the 18-yard box and Ben Davies and Dragasheen backed off, backed off, backed off. You can imagine John Terry just throwing his face on it or his body on the line and blocking it,

and he curls it into the bottom corner, and you go, well, this is on the players and the manager, surely. I think what it is as well, Don, is the fact that even though they're playing in that way, in the second half in games, they're still not creating enough. It's like, it's almost, why do you have to keep doing the same thing?

Poro just emptying that space. And teams just wait, don't they? They just have a little look, one pass short, visit into the corners, then it's a race, stretch the two centre-backs. And as you were saying, if I was a midfielder, I'm saying, not now, Poro. Get yourself back into that position.

Just give us a bit of support there. But I just don't know if he wants to change. I think it all is the manager's remit he's very aware of the situation he's very stubborn he's getting quite angry in a lot of his presses I think that's

not sort of helped in regards to the criticism but now what does Daniel Levy do I mean and as a football club what are the supporters wanting they're wanting Daniel Levy to be out you know

is that the next move rather than the manager they've wanted that for a long long time a hell of a long, long time. A hell of a long time. Delivered one trophy, innit? Just on Ange Postacoglu, we're going to hear from him in a moment or so,

but I'll hold my hands up and say I watch a lot of London football, being a London-based football journalist, but I don't get this clamouring for his style of football. What Don said a minute ago about how they lack in the final third, how maybe they don't create enough, I don't get excited watching Sp, how maybe they don't create enough.

I don't get excited watching Spurs. I really don't. And it's much of a muchness. I think it was probably, Aaron, I think it was probably the early part of the season where there were 4-3-ing and there were like 6-3 against Liverpool a month ago and it was 3-2s and there were sort of gung-ho and you thought, well, they make games wild.

I know, I totally get it. And I called that after the Chelsea game. I called that. Everyone said he was a genius. And I've been around the game for a long time. And I thought it was outrageous that he had the back four at times, down to 10 men, you know, on the halfway line. Van de Ven, no wonder his Amis have gone.

He's got to chase 60 yards every single time. No wonder him and Romero, the men are running that they do every single game. I think the two names that I think, if Ange loses his job, Ira Ola, I think, is doing an incredible job down at Bournemouth. But the one guy I championed for the Man United job, which was Thomas Frank, I think I would go Thomas Frank from Brentford.

I think he's a very, very safe pair of hands. I think he's a really good coach. I think he connects fans to players. Why would he go there, John? Why would he go there now? He's got the keys, hasn't he? He has. But everyone's ambitious.

Is that the right move when you look at the turnaround of managers at Spurs? Do you feel that you're ever going to get that answer? If I asked you who's got more chance of getting European football over the next 18 months,

Tottenham or Brentford? I know what you're saying. Brentford's trajectory is amazing. But Tottenham's still Tottenham. If you can get it right and all of a sudden, Van de Ven's back in a week's time and Romero's back in a week's time,

you start getting players fit, I think he's the man. I championed him for Man U. He didn't get the job. They didn't go for him. I think he deserves a crack at a really big club. I wasn't sure he could change his style

Thomas Frank, but he has done, hasn't he? More possession-based build-up. I think that's made him more attractive to a lot of these clubs. And not only has he done it, he's done it well. I remember him coming in at Brentford after Dean Smith left and they didn't win a game for something like 10 games. And people were talking

already about Thomas Frank's going to lose his job. He's going to lose his job. But credit to Phil Giles and everyone at Brentford. They stopped by him because what they saw is that before anything else, he's a fantastic coach. If he could develop the attributes

to be an even better manager slash head coach and he has done that and he's fulfilled that and he's filled out that potential, then they'd add someone absolutely top end and that's what they got.

Just on Spurs, I had a really interesting chat with someone this week about these injuries, these constant muscle injuries. Is that down to the style of play as well? Is it this all-action gung-ho style which is causing them to have all these injuries? They train like that as well. I think that's the demands.

They train like that. They play like it. They've had a full change of the medical department, which that will cause a little bit of a clash with regards to loading, what's right. Are they brave enough to tell the manager when you're new to the job Mae'n ffynnu'r adran meddygol, a bydd hynny'n achosi ychydig o ymwneud â'r clas. Yn ymwneud â'r llawdde, a yw'r cyfrifon yn ddigon ddysg i ddweud wrth y rheolwr pan ydych chi'n newydd i'r swydd, bod y statiau yn iawn yma, mae'n rhaid i ni newid y llawdde hwn i'r chwarae. Mae pawb yn wahanol, ond mae'r amrywiaeth o ddiffyniadau yn fawr. Mae'n bwysig iawn, mae'r cwrs o'r musl yn dod yn ôl yn parhau. Ac ar gyfer amser, dylai y byddwch chi'n fwy hyderus i'w wneud, ond nid yw'n ymwneud â'r ffordd. Ac mae hynny'n dod â hynny hefyd, fel y dywedodd Donald. continually coming back and over time you should be more hardened to it but it doesn't seem to be

the case and and that's that comes with as well I don't like Donald tell you as well certain players can cope with that who could play 60 games at high intensity all the time Saturday Wednesday every week but that doesn't happen quite quickly and you know with Thomas Frank the amount of time he's had at Brentford Poster Coghlu doesn't get that long you know because the pressure's always on it Spurs. Let's hear from Ange Poster Coghlu here he is talking about whether he thinks he'll be given time to turn things around. Oh man who knows man I mean who knows I reckon there's probably a fair chunk that will say no but you know when you're a manager of a football club, it's a very kind of, you can be very vulnerable and isolated. I don't feel that.

I really feel like this group of players, not for me, but they're giving everything for the club. I've got a group of staff that's really committed, so I kind of focus on that. My role within that is to try and support these players. I think I can even see in training that when, you know, the guys who are coming back come back in, it's just going to give everyone a lift.

And, you know, as I keep saying to the players, it's still a fantastic opportunity this season to really make an impact. And I know we can't. But in terms of, you know, your question, well, what is there anything I can say about that that is going to change anything that I need to do tomorrow morning? Nothing. We've talked about how stubborn Andrew Postacoglu is, Michael. Could he handle his PR game a little bit better?

I mean, the way he talks to reporters, the way he talks to people interviewing him, the gruffness, maybe that is just his character. Have you seen the Thomas Frank, Darren, have you seen the Thomas Frank thing?

That's when he's let the reporters into his office and he's talked about tactics and talked about, you know, the injury board that he's got up there and how he sees the game and what the players

are eating. He's took the journalists into the canteen. It's incredible. That's why I think when you listen to Thomas Frank speak, that's why I just think he's very, very calm when he loses a game. It's not the end of the world.

I'll go back to a game. Branny touched on a great point before. You asked him a good question there about the injuries and whose fault is it. But Branny touched on a great point there in terms of how they train. And I'll take you back to the 8th of December when Mickey van der Ven and Romero were back

after a long, long time out. They played Chelsea and you remember the game, I think they were 2-0 up, but it was a wild game and Chelsea won 4-3. And both van de Ven and both Romero came off back injured in that game. It's because this is, when you've played the game for a long time and when you've watched the game for a long time, you understand what's going on. Mus right so if i said to you aaron right van de vent's back today romero's back today what can we try and do today against chelsea to try and limit the amount of running that we do right i'll tell you what we're going to do today boys we're going to play 20 yards deeper so we're going to limit your runs right we're going to ask you to try and do a little bit of work on the training ground but positionally

we're going to be 20 yards deeper so you haven't got 50 odd runs 20 times a game they stayed on the halfway line van der ven and romero had to make 50 odd runs countless countless times they both went off in the in the in the game injured after being back for a while that to me was poor management just on thomas frank uh before he'd arrived at brentford he'd never actually tasted Jaffa Cakes before and Brentford had what they call the Jaffa Cake Awake

and a local reporter took him some Jaffa Cakes and gave him a little bit of a try I think it was a success I do think he enjoyed them Well the question is is it a cake or a biscuit though?

Well that's the one isn't it? Listen the pressure is completely different at Brentford as well do you know I think we have to understand that the level of scrutiny all around Spurs

because of how long this has gone on for is right on top of you very very quickly, I felt he was really good in the interviews when he first came in, he was winning and it was a smile on everyone's face and I know exactly, I've been around the same conversations, press rooms about Ange

and it is traveling about how he's treating reporters how he's quite rude with them um firing back on the questions he's fighting and it's his job he's obviously on the ropes at the moment but I don't think it's helping his situation because the questions are just becoming more difficult you're not getting the people on side I know you don't have to get them on side that's not your job but it'll certainly help the situation not to be rude and not to be pleasant to them and keep them waiting. But you mentioned the numbers.

You mentioned the numbers. Five points from the last 33. That's incredible. When have you ever seen a top side in the Premier League lose 13 times at this point in the season? It's unheard of. It's never happened. Daniel will not want to do this now.

And you know it's like, if it's a numbers thing or whatever, he'll try and ride it out as long as he possibly can. Can he turn it around with a couple of signings this week, Don? I mean, maybe. I mean, you can't lose against Leicester at home, though, Brownie. That's the thing. I mean, I said it today on comms. So many at home.

That's the problem. Well, I know. I said it on comms today. It's an uncomfortable conversation today, but whoever loses this game is going to be under pressure because Van Nistelrooy was seven Well, I know. I said it on Coms today. It's an uncomfortable conversation today, but whoever loses this game is going to be under pressure because Van Nistelrooy was seven losses on the spin

and Tottenham at home with the side they put out today and that means no disrespect whatsoever to Leicester, the Tottenham team that played today should be beating Leicester

at home and they got nowhere near them second half. They ran out of ideas. So signings, yes. The tricky part, I think, for Ange Brownie is making signings that once all his first team players are back fit, do those signings then just be squad players. Because the last thing I'd want to see if I'm a Tottenham fan

and as a fan just looking from the outside, sort of looking in, the last thing I want to see now is Bergwijn and Archie Gray, when everyone's fit, go out the side. Because these two kids have been brilliant for them. That would be very harsh on them. Speaking of Ruud van Nistelrooy, let's hear from the Leicester boss. His side's seven-game losing run is over. Here's Ruud van Nistelrooy. You can imagine the excitement, the relief after an away win,

an important away win, a difficult away win. After all, what we've been through over the last weeks on the pitch, off the pitch, etc. I think we stayed together, we kept working, we kept our heads down and worked hard believing that our luck will change. And today I think the performance was strong. There was a lot of heart there, a lot of spirit. And I think it changed our luck. And psychologically, what does it do to everybody to be out of the bottom three? It's a moment that is also positive.

But it's a moment very short because next week is another weekend of Premier League football. I'm not so looking at the table in that sense and cannot draw any conclusions from it. It is an extra bit. You got yourself out of there

and we only have to make us stronger to keep going back to work next week and prepare the Everton game and believe in what we're doing and make sure we stay out of the bottom three. Don, I'll come straight to you. You were at the game, you watched it. How big was that for them, that result for Leicester City?

And how big was it personally for Ruud van Estruy with, again, talks of his future this week? Oh, monumental. Because any feeling from the outside that this group of players weren't working or weren't trying for him that was the complete opposite and what I saw today and that'll give them great confidence because when you get an away win against a big side in a good stadium when you come away from it and you get outside the bottom three and you see your rivals Wolves

who have dropped in it gives them a fighting chance. As he said, they've got a good as a neck, so that'll be a test for Everton, even though they've just gone two wins on the spin. Because what I saw today was, he talked about it before the game actually, he said, he said, what I want to see, I want to see players that are going to be hard to beat. I want to see players that are hard, they're tough, they're going to roll their sleeves up and they're going to fight. And that's what he asked for today. That's exactly what he got. But I tell you what, in terms of what they'll take from it,

potentially this could be a line in the sand where they go, forget the seven on the spin. That is gone. That's the performance and that's the bar that we've set. Because if they play like that, like they did today, from now to the end of the season,

they will not go down. Let's just hope they don't revert back to type. I'm glad you said that about the fight, Don, because, Joey, you look at the manager situation that they didn't like at the start of the season. They were the ones who rallied round to get him sacked. Then somebody else comes in, then they're not performers.

Well, what is it? Is it the players? Have they got enough? And have that run that they've just been on. But now, as you said, not about shape, about formations, about that determination, that resilience. I wasn't sure that was in that group, whether they had enough when the chips were down to get out of this.

So that's a good sign, isn't it, straight away, that there's something to build on. I think as well, we've got to be slightly cautious of today because of the team that they've come up against on a really, really poor run. But all you can do is play what's in front of you. So I think it'll be a good place to be on the training ground at Leicester City this week.

Earlier on, Don, you talked about Ruud van Estruy switching things up mid-game as well. That's him advancing as a coach. That's him maybe, again, relenting. We lean on Ange Postekoglu in this discussion, relenting from his philosophy, the way he does things. It hasn't worked. Hey, it's broken.

Let's try and fix it. Let's be adaptable because the modern, and I say this very loosely because it seems to be Amarim and it seems to be Postacoglu where these two guys are really stubborn and they're steadfast in what they want and they will not change. Both of them have said that. Well, it's nice to see that actually in game,

you actually can be adaptable. You can be flexible. And the best thing about what I saw from Ruud van Nistelrooy today was he smelt the same game standing in the touchline in his technique area that I was commentating on so you expect last 20 minutes 2-1 you expect the title away from Spurs you expect them to go a bit gung-ho you expect them to take more chances commit bodies forward and he smelt it and he thought well I've got to do something here because everyone's put a shift in. What I'm going to do is I'm going to put fresh legs on. But at the same time, I'm going to change the shape and I'm going to go to a back five and I'm going to get bodies.

And I'm going to frustrate Tottenham. Then I'm going to put Oliver Skip in midfield because Winks and Samare needed a hand because they'd run their legs off for about 80 minutes as well. So the three of them deserve loads of credit. And it was more on the manager actually having the ability to smell how the game was going and smelling that actually they were going to be really defensive and Tottenham were going to throw everything in the last 20. It turns out Tottenham didn't have any answers with the last 20, but that was all down to Van Nistelrooy and the change of shape.

Who's the team they've got to get over then, Don? You look at that bottom four now, there's nobody else surely, is there? Everton are going to have too much. Probably them and Wolves, isn't it? Iton are going to have too much. Probably them and Wolves, isn't it? I think Ipswich have still got a fighting

chance to be fair. Southampton are doomed. I think Everton will go away now. I think the two wins that they've got on to give them a cushion. So I think you're

looking between Ipswich, Wolves and probably Leicester. I'm sure that'll get clipped up and run around more with the Southampton fans. They'll be delighted

with that one, Don. I think it's pretty obvious. Am I far wrong there on six points?'ll be delighted with that one done I think it's pretty obvious Am I far wrong there on six points? I think it's pretty safe I think it's a safe one Ipswich just above them in 19th

16 points on their 23 also on 16 points Wolves they dropped into the bottom three because of that Leicester win and the fact that they were beaten by Arsenal looking at that

Miles Nuskelly red card will it be overturned, Michael? 100%. Mikel Arteta said it was obviously

not a red. He hopes they won't even have to appeal. Alan Shearer has said it's one of the worst decisions that he's ever seen in a long time. He can't see him work

out what VAR is thinking going along with Michael Oliver's decision. 100%. I think firstly, I want to contribute to say that the PJMOL have come out and said that he's had real threats, lots of criticism. Mae'n dda. Dwi'n credu, yn gyntaf, dwi eisiau cyfrannu i ddweud bod y PGMOL wedi dod allan a dweud

bod ganddo ddwy llwyth o ddiffygau, llawer o gyfnod. Mae hynny ddim yn dderbynol i unrhyw benderfyniad. Mae'n rhaid i ni roi'r peth yn gyntaf yno, bod yna ddim o'r arbenigolion sydd ar gael i gael y math hwn o triniaeth. Ond, i roi'r pethau hynny i'w gynnal am ychydig, gadewch i ni edrych ar y penderfyniad hwn. Pan es i weld y penderfyniad yn gyntaf, a dwi'n gwybod beth mae Don yn credu hefyd, at this decision when I first seen it yesterday. I don't know what Don thinks as well. Yes, it's a challenge. It's a nasty one.

He's left his foot out. He's stopped him gaining an advantage into a good area. But how can we see red cards for that, Don? I mean, for one minute, I'm telling you now, if me and you are sat in that room with VAR, they have a player with them only for a viewpoint

for a second I think there's something in that we're not we're not we're not there on all the rules

I get that do you know on certain decisions certain things I've said this but on a couple of these decisions now if they just

had a couple a pool of people just say listen on this one guys I think we can help you I've said this Branny I've said it.

Don't put an ex-pro for the laws of the game. That's what the referees and that's what the VAR team can do. They know all the laws of the game. I think that's the future where you have an ex-pro in the VAR room and they can tell when a 50-50's gone in and someone's gone in to do someone. Because we've been there, me and you. We've had red cards.

You know when, if me and you are playing against each other, I'd be saying keep an eye out for them two. Them two are going to be at it today. And you would because as I said before about Van Nistelrooy, you can smell a game. But I just can't fathom what Michael Oliver's seen. And then I can't fathom why the VAR team have not alerted him because everything

about what you saw was a routine foul from Myle Lewis-Skelly, 80 yards from goal. So he can't be last man. It was taking one for the team where he tapped him across the top of the laces. There was about five covering players.

It was a tactical foul. It weren't endangering an opponent. It didn't tick any box whatsoever for me to be a red card. But what worries me as well is the fact that

they've come out and they've said, well, it supports his decision. I've seen Mike Dean on a programme talking straight away and he had to react quickly to it say well it's a raking challenge towards the achilles i'm like no we don't see it like that at all do you know i mean this is what we're dealing with i i just want michael oliver to come out and say listen it's not acceptable the family family thing that i'm getting that's ridiculous that's absolutely ridiculous.

But, hey, I got this one wrong. No problem. Yeah, they should tell him I agree. But because it's him, maybe they just think, oh, we're not going to go against him. Well, that shouldn't be the case. That should not be the case. It doesn't matter what standard of referee is out on the pitch. You have a VAR team to help the referee.

And if Michael Oliver's made a bad decision, which he has, in my opinion, surely the guys watching it in VAR have got to alert him and say, at least you've got to go to the monitor and at least you've got to go and double-check this. You can't just say, well, it's a referee's call.

Can't happen. We've seen it on the other side where Michael Oliver's got involved when he didn't need to, to find penalties and things like that. You know, that's what he's done on the reverse of it. I just want him to come out and let's say, listen, he got it wrong.

There's no problem. Do you know your point on ex-pros though? Now your point on ex-pros though, being in the VR hub, not one ex-pro I would imagine would ever support what Michael Oliver had said. Yeah, referees call, you made the right decision. Every ex-pro that's played the game, I must stress, only for bits, not the laws, only for tackles and things

that they see, know what ex-pro would say, yeah you got that right I know one or two who would just for the clicks and the likes, anyway as Michael mentioned, the PGMOL have released a statement saying the police are aware of threats and abuse directed at Michael Oliver and that a number of investigations

have commenced halftime teaser for you. Listen up. Edison now has five assists in the Premier League. That is the joint most by a goalkeeper in the competition's history, along with who? We'll give you the answer in a moment. The Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds. The Monday night club on the Football Daily.

Join myself, Mark Chapman, Rory Smith and Chris Sutton to look back at the biggest stories from the weekend's football They've obviously had terrible trouble scoring goals particularly in open play this season He's worrying about if he's not going to score the goals then others aren't going to score I've spoken to many strikers who felt like that Chris Shearer, Larson, Hartson

all felt like that if they didn't score, maybe elsewhere. The Monday Night Club, only on the Football Daily. Listen on BBC Sounds. On the Football Daily podcast, the Premier League Review with Aaron Paul.

Listen on BBC Sounds. Welcome back to the Premier League Review. Before the break, I asked you, Edison now has five assists in the Premier League. That is the joint most by a goalkeeper in the competition's history, along with who? No points for winning this week, chaps. That's done on Friday night with Darren Fletcher.

But go on, Hutch. Alisson? That's a no for Alisson Becker. Michael? No idea. I don't have an idea. Well, I'll give you the answer. It's Five Lives' very own Paul Robinson.

Do you guys remember him scoring a free kick? Yeah, I remember that. He was a while on the line against Watford, ball bouncing over Ben Foster. Mate, he'll be loving this conversation. He loves these moments because of that zing that he had. He did. He did did he's a lovely guy as well Paul so congratulations

on those five assists anyway Manchester City also are going route one at times as they beat Chelsea by three goals to one and the top four battle is tight we must talk about AFC Bournemouth very much

in the mix after their 5-0 win over Forest. But, Michael, seeing as you're here, we'll start with Manchester City. You watched them against Chelsea. Phil Foden scoring in four straight league games for the very first time. And City just mixing it up, going long for Erling Haaland. And Haaland has actually mentioned Edison's assist to him, saying it's something we practice.

We try to focus on giving space. And then Edison gave me a lot of assists already. It's about perfect timing because he's so precise. There are many ways to do things and that's what City are doing. Yeah, they are. I mean, the start of the game,

I'm sat in commentary with John Murray and Kishinov made that mistake with the header back towards the goalkeeper. Then he gets a yellow card. I'm thinking, oh, it's one of the worst debuts you've ever seen. I felt for the kid, I was like, was he going to take him off? Is he going to get a red card? And then how does City recover? How do they

find a way? And I think where Chelsea maybe just dropped it slightly, there were a couple of chances Cole Palmer went through, so they contributed in some good, good ways. But that high line he was stubborn with it we went one for one at times at Haaland

we've seen Guardiola getting in behind it just pushed one wide and then the next one was Nunes it was a bit of a bit of a sort of collision

and then Guardiola pushes it in from there on they're leaving Haaland 1v1 so straight away Edison just zinging it and you know the power

nobody can deal with him in those situations and from there on going direct it certainly worked but that was the one thing I would have said Straight away, Edison just zinging it. And you know the power. Nobody can deal with him in those situations. And from there on, going direct, it certainly worked. But that was the one thing I would have said, could they have just tried to protect it a little bit better? Give yourself another 10 yards just to be sure. Can you get a screen the second Edison gets it?

But what City do is say, well, okay, we'll then get the extra man wherever it is. We'll either go one for one. Chelsea tried to be tight and you can't always do it. They couldn't deal with it. It was one rush of blood as well from the goalkeeper. He just stays at home, doesn't realise that he doesn't have to get involved

and Haaland was a great finish and just dinking it over the top of him. How naive were Chelsea? That's what Danny Murphy said on Match of the Day. But how naive were they with that high line, Don? Well, I don't think it's naive. I think what it is, the game plan from a Chelsea point of view

was going man for man, trying to stop Man City. That's tactically what Maresca likes to do. So he goes man for man. What he didn't realise or what he should have realised, Ederson's one of the best passers of the ball from a goalkeeper we've seen for a long, long time,

taking aside Paul Robinson, obviously. But when he's got that zing and you go man for man and you leave Haaland up against Colwell or Trevor Chalabar, he's too strong. So Edison can just completely wipe out the whole of Chelsea's midfield and wipe out all of their man for man pressing by hitting a long ball over the top. And all of a sudden, the one man you don't want to be in a fight with is Erlan Haaland. You know, it's like when you try and have a fight with Emil Heskey on the pitch. Some players are just too strong for you. They roll you. Lukaku is a similar sort of player. What Lukaku wants and what Emil Heskey and what

Haaland want, they want players that are going to be a little bit naive and get a little bit touch tight because they're too strong for you. They can roll you. All of a sudden, they're away. Chelsea give up bad goals. I have to say. The goals they give up were bad. But I've got to say, I thought Man City were very good, you know. I thought after the rocky start, like Michael said, I thought they recovered. Second half, I thought they looked like being back to their best. There was still a little bit of fragility

in and around the sort of hour mark when it was 2-1 because you think, well, we've seen them throw leads away before. We've seen it lately, especially against Paris. But I thought overall, the longer the game went on, I thought they looked assured. And Phil Foden got a great goal. And Haaland again was too strong, laid it off into his stride. That'll give him loads of confidence

because he's now a player that we've waited for a long time this season, Phil Foden, to hit form. And he's been in form over the last five or six games. Yeah, he's going now. He's off and running. Yeah, he's off and running. He's off. He's getting in great positions and I think Pep's getting him in good areas as well.

So the way the system works now, what's interesting is having Nunes out on that right-hand side. Foden just comes inside and then he's got the freedom. That was the problem with Chelsea. How do you stop it? You can try to go man for man, go tight. That just leaves Haaland on his own. But those runs and timings

were excellent from Phil Ford. I thought Marmush was great as well. He did really well. Energy. Yeah, well, he runs in behind because what City have not had, especially this season, City have always had players that come to the ball and they lost that when they lost Julian Alvarez. He was a player that could run in behind.

A little bit like Svozlai, what he does for Liverpool. He lets Gravenberg get on the ball and McAllister and he runs and he gets in behind the front men and I think Marmouch I've seen a lot of him at Eintracht Frankfurt and he's one of them he'll be tidy on the ball technically he's very good he'll score all types of goals but the best thing in his locker he sees space and he runs in behind and that's what stretches he just got caught offside a couple of times Don when he was doing it to be fair but he did say like you said, what position would be the ideal one for him? That's what I'm trying to work out.

Well, he can play anywhere. He can play off the left as a 10 and off the right-hand side. But the closer he gets to Haaland, you'll see the best of him. Because when Haaland gets the ball, he can lay it off. And all of a sudden, if you imagine someone like prime Dele Alli, I'm not comparing the two, but prime Dele Alli when Harry Kane was coming short and Dele Alli was spinning behind. Something like that from Marmouch,

that's what he'll bring. He'll bring Legs to running behind Haaland. He's got a terrific football brain where he sees space and he is off. But he's a very technical player. He'll score a lot of goals, probably not from now at the end of the season because it's a short period of time.

But I think the three signers that they've made so far and it might be someone like Florian Vert who then comes in in the summer and the big overhaul, that's going to happen, but I think Marmouch is going to be an amazing signing. Well, Pep Guardiola himself said post-match on Marmouch, he makes incredible runs. When he makes a movement, the other guys don't

know he was going to make that movement. Speaking of City and new signings, talk to me about the new boy, Abddukadir Kusanov. A real terrible mistake to give Chelsea the opener and a booking within four minutes. Guardiola said, not the best start. He knows it. He will learn.

He's so young. He will learn in the future. I mean, when that mistake happened, you saw his face, Michael. He looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up and he looked really, really upset. But as a fine line, isn't it, for a manager, you can kill

someone's confidence you can hook him obviously Guardiola wasn't going to do that you knew he'd eventually come off but he got an ovation as well really good timing on the substitution from from the Manchester City manager it's going to take time though especially as someone playing in that position to to adjust to the the Premier League the pace the physicality he was in the deep end wasn't he straight in hardly trained with the group, and then just a mistake, lack of concentration, tries to head it back to Ederson, but it was then after that, and the ball come inside,

but Palmer does so well. It wasn't necessarily a poor ball. Then he has to recover, take a booking. So it all happened very quickly, and then you can see Akanji travelling across with the ball. I'm thinking, don't give him it. Give him five minutes just to settle down. Someone go get hold of him. There was across with the ball and I'm thinking don't give him it give him five minutes just to settle down

someone go get hold of him there was a free kick and I'm looking for senior players Kovacic Harland walked past him and just gone hey cool down a little bit

the manager's sort of saying calm it and what I really liked is he showed composure to come out of it a lot of young players that would have been it now he would have been shaking

he wouldn't have wanted the ball he might have had to come off and I thought what was really good is Pep left him on the pitch at half-time. You go there, Don, you know you've not had

a good first half and you sit down, you look and you go, I'm coming off here, I'm just waiting. And I felt by sending him back out for five or six more minutes,

even though he could have done it, I think it was a really good move for the kid. Then the fans played their part. They got right behind him and said, you know, we get it, we understand it. And I think they almost have to be a bit of fun with it now.

If I'm clipping all the video off on Thursday, say, let's have a look at that again. Come on, let's see that mistake. Have a bit of a laugh with the lads and say, come on, it's going to only get better. And that's what it's about. You've got an enjoyment and I feel like he's got the attributes.

He was just coming into the game in the second half. He got stronger. He started a couple of little challenges. I thought, here we go. But he was just worried that he might have got a red card. Tristan Chelsea, talk to me about their goalkeeping situation because no one has made more errors leading to a goal in the Premier League this season than Robert Sanchez with five.

A lot of question marks over his position all season, really. Philip Jorgensen has started two Premier League games this campaign. They just look very, very uncertain with him at the back. Yeah, I think when you watch him play and when you watch him being a goalkeeper in terms of shot stopping, I like what I see, but he's in the team because he's meant to be good with his feet, and I don't see it. I see him play risky balls into midfield.

I see him make bad decisions. The decision where he rushed out for Haaland, he should never have come for that. So it's panic mode. Maybe he was trying to help out his centre-back, but he shouldn't because he should have stayed on his line. I think that's the next port of call for Chelsea. When I look at what they've done with their centre-backs, De Sassi is not good enough. I watched them in pre-season over in America. I was there commentating on port of call for Chelsea. When I look at what they've done with their centre-backs, De Sassi is not good enough.

I watched them in pre-season over in America. I was there commentating on a few of their games. Badger Shields is not going to take them to a title neither. So that's why they brought Trevor Chalabar back. So you can see what Chelsea are doing in terms of wide players. You can see what they're trying to do with Nicholas Jackson. They've spent an awful lot of money, 200 million on the two midfield players,

Enzo Fernandes and Kai Sado. They've got Lavia, they've got Dewsby Hall, so they're pretty set in the middle of the park. The fullbacks are pretty decent. So the next port of call from Chelsea, even though they have spent an awful lot of money, the next window,

I think for Maresca after this one, I don't think you'll bring anyone in in January. That's why Chalabar's back. But the summer window, I'd be stunned if it's not a top class goalkeeper and top class centre backs, because that's all they need. They need clean sheets. They're a team that don't do clean sheets.

It's amazing that we're still thinking that they need players. It's unbelievable, isn't it? I think it was just a rush of blood from Sanchez. I think that's the one thing. I know you talk about distribution. I watched with his feet. He tried to play short ones and a couple of longer ones into full-back areas, which weren't as convincing.

You know, it didn't have that zip. It was almost like, I've just got to try and clip it over there. So the confidence wasn't there in him. I think that's something they've got to look at. Why is Kepa not playing for them? He signed a new deal before he joined Bournemouth on loan. He's, well, I mean, he's kept a clean sheet.

He kept a clean sheet as Bournemouth thrashed for us 5-0. He's playing in a good side, granted, but why is he not playing? You never know, Aaron. You never know the makeup of the character. We can only have a look at what we see in terms of ability from players and goalkeepers. But you're never quite sure

and you're never privy to what character anyone is like. So I've kept us in the conversation. Is he a good guy to have around in training? If he's not in the team, is he going to be a good number two to around in training? If he's not in the team, is he going to be a good number two to Robert Sanchez? Is he going to be supporting?

So I think it's easy to look at the form that he's been in and he's a confident guy now he's down at Bournemouth. He looks completely at home there and he's playing really well. But I don't know

what character he's like. So only Maresca and the coaching staff can tell you, is he a good guy to have around? A, when he's starting games at Chelsea

or B, when he's being dropped. How does he react? What was guy to have around A when he's starting games at Chelsea or B when he's being dropped how does he react what was it Don Hutchinson like when he was dropped when he wasn't in the team

I didn't like it mate I wanted to play to be honest I'd always try and support whoever was playing I was gutted

for myself but if you were starting ahead of me I'd always be supportive of you I'd never want you to have a shocker and I'd give you

I'd done it when Nigel Riococo was coming through. Alan Pardew signed a great crop of young players. He signed Anton Ferdinand, Joby McEnuff, Nigel Riococo, Marlon Harewood. I was there at the time and I was probably about

31, 32, 33. I made sure I was a really good egg for the likes of those young boys because when I left West Ham I wanted those young lads to say actually he helped us he wasn't selfish and I think that's really important

It's difficult with goalkeepers though isn't it? Do you know you're in that just that you two in a little space every single day you can't deal with it Just on Bournemouth in their last 11 league games

7 wins 4 draws on a club record unbeaten running the Premier League. Newcastle, the victims last week. Forest this week. Antoine Semenyo simply has just said, our press is just working. But Anderney Iriola's star continues to rise, doesn't it? He has proven himself to be a fantastic tactician,

someone who gets the best out of a squad. A couple of weeks ago, I covered one of their games against West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup, and all week the hype was about the fact that Evan Nielsen and Enes Yunal were both injured. And he come out and said that his squad was very, very thin. But he's proven, Michael, he doesn't actually need anyone up front because that front four can rotate and they can alternate

and they can do it ever so well. Some job, and like I say, all the football clubs have got a big injury list. He's got a massive one, yet he's still producing scores like this, which is just shockwaves. I think it was close to being sacked. We've talked about this so many times

and then he's been able to get on with his job, get his system across, get playing that high press, high intensity. But what we have to look at is for a football club, when we look at others and we talk about managers' situations, they have knew this remit for a couple of years at the football club, what they've wanted to do and how they've wanted to play. So the sign-ins were only going to be people who could do what they wanted.

And now that the manager's got that, he's finding, and he's saying our press is fantastic, the energy, the understanding that we have, the timings of runs. But that is from a whole football club being on the same page for a long period of time.

That's given them the tools to be able to do this. And then the manager now, while what he's produced, talk about other football clubs and where he can go, it looks like he could go right to the very top.

Is he the one that Spurs should be looking out for? Could be. Could be. I think the two names out there that are obvious for Spurs is Ira Ola, the job that he's done. And as I said before, Thomas Frank. But the job that he's done has been incredible. You mentioned the injury list.

I look a little bit deeper when I look at guys that he's improved. And Ryan Christie, Tyler Adams in the middle of the park. Then Justin Cliver and Attara or Brooks or Semenyo. The one I think who just looks absolute cream and looks like on another level, I can go to the very top. And I'd be stunned if a team like Man City didn't sign him or certainly be looking at him

as Dean Howson, the centre-back. At 19, he just looks like the game looks so easy for him. He looks like a bit sort of John Stones-ish in terms of his sort of figure and the way he plays and he's really relaxed on the ball and he takes his time and he's really composed. He's a big unit as well. Yeah, he's long.

He's tall. He's like 6'2", 6'3". He's long. 6'5". 6'5". He's a long one. Kirko's done well as well, hasn't he? Yeah.

Absolutely. Just on that game what happened to Nottingham Forest Michael where is Darren Fletcher he'd be the person to answer this

he'd be able to tell us exactly wouldn't he where are you because he's been gloating last few weeks he's been telling us

about certain stats all Forest related so there'll probably be an illness that we didn't know about or something. He's doubled down, Aaron. He's on the group chat saying,

we're coming for your mob next week to Glenmurray. So he's doubled down. He said they're going to win next week. I'm very excited to see, forget Nottingham Forest, I'm excited to see Liverpool take on Bournemouth next week. Because Bournemouth fans talking about a European tour. I mean, would this game sort of define their credentials? Well, I tell about a European tour, I mean, would this game sort of define

their credentials? Well, I tell you what, if, I mean, the big game and talking about Kuzunov next week,

I wouldn't play him against Arsenal next week away from home if I was Pep. Might put John Stones back on the team for more security. He might be ready then,

might he, John? Yeah, but what a seismic weekend it could be next week. You know, if Liverpool go down to Bournemouth and take a win and Man City beat Arsenal,

then all of a sudden Liverpool have got a massive gap. On the flip side, what if Arsenal beat Man City and what if Bournemouth beat Liverpool? Then all of a sudden there's three points. Yeah, it could be seismic next week. Let's talk housery. I was at Palace Brentford. Jan Visser

ran off to celebrate whilst Brian and Boma was running up to take his penalty. Was that a good distraction technique? Are we going to see everyone doing it now? Listen, does it really, does it, you know, we've seen all sorts of that. I mean, I don't really take too much into it. I just wonder why he was doing it. Talk us through it.

What's he done? I don't get it. He's just gone run off. He's going to take the penalty. He's sort of run off celebrating, thinking, well, I know he's going to score, but he's just obviously had one saved. The next one, Jamie Vardy's goal celebration in front of Leicester supporters, reminding them

Leicester have won Premier League title. Yeah, classic Vardy. The Tottenham fans are holding up a zero. Classic. Yeah, keep doing it. Nothing wrong with that. Nah, keep doing it. You've got the trophy in your cabinet at home. Keep reminding everyone. 38 years of age. Good luck to him. I like this one. Southampton had a goal ruled out by VAR

but Newcastle supporters sang the Chelsea Dagger goal music back at their supporters after that strike was ruled out. Very good. Very, very good, Michael. Listen, we want a bit of banter, don't we? We want that between supporters and players and Vardy running up and saying,

right, here you go, I've got one of these. Isn't that what, you know, we used to have so much more of this, didn't we? It doesn't have to be, certain things are crossing the line, but we still want to see a bit of fun and a bit of banter between players and fans. That's for certain. Illiman Ndjai maybe took it a bit too far. He got booked for doing a seagull celebration against Brighton Everton marking

David Moyes 700th Premier League game in charge by beating Brighton and Herve I've been by a goal to nil now Law 12 in the IFAB Laws of the Game

says players can celebrate when a goal is scored but the celebration must not be excessive a player must be cautioned for acting in a provocative

derisory or inflammatory way would you have taken offence to that, Don? If I'm on the other side, I would, obviously. If I'm on his team, I'm probably joining in. The whole team should have done it.

Talking of goal celebrations, Crystal Palace's Romain Nessay scored with his first touch in Premier League football, but went for the knee slide at 2-1 down with five minutes to go. I saw Daniel Munoz sprinting back with the ball, but I say it was off and away. Well, you know what?

When you get that goal, you just get a little bit excited and you realise there's a bit of a job to do. But, you know, I mean, it is amazing how far you do take the celebrations. We talk about reactions to fans and smiles and what it is. We've seen Cole Palmer smiling on the pitch with Pep Guardiola when the game was finished. Fancy it in a different way, the reaction and that responsibility you have.

So yeah, not ideal, the old slide. Elsewhere, Liverpool beat Ipswich by four goals to one. Liverpool now go on to lift the Premier League title this season in 93% of Optus simulations. That's up from 92% last weekend. It finished 1-1 between Aston Villa and West Ham live on 5 Live.

Oli Watkins becoming the second Aston Villa player to be directly involved in 100 Premier League goals after Gabi Agbon-Lahore. And Manchester United have beaten Fulham by a goal to nil. Lissandra Martinez with the only goal of the game, 12 minutes from time. Ahmad Diallo having one ruled out by VAR for offside late on in added on time. That is it for this episode of the Football Daily.

Thank you to Don Hutchinson and the birthday boy, Michael Brown. Happy birthday. Many happy returns again, Brownie. Cheers, guys. The next one will be Monday Night Club with Mark Chapman, Chris Sutton, Rory Smith and Steph Horton.

Take a world-class former football manager, cast him away on a desert island. The idea of a desert island doesn't frighten me at all. Hello, I'm Lauren Laverne, presenter of Desert Island Discs from BBC Radio 4. Joining us on the island, Gareth Southgate. I'm a huge patriot. Even just putting the training kit on,

looked at the badge and yeah, it was quite a surreal moment. From the tracks he treasures to the book he'd bring, we talk leadership and life after England as we dive into Gareth's life and career. I love reading books on leadership. I'm also in a book club with a load of dads.

Dads? Yeah. Gareth Southgate on Desert Island Discs. Listen on BBC Sounds.