Football Daily - Slot’s selection shake-up proves no problem for Palace

Episode Date: October 30, 2025

Kelly Cates is joined by Stephen Warnock, Alistair Bruce-Ball and Pat Nevin as Liverpool’s losing streak continues at the hands of Crystal Palace.It was a case of: New line-up, same result at Anfield as Arne Slot made ten changes to his starting XI who then went on to lose the club’s sixth game in seven. What was the thinking behind Slot’s reshuffle? Do Liverpool have an issue with strength in depth? How much can really be taken from this defeat? Hear from Oliver Glasner as Crystal Palace claim their third win over Liverpool this season and also from Arne Slot, as Stephen offers why he’s disappointed by the Liverpool manager’s post-match reflections. Plus, the panel discuss Martin O’Neill’s first game in charge at Celtic for 20 years as they beat Falkirk 4-0 in what has been another turbulent week in Glasgow. Time codes: 1’09 Arne Slot’s squad rotation 4’20 Oliver Glasner 8’30 Any positives to team rotation? 25’16 Arne Slot 30’19 What do Liverpool’s goals now become? 31’55 Martin O’Neill 33’38 Celtic chat

On the Football Daily podcast, The Debrief with Kelly Cates. Hello and welcome to the Football Daily with me, Kelly Cates. Stephen Warnock and Alastair Bruce Ball are at Amfield as Liverpool are out of the league cup, having lost 3-0 at home to Crystal Palace. Stephen, there's a lot to get our heads around in terms of that team selection. We will get to how significant the win is for Crystal Palace. But so many 18, 19, 20, 21-year-old with very little Premier League experience, not just in the Liverpool's starting 11, which we've seen before in previous seasons

and under previous managers, but on the bench as well with no options to bring the big guns on. Was this a risk worth taking? Well, only time will tell if they beat Aston Villa, if they beat Real Madrid and they start to turn a corner, then yes. If it isn't and things continue, then Liverpool fans will get a little bit disgruntled, they'll start to ask questions as to why so many changes. They don't make changes for no reason. He spoke about it before the game where he said, we rotate within this competition.

This is a competition for our younger players. But when you need a victory, this is the ideal time to perhaps try and get it. Maybe he just felt that tonight wasn't the night to try and continue putting his first team players in the squad and he wanted to work with them on the training pitch to try and get the best out of them ready for the game against Aston Villa at home on Saturday. One of the things that's been mentioned around Liverpool's form for the second half

of the beginning of this season is that it looks as though confidence is lacking. What does a result like this do to the confidence even taking into account the team selection? I'm not so sure it'll affect them too much. I think we spoke before the game kicked off. I think it just keeps a little bit more pressure on Arna Slot. The questions now, I'm sure, will be, why did you change that?

What are you looking for at the weekend? What are you going to try and to achieve? Is there going to be a change of system at the weekend? There's going to be so many more questions asked of Arna Slot. And he'll hope that the performance on Saturday will justify what he's done today. Confidence is huge in football. When you see the way that Liverpool players are playing at the moment, they're second guessing everything that they're doing.

Usually it's one and two touch football because it comes so naturally to you. It becomes a second instinct at the moment. They're questioning every decision that they're making on the football pitch and almost playing negatively. And that's a real issue in football. Stephen, what are your thoughts on the squad that Arna Slot or the starting line up and the bench that Arnestlott was able to name for this game without making the changes?

When you compare it to what, for example, Arsenal or Manchester City or Chelsea were able to do, with a similar number of changes to their starting lineups? Yeah, I think it shows the depth that Arsenal have got at the moment and we know Chelsea have got one of the biggest squads in world football

and whether that's got huge amounts of quality in it or not, you can sort of question that and how deep it goes, but I'd say their squads are extremely good. I think one thing that when we looked at Liverpool's squad at the start of this season, we all felt that their starting 11 would be better than everyone else's,

but what did they have on the bench? And I think we've seen an element of that tonight where it's perhaps as not as strong at the moment as we thought it might have been. Pat Nevin is also with us to reflect on that. Pat, before we talk about this in the sort of broader sense for Liverpool, on tonight's game,

was being in that run of results and picking not just that starting 11, but not having the options off the bench? the right thing for Honest Slot to do? Depends if you want to win the league up or not. Which is really the question. And obviously you want to build up any competition. But he's obviously showing that it's secondary.

It's not that important. It's certainly not important as the games that are coming up. So he would have asked himself the question, on the slot. You know, yeah, there'll be a little bit of stick because they've lost another game. But I'll think there'd be a realisation, certainly among Liverpool fans,

who aren't daft that the fact that they've won't. you know. Let's hear from Palace boss, Oliver Glasner, with George Cummins. Thanks, Kelly. Oliver, sum up how you're feeling to come to Anfield and win? That's the third time you've beaten this season already. Oh, yes, good win today. Took us 15 minutes to be in the game.

Then, yeah, we did well. It's quite nice goals, controlled the game. And so, yes, pleased, of course, I don't know how often this happens when you play the champion three times within three months and you're winning three times. So credit to the players. What did you make of the Liverpool team when you saw it for the first time? Yeah, we didn't know whom they are playing, but again, we have no influence on it.

And on the other side, they still had, I think, five or six internationals in the start in 11. You know, with Robertson and Endo and Kerkers and McAllister. So, you know, McAllister and Endo is a world champion. And, of course, and Kiesa. So, yes, and a few young players. and also on Goma, short already, the ticket score goals. I remember the game winner at Newcastle. So, yes, Anaslot decided to play this team.

And, yeah, again, the first 15 minutes, we didn't do well. So it was, I had the feeling we were still in the beds, in the hotel beds. And then, yeah, we came slowly into the game. And then, yeah, we did well. We scored nice goals. But I also think the performance was okay. Yes, it's a three-n-n-old, but it was not a really great performance. too many easy mistakes in our attack.

But of all, of course, winning 3 new at Enfield is a very good result. Now, you've lost Alise over the years. You've lost Eze this summer, but you seem like you might have a couple of new stars in the future in Saar and Pino. They look like they play quite well together. Yes, getting each other more and more known, because Jeremy just arrived late, most twice with Spain. So he's just here for a few weeks and he understands more and more

But on the other side, when you see his shins, they're full of blood. And I said to him, welcome to England. He's not used to have this aggression in the duels. He's not used to this kind of game from Spain, and he has to adapt. But he's such a good player and a great boy, that he will adapt more and more. And you've picked a strong side. You've done it last season in the Cups. That's suggested you're going to go for this one this season?

We made five changes, so, of course. So we always, so let's see in the back three, when Chris Richards had a small injury, that means we don't have three other center back. So that means two have to play. And then Jady played and did very well today. It was important for him after his mistake against Lanaka. And he did very, very well today. Then, yeah, it was Bonasosa that tea could rest.

And Adam got ill. And then we played with Will and Daichi. And also up front, Eddie and Ketia started. Unfortunately, he got injured. so his hamstring and yeah everything else then we could do a few changes

giving Rio Cardins his next minutes Uja is next minutes and it's also important to stay in the rhythm that's why we brought JP at half time and Eddie was injured because it's always when you don't train

you lose your rhythm you lose you don't touch a ball maybe for one or two days and then it's better having 45 minutes and so it's all good that was Oliver Glasner reflecting on Palace's 3-0 win against Liverpool at Amfield in the fourth round of the League Cup.

Oliver Glasner talked about maintaining rhythm as far as his palace side are concerned. Pat Nevin, you were talking before we heard from Glasgow about the decision that Arna Slot made for the team selection. When you're not winning games, can it be a good thing to break that rhythm, to do something completely different? It can. There's lots of different ways around it. But in the end, the squad will know, you know, that's a team that's put out, the hopes they will win. If Liverpool put out a team that's their full squad team, they'll expect to win. Even though Palace, yes, I've got a brilliant run of games against them. They've done incredibly well against them.

But, you know, they all know that this is something completely different. So, yeah, it's changed up a little bit. Will it help? Well, defeats never help. Let's be fair. I don't think anyone ever says, well, I think we'll go for that defeat this week. No, it's never going to help that one But it gives a number of players

A rest and of course That is the main thing They've given a little bit of rest And hopefully they've come back with a little bit of freshness Because, you know There might be a slight lack of freshness For those Liverpool players But you can see

Now I'm not saying the confidence It's absolutely dropped through a trap door But it's beginning to seep Just a little bit away And you know And everybody else sees that I mean Liverpool football clubs get this Gigantic big target in its back

And it has had for years and it's basically everyone would love to beat them and as soon as anyone sees weakness they are in there as quick as they can hence one of the reasons why Pallas put out a fairly strong say tonight Stephen the fans were singing on Level Walk alone because they know that this was a very young very inexperienced Liverpool side

and even more so actually by the time the final whistle went in this game they're not blaming the players for this performance however does it put pressure on on a slot, a man who only a few months ago was lifting the Premier League trophy with Liverpool for the first time in five years. Will people start to question the manager and how seriously will they be questioning him? I think there will be pressure on him because you're the manager of arguably one of the biggest football clubs in world football and that is something that

you have to deal with and he did that extremely well last year. There's been new players brought into the squad this year it hasn't worked so far they're trying to find solutions play fans will give him a quite a lot of time to find them solutions to try and get it right the ownership will as well however people are very narrow short-minded and they forget about what was so good last year and if it's if they don't start to pick up results people will start to get edgy there was a guy behind us and he was irate with the the performance tonight and he started screaming on a slot like absolutely unacceptable

we're Liverpool football club we win every game and that is what you're dealing with when you're dealing with Liverpool fans because they do expect to win every game maybe not expect but they they they want to win every game and they think that is feasible and that's the challenge of being Liverpool manager so if he doesn't pick up a result at the weekend there's gonna be more pressure on him then you've got rail Madrid coming to town that's going to be so difficult so then it's Manchester City yeah you've got to turn things around very very quickly and listen it's not all on the manager it's on the players as well

the players have to do more but you your job as a manager is to inspire the players it's to inspire them it's to give them a game plan and to follow it through Pat also the the senior squad if we can sort of call them I know it's not quite that that cut and dried, but your sort of regular first team players, they were all on the seats behind the Liverpool dugout. They were all there sitting outside in the cold, in the pouring rain, watching this young group of players get beaten 3-0 at Amfield. Is that helpful? It's a really good question that because, well, number one, certain players take it, different players take it in different ways. A, if my team was playing and I was dropped, left out,

whatever I want to be there in actual fact I want to be something with the fans I want to be cheering the team on that's how I feel about it because I am part of the club and I want to support the club no everyone exactly feels that way when they've been left out or dropped and also I think the point of making it you know sitting outside in the cold

and by the way Stephen it wasn't a very nice night was it not at all still isn't Pat still isn't they've had their thermals on tonight Pat and I think there's a real and an understanding of it there is an old phrase in football was that there are

some games you actually look a better player when you don't play and it was a wee bit of that tonight and I think every player understands that as well but yeah they'll have understood it they get it it's you know if it was the full team apart from themselves you know they would think about it's slightly different but it's not that so yeah you want to be there you want to show you a part of it

and it's Liverpool there are certain clubs where you want to show that you are passionate and part of the club and the fan of the club one other point by the way you were talking about the team that was set out remember Plymouth or Gile the game in the FA Cup where a very, very lightweight team was put out, but it was expected to be enough and Liverpool crashed out at the FA Cup

the fourth round, if I remember correctly, in that occasion. But you know what? See in the longer term? See if you win trophies at the end of it? It doesn't matter. And there are a couple of points, just picking up a little bit, Stephen, on what Pat said there.

One of which is, there's no guarantee that given the run of form they were in, that if you'd pick Liverpool's first choice, starting 11, whatever that might be, that they would have beaten Crystal Palace either, given the form that they're in. And two, there were certainly in the early on in the game, signs that this side might actually be able to get the result against Palace. Yeah, I was going to make that point, Kelly, because I think it's a great point and that this is a very good Crystal Palace team. And there was no guarantees had the big hitters have played, that Palace might

on of, I wouldn't have got a result anyway. Yeah, it's, there are a very, very well-organized team, Crystal Palace. I love watching them. I think there's such an interesting team. And yeah, I think at the moment, they're riding the crest of a wave. And it was interesting when we were listening to Oliver Glasner there talking about Metetta, needs rhythm, needs games. And that's the way he's looking at it, whereas Arna Slott's thinking, my players need rest

or need to watch from the sidelines. I need more time with them on the training ground. So it's interesting the way the two managers are booked at it. Yeah, Pat, I think that is an interesting point. And it is an interesting angle to look at the Liverpool team selection. And in terms of the players who weren't chosen, the fact that Arna Slot would rather have that time on the training ground with them and not have a game in the middle to sort of interrupt what he sees as that rhythm

with an actual game of football, does that make any sense to you? Yes, it all makes sense when it all comes back to the most important thing. If you're Crystal Palace, with all the respect, they mean all the respect in the world, you know, they want to do well in each competition they're taking part in. Liverpool want to win them. And I'm including the Champions League in that. You know, so they have to get,

they've got a different set of priorities that they have to put sometimes. And if you look at it, and I think you were talking about it a little bit earlier, and I think Stephen mentioned it as well, the squad, you know, in comparison to other, squads, yeah, it is a wee bit light. They've gone heavy on the big names, the huge transfer fees, as opposed to getting a kind of bulkier score. And it's kind of noticeable now. The one thing I was going to say here was, one thing I'd be sort of hoping for if I was a Liverpool fan or one of the players is I'd be looking at Paris Angeman last year. They didn't, they weren't

the races on the first half of the season, the first quarter, if you like. And I remember sitting with Julian and Laurent when we were doing the Champions League highlights and he said this team isn't jelling yet. It isn't clicking. But when it does, be aware of them. Because when they click and they get things going, can this Liverpool team click? Have they got it in them this year? And that's going to be the fascinating thing because we know what the Champions League was like last year. Paris and Germant fell right down the bottom of the table. I think it was a couple of rounds before or towards the end that they only just qualified. And then everyone was going, they're unstoppable. They're such a difficult team to play against. So could that happen to Liverpool? Have they got it in them? We'll have to wait and see. And Pat said there as well, Stephen,

about Liverpool going for these kind of marquee signings in the transfer market. And there's lots of attention obviously on them because when you spend a lot of money on players, they're expected to come in and perform. And that's part of why you're paying the big transfer fees. But the other point that sometimes goes, who's unsaid in all of this,

other players who've left Liverpool. Trent Alexander Arnold, obviously, there's been talk of him. Louis Diaz went. Darwin Nunez, who has scored some really important goals for Liverpool. Someone like Harvey Elliott, who you would think would be one of those players

who might play in, yes, it's sometimes in the Premier League, but often would play in Carabal Cup games as well. Obviously, the death of Diego Jota as well. But there were players who were part of that squad last season, who are now no longer available and they haven't, they've matched the numbers maybe

but not increased the depth of their squad. Yeah, I think the big thing is is when you look at Trent Alexander Arnold, have you got an adequate replacement for him or bettered him? Very, very difficult. So no, that is your answer straight away. Is the improvement in,

what would you say is Diaz's position? And I felt last year a lot of his best work came as a false nine where he played centrally and he dropped a little bit deeper and it was almost always Gakpo out on that left-hand side. But Diaz is such a dangerous player. Is Eckertique a better player than him? Possibly, he's probably going to get you more goals. But is he going to bring the energy, the press in,

the way that he closes down and that is infectious around the pitch. Darwin Nunez, I thought it was the right time to move him on. I'm not going to lie. We are not going to see the best of Alexander Isak for maybe another six months. You might not see the best until him to next year. It is imperative. And Pat knows this as well because I know that Pat's game, as much as he was a brilliant player, it's about fitness.

And if you don't get a good preseason under your belt, you are playing catch up. And before you know it, the season's over and you think, I've almost wasted a season there. that the whole saga of how long it went on for was far too long. You knew that the start of the window. Liverpool wanted ESAC. Just pay the money, get it over and done with,

because they're now paying the price for a player who has trained alone, all the transfer window, and they can't get him up to speed. And now he's picking up injuries, and he'll probably continue to pick up injuries from now until the end of the season because he hasn't got a pre-season in him. So as much as Liverpool went after Marquis Signings

and got the business done eventually, it's not worked out for them as of yet. And it probably won't and probably until maybe next season. However, if you listen to an interview with Tom Werner, they said that was the risk that they were willing to take, not for this season, but for the next five years. And that's what I think is quite interesting, because I think that the preseason expectations,

and tell me if you think I've judged this wrongly here, Pat, but preseason expectations were that Liverpool were going, to have quote unquote a transitional season that maybe they wouldn't have you know a terrible patch but that this wasn't going to be as smooth as the as the pre and is as straightforward as the previous season had been but having won the opening six games of the premier league season the expectation was look they've won when they've not really gelled all they can do now is get better in terms of performances and and results will will follow that but it hasn't happened the performances have have stayed and the results have followed?

Yeah, there's a whole bunch of things inside that. Go back to Stephen's point about players clicking together. It's a funny thing. It sometimes takes oil. Others just walk into each other's company and they understand each other completely, but it doesn't always happen. And you're having to do it in a white-hot heat of the Premier League and massive, massive expectations.

So not absolutely shocked it has not happened right away. The other thing, yeah, transitional season. I'll put my hand up right now. Last season, I didn't think Liverpool would make talk for. And they romped away with the league. Right. So, if you look a bit of an idiot, because you're saying, well, you know, Klop's going to go, there's going to be a transition,

there's going to be a difficult point. You know, because that's what happens with clubs when they've got somebody as brilliant as Klop, and it's all built around that, and the players are understanding. Maybe it was just a year late. Maybe, you know, it was, you know, I'm not saying Slott just to its Klops team and ran with it,

but he certainly didn't dismantle it completely he kept a lot of it together and the ideology together we're beginning to see what slots methodology and system and ideology is and you know what that may not happen overnight so you're right it could be a transitional season by the way they'll still be pushing for the top four don't worry about that

but I understand that it's not simple it's not easy and by the way have a look we just look because Man City I've had this brilliant period of time where they're up the top. It's very, very hard to win it a year or two years in a row or possibly a third year or no. It's incredible to do that with

the Premier League. Pat, it's so interesting isn't it because everyone wants it now and everyone wants that transition to happen straight away and you go, oh, you've just bought the best players in world football. Everyone expected Floreenverts just to jump into this system and go, well there's the creativity. We all know he can

play. We do know he can play, but there's also the adaptation to the Premier the physicality that becomes so difficult and also the weight of the Liverpool shirt that is this the other thing that you've got to take into consideration here you're not playing for for Bournemouth anymore you're not playing for Bayloravikus and you're playing for Liverpool and Pat made the the he made it clear before and said it probably three or four times Liverpool don't expect to compete in competitions they expect to win them and that's a big

difference and it's to be interesting to see what what Liverpool can achieve this season with those those expectations on them and with these last what seven games in which they've been the being six defeats for for Liverpool is there any cause for optimism this season when Stephen Pat was saying that you know he thinks that it might even be next season before these players start to click or it could be a sort of similar situation to Paris Saint-German last season that it comes together in the in the second half of the season that's what Liverpool fans are going to be hoping. for but does it look like a group of players who have a way of playing that you can look at them and say I think this is is how that's going to look when it clicks I think it looks I think it looks fine with the players that are there there isn't quite an up depth I think there's question marks to be left to be asked at the fullback position particularly right fullback position I think Stevens already mentioned that as well you do need cover its center back and but I think he the suggestion is he's going to arrive and

that will make that so yeah you can see what the plan is everybody wants it done yesterday it doesn't always happen like that and the very very best clubs are the ones that have got a plan it's usually a five-year plan and if they stick by it and without panicking then sometimes you need to adapt it a little bit but if i had to stand back and look at what Liverpool are doing just now having changed their team had certain players that were aging they wanted to adapt it to another the manager style. I'm looking and thinking, yeah, I'd probably brought Vyx. Yeah, I'd definitely bought Isaac. You know, you look at it through it and you think, yeah, they all make, my neck of Tiki, I have to say, is really surprised me. I'd seen quite a bit of him before,

but he's a better player than I thought he was. So, you know, the basics are all there. It's not a time to panic, but, you know, it's going to be a tough season. By live sport. And what a game of football. It is to kickstart this new WSEL. season. That's the only goal, and she is able to just take her sport. Curles this way past the best goalkeeper in the division. BBC Women's Football Weekly.

The latest news, insights and analysis from across the women's game. Lucy Bruns, welcome back. What one lioness do you think would make the best rugby player? Me? Listen. With the BBC Sounds app. On the Football Daily podcast, the debrief with Kelly Cates. Let's hear what Anaslot had to say after the game.

He started off by talking about the team selection. You have every option where you can choose from, but reality is also that there are probably a lot of reasons why we've lost five out of six. None of them are enough to make up for the fact that we've lost so many. But it's also clear that in the last few weeks, we always had to play two days after we played a last game

after a difficult away game in Europe. So when we did that, we've lost Alexander Isak. The last League Cup game we played, we lost Giovanni Leone. And we got a red card with Hugo E. Kittigay. Now, if you look at the upcoming week that's coming up, that is going to be a big week

for us, for the club, for everyone. Then we need as much players available for that game as we can. Now you could see today with the lineup I had to make I only rested the players that has played mainly in the last week and then this is the lineup you get so that that shows you that we already have a few injuries and with a big week coming up this felt for me the best choice and combined with that that this club has always chosen in the league cup to give playing time to their young academy players

as well and that's what we did again tonight. Anna, was it hard doing what you had to do tonight or you just thought this is the best way and this is what I've got to do and how do the main starters feel about what's happened? I haven't asked all of them but this is what we did last season and this is what we've done this season.

But if we did this last season, there was maybe a team that I put out there that was for the fans, more players that they knew. So that tells you maybe then as well something about the squad if we have three or four injuries where last season we maybe could have played Tyler Morton in a game like this or James McConnell. Our squad is probably not as big as people think it is.

So, yeah, there's not been a change to our way of looking at a game like this. Last season it was the same, but last season West Ham at home, if you look at that lineup, you feel as if it were starters. I saw before the game City not playing. I don't think they played one starter from the weekend. But if I looked at their team, I thought like, oh, they're playing with the first 11. So, yeah, we didn't pick a starter from the weekend. Maybe only Milos, if I'm correct.

So, yeah, that is what if you have to play so many games, and players have got injured if they have to play so many games because their preseason hasn't been great. You have to manage that, especially if you know a big week is again coming up. So, yeah, I think the best example I can give is Alexander Isaac's injury when he had to play for the first time two games in three days. So let me give the example of Connor Bradley, the only fullback available. And every time last season when I played him twice in a row,

it has led to him being injured. So do you think it's smart for me then to take the risk if three games are coming up and I only have one right fullback? That's the question I had to answer. and that's why I picked these 11 today. That was on a slot talking about his team selection for the game against Crystal Palace. Did he sound Stephen Warnock to you

like a manager who's looking for additions? Well, I think he's almost admitted there that the squad's not strong enough. I don't think he's after additions. I was quite disappointed him. I'm not going to be on, I'm not going to lie. I was quite disappointed in that interview. It was very much deflect.

and making excuses. You're a, you're a team who's in the Champions League, yet you're moaning that you're playing a game two days later. Well, we all know that's going to happen. And you know that's going to happen. So if you know that's going to happen, and more players. He doesn't have the, the squad to, to kind of change things up enough in order to avoid the injury that he said

it happened with, with Alexander Isak, because it was when he could. Well, but then was that the game that Ekatiko was suspended when he, when he played? Well, yeah, that's part and parcel of it. it but then you yeah I just felt there's a lot of excuses in there so you know you're going to play Champions League football and you know that your squad depth isn't the best well your business hasn't been good enough in the summer it's as simple as that and I know there's injuries along the way but build a squad that's capable of dealing with it

then it just felt that that there was a lot of please look this way and don't look this way it just felt like that at the moment he felt quite sort of down then. When you listen to him, it's almost like he didn't have the answers that people were looking for. Um, yeah, I'm, I'm still trying to digest that. This season then, Stephen, most optimistically, what can they do? Most pessimistically, what can what they do? Well, what, what they can do is they can, they can win against Villa at the weekend. They can hope that Arsenal slip up and they can start to mount a title challenge. There's definitely the capability. Um, Liverpool, with the, um, Liverpool, with,

their first team out will be very difficult to beat here. We know that they've got that quality. Yes, it's going to be difficult, but they've got to find a way of winning games, whether it's ugly, whether it's great football. They've got to find something within the changing room, within the staff, and start winning football matches. Now, straight away, you think, how do you win football matches, go back to basics, be tough to play against, and start to build confidence. Look at Aston Villa. Aston Villa were awful at the start of the season. The confidence was absolutely shot out the team.

And now they're off the back of, what is it, six wins on the bounce. I know they got the defeat in Europe. But they've been so strong, things can change very quickly. And it's how you approach the games. What's the mindset? You need leaders within the changing room. You pick everyone else up and go, not acceptable. We need to change this.

And it needs big personalities as well. If you go on the other way, Kelly, it could be a very long season if you don't start to do that because the pressure will mount and people will start to question the signings. The new signings have also got to lift themselves up and understand what it means to play for a football club of this size and start to deal with that pressure a little bit quicker. Let's turn our attention to Celtic though. They beat Falkirk 4-0 in the Scottish Premiership. Here is their interim boss, Martin O'Neill.

really pleased with the performance pleased with the team and we scored a few goals which was nice but the win was the most important thing and you know the opening 20 minutes I thought we're very level

I thought that they caused us a few problems and Smigel makes a really good save for us I think it was at 1-0 for us but you know momentum changes and stuff like that but overall delighted to have won it's not what you need then

that kind of feel good factor a huge game on Sunday we obviously know about the cups semi-final. So that just brings that feel-good factor back into the restaurant. We'll make the job a bit easier for you the next couple of years. Well, I don't know what it makes the job any easier, but it's, yeah, you're right

about the feel-good factor and it's important. And the players are enjoying. Sit to him, there's games about winning. You've got to win the football matches. And we did, but we played really well and that was nice. Is that what pleased you the most was at times you were playing some really nice football. It was a lovely slick pass and you

could see what you were trying to do. Is that what pleased you the most of the overall performance? Right, okay, if you want it in order, the win was the most important thing. Secondly, yeah, you're dead right, the performance was really nice. And the players get confidence from playing well. It's like everything else. And the confidence dips when you don't play well. And finally, just on a personal note, how does it feel to be back out here?

There was such a warm reset, clearly there was always going to be. It was really nice. And I didn't want to make a mess of it. That was just as really as simple as this year. So my nervousness was, I thought, was really a part. as much as anything else, but I'm honestly really delighted to have won. That was Martin O'Neill talking to Gavin Wallace

after that 4-0 win for Celtic. Pat, it's been quite a week in Glasgow. It started with the departure of Brendan Rogers, which, while things hadn't been going well, it was one of these things that built up for a long time came all of a sudden. Then there was the sort of broadside levelled at Rogers from Dermott Desmond.

Then there were the fan protests because while there may be mixed opinions on Brendan Rogers on his return. There is a consensus that they are unhappy with how the board had performed. Then there's bringing in Martin O'Neill, who's had all that success with the club and is very warmly thought of by the Celtic fans. But he absolutely underlines my days as manager are sort of gone now. This is very much an interim job.

And yet he comes in and straight away, it's a 4-0 victory against Falkirk. Yeah, but the lovely thing is, after all that madness, this week, we get a wee bit of a rest at the weekend. Celtic versus Rangers in the country final. So, you know, it is brilliant. There is excitement back in Scottish football again because, you know, hearts have had this brilliant start to the season. A little bit of slept tonight, it's Samarang, you know,

but that's not an easy place to go. Celtic a little bit back on. And Rangers, who have been completely and utterly written off, if we look at the league table, there they are in the third place. So, you know, there's a lot going on in Scottish football, but certainly Celtic at the moment. they need to make sure that they get that that ship steadied because there is a couple of weaknesses in that team,

i.e., they ain't as good as they were last season or the season before. So the other teams are looking and thinking, we've got a little bit of a chance now, and that's why, you know, obviously why Bernard Rogers was unhappy, but it's why the Celtic fans are unhappy as well. But really, the build-up to the game at the weekend here with Celtic Rangers, it couldn't have been any better or any madder. I mean, both teams have got new managers within the last few weeks,

is wild. If you think back to the last old firm game where it was, I think it had the lowest XG of any match that's ever been measured since XG was a metric.

No, I think that's, I'm not joking, Stephen. I think that's a genuine thing that happened. I'll listen to the commentary. They came into it. They came,

you know, they both came into it in a massive slump, both teams. However, this time around, they're both coming into it off decent results. They're both coming into

as you say, with new managers, it could, it could be a really good game. One would hope so, because it's a cup game as well. And remember, the Celtic Rangers these games these days, you don't always got a lot of fans from the opposition team come. So if it's at Celtic part, you only get a few thousand Rangers fans. In the atmosphere, the wars, once, where there is now different.

But this is the cup game. So you're going to get there, you will get the noise. So that adds to it as well. So not, don't worry about this one. You know, it doesn't actually matter if it's a brilliant game or not a brilliant game. There's enough excitement there. There's enough at stake there for every single one of those actors involved. And isn't it just lovely you hear Martin and Neil's voice back again?

I know. I was just thinking that. It's brilliant. I know. And you're right. Probably a better expression for that game or a better description. That game would be a great occasion rather than necessarily a great game at this stage. But we'll take something that's eventful for sure.

Pat, thank you very much. Thank you to Stephen Warnock and to Alastair Bruce Ball at Amfield as well. Celtic's showing how things can change so quickly. Liverpool will be hoping the same can happen for them. Touchdown, Philadelphia. Great play design. I think you to say.

to go out there and be the best that you can be. We're going to go out there and lay it all in the line. A 12-yard touchdown run. 105 yards on the return. Where speed, power, and skill collide. And the Eagles are beating the chiefs convincingly in Super Bowl 59. Five lives for NFL. Listen on BBC Sounds.