Football Daily - The Commentators’ View: Arctic Ali & owls vs bats

Episode Date: May 9, 2025

John Murray, Ian Dennis & Ali Bruce-Ball talk football, travel & language. Ali reveals what life is like in the Arctic as he watches Tottenham in Bodø. The panel react to Arsenal crashing out of the Champions League. Will John end his losing run in Clash of the Commentators? And which football commentary terms will be added or removed from the Great Glossary of Football Commentary? WhatsApp voicenotes to 08000 289 369 Emails to [e-mail]00:55 Ali in the Arctic 11:30 Arsenal knocked out by PSG 18:15 Looking ahead to PSG-Inter UCL final 21:05 Commentary terms for selling a dummy 23:00 5 Live commentaries this weekend 26:20 Arteta: ‘We have two Premier League titles’ 29:20 Clash of the Commentators goes Norwegian 35:35 Plot thickens on ‘where the owl sleeps’ 40:00 Ian uses ‘stanchion’ in Man Utd commentary 41:15 Ali uses ‘thrown his cap on it’ in Tottenham commentary 43:00 Will anything be added to the Great Glossary? BBC Sounds / 5 Live Premier League weekend commentaries: Sat 1500 Southampton v Man City, Sat 1730 Bournemouth v Aston Villa, Sun 1415 Nottingham Forest v Leicester, Sun 1415 Man Utd v West Ham on Radio 5 Sports Extra, Sun 1415 Tottenham v Crystal Palace on BBC Sport website, Sun 1630 Liverpool v Arsenal.

BBC Sounds music radio podcast. The commentators view with Alistair Bruce Ball, John Murray and Ian Dennis on the football daily. Welcome to the football daily. I'm John Murray and this is the commentators view where we take you behind the microphone and talk about our love of football, travel and crucially our love of language as well. And it is full house this week and we've gone international haven't we? Because Ian Dennis, our senior football reporter, is in the UK Ian, I'm in Paris, bonjour monsieur and mad Madame and indeed Mademoiselle and joining us live from

the Arctic Circle it's Alistair Bruce Ball can you hear us? I've got you as you said John on the whatsapp group earlier this week Bruce Ball of the North it's it's not quite Captain Scott but as I look out of the hotel room window here this morning I flew in Touchdown in it's called Buddha. It's Buddha this place rather than Bodo So I'm ready if we not only have we confused our slashers We've also been mangling the pronunciation all the time weeks But hold on though because are we not then venturing into Yan Mulby Yan Mulboo territory. So like Bromby is Brombo. Yeah.

So we would still say Bodo. Yeah, and that's what I'm gonna do Ian. That is what I'm gonna do. So I spoke to one of the Norwegian commentators last week and he said for you guys, and he actually used that example. He said, go with Bodo, but here they call it Budo. But in terms of painting a picture, John,

got here at 11 o'clock last night. It was two relatively short flightsclock last night, it was two relatively short flights, I mean it's an amazing place to visit but the travel was quite simple so Gatwick to Oslo, couple of hours at Oslo airport and then Oslo to Buda and I got out of the terminal at Buda here and there was a taxi booked for me but I was slightly early and I got the guy on the phone and he said I'm going to be about 10-15 minutes and I fancied stretching my legs and I thought it can't be that far in a place like this to the hotel. And it was half a mile walk and the stadium's less than half a mile walk. I mean everything is so close

together here so I was sort of dragging my suitcase through Buda last night and the taxi driver eventually went past me. He's probably the only one in town and I was about 300 yards from the hotel and he opened the door and he said, do you want to get in? I said, I'm 300 yards away now. I don't need you now. But yeah, so looking out the window... So what's it like? Is it on the... Rugged. Rugged, okay. It's rugged.

No, you're on the water. It's on the water. So I'm looking out the window here at fishing boats bobbing in the harbor. When I arrived at 11 o'clock last night, it was still... It wasn't dark, it was gloomy, but there's still effectively daylight, and there's just an enormous expanse of water that stretches out into the distance, which I think is Southfjorden, one of the fjords. So it's not the North Sea? Do you know what? I don't know. I'm gonna have to check that.

But then otherwise, if you go to the stadium, and I've not actually been in the commentary position yet, but it's a very cozy little stadium, but the view is fantastic because just above the rooftops of the stadium you've got rooftops of houses, but away in the distance you've got snow capped mountains. It's beautiful. Is it cold? Have you packed your thermals? Yes, thermals are in and definitely going to need them. So, you know, walked last night and immediately stuck the big coat on and will need hat gloves.

It's going to be sort of low single figures. So it's basically like, you know, English winter football. That must be a first. A commentator to wear his thermals in the month of May. Yeah I've not done it before actually yeah. Although your producer on that trip is Rob Schofield who I think I'm right in saying is never without his thermals on. We're going for a hike so after we finished recording this pod we've decided the best thing to do here is to go for a hike and have a look around so we go we're going up into the hills for about an hour. And Rob has come extremely well prepared. He's got about three different types of footwear for that sort of adventure and coats and snoods

and gloves. I've literally got the clothes on my back. So I'm going to look like a proper Englishman in New York forward slash Buddha going on this walk into the hills. But looking forward to it. And the other thing I will say and I know, John I think you would have tried this for breakfast Ian, I know you wouldn't. The breakfast spread in the hotel, fantastic, and I thought you've got to go for some of the local stuff here. So the smoked salmon, I mean smoked salmon obviously you can get all over the world but it was absolutely delicious.

But there was four little silver buckets of different types of herring One of which one of which called sure silt was just I mean it literally looked like a bucket had been scooped into the sea And there was just bits of fish swimming about in this sort of spew me water. I didn't go for that oil Yeah, and I didn't go for the herring in sour cream, but I went for it in a sort of tomatoey sauce It was absolutely delicious I mean really good the people that must be so excited about being in a European Semi-final and and the teams that they've played now having Tottenham come to visit. Yeah Well, I mean the first Norwegian men's team ever to reach this stage of a european competition i was actually looking at the the the men's

national team i think furthest they've ever got a major tournament is last sixteen and they're enormously confident john that that's the other thing i know i know by the time people listen to this pod will know the result of the game but what really struck me from the first leg last week at Tottenham, and you couldn't get a greater contrast between venues, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they did that

so well at the start of the game last week, packed to the rafters, all the Tottenham fans in white, all the mod cons, screens, music, fireworks, everything blaring, and this little pocket of bright yellow Bodo fans last week. And now this week we're on an artificial playing surface wide open stadium less than 10,000 people in there it's gonna have a very different atmosphere but what really struck me last week was as soon as Bodo scored the change in atmosphere in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium suddenly the anxiety from the Tottenham fans have been cock-a-hoop for an hour or so and as you walked out the stadium and Back to the car and back to the station

It was the Bodo fans who were 3-1 down with a spring in their step super confident smiling You know, they've got less to lose than Tottenham, but it really struck me that that that anxiety from from the Tottenham support You really felt it in the stadium and from the Tottenham fans we've spoken to over here as well They are not confident at all and that's partly because of obviously the way they've been playing this season but it's also because Bodo at home on this pitch I mean I was actually thinking John you guys might be able to help me with this it's such a small stadium I don't think we can describe it as a fortress but it is a fortress in terms of home records so we might need our listeners to come up with a is it a garrison is it an outpost I'm not quite sure what it is a fortress in terms of home records So we might need our listeners to come up with a ways. Is it a garrison? Is it an outpost?

I don't I'm not quite sure what it is But it's an incredibly difficult place to come and get results and I'm imagining from what you say that That it will be light all the way through the match with it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, definitely because we kick off at 9 p.m Local if we go to penalties, we're probably finishing, you know quarter to midnight, but I walked from the airport last night and it wasn't it wasn't bright light It was it was a gloomy evening, but it wasn't dark. It wasn't pitch black So I'm presuming the floodlights will be on but yes We'll still be we'll still be in effectively being daylight the white nights of Bodo or the white night Yeah, who playing who playing bright yellow. Will there be a shining night on the white night. And on

the subject of the journey which you said was surprisingly straightforward Stuart in Nottingham has written into TCV at bbc.co.uk to tell us about his trip to Bode. What is it? Buda. Buda. Bud Buddha. He says it took him 17 hours to get from Oslo to Buddha by bus and the train back was just as long. That must be one of the great bus journeys of Europe. Are you watching? Do you watch race across the world? I saw the last episode or the last series rather yeah, yeah, they had an idea Production had an idea ahead of the euros in Germany That Chris Sutton and I would do a sort of race across the world from London to our first game in Munich as

In just given a certain amount of money and having to make our own way which which sounded like and this would be a classic Trip to try and do that But there's always the danger then you don't arrive on time and you miss the game. At one stage Hare Chapman suggested that he and me would be a good combination I don't know whether that was yet another insult or not. There would be bickering and I think you would go about it. I can't believe anybody would bicker with Hare Chapman. You would go about it in very different ways I think your approach John would be very methodical, definitely and deliberate and I could see Chapters getting frustrated with that at times. I would think for TV producers everywhere.

Herre Chapman would flounder at the first possibility when someone said you can't get a luxury car here. He wilt, he wilt. I'm feeling the thrills a little bit because as we record this, last night was PSG's big night and my goodness, they enjoyed that. They really celebrated that last night.

But more of that in a moment because we do have something else to attend to. Because Ian, last week you were saying about European countries in the Arctic Circle and you gave us Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. John from London has sent us a voice note. I was very entertained by the latest edition of the commentators view when you were talking about the European countries that are inside the Arctic Circle. Well there's one that you didn't mention, that's Iceland. There's only a very small bit of it the island of Grimsey but it is inside the Arctic Circle. They don't

play football there it's too small but they should still be counted I think. I know you guys like to get things right so I thought I'd let you know that Iceland should be added to this list. So WhatsApp voice notes to 08000 289 369 and you can be just like John or emails to TCV at BBC.co.uk. Producer Nathan tells us that it is the Norwegian Sea, Ali, that you can see out of the window. And he's also informed us that Grimsey is famous for its vibrant puffin colonies. You say Grimsey, John says Grimsey is famous for its vibrant puffin colonies. You say Grimsey, John says Grimsey. Grimsey, so there you are.

Although if you are being pernickety you could also say the Kingdom of Denmark is in the Arctic Circle as it includes Greenland. It includes Greenland which is not in Europe. Our barman last night says that at certain times during the year in this little, well I'd say little stretch of water, but this sort of mouth of water just outside the hotel, sometimes around the boats you will see orcas just pop up, the killer whales as they're known. I would love to see, I mean that really would be an incredible experience.

He mixed a very good Negroni as well actually our Balmoun last night Just just one little nightcap before bed, which was which was delicious. Can I just say though Ali? I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a sense of relief this morning Because it's just pleasing to see the big man in Paris and not necessarily being Hospitalized as he was last time. No sirens, no health scares. He is fighting fit. Yes all was well so far. Aloha. Obviously not. I'm still in Paris so I haven't got home just yet. I didn't get to hear the game last night John. I was aware, well I was pretty certain that Paris Saint-Germain

had scored first because there's a big raw went up from some Tottenham fans. It obviously you know got the internet on the plane and were across the game. But I remember you having been to that press conference saying that Luis Enrique was incredibly upbeat and incredibly confident. And post-match, again, just sort of on my follow-up this morning, managers will say what they say after games, won't they? Say Miquel Arteta is saying Arsenal with a better team across the two legs. Luis Enriquez had a little smile at that and said well really we scored more goals what did you make of it? He also said in one of his interviews post-match

as we were discussing last night that in his opinion Miquel Arteta he said 100% there is no better team in the Champions League this season there has been no better team in the Champions League this season than Arsenal but I've just been down at breakfast this morning you know and I have to say on the evidence that I've seen I would say there's no better team than PSG in the Champions League this season but I've just been down with some Arsenal fans at breakfast this morning and they obviously had got wind of what we said and they were saying yeah right okay we're the best team in the Champions League without a centre forward so that narrative

is very much continuing now and I think I personally feel that in the spell where Arsenal were excellent in that first 20 minutes and couldn't get the ball in the net. Couldn't get it past Donnarumma, who's in excellent form again. But I just think that, I think that if Arsenal had that goal scorer, we don't know, do we? But it has to be a higher chance, higher possibility that with that figure, that top international,

you can rely on him goal scorer. I think if they'd scored one, certainly two in that period of the match, you can rely on him goal scorer. I think if they'd scored one, certainly two, in that period of the match, I think that could have gone on to be a really famous night for them. And they didn't have it. There's a narrative now though about Mikael Arteta,

isn't there, about how far he's taken Arsenal. Have they progressed? Have they regressed? And also I can see where this is going to go for next season but I can't help but feeling that he's been let down by the hierarchy because they've needed a centre forward for so long and yet they never addressed it last summer. However, in his time there they've spent Arsenal and admittedly that's over five and a half

years now but between £700 and hundred million pounds on on new signings. You don't have to be an Arsenal supporter to realize they needed a centre forward and for all the money that they've spent they still haven't addressed one of their their weak vulnerable areas. But also I think you know who thought that Arsenal were going to reach the Champions League semi-finals this season. Not many. Who thought when the draw was made that they'd knock out Real Madrid? Probably not many, second leg in the Bernabeu. So I think he can say, can't he?

You know, I've reached Champions League quarter-finals, then I've reached Champions League semi-finals, reached the Europa League semi-finals as well. I mean, they're record under Arteta in those semi-finals. They've lost all four two-legged semi-finals that they've played under Nicola Teta. But clearly, they've got to take that next step now, haven't they? They need that strike. They need that goal scorer in order to do that. And I'll tell

you the other thing, it would not surprise me at all if the old fixture computer for the start of next season throws Arsenal a really daunting first few weeks. That's typical, isn't it, of how things would go? It's difficult to win trophies, we know that, and you know, Arsenal, not so much in the league this season with Liverpool, but last couple of seasons have pushed Manchester City close, but if you look at it in Michael Arteta's time in charge, it's the one FA Cup, isn't it? It's the FA Cup in 2020. And a couple of community shields?

Yeah, I don't count those, John. I know Jose Mourinho does Yeah I don't count those John, I know Jose Mourinho does, I don't count those as a major trophy. Here in France they love talking about the Trophée du Champion. But I mean that one also was not the Arsenal we're watching now, that one was a sort of, that was a couple of excellent knockout wins wasn't it against a couple of, was it Manchester City City semi-final and Chelsea final? Aubameyang did all the damage, didn't he, in two games? And that's the only trophy under him. That's when Covetage was sent off, wasn't it,

in that FA Cup final, is that right? Yeah, that was COVID, wasn't it? Yeah, no Covetage. Tremio. No, but that was the COVID. It was, yeah, 2020 it was. Paul Robinson, Ian, is my compadre over here in Norway for commentary.

Oh, by the way, Ali, Sean in your bill says, ABB, hope you have a wonderful time in Norway. I was there two years ago for the summer solstice. It's such a beautiful country. Yeah, I'm coming back. I'm definitely coming back, John. My eldest son. To Buddha.

I don't know, maybe a cruise. Maybe a Norwegian cruise I think could be an order. You know what I also noticed when I was looking at the map, Tromsol who I think Chelsea have played, Liverpool have played, is much further north than where you are. Tottenham have been further north than this

in European football. Tottenham played them. Is that the most northerly match Tottenham have played in the world? I'm guessing. I'm guessing. See when Chelsea played them that was 97 and that was when they had the snow on the pitch wasn't it?

Yeah. But there were all sorts of fantastic names being read out at Oslo airport, all the connecting flights to Stavanger and places like that and I saw people wandering off, I thought oh that would be fun to go and get on a plane and go and have a look. But no what I was going gonna say is Paul Robinson was showing me pictures on his phone in a pre-match atmosphere in Bilbao last week that looked quite something. Yes I bet he didn't show you the pictures of the the Bilbao supporters despite losing that first leg still celebrating till

about one in the morning what a great great football city, Bilbao is. I've got to say I've never been but I'm looking forward to going back. But there was a real sense of occasion there, excitement and expectation that they were able to try and beat Manchester United but of course they lost 3-0 and that certainly dampened the spirits because I think they were hoping that they could reach the final. Obviously it's been staged in their own grounds but it's a great footballing city. I think Rangers fans would agree to that having been there as well earlier in the campaign. And similarly looking ahead to Munich which is three weeks on Saturday yeah I think that's a obviously from

from a BBC point of view, we would have loved Arsenal to have been in it. But I think PSG Inter is a really interesting one, isn't it? I mean, that match on Tuesday night, the second leg was something I mean, both matches was something else, wasn't it? I was watching that second leg and I was thinking, has there been a higher quality fixture over both legs? You might've had a game where one leg has been absolutely extraordinary,

but that was high quality in both fixtures, wasn't it? Some of summer saves. I mean, that and then Donnarumma in the Parc des Princes. That's incredible, incredible save maker. But the Atcherby finish as well, for a centre-back to finish like that, knowing that's your last chance basically to score a goal. What are you laughing at, don't know. I thought John was going to say what I was going to say. Not a bad touch for a big man.

But I was convinced Barcelona were going to score again in extra time to take it to penalties because it was just one of those games where the impossible was happening all the time. I was so pleased and I know that's an old subject of mine but that was a tie that had to be decided without penalties. You know, that had to be won properly. Yeah.

What I was hoping that they were going to announce was a third, they'd have to go for an extra replay, you know, like the Arsenal, Liverpool, Arsenal FA Cup semi-final of the late 70s, where they eventually went to Highfield Road. I thought, no, UEFA have decreed that they've got to play again. That would have been a turn of events, isn't it? If UEFA had decreed that the match had to be played at Highfield Road. You said Ian, didn't you, on a couple of pods ago,

sort of going to the semi-finals, you had a feeling for Inter. Well, you know, I mentioned that we've been asked to sort of like predict who they, who everyone thought was likely to win it. My neighbour actually said to me, he said, oh, he said, you highlighted Inter. I said, anyway, I went and found it on the BBC sport website. I was the only one of about, I don know six, seven, maybe eight people who predicted Inter. Everybody else went with either one went for Arsenal, number went for Paris Saint-Germain, couple for Barcelona. But I just think Inter. I've got to say that the second leg surprised me. I didn't think it would be as open and as toe-to-toe as it was but we you know it was it was a it

was a great watch brilliant classic if that if they'd asked me I would have said intro as well but also Arsenal fan Nick from Cardiff has been a touch TCV at BBC co.uk and he says a great piece of commentary I heard on the TV coverage during the Barcelona versus Inter match was from Ali McCoist when the superbly talented Lamin Yamal sold DiMarco and he slid off the pitch. Yamal looked across but pulled it back instead. He's going to need a ticket to get back in was the line from Ali McCoist which Nick says was just a wonderful line. Do you have any lines like this when a player is sold a dummy

or gets done by a great piece of skill occasionally I've used the one he's got twisted blood or twisted veins you know if a wing is sort of like gone one way and then gone the other yeah I think there's sometimes John there are certain things that happen in football matches when you're doing them in radio commentary like that although that's slightly easier to describe quickly, but you know when you see a wonderful bit of skill from a winger who might, I don't know, shift a ball from one foot to the other, drop a shoulder and beat a man, but you've not got time to describe it in full. You've witnessed it and you want to get across how

amazing it was, but because the move is building, sometimes you just have to say to say beats his man or skins his man which feels like such a waste and doesn't do justice to to what we say I mean the other one of those I think I need to take it to get back in is is is brilliant sometimes I think you can say whatever the food substance is so probably here it would be pickled herring you know sent him sent him for a pickled herring or send him for a hot dog or whatever it is and you remember how of Robson Canoe? Uh, I think was it Dean Saunders who said he sent him for a CREP Suzette. Like that was really good. The goal of me.

Semi-final is it? Quarterfinal. Yeah. Quarterfinal Robson Canoe. What was the one about taxi for, was it taxi for Micon. Yeah. Quarterfinal against Belgium. Al Robson Canoe. Robson Canoe. What was the one about taxi for, was it taxi for Mike on? Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah, that's right.

Yeah, it was Bale ripping Mike on a part, wasn't it? Yeah, that's a very good one too. Yeah. So we have, of course, a lengthy list of commentaries coming up for you on Five Live over the course of this coming weekend. You're going to Southampton Ian? I was rather surprised to see.

Southampton Manchester City, 3 o'clock on Saturday with Rob Green who I very much enjoyed working with last Saturday when Bournemouth won against Arsenal. He was in very good form Rob and he was here actually with his American friends in Paris for the PSG match but that's the three o'clock commentary. It is yes the focus switching to the Champions League qualification places so Southampton already relegated of course against Manchester City. Also if I wasn't working Ian so I fly back from Norway on Friday and I'm straight to Bournemouth on Saturday for Bournemouth. Well it's's such a straight forward journey then. That is for me and I was going to say if I wasn't doing Bournemouth Villa I would have said to Ian pop in for a cup of tea because both Southampton and Bournemouth are less than an hour from home. I just wonder whether we might see

Harland at Southampton. I mean we have to wait and hear from Guardiola at the end of the week, we're recording this before we hear the press conferences, but he was on the bench, wasn't he, for the Wolves game? He was, yes. And also, ominously for Crystal Palace, they are now starting to find their form. And as we know in the second half of a season, normally they've strung together the wins a lot earlier than they have this season,

but I just think they're just starting to click again. And having saw them at Everton where I thought they struggled for large large parts they still got the win and I think they're on their their best run of the season I think at the moment. And FA Cup final we'll be talking about that next week well I can't believe we're a week away from the FA Cup final but Bournemouth Aston Villa Alley Franny Bernali is going to be with you for that. I really enjoyed watching Bournemouth Aston Villa Alli Franny Bernali is going to be with you for that. I really enjoyed watching Bournemouth last weekend who have seen relatively little of this season. They are good to watch aren't they? They're brilliant to watch, they're brilliantly coached aren't they John and and again they're

you know they rely on on those players I mean they've they've they've coped with some injuries themselves but it's it's when Iriola you know he's got his regular starting 11 But there are changes he can make depending on whether it's with Tara or Brooks or Tavernier or Clivert or Semenya war I do like Evan Nielsen as well. Yeah, I like him. Yeah, although that header he missed against Arsenal So that's Saturday and then on Sunday but not the direction. So that's Saturday. And then on Sunday, 2.15 Nottingham Forest against Leicester, that is with Vicky Sparks and Clinton Morrison. Also at 2.15 Manchester United West Ham

can be found on Five Sports Extra on BBC Sounds, on your digital radio. And also Tottenham Crystal Palace will be heard on the BBC Sport website so you'll find the commentary by navigating to the football pages of the BBC Sport website and then at 4.30 I'm seeing a lot of Arsenal at the moment and I will be at Anfield with Stephen Warnock for the 4.30 kickoff Liverpool against Arsenal and we also have commentary next weekend on Arsenal's match against Newcastle

So so that is what we've got coming up in terms of the commentaries this weekend as I say Ian We've got the FA Cup final week on Saturday five life will be the place to hear that And and also ahead of that Liverpool Arsenal match the little comment that And also ahead of that Liverpool Arsenal match, the little comment that Mikael Arteta made on the eve of the match here in Paris, uh, when he said, winning trophies is about being in the right moment in the right place. Liverpool have won the title with less points than we have in the last two seasons with the points of the past two seasons.

We have two premier league titles said Mikael Arteta. I think that was clutching at straws a little bit. I'm not sure he's entirely correct either with that assertion. And I wonder what sort of reaction he'll get as well from the Anfield crowd. And also will they do, because they did a guard of honor last week, Ali, didn't they? So will Arsenal then give Liverpool

a guard of honor at Anfield? I mean, I think, I'm not entirely sure what the tradition is. I have to say it was, it was really much to do about nothing. The Chelsea players looked like they couldn't really be bothered with it and sort of heads down and politely clap Liverpool through. I mean, the Liverpool fans were loving their afternoon at Stamford Bridge and the players

again, there wasn't much sort of, you know, acknowledgement between the two sets of players, so it just felt like something where they were sort of going through the motions and Chelsea had to be seen to be doing it but there was no real sort of great feeling or anything like that in it. Obviously Chelsea not, it's not champions handing over the champions there and nor will it be at Anfield this weekend. I thought what was quite interesting about that game was Liverpool only got going in the last 20 minutes. They

sort of got stung into action there, Arna slot made six changes and took the entire midfield out and Chelsea just ran through Liverpool's midfield in the early stages of that game. Cole Palmer looked very good sort of rediscovering some confidence and actually the moment of the game I would take away with me from that was him sticking the penalty away and the whole stadium sort of Chelsea fans sort of you know hands over eyes and peeking through the cracks just desperately hoping he would he would score and then him trying to play it cool after he scored

which is what he always does but he couldn't quite keep the smile off his face. I think that was a big, big relief for him. But I think Liverpool will be better and stronger against Arsenal at home because it's the first game, isn't it, as champions at Anfield. So I think we'll see a different Liverpool performance this time. In focus on the Football Daily every Saturday. Catch the biggest names from the Premier League and beyond, as they share all with nothing off limits. We are here to speak to Arsenal's Ricardo Calafiore. Ruben Amorim, welcome to the Football Daily.

When I had this invitation, I felt that I had to do this. Rodri, that was incredible. Thank you for having me here. In Focus, only on the Football Daily. Listen on BBC Sounds. The Commentators' View with Alistair Bruce Ball, John Murray and Ian Dennis on the Football Daily. OK, it is time for Clash of the Comment commentators and today it will be top versus bottom That means that it's Ali Against John because the current leaderboard Ali is 8 from 10

I'm 5 from 11 and John You are firmly rooted to the bottom with 3 from 11 So who wants to go first? Can I? Yes I can unplug. Yeah, I'll unplug. Hang on. So we're going to disconnect with Ali. So we're ready to go. Okay.

John, in honour of Ali being in the Arctic Circle, in Bodo, Norway, I want you to name any Norwegian player to have featured in the Premier League. I want first names as well as surnames your time starts now Erling Haaland Martin Odegaard Johan Strand Larsen Egil Ostenstad Vegard Hegem

Espen Bardsen Vegard Hegem, if this one comes to mind. Espen Bardsen. Errr, are there Norwegians? Norwegian? Errr... Err, Stalars Solbakken? Errr... That's very good. Thank you. There were some random ones there, that wasn't expected.

There certainly were, weren't there. I don't know where they came from. I think that's a competitive score. I might win this one. I actually might win this one. Yeah. The losing run might be over. Where's he gone by the way? He might not. He's going to get some pickled herrings. He's just disappeared from the screen in front of us.

Were they all right by the way i think they were who they were given away yet back i think you might win by one now i think you'll okay are you ready ali this question in honor

of you being in the arctic circle in bordeaux norway i want you to name any norwegian player to a featured in the Arctic Circle in Vodou, Norway. I want you to name any Norwegian player to have featured in the Premier League, but I want first names as well as surnames. And your time starts now. Oleg Anasolshchuk, Martin Erdegaard, Erling Haaland, Jan Arge Fjordhoff would be the four that would immediately spring to mind. Hegem, what was his first name? Played for Liverpool.

Began with a V, not gonna get that. Thomas Myra was a Norwegian goalkeeper. Was Erik Torsvett Norwegian? Oh, Henning Berg, Ronnie Jonsson. Oh, up front, Josh King for Bournemouth. And let's get one more. Not going to get it. The look of anguish on the face of John. Even before we've had clarification of the scores.

I think he knows that the losing run is going to continue. Not over. And I had to say. You gave me hope there because you couldn't come up with Vegard. Oh, it did be given V. Vegard Heggeman. But the thing is there John, there's a golden rule to play in this game. Don't get stuck on it. If you can't get it, away you go and find your Myers and your Torsvets. Torsvets 92-95. Oh, I thought it was Premier League. Oh, I see. I didn't think about that. Yeah, I mean there's a number

I just, I'll just scroll up while we're waiting for the scores. Frank Strandley, League United, 92-94. Frank Strandley! We're coming with Frank Strandley! John came up with a good one, Stella Solbachen. Wow! That was Wimbledon, 97-98. Solbachen. I played a game of Sutton Death, which is similar to our game of Clash of the Commentators

on Fantasy 606 this week week against Faris Badwan, who is the lead singer of the Horrors, and with Trent Alexander-Arnold's impending move to Real Madrid, the category was players who have moved from Premier League clubs to Real Madrid, and the first answer he came up with was Thomas Graverson. I had absolutely no chance. I mean what an answer what incredibly good answer that is I was hoping the category was going to be famous Pharisees The scores are in All of your answers Ali were correct. We can't though give you Hegham, but it was still John Murray 7

Alistair Bruce Ball 9 Crikey good game Thomas Myra Everton Sunderland and Charlton Josh King Bournemouth Everton and Watford I think it was actually Muirah. It was! So I'm not... well okay take that one off me as well then and I'll win eight seven. By the way just an update on our hike in the hills here in Norway. You know you were saying producer Rob always has all the equipment. He's just sent me a message saying, packing a rucksack for the walk.

So feel free to bring anything down you want to take. Have you got... An apple? No, have you got crampons? Have you got a pickaxe? Might need it. We might go spearfishing, John. Have've got a pickaxe might need it might we might go spearfishing john have you got a spear

no three current norwegians by the way oscar bob sander burger and christopher ira yeah at brentford and i've got to mention iraq bakker because he was such a good player and a lovely man when i used to cover league united i'm sure there's another norwegian center. I was trying to get that I couldn't get

Striker well, I won't Kirwan you didn't get this and oh, yeah, Stephanie, isn't Tour Andre flow. Yeah, there we go. There we go So with clash of the commentators out of the way for another week and that leaves Ali with nine from eleven wins Ali that's red hot. What does that leave you with John? Three from twelve. Three from twelve that's pathetic. That's a 25% win rate if you if you went on Optus stats or grace note. Good it is now time for the great glossary of football commentary as we debate and discuss some of this week's listener suggestions of football specific commentary terms and phrases to add to our collection. And before we get into it, the plot thickens on where the owl

sleeps versus where the bat sleeps. There's no question that of all of the terms that we've put into the great glossary of football commentary, that is the one that has absolutely dominated, hasn't it? And I've got another, I've got a French version for you as well in a moment. But, and this is to describe goals that go right into the top corner. Derek last week brought to our attention that the owl would sleep on top of the crossbar. Therefore, if you hit where the owl sleeps you'd miss the target whereas bats sleep hanging upside down so that would be more accurate for hitting the top corner of the goal. Steven in Belfast has written in tcv at bbc.co.uk and says not sure I agree with where the bat sleeps as in old style goals with the goal frame corner supports and owl could sleep in those top corners and he's actually Stephen said is a picture of

what he means with that sort of curved stanchion so so yes I get that point. Dean in Devon John on the same. Bit surprised that you accepted the argument that the expression should be where the bat sleeps rather than where the owl sleeps. The owl would surely be roosting on the stanchion rather than hanging upside down from the bar. Even more surprised that you started discussing stanchions directly after raising, in brackets lowering question mark, this issue without coming to the same conclusion keep up the good work deenon's sunny taught nests surprisingly looking forward to a season in league one with the mighty card if city i mean the original for a wedded where the house

leaps come from is it south american or italian can you remember where it came from it was south american wasn't it yeah it is the original isn't it where the bats leaps is a suggestion from our list now i'd so where the bat sleeps is a suggestion from our listener I so where the owl sleeps I'm you know, I'm happy with further correspondence from Villa fan Steve Hi team the answer may be that it depends on the type of goal modern top-level goals versus your classic old school park or training goal with a corner piece

See these two goals at Villa Park the other day the proper goal without the corner bracket and the training goals with a corner piece. See these two goals at Villa Park the other day, the proper goal without the corner bracket and the training goals with the corner bracket. Oh, so he's actually sent, that's good work. So you know when the goalkeepers warm up and they have the mobile net that they put to one side of the fixed net, the fixed goal, but there's actually one with the corner bracket in the mobile net other than the fixed goal so what's the verdict where the owl sleeps versus where the bat sleeps? I think we've got a problem here because you know that fellow football reporters and commentators who listen to this podcast occasionally try and chuck these into their football reports don't they while we're

commentating and Ian I'm now worried you're gonna miss a goal on a busy Saturday afternoon because one reporter is gonna be describing a goal that's gone where the owl sleeps or where the bat sleeps potentially da da da da da and by the time they get to the end of all of that we're gonna miss a goal so this could be causing us problems this. Well I think we might have to go with the original yeah because that came from South America and therefore we go with where the owl sleeps and we disregard where the bat sleeps. And it was nobody's actually said that. No, exactly.

And on the French front, our new favorite bistro owner in Paris, Ackley, who I've seen him, I've seen Ackley more than members of my family this year. We were having a conversation. You've seen nurse Susan more than you've seen your family. He I mean he's such a committed PSG supporter and he was absolutely flying after that. He's already got himself sorted out for Munich going there. Anyway part of one of our conversations this week without reference to this at all he happened to mention that the French for this,

the ball going right in the top corner is net why a lay Luke on a dinner. And I think that means cleaning that if you, if your shot goes in the top corner, they, they would say that it's clean. The top corner cleaning. Oh, I love that corner. Yeah. What's so it sort of brushed the post and the underside of the crossbar and it's clean on the way through. And it's a little bit like the cobweb wasn't it? What was the spider's web? Moves the moves. The spider's web was the one from Eastern Europe.

So that's another one, another one to describe the shop that goes into the top corner. So that's that. Um, last week we did accept strikes, the stanchion from Sandy in County Tyrone, which Ian used excellently in Bilbao after we recorded last week's episode. Bruno Fernandes with the corner, flicked on at the near post. Yorho might come out towards... That's Rui! He hits the crossbar!

Hit it first time left-footed, just outside the deep. And it rattled the stanchion. What a strike. What a strike from Masuari on his left foot hit the joint of post and bar the goal to the left is still rattling So thanks to Bolton fan Dom for tipping us off about that one He says stanchion is one of his favorite football terms and again even in Park de Prance. I found myself when Odegaard hit that shot that was saved by Donut Rummer, I found myself, I was going to use the phrase, he struck that with real venom. Now I can't say that. This is the thing about the phrases from the glossary that immediately

come into your mind and you end up not using them. Or using them because of the conversation that we had last week. And I think you said it Ali, didn't you? That all of a sudden it becomes part of the, it's back in the consciousness and I thought, well, I'll just use it. John, sorry, annoyingly I've just remembered,

I used, could have thrown his cap on it in the first leg of Tottenham against Bodo Glimt so he might have to hoik that out of the archives at some point. The one Eze got wrong the other day, trying to remember who that was against, was it against Newcastle? It was, Nick Pote say, where Pote was basically able to just throw his cap on the ball. But that one was good execution, Tottenham lead 3-0. And we've got an email about throwing their cap on it from Liz in Doncaster who says, when hearing you discuss the goalkeeper throwing his cap on it,

I had a little snigger to myself as in our household when a goalkeeper dramatically hurls himself to the floor to make the easiest of saves when the clock is ticking and his team is narrowly in the lead. My husband, Pompey season ticket holder, and I, Derby season ticket holder, both say in unison he's doing a David James. Because, says Liz, David James in our opinion while obviously being a top top top goalkeeper, very good, was definitely one of the first goalkeepers to use this waste a bit of time on a save tactic and now every goalkeeper in every league seems to be a master at it. I'd love to challenge one of you to use it

And also enjoyed this from Liz. T.S. I love your podcast and you all plus Connor McNamara You've made it onto my fantasy dinner party list Usurping Gary Neville and Hare Chapman himself Best wishes and up the rams Liz. What a win. That's a win Chapman out Dennis in so suggestions via whatsapp voice note to oh eight thousand two eight nine three six nine We've had this voice note in from a familiar name. I gents Chris would hear sadly not Kiwi goal machine, just some middle-aged bloke from South London. I'm just dropping you a voice note thingy with a phrase that perhaps could be considered for the great glossary of football commentary. As we near the end

of the season, as the players perhaps attention wanes and the focus drops a little bit is to say that the player is already on the beach or has got the deck chairs out or is already on the sun lounger. I don't think I've heard this in any other commentary so it'd be good to hear your thoughts on that. Cheers. I thought about this very phrase doing Chelsea Liverpool on Sunday and I wanted to raise it this week so I'm very glad that that Chris has done that What do we think? Yes? I think so I can't imagine that featuring in another sport back in the day when rugby league used to be a winter sport I'm sure that have used that I know if they've switched now haven't of the schedules of rugby league

Yeah, yeah But I think when rugby league was a winter sport that have said they're on the beach and on the subject of quibbling Just to go back to the stanchions. Oh, yeah I did want to mention this one from Bolton wondrous supporter Sean who's from Canada, which is significant because he says I Very much enjoy your weekly podcast However, I must quibble with a recent addition to the great glossary of football commentary The term stanchion is most definitely not exclusive to football. This is a fairly commonly used word in ice hockey commentary to describe the piece of metal that holds two adjoining pieces of glass together. The glass of course protects spectators

from being struck by flying pucks. Famously in the 2011 Western Conference Playoff Finals, playoff finals Kevin Bjeksa of the Vancouver Canucks scored a double overtime game and series winning goal after the puck took an unexpected deflection off the stanchion and came directly to him. He was the only person on the ice who knew where the puck was. Enjoy Enjoy this little gem of ice hockey commentary. And the Vancouver Canucks are going to the Stanley Cup final. Oh, I hit the stanchion and came right back. What a heads up play by Kevin Biaxson. Nobody knows where that puck is. Off the stanchion and right back and look at the reaction. Well, there we are.

So that's from Sean in Canada who says, this famous goal helped to propel the career of a local pundit named Wyatt Arndt, who then changed his Twitter handle to at the Stanchion. I hope you agree with me that the term Stanchion should be removed from your glossary. Well, that's a, that is a, that's a compelling argument there. I do not think that we can go against, can we? What, did I not mention hockey last week? You did, I think you did.

I think you did. And Brighton van James says, uh, absolutely love the show, but great touch for a big man is basketball. Really? So, yeah. But they're all big men. They're all big men. So they've all got great touch? Well, you say they're all big men, but who all big men. So they've all got great really good

Well, you say they're all big men, but who was it? So it was it Alton Bird? I think he was classed as he'd be described as diminutive rather than a big man, right? Rob's getting the coffees in and we're going for a hike in about five minutes So what have we still okay here by the way, well, Alton Bird was five foot nine So what have we still got to do here? By the way, Alton Byrd was five foot nine. Well, well, that's my height. That's smaller than me, Ian. And he played, he played for Crystal Palace, but he never complained about going to Cessela's Park.

Do you remember the Clive Allen goal that came back out of the stanchion, Crystal Palace? Yes. Let's finish with this suggestion from Roberto in Hartford in relation to this week's 72 plus EFL podcast with Aaron Paul. Let's hear it as the news came through from the Hawthorns that Luton were relegated. The Hatters are down, I'm not sure the players know it yet, they will in a moment. The fans

know it now I think, one or two are getting the result. There's head in hands and the Smethek end from those in Orange. I wondered whether the glossary could accept when commentators often say on TV or radio at football games on the final day they've just heard the news or the news is filtering through or the fans are listening intently. So could something in the glossary be included, including one of these terms? So that's one to consider. I can consider it, and I've rejected it. Rejected it, okay.

Yeah, I know, I mean, obviously we know what he's describing there, that is something that happens at the end of a season. In the old days, we would have said, sort of held radios to their ears, but they don't do that anymore, do they, obviously? Because they're not there. They should do. I think that was too vague so summary this week for the

great glossary where the bat sleeps has been removed where the owl sleeps has cemented its position on the beach yes stanchion I thought it was no I think we need I think we need correspondence from fans of other sports to let us know whether on the beach can get in there I would like on the beach to be in there But I'm worried that Ian's right that it might be used in other sports. Did Chris Rhea have a song on the beach Anyway, and also news is filtering through I think that's probably Sport, isn't it? Yeah too generic I think but I do love that sensation in a stadium

When you're at the stadium where news filters through and you watch it ripple around the stadium So there we are that's whizzed by hasn't it very much enjoyed your contribution from the Arctic Circle alley I hope you get safely back. Thank you. Any time for Bournemouth on Saturday. There was. So it's my son's 13th birthday tomorrow so I'm really glad I am getting home tomorrow. Tomorrow being Friday as we record this on Thursday. For a while it looked as though we weren't getting home on Friday. We'd have to fly on Saturday which would have meant a whole day over here to explore and I'm a little bit sad that that's not happening not happening there's I'm just not gonna see enough of it over here but gonna have to come back yeah it's Luis Enrique's 55th birthday today and Ian are you

how are you getting to Southampton are you going on the train no I'll be driving well good luck with that but as you know I drive I drive most places and you know what he'll be listening to John which you know what he'll be listening to, John, which you won't. He'll be listening to the edited version of the commentator's view. So that is it. That's a little bit of Deacon Blue. That is it. He is a creature of habit.

So WhatsApp voice notes for next week to 08000 289 369. We really love hearing your voices on those. Emails to tcv at bbc.co.uk. We really love hearing your voices on those. Emails to TCB at bbc.co.uk. Alistair Bruce Ball, Ian Dennis, thank you very much. And the next episode of The Football Daily will be... There's nobody written in there!

Malcolm X? He's a rapper I think John, XXX. XXX. So, the next episode of the Football Daily will be an in focus with a mystery guest. So look out for that. And remember, you can catch every single episode of the Commentator's View on the Football Daily feed on BBC Sounds. Don't worry, John won't hear this because he never listens to the finished product. But we've noticed during the edit that John trotted out a Johann rather than a Jorgen.

Johann Strand Larsen. So therefore, the result has been amended to 9-6. This is the football story of the century. It's pandemonium, it's ecstasy. It's an authoritarian regime. to 9-6. And more than a hundred charges. Somebody turned up at the Etihad Stadium and effectively served papers. I'm Clive Myrie and this is Football on Trial. The Manchester City charges. They believe they've got irrefutable evidence. Listen on BBC Sounds.